Part 2

Her aunt came to meet her outside Canongate, and, being a little

confused between what was official and what was merely a rebellious

slight upon our national justice, found herself involved in a triumphal

procession to the Vindicator Vegetarian Restaurant, and was specifically

and personally cheered by a small, shabby crowd outside that rendezvous.

They decided quite audibly, “She’s an Old Dear, anyhow. Voting wouldn’t

do no ‘arm to ‘er.” She was on the very verge of a vegetarian meal

before she recovered her head again. Obeying some fine instinct, she had

come to the prison in a dark veil, but she had pushed this up to kiss

Ann Veronica and never drawn it down again. Eggs were procured for her,

and she sat out the subsequent emotions and eloquence with the dignity

becoming an injured lady of good family. The quiet encounter and

home-coming Ann Veronica and she had contemplated was entirely

disorganized by this misadventure; there were no adequate explanations,

and after they had settled things at Ann Veronica’s lodgings, they

reached home in the early afternoon estranged and depressed, with

headaches and the trumpet voice of the indomitable Kitty Brett still

ringing in their ears.

“Dreadful women, my dear!” said Miss Stanley. “And some of them quite

pretty and well dressed. No need to do such things. We must never

let your father know we went. Why ever did you let me get into that

wagonette?”

“I thought we had to,” said Ann Veronica, who had also been a little

under the compulsion of the marshals of the occasion. “It was very

tiring.”

“We will have some tea in the drawing-room as soon as ever we can--and I

will take my things off. I don’t think I shall ever care for this bonnet

again. We’ll have some buttered toast. Your poor cheeks are quite sunken

and hollow....”