"Under the new Constitution are women to have votes?" he asked
suddenly.

"To have votes? Women?" exclaimed the Vizier in some astonishment.
"My dear Pasha, the New Departure has a flavour of the absurd as it
is; don't let's try and make it altogether ridiculous. Women have
no souls and no intelligence; why on earth should they have votes?"

"I know it sounds absurd," said the Minister, "but they are
seriously considering the idea in the West."

"Then they must have a larger equipment of seriousness than I gave
them credit for. After a lifetime of specialised effort in
maintaining my gravity I can scarcely restrain an inclination to
smile at the suggestion. Why, out womenfolk in most cases don't
know how to read or write. How could they perform the operation of
voting?"

"They could be shown the names of the candidates and where to make
their cross."

"I beg your pardon?" interrupted the Vizier.

"Their crescent, I mean," corrected the Minister. "It would be to
the liking of the Young Turkish Party," he added.

"Oh, well," said the Vizier, "if we are to do the thing at all we
may as well go the whole h- " he pulled up just as he was uttering
the name of an unclean animal, and continued, "the complete camel.
I will issue instructions that womenfolk are to have votes."