I do not know if you remember the tale of the girl who saves the ship under mutiny by sitting on the powder barrel with her lighted torch and all the time knowing that it is empty? This has seemed to me a charming image of the women of my time. There they were, keeping the world in order by sitting on the mystery of life, and knowing themselves that there was no mystery.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker refers to a story about a girl who saves a ship under mutiny by confidently sitting on an apparently dangerous powder barrel while knowing it is actually harmless. The speaker then compares this story to women of their time, suggesting that despite being seen as the custodians of the world's mysteries and intricacies, women understand that there is no real mystery at all. This implies that women possess the ability to maintain control and order in a world that often relies on their perceived enigma.

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