the coming race-第34章

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sturbed　from　its　hiding…place。　　I；　a　mere　　Tish；　do　not　deserve　the　love　of　a　Gy；　so　brilliant；　so　learned；　　so　potent　as　yourself。　　Yes；　I　do　not　deserve　that　love；　for　I　　cannot　return　it。〃　

Zee　released　my　hand；　rose　to　her　feet；　and　turned　her　face　away　to　hide　her　emotions；　then　she　glided　noiselessly　along　the　room；　and　paused　at　the　threshold。　　Suddenly；　impelled　as　by　a　new　thought；　she　returned　to　my　side　and　said；　in　a　whispered　tone；…

〃You　told　me　you　would　speak　with　perfect　frankness。　　With　perfect　frankness；　then；　answer　me　this　question。　　If　you　cannot　love　me；　do　you　love　another？〃

〃Certainly；　I　do　not。〃

〃You　do　not　love　Taee's　sister？〃

〃I　never　saw　her　before　last　night。〃

141〃That　is　no　answer。　　Love　is　swifter　than　vril。　　You　hesitate　to　tell　me。　　Do　not　think　it　is　only　jealousy　that　prompts　me　to　caution　you。　　If　the　Tur's　daughter　should　declare　love　to　you…　if　in　her　ignorance　she　confides　to　her　father　any　preference　that　may　justify　his　belief　that　she　will　woo　you；　he　will　have　no　option　but　to　request　your　immediate　destruction；　as　he　is　specially　charged　with　the　duty　of　consulting　the　good　of　the　community；　which　could　not　allow　the　daughter　of　the　Vril…ya　to　wed　a　son　of　the　Tish…a；　in　that　sense　of　marriage　which　does　not　confine　itself　to　union　of　the　souls。　　Alas！　there　would　then　be　for　you　no　escape。　　She　has　no　strength　of　wing　to　uphold　you　through　the　air；　she　has　no　science　wherewith　to　make　a　home　in　the　wilderness。　　Believe　that　here　my　friendship　speaks；　and　that　my　jealousy　is　silent。〃

With　these　words　Zee　left　me。　　And　recalling　those　words；　I　thought　no　more　of　succeeding　to　the　throne　of　the　Vril…ya；　or　of　the　political；　social；　and　moral　reforms　I　should　institute　in　the　capacity　of　Absolute　Sovereign。


Chapter　XXVI。


After　the　conversation　with　Zee　just　recorded；　I　fell　into　a　profound　melancholy。　　The　curious　interest　with　which　I　had　hitherto　examined　the　life　and　habits　of　this　marvellous　community　was　at　an　end。　　I　could　not　banish　from　my　mind　the　consciousness　that　I　was　among　a　people　who；　however　kind　and　courteous；　could　destroy　me　at　any　moment　without　scruple　or　compunction。　　The　virtuous　and　peaceful　life　of　the　people　which；　while　new　to　me；　had　seemed　so　holy　a　contrast　to　the　contentions；　the　passions；　the　vices　of　the　upper　world；　now　began　to　oppress　me　with　a　sense　of　dulness　and　monotony。　　Even　the　serene　tranquility　of　the　lustrous　air　preyed　on　my　142spirits。　　I　longed　for　a　change；　even　to　winter；　or　storm；　or　darkness。　　I　began　to　feel　that；　whatever　our　dreams　of　perfectibility；　our　restless　aspirations　towards　a　better；　and　higher；　and　calmer；　sphere　of　being；　we；　the　mortals　of　the　upper　world；　are　not　trained　or　fitted　to　enjoy　for　long　the　very　happiness　of　which　we　dream　or　to　which　we　aspire。

Now；　in　this　social　state　of　the　Vril…ya；　it　was　singular　to　mark　how　it　contrived　to　unite　and　to　harmonise　into　one　system　nearly　all　the　objects　which　the　various　philosophers　of　the　upper　world　have　placed　before　human　hopes　as　the　ideals　of　a　Utopian　future。　　It　was　a　state　in　which　war；　with　all　its　calamities；　was　deemed　impossible；…　a　state　in　which　the　freedom　of　all　and　each　was　secured　to　the　uttermost　degree；　without　one　of　those　animosities　which　make　freedom　in　the　upper　world　depend　on　the　perpetual　strife　of　hostile　parties。　　Here　the　corruption　which　debases　democracies　was　as　unknown　as　the　discontents　which　undermine　the　thrones　of　monarchies。　　Equality　here　was　not　a　name；　it　was　a　reality。　　Riches　were　not　persecuted；　because　they　were　not　envied。　　Here　those　problems　connected　with　the　labours　of　a　working　class；　hitherto　insoluble　above　ground；　and　above　ground　conducing　to　such　bitterness　between　classes；　were　solved　by　a　process　the　simplest；…　a　distinct　and　separate　working　class　was　dispensed　with　altogether。　　Mechanical　inventions；　constructed　on　the　principles　that　baffled　my　research　to　ascertain；　worked　by　an　agency　infinitely　more　powerful　and　infinitely　more　easy　of　management　than　aught　we　have　yet　extracted　from　electricity　or　steam；　with　the　aid　of　children　whose　strength　was　never　overtasked；　but　who　loved　their　employment　as　sport　and　pastime；　sufficed　to　create　a　Public…wealth　so　devoted　to　the　general　use　that　not　a　grumbler　was　ever　heard　of。　　The　vices　that　rot　our　cities　here　had　no　footing。　　Amusements　abounded；　but　they　were　all　innocent。　　No　merry…makings　conduced　to　intoxication；　to　riot；　to　disease。　　Love　existed；　and　was　143ardent　in　pursuit；　but　its　object；　once　secured；　was　faithful。　　The　adulterer；　the　profligate；　the　harlot；　were　phenomena　so　unknown　in　this　commonwealth；　that　even　to　find　the　words　by　which　they　were　designated　one　would　have　had　to　search　throughout　an　obsolete　literature　composed　thousands　of　years　before。　　They　who　have　been　students　of　theoretical　philosophies　above　ground；　know　that　all　these　strange　departures　from　civilised　life　do　but　realise　ideas　which　have　been　broached；　canvassed；　ridiculed；　contested　for；　sometimes　partially　tried；　and　still　put　forth　in　fantastic　books；　but　have　never　come　to　practical　result。　　Nor　were　these　all　the　steps　towards　theoretical　perfectibility　which　this　community　had　made。　　It　had　been　the　sober　belief　of　Descartes　that　the　life　of　man　could　be　prolonged；　not；　indeed；　on　this　earth；　to　eternal　duration；　but　to　what　he　called　the　age　of　the　patriarchs；　and　modestly　defined　to　be　from　100　to　150　years　average　length。　　Well；　even　this　dream　of　sages　was　here　fulfilled…　nay；　more　than　fulfilled；　for　the　vigour　of　middle　life　was　preserved　even　after　the　term　of　a　century　was　passed。　　With　this　longevity　was　combined　a　greater　blessing　than　itself…　that　of　continuous　health。　　Such　diseases　as　befell　the　race　were　removed　with　ease　by　scientific　applications　of　that　agency…　life…giving　as　life…destroying…　which　is　inherent　in　vril。　　Even　this　idea　is　not　unknown　above　ground；　though　it　has　generally　been　confined　to　enthusiasts　or　charlatans；　and　emanates　from　confused　notions　about　mesmerism；　odic　force；　&c。　　Passing　by　such　trivial　contrivances　as　wings；　which　every　schoolboy　knows　has　been　tried　and　found　wanting；　from　the　mythical　or　pre…historical　period；　I　proceed　to　that　very　delicate　question；　urged　of　late　as　essential　to　the　perfect　happiness　of　our　human　species　by　the　two　most　disturbing　and　potential　influences　on　upper…ground　society；…　Womankind　and　Philosophy。　　I　mean；　the　Rights　of　Women。

Now；　it　is　allowed　by　jurisprudists　that　it　is　idle　to　talk　of　rights　where　there　are　not　corresponding　powers　to　enforce　144them；　and　above　ground；　for　some　reason　or　other；　man；　in　his　physical　force；　in　the　use　of　weapons　offensive　and　defensive；　when　it　come　to　positive　personal　contest；　can；　as　a　rule　of　general　application；　master　women。　　But　among　this　people　there　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　rights　of　women；　because；　as　I　have　before　said；　the　Gy；　physically　speaking；　is　bigger　and　stronger　than　the　An；　and　her　will　being　also　more　resolute　than　his；　and　will　being　essential　to　the　direction　of　the　vril　force；　she　can　bring　to　bear　upon　him；　more　potently　than　he　on　herself；　the　mystical　agency　which　art　can　extract　from　the　occult　properties　of　nature。　　Therefore　all　that　our　female　philosophers　above　ground　contend　for　as　to　rights　of　women；　is　conceded　as　a　matter　of　course　in　this　happy　commonwealth。　　Besides　such　physical　powers；　the　Gy…ei　have　（at　least　in　youth）　a　keen　desire　for　accomplishments　and　learning　which　exceeds　that　of　the　male；　and　thus　they　are　the　scholars；　the　professors…　the　learned　portion；　in　short；　of　the　community。

Of　course；　in　this　state　of　society　the　female　establishes；　as　I　have　shown；　her　most　valued　privilege；　that　of　choosing　and　courting　her　wedding　partner。　　Without　that　privilege　she　would　despise　all　the　others。　　Now；　above　ground；　we　should　not　unreasonably　apprehend　that　a　female；　thus　potent　and　thus　privileged；　when　she　had　fairly　hunted　us　down　and　married　us；　would　be　very　imperious　and　tyrannical。　　Not　so　with　the　Gy…ei：　once　married；　the　wings　once　suspended；　and　more　amiable；　complacent；　docile　mates；　more　sympathetic；　more　sinking　their　loftier　capacities　into　the　study