I doubt even whether you will believe it; but
what am I to do in that case? You have already accepted the episode of
my coming, or you would have shut the covers before arriving at this
page of my modest narrative, and this emboldens me. I may strengthen
my claim on your credulity by pointing out the extraordinary marvels
which science is teaching you even on our own little world. To quote a
single instance: If any one had declared ten years ago that it would
shortly be practicable and easy for two persons to converse from shore
to shore across the Atlantic without any intervening medium, he would
have been laughed at as a possibly amusing but certainly extravagant
romancer. Yet that picturesque lie of yesterday is amongst the
accomplished facts of today! Therefore I am encouraged to ask your
indulgence, in the name of your previous errors, for the following and
any other instances in which I may appear to trifle with strict
veracity. There is no such thing as the impossible in our universe!

When my friendly companion found I could not understand him, he looked
serious for a minute or two, then shortened his brilliant yellow toga,
as though he had arrived at some resolve, and knelt down directly in
front of me. He next took my face between his hands, and putting his
nose within an inch of mine, stared into my eyes with all his might.
At first I was inclined to laugh, but before long the most curious
sensations took hold of me. They commenced with a thrill which passed
all up my body, and next all feeling save the consciousness of the loud
beating of my heart ceased. Then it seemed that boy's eyes were inside
my head and not outside, while along with them an intangible something
pervaded my brain. The sensation at first was like the application of
ether to the skin--a cool, numbing emotion. It was followed by a
curious tingling feeling, as some dormant cells in my mind answered to
the thought-transfer, and were filled and fertilised! My other
brain-cells most distinctly felt the vitalising of their companions,
and for about a minute I experienced extreme nausea and a headache such
as comes from over-study, though both passed swiftly off. I presume
that in the future we shall all obtain knowledge in this way. The
Professors of a later day will perhaps keep shops for the sale of
miscellaneous information, and we shall drop in and be inflated with
learning just as the bicyclist gets his tire pumped up, or the mo