what is to be the outcome of this attempt to
found a colony upon Socialistic lines. I admit that I have never very
closely studied the doctrine of Socialism; but if Wilde's views are to
be accepted as its gospel, my common sense tells me that the experiment
which we are about to make can result in nothing but a ghastly fiasco.
The text of his preaching is Social Equality. Equality! There has
never been, and never will be such a thing so long as this world endures
and mankind is what it is; and all attempts to make and keep men equal
are foredoomed to end in failure, even as they did in the days of the
French Revolution. I foresee that one of the first results which will
follow such an attempt here will be discontent; then will speedily
follow dissension, and, finally, anarchy; and I look forward to that
condition of things with the utmost dread. For anarchy means
lawlessness, violence, the adoption of the doctrine that Might is Right;
and in the midst of such a state of things what will happen to us
unfortunate women?"

"Ah!" said I. "That is a question which I should think will affect you
very closely, although, judging merely from what I have seen of the
others, I doubt whether it will greatly trouble them. I imagine that,
even if anarchy should come, they will know pretty well how to take care
of themselves, even as the French Revolutionary women did. But what has
all this got to do with Gurney?"

"Well, it concerns him in this way," the girl answered. "He thinks upon
this subject precisely as I do, and foresees--as I do--that grave
troubles for us all loom in the not-far-distant future. Of course you
know very little about George Gurney, Mr Troubridge; to you he is
merely one of the crew of this ship; but," with some little
embarrassment which I very readily understood, "I have seen a great deal
of him of late, and I assure you that he is a very remarkable man,
intelligent, well-educated, refined; indeed, as a matter of fact, I
believe--although he has never told me so--that he was born to a very
different station in life from that which he now occupies. I may as
well acknowledge that it is to conversations I have had with him that I
have come to see things in the light that I have endeavoured to make
clear to you; and it is partly at his suggestion that I finally decided
to mention the subject to you, and endeavour to obtain your views upon
it."

"My views, Miss Hartley," said I, "are in all essential