o use them to
ensure your return. You are not a prisoner, but at present I wish to
detain you. And now, if you will, I will give you roughly and in as few
words as possible a sketch of our history and constitution. This being
in the nature of a lecture, I shall lie down. It is the custom in this
country for every lecture or public speech to be delivered in a
recumbent position, the greatest physical ease being consistent with the
greatest mental concentration. Come to the sleeping-room."

He led the way to a room provided with a pneumatic mattress. It was in
all respects the counterpart of the room I had seen at my former host's
house. He stretched himself on this mattress, and as there was plenty of
room I saw no reason why I should not do the same. He noticed it and
approved.

"You are wise," he said. "Your carcass will now cease to attract your
attention and you will be able to attend to me."

He lay on his back with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, and his two long
arms crossed over his protuberant stomach. Presently he began to speak
in a solemn and magisterial voice, as if he were addressing a large
class. I did from time to time interrupt him with question or remark,
but have not thought it worth while to place such interruptions on
record.

"To understand the conditions of Thule at the present day we must go
back to the great social upheaval of centuries ago. At that time the
equality of all men was claimed and the community of property.
Successful agitation backed by armed force carried the matter. Community
of property does to some extent remain to this day, although a more
civilised view of the value of property is now held by us. But within a
very few years of the social upheaval the fallacy of universal equality
declared itself. It is a rare thing for two men to be facially alike,
and no two men are ever equal in all respects. Such inequalities soon
declared themselves. We had on the one side a minority who contributed
more to the State in actual benefit than they received from it, and on
the other side a majority who received more from the State than they
contributed to it. The minority naturally became a discontented class,
and healthy discontent produces activity. The majority, getting more
than they gave, were quite satisfied with the state of affairs. They
babbled of the blessings of an assured democracy. They took no trouble
with themselves. They thought they were at the end of the social
revolutio