one of us
live for fifty years. But I have heard the story as it is told by my
people. The creature that came out of the sea was something like a
serpent, but larger than all serpents. Those who looked into its eyes
died of horror. Two of the gods died. It went away into the caves, and
no one has ever seen it again. I suppose it still lives there waiting
for something. But it is far away in the very heart of the caves where I
never go. If I heard it moving I should awake at once, for I sleep but
lightly, and so I should save myself. If I could remain always in the
caves I need have no fear of the gods, but one must have the sun, and
water to swim in, and food to eat. Is that not so?"

I agreed with her. "But," I said, "in the forest you are in constant
danger."

"Only on calm days. When the wind blows the gods will not go into the
forest. That is well known, but I do not know what the reason is."

I knew perfectly well. I had already learned their fear of something
falling on them. Over-civilisation had broken up their nerves and
rendered them flaccid and spiritless. They had no reason to fear the
wild cattle with the death-rod in their hands. They had no reason to
fear the docile race that they had tamed in ignorance to serve them. But
the limb of a tree might fall, or a cave might be haunted. I grew to
hate these first-class beings, as they called themselves.

She began now to ask me questions about the land from which I had come,
and all that I told her was subjected to her barbarian criticism. She
was perfectly shocked at hearing of hospitals, and regarded the whole of
the medical fraternity as impious. "If those who are weak and sickly are
patched up and made to live a little longer, is there not a danger that
they will have children who will also be weak and sickly, and so much
more trouble be made? We see that this is so with the beasts that we
rear, and the plants that we cultivate. Is it not so with men also?"

I had to admit that it was. But I pointed out to her that in my country
we regarded many other things besides physical perfection.

"So I have already observed," she said, with almost embarrassing
frankness. "Are the women of your country beautiful?"

"Some of them are very beautiful. Some, I fear, are not beautiful at
all."

"Then why do they live? It must be very unpleasant. Are any of them more
beautiful than I am?"

"I have never seen anyone, Dream, as beautiful as you are."

"Say that ag