" stuttered
the professor, in profuse apology.

"Your meaning isn't plain at all!" retorted Grace, not knowing whether
to laugh or to be angry.

"It's about as dense as an Irish Channel fog. But I grasp enough to see
that it's interesting," exclaimed Mrs. Stuart. "Please don't talk in
parables any longer, professor. Come quickly to the point. I'm getting
interested."

"This is the point," smiled the professor. "What would be this man's and
woman's attitude to each other? Separated under normal social conditions
by the widest gulf imaginable, on the desert island they would be thrown
together in the closest intimacy. The highly educated woman, the refined
product of centuries of high breeding, would suddenly find herself the
associate and helpmate of an uncouth, brutal fellow barely redeemed from
barbarism. Necessity would compel her to look to him for food. Instinct
would prompt him to build her a shelter from the elements, and to
protect her from attack. As their enforced sojourn on the island grew
longer, the common sailor would begin to cast covetous, lustful eyes on
his involuntary companion, and as each day the hope of rescue became
more remote, he might insist on ties the very suggestion of which would
overwhelm her with horror. Yet with no one but God above to call upon
for help, she would be completely at the man's mercy. She would be
powerless to resist or to deny herself. Her refinement, her culture,
her high intelligence, would go for nothing. The primeval man, the
beast, would assert his rights and only death could save her honor from
the exercise of his brutal force."

"What a horrid nightmare to conjure up," interrupted Grace, with a
shudder. "If such a thing happened to me, I'd jump into the sea."

"I'd pick up a carving-knife and stick him in the ribs," exclaimed Mrs.
Stuart, laughing.

"I don't think either of you would do anything of the sort," rejoined
the professor. "The sailor would quickly pull Miss Harmon out of the
water, and there wouldn't be carving-knives lying around with which to
do any rib-sticking. No, you would let Nature work out the problem."

"What!" cried both women simultaneously. "You mean to say that we
should----"

"No--not at all," smiled the professor. "You go too quickly. I have
merely stated the sailor's desires. Now, the interesting question
arises: Will he exercise his rights as the stronger, will he drag this
delicate, highly nurtured girl down to his own animal l