r stopped to think
of them.

It is a question whether the human will, of itself alone, ever has cured
or ever can cure any human weakness. Tendencies are subtle things. They
are involved in the chemistry of one's being, and those who delve in the
mysteries of biology frequently find that curious anomaly, a form of
minute animal life born to be the prey of another form of animal
life--chemically and physically attracted to its own disaster. Thus, to
quote Calkins, "some protozoa are apparently limited to special kinds of
food. The 'slipper-animal' (Paramecium) and the 'bell-animal'
(Vorticella) live on certain kinds of bacteria, and many others, which
live upon smaller protozoa, seem to have a marked affinity for certain
kinds. I have watched one of these creatures (Actinobolus) lie perfectly
quiet while hundreds of bacteria and smaller kinds of protozoa bumped
against it, until a certain variety (Halteria grandinella) came near,
when a minute dart, or 'trochocyst,' attached to a relatively long
thread, was launched. The victim was invariably hit, and after a short
struggle was drawn in and devoured. The results of many experiments
indicate that the apparently _willful_ selection in these cases is the
inevitable action of definite chemical and physical laws which the
individual organism can no more change than it can change the course of
gravitation. The killing dart mentioned above is called out by the
particular kind of prey with the irresistible attraction of an iron
filing for a magnet."

Eugene did not know of these curious biologic experiments at this time,
but he suspected that these attractions were deeper than human will. He
thought at times that he ought to resist his impulses. At other times he
asked himself why. If his treasure was in this and he lost it by
resistance, what had he? A sense of personal purity? It did not appeal
to him. The respect of his fellow-citizens? He believed that most of his
fellow-citizens were whited sepulchres. What good did their hypocritical
respect do him? Justice to others? Others were not concerned, or should
not be in the natural affinity which might manifest itself between two
people. That was for them to settle. Besides, there was very little
justice in the world. As for his wife--well, he had given her his word,
but he had not done so willingly. Might one swear eternal fealty and
abide by it when the very essence of nature was lack of fealty,
inconsiderateness, destructio