As he was undressing his thoughts turned once more to the threat of the new disease which was devastating China. "Rum thing about that new plague," he remarked to his wife. "Seems as it's only men as get it." "They'd never let it spread to England," replied Mrs Gosling. "Oh! there's no fear of that, none whatever," said Gosling, "but it's rum that about women never catching it." The attitude of the Goslings faithfully reflected that of the immense majority of English people. The faith in the hygienic and scientific resources which were at the disposal of the authorities, and the implicit trust in the vigilance and energy of those authorities, were sufficient to allay any fears that were not too imminent. It was some one's duty to look after these things, and if they were not looked after there would be letters in the papers about it. At last, without question, the authorities would be roused to a sense of duty and the trouble, whatever it was, would be stopped. Precisely what authority managed these affairs none of the huge Gosling family knew. Vaguely they pictured Medical Boards, or Health Committees; dimly they connected these things with local government; at the top, doubtless, was some managing authority--in Whitehall probably--something to do with the supreme head of affairs, the much abused but eminently paternal Government. II--THE OPINIONS OF JASPER THRALE 1 "Lord, how I do envy you," said Morgan Gurney. Jasper Thrale sat forward in his chair. "There's no reason why you shouldn't do what I've done--and more," he said. "Theoretically, I suppose not," replied Gurney. "It's just making the big effort to start with. You see I've got a very decent berth and good prospects, and it's comfortable and all that. Only when some fellow like you comes along and tells one yarns of the world outside, I get sort of hankerings after the sea and adventure, and seeing the big things. It's only now and then--ordinary times I'm contented enough." He stuck his pipe in the corner of his mouth and stared into the fire. "The only things that really count are feeling clean and strong and able," said Thrale. "You never really have that feeling if you live in the big cities." "I've felt like that sometimes after a long bicycle ride," interpolated Gurney. "But then the feeling is wasted, you see," said Thrale. "When you feel like that and there is something tremendous to spend it upon, you get the great emotion as well." "Like the glimmer of St Agnes' light, after you'd been eight weeks out of sight of land?" reflected Gurney, going back to one of Thrale's reminiscences. "To feel that you are a part of life, not this dead, stale life of the city, but the life of the whole universe," said Thrale. "I know," replied Gurney. "To-night I've half a mind to chuck my job and go out looking for mystery." "But you won't do it," said Thrale. Gurney sighed and began to analyse the instinct within himself, to find precisely why he wanted to do it.