“The thought of a pair of white arms and red lips will make a man fight better than the thought of all the gold and honours in the land. Is it not so also in your country?” “Indeed, I think it is somewhat this way the world over, and will be while men are men and women are women, though I have heard folk talk as though such things were dead and gone, and that women preferred gold and luxury to strong arms and brave hearts. “Which talk must be untrue, since the thing that every woman desires in her secret heart more than all else beside is to bring forth straight-limbed children after the mould of their father: she does not desire to beget money-bags. Hence unless her nature be warped will she seek rather a clean-souled, strong-limbed man to father her children. Therefore I like to see my folk wearing their women’s favours. It is an omen for the generations to come.” It was clear that Kyrlos and his kind had a refreshingly primitive outlook on life. I should like to have put him up to argue with a pacifist eugenist such as seem to swarm at home just now. He was silent a space, and then he turned to me again. “You said last night that you and your friends were wifeless men. It seems strange to me, for in our country it is uncommon that men of your years should be unwed. You are all close on thirty, I should say, while our folk marry mostly at twenty-five or six. Is the custom of your country other?” “We marry somewhat later, Kyrlos. In our country it requires money to support wife and children, and but few young men have it. Further, since many of us wander much in strange parts, it comes that we marry later.” “It seems impolitic that such a matter should depend on gold, for surely the State must suffer when men like you and your friends remain single.” “But perhaps, O Kyrlos, we have not met with such as we would marry, or perhaps those whom we would marry would not have us! With us it is the woman who decides rather than the man.” “With us also. It is not so in all lands?” “In many it is otherwise, or so they say. Often it is the girl’s parents, and in some countries the parents of both, who settle these matters.” “That is bad, methinks; such things should be for the man and for the woman. But I should be grieved to think of seeing Stephnos at your thirty years and still unwed.” “Thirty-two--O Kyrlos. But, if I had been married, doubtless I should have remained at home, and then maybe the Lady Aryenis would not be with you now, so perhaps our customs have some value upon occasion.” “Doubtless, my friend; all things are well planned could we but see ahead.” Then he changed the subject, and for the rest of our ride back talked of the coming war. I could see that at heart his cares lay heavy upon him for all his cheerful talk to his people.