I agree with those who tell us that society is breaking up, or will break up unless something is done at once to stop the dissolution. We have no high ideals of anything. Marriage itself is a mere commercial treaty, and only professional preachers speak of it in other terms--and those young people, with a passion for each other, who are about to be united--a passion that dies the death inevitably for want of knowledge, and wholesome principle, and self-control to support it. Some of us like our bargains better than others, but you can judge of the estimation in which marriage is held when you see how much happiness people generally find in it. If men and women were kept apart, and made to live purely from their cradles, they would still scarcely be fit for marriage; yet any man thinks he may marry, and never cares to be the nobler or the better for it. And when you see that this, the only perfect state, the most sacred bond of union between man and woman, is everywhere lightly considered, don't you think there is reason in the fear that we are falling on bad times? Oh, don't quote the Romans to me, and the Inevitable. We know better than the Romans, and could do better if we chose. But we have to mourn for the death of our manhood! Where is our manhood? Where are our men? Is there any wonder that we are losing what is best in life when only women are left to defend it? Believe me, the degradation of marriage is the tune to which the whole fabric of society is going to pieces----" "Eh, what!" exclaimed the Bishop, waking up with a start--"whole fabric of society going to pieces? Nonsense! When so many people come to church. And then look at all the societies at work for the--for the-- ah--prevention of everything. Why, I belong to a dozen at least myself; the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Rational Dress Reform, for doing away with petticoats--no, by-the-by, it is my wife who belongs to that. But, at any rate, everything is being done that should be done, and you talk nonsense, my dear"--looking at Ideala severely-- "because you don't know anything about it." "The faults we are hardest on in others are those we are most conscious of in ourselves--perhaps because we know how easy it would be to conquer them," Ideala observed vaguely. "Oh, come, now, my dear," said the Bishop, beaming round on all of us, "you must not believe what you hear about society being in such a bad state. I know idle people say so, and it is very wrong of them. Why, _I_ never see anything wrong." "Of course not," said Ideala. "We are all on our best behaviour before you." The Bishop patted his apron good-humouredly. "Well, now, take yourself for example," he said. "I am sure _you_ never do wrong--tell stories, you know, and that kind of thing."