The plague soon vanished and the babel ceased. There was comparative silence throughout the island. Only such words were spoken as were essential and relevant to the business in hand. It was, indeed, accepted as the surest mark of the sanity of a nature that it was never betrayed into speech unless that which conveyed necessary information, forceful reasoning, or fresh thought. The trite was avoided as mephitic vapours or an exhausted atmosphere would be. The utterance of truisms immediately led to a microscopic examination of the brain of the speaker in expectation of finding disease there. The habit of expression merely for its own sake and not for what it expressed, for its beauty or wit or pungency, was considered a sure indication of a diseased or morbid condition of the brain-tissue, and the sufferer was at once isolated for treatment, lest he should spread the contagion. For the whole phenomenon was scientifically investigated, and precautions were carefully taken against a return of the plague. It had been noticed that, after any age of exceptional progress, there generally occurred some epidemic connected with the brain-tissues or nerve-centres, sometimes appearing in excess of emotion, sometimes in various forms of feebleness of thought. It was due, they found, to the comparative exhaustion of the brain and nerves by exceptional strain upon them. As long as the enthusiasm of the new ideas and rapid advance inspired the people, they worked with a will, nor ever thought of sparing any part of their system. The more mature amongst them knew how to bridle this passion for work, and took the necessary precautions against its evil effects; from experience they had found out that they needed more sustenance and more sleep in such periods, and they knew almost by instinct when to rest and how often, and what halls of sustenance and medication they should frequent. The young had not their instincts checked or confirmed by experience, and carried even the best of movements and impulses to abuse. In spite of inspection and superintendence they ignored the rules laid down for their guidance, and took their inspiration to work as better than the wisdom of their elders, knowing that progress was the ideal and law of their race, and thinking that everything done for progress was right.