The duty of animals, as the clergyman set it forth to them, was to convert plant-tissue into a more concentrated and perfect form of nutriment. “The protein of animal flesh,” he was saying, “is more nearly allied to human tissue; and so it is clearly more fitted for our food.” Here Thyrsis entered the conversation. “Doctor Holland,” he said, mildly, “I should think it would occur to you to follow your argument to its conclusion.” The other turned to look at him. “What conclusion?” he asked. “I should think you would become a cannibal,” Thyrsis replied. And then there was silence at the table. When Dr. Holland spoke again it was to hurry the conversation elsewhere; and from time to time thereafter he would steal a puzzled glance at Thyrsis. But this the boy did not see. His thoughts had gone whirling on; here, in this elegant dining-room, the throes of creation seized hold of him. For this was the image he had been seeking, the phrase that would embrace it all and express it all--the concentrated bitterness of his poisoned life! Yes, he had them! He had them, with all their glory and their power! They were Cannibals. _Cannibals_! So, when he set out from the hotel, he did not go home, but walked instead for uncounted hours in the park. And in those hours he lived through the whole of his new book, the unspeakable book--“The Higher Cannibalism”! In the morning he told Corydon about it. She cried in terror, “But, Thyrsis, nobody would publish it!” “Of course not,” said he. “But then,” she asked, “how can you write it?” “I shall write it,” he said, “if I have to die when I get through”. So he shut himself up in his room once more. Section 7. A famous scientist began the story--reasoning along the lines of Dr. Holland’s argument. The grass took the inorganic matter, and made it into food; the steer ate the grass, and carried it to the next stage; and beyond that was one stage more. So the scientist began making experiments--in a quiet way, of course. He reported the results before a learned scientific body, but his colleagues were so scandalized that the matter was hushed up.