Some modification of our present marriage-arrangement is inevitable, and concubinage seems quite a probable solution. At present we pretend to be a monogamous people in spite of widespread fornication and adultery, overtly with prostitutes and covertly with “amateurs.” But sooner or later we shall have to drop the pretence and admit that men are polygamous. (A few men are monogamous, and a few women polyandrous, but both are exceptions.) Surely it would be better to allow every woman to have half a husband, if she wants to, and remain respectable, than to give half the women a whole husband and the others no share in a husband at all. For this book you will probably be denounced as a daring and fantastic visionary, and I shall be blamed as an aider and abettor, but that doesn’t matter. It will have stimulated many unthinking people to a re-examination of their table of values. Ever yours, NORMAN HAIRE _90, Harley Street, W._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION VALUES DIRECT SCIENCE FROM a brief survey of his fellow-countrymen, there are many strange lessons to be learnt in England to-day, by anyone who keeps his eyes open and is on his guard against taking too much for granted. The observer has only to exchange a few words with the men, women, and children he passes by, and to look into their faces—no more is required to tell him all he wishes to know. Nor will he need to have a very high standard of human beauty to feel disappointed by the features of the great majority, while the most elementary knowledge of psychology and hygiene will enable him to see from their behaviour and expressions that they are very largely harassed, unhealthy and badly fed (_i.e._, not starving, but improperly nourished). But among the first of the curious facts he will notice is this—that large masses of his fellow-countrymen appear to have become so thoroughly accustomed to living their lives with the help of every variety of artificial aids that the latter no longer provoke either shame or concern.