"He is a sort of convert to Meccanianism. He has written books in appreciation of Meccanian principles, Meccanian ideals, Meccanian institutions, and so forth. They are eagerly read by the Meccanians. They even use them in their colleges. I have read them, and they seem to me very clever indeed. I translated them for the benefit of my countrymen, and I am not exactly an admirer of things Meccanian." I must have looked rather puzzled, for Mr. Johnson came to my rescue. "Mr. Villele means," he said, "that these books have a double meaning. I have read one of them. Under cover of the most exuberant flattery he gives such an impression of the cold-blooded devilishness of the system, that some of us suspect his real purpose to be that of exposing the whole business." "He knows more of Meccania than anyone who is not a high official," said Villele; "and if you want to pursue your investigations any further, and incidentally get your manuscript conveyed out of the country, I should advise you to seek an interview with him." "Will that be possible," I asked, "without arousing suspicion?" "Oh, quite easily," answered Villele. "_He_ is above suspicion, if you are not," he added, smiling. "He holds a weekly _salon_ for foreigners, and you can easily get permission to attend. After that I leave it to you, and him." That evening we went on talking a long time. Mr. Villele related some remarkable things, but I was not sure whether he was merely making fun of the Meccanians. "You have not seen much of the Meccanian women?" he remarked. "No," I said; "I have had no opportunity." "They are quite as wonderful as the men," he said. "You never heard, for instance, of the great Emancipation Act, Regulation 19 of the Marital Law?" "No," I replied; "what is it?" "No Meccanian woman is obliged to submit to the embraces of her lawful husband." "But how did the men ever consent to such a law?" I asked; "for in this country it is the men who make the laws." "It is rather a queer story," he replied. "It is quite a long time ago, forty years or more, since a movement arose among the women, influenced no doubt by the women's movement in Europe, which had for its object, or one of its objects, greater freedom from the domestic tyranny of the Meccanian husband. Some of them, of course, thought that the way to secure everything they wanted was to get the right to vote for the National Council; but the wiser among them saw that the vote was merely a bad joke. Anybody could have the vote, because it was worth nothing; seeing that the powers of the representatives were being reduced to nothing. All the same, this women's movement, such as it was, was the nearest approach to a revolutionary movement that the Meccanians have ever shown themselves capable of. Once more our dear old Prince Mechow came to the rescue. He was a real genius." "But I thought you did not admire the Mechow reforms?" I interrupted.