Appropriating the World.--Some Comparisons.--Allegiance of Love.--Happy Conditions.--Produce Noble Ideas.--Some Interesting Comparisons.--Mr. Oseba in Good Form, Spicy Spice.--Leo Bergin Pimples Out into Poetry.--Dividing the Land.--Barons _v._ Settlers.--Sheep _v._ Children.--Sacred Rights. SCENE VIII.--ACT III. 161-175 Utilitarian.--Acres and Flocks.--Profitable Exercise.--Public Utilities, Have, &c.--King Demus.--Cannonaded and Canonised.--Business.--Graduated Tax, an Eloquent Persuader.--Nature's Pleasing Freaks. SCENE VIII.--ACT IV. 176-198 The Moral Side.--People Like to Live.--On the Make.--Inspiring.--Women Came, Result.--Mental Gymnastics.--Schools, Books, &c.--Other Tastes.--Social Progress.--Opinion's Sake.--Many Worships.--Toleration and Good Fellowship. SCENE VIII.--ACT V. 199-225 Worthy of His Hire.--The Toiler Allowed to Live.--So Decreed by Law.--May not all be worthy.--Justice Elevates.--Some Leaders, but Public Sentiment the Force.--No High, and No Low.--Advanced Notions.--Old Age Pensions, &c.--Pleasing Outings Amid Wild Sport and Romantic Scenes.--Raising the Ideals, with a Climax. INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. Save that that of the Hon. R. J. Seddon is placed facing page 8, Sir Joseph Ward facing page 16, the New Zealand Cabinet facing page 24, and Mr. T. E. Donne facing page 32, all the illustrations are spaced evenly through the work, classed or grouped consecutively, but owing to evident impossibilities they do not conform strictly to the text. All the illustrations are typically New Zealand. _SCENE I._ INCONCLUSIVE ALLUSIONS. This, being a true story, with the slight deviations necessary to the preservation of a due sense of proportion, it is deemed proper to casually introduce the characters on whom we must chiefly rely for the truthfulness or otherwise, of a most romantic adventure. In such an introduction, the Editor, or compiler--the "I" in these pages--necessarily appears, but to the Chronicler himself, who has no "poetic license," we must rely for the correctness of the recital. Though without my aid this strange story might possibly have reached the world, the manner of its coming into my hands has made me a "curtain-shifter," as it were, in the scenes, and in this pleasing task, fidelity shall be my only guide. I was not "journeying towards Damascus," but being weary from many wanderings, and desirous of returning to dear old London as soon as possible, at Marseilles, I booked for Amsterdam on the fine passenger steamer _Irene_--the voyage, however, to be broken for a brief stay over at Lisbon.