"Because I have all I want for the present," I answered, rather frightened, perceiving that his aura had grown livid, and I don't know how I could have soothed him had not Ooma once more come to my relief. I could see that she was annoyed with me, but she controlled herself and placed some token in the being's hand which acted on his agitation like a charm. As I told you, Bloomer had given me with the other things, a crown of artificial roses which, now that I had real flowers to wear, I wanted to throw away, but this she would not permit, insisting that such a proceeding would make the humans laugh at me--though to look into their serious faces one would not believe this possible. The thoughts of those about me, as I divined them, seemed anything but jocular. They came to me incoherent and inconsecutive, a jumble of conditional premises leading to approximate conclusions expressed in symbols having no intrinsic meaning.--Of course, it is unfair to judge too soon, but I have already begun to doubt the existence of direct perception among them.--What did you say, dear?--Bother direct perception?--Well, I wonder how _we_ should like to apprehend nothing that could not be put into words? You, I'm sure, would have the most confused ideas about Earthly conditions if you depended entirely upon my remarks.--Now concentrate, and you shall hear something really interesting. --No, not the One yet.--He comes later.-- We had not gone far, I carrying my roses, and Bloomer not too well pleased, as I fancied, because so many people turned to look at us (Bloomer has retrograded physically until she is at times almost Uranian, probably as the result of wearing black, which appears to be the chromatic equivalent of respectability), when suddenly I became sensible of a familiar influence, which was quite startling because so unexpected. Looking everywhere, I caught sight of--who do you suppose? Our old friend Tuk.--Mr. Tuck, T-u-c-k here, if you please. He was about to enter a--a means of transportation, and though his back was towards me, I recognized that drab aura of his at once, and projected a reactionary impulse which was most effective. In his surprise he was for the moment in danger of being trampled upon by a rapidly moving animal.--Yes, dear, I said "animal."--I don't know and I don't consider it at all important. I do not pretend to be familiar with mundane zoölogy.--Tuck declared himself delighted to see me, and so I believe he was, though he controlled his radiations in the supercilious way he always had. But upon one point he did not leave me long in doubt. Externally, at least, my Earthly Ego is a-- (NOTE: _The word which signifies a species of peach or nectarine peculiar to the planet Mercury is doubtless used here in a symbolic sense._) --I caught on to that most interesting fact the moment his eyes rested on me.