I stretched out my hands and Dianne’s lovely fingers, as her flushed face turned to me, seemed already to yield to my clasp, when suddenly with a click, the whole mirage vanished before my eyes. The door opened and Mag came in. “Acquilla is just returning,” she said looking at me sulkily. “Quick. Keep her outside, while I get the table out of sight.” From which, I gathered that certain primitive instincts still persisted and that Mag, after the tradition of servants, had been listening at the door. CHAPTER VIII I went outdoors with some trepidation, striving to assume a natural air and dreadfully conscious of a feeling of guilt. But instead of Acquilla’s Dionysian figure I found no one. I returned and summoned Mag. “Why did you interrupt me with this cock-and-bull excuse,” I said severely. “You’d talked long enough with that hardened woman,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Then you were listening at the door?” “Yes, I was,” she said sulkily. “And who permits you to judge my actions,” I continued angrily. The girl’s eyes filled with tears, she stammered, tried to meet my eyes and ran away. “Good heavens, here’s a bit of comedy,” I thought, suddenly enlightened. “Mag jealous! Acquilla, Dianne, Gallia and now even Mag! Is it possible that the mere sight of a man as he used to be is going to work such havoc?” I must confess that my anger vanished in a laugh, and though I have always held myself without much vanity this revelation of my devastating attractions was not at all displeasing. I presently repaired to the library, which I found to consist of thousands of carefully packed reels, all arranged according to subjects. For instance, I found under ancient history that the siege of Troy was given with a faithful visualization of the Homeric legend accompanied by a lecture explanatory of customs and traditions; the French revolution and the Civil War were not only historically analyzed but actually laid before my eyes. My curiosity was naturally directed to the fate of my native city. I searched in the section entitled 20th Century and found a reel, labelled Apotheosis of Material Civilization, which I immediately placed in the projection and returned to my seat, with what emotion may be imagined.