I had hardly made these rapid observations when Manfreda with the dignity of a supreme judge, turned to her associates: “In order not to confuse Bogardus, if it is your pleasure, I shall put to him the general questions which I know are in all our minds. At a later day, each may interrogate him according to her special field.” She turned to me. “You of course, Bogardus, realize the importance of your discovery to us. Until your arrival, the principle of the Frigidrome preservation of life was ascribed to Coperta in 2085. Will you give us as completely as possible the account of your revolutionary experience.” I repeated the details I had already supplied to Acquilla, who at the end of my recital, remarked: “Though the crude use of hypnotism to produce a cataleptic stage is decidedly archaic in this day when the glandular relationships are better understood, there is no question that the principle of the Frigidrome must be ascribed to Sachaloff, and I have already taken steps to do justice to his discovery.” “There can be no question of that,” said Manfreda while the others nodded acquiescence. “And now to the purpose of our inquiry. The great world conflict which took place at the end of the twentieth century, Bogardus, was of such devastating character, that the records of previous civilization were blotted out in great measure. You can supply us not only with much valuable historical detail, but can give us an intimate judgment on the questions which interest us profoundly. You lived at the close of the great era of materialism when the male mechanico-civilization finally suppressed all individualism under a standardized collectivism.” “I am a little bewildered,” I said tentatively, “we spoke of standardization it is true, but in my day there was no such suppression of that individualism of which you speak.” “Bogardus is speaking of 1929,” said Candora, interrupting. “The spread of standardization into the industrial domination of the state must have just been perceptible.” “You speak of things I did not witness,” I replied, more and more confused. “To aid me in my recital, would it be possible to tell me briefly just what happened in the fifty years after my disappearance. For at that time, far from seeking war, the peoples of the world had not only founded a League of Nations, but had agreed on a general reduction of armaments.” Candora, at a signal from Manfreda, rose.