“Oh, absolutely,” said Acquilla. “We permit no intercourse until a woman has borne her female child. These first unions are serious and endure for six months, during which time the male resides in the seclusion of the woman’s home.” “In a solitary seraglio?” “Naturally. What you see is only the first of the promenades. They continue every week for several months during the period of courtship, before the final engagements are concluded.” “Then the men have a freedom of choice?” “Theoretically, yes, but they seldom exercise that right.” “But supposing several women desire the same man?” “That often happens, but the priority is determined by the eugenics board according to their qualifications.” “But doesn’t this arouse fierce jealousies?” “Why, one man is like another. Besides, it’s a question of waiting.” “One question,” I persisted, “I comprehend that in this age of reason, you have done away with sentiment. But have you so completely dominated the emotions that these mating comradeships do not sometimes develop into what we called the passion of love? And what then?” “In the young, it is quite true that violent attractions take place,” said Acquilla. “But as we know that such infatuations are immoral, we limit the duration of the attachment to six months.” “Immoral?” I said, looking at her fixedly. “How am I to understand that?” “What do you mean?” said Acquilla perceiving, I think, her slip. I saw my opportunity and seized it. “Six months!” I exclaimed indignantly. “A plaything for six months! So that is all you have had in mind. Now I know your real intentions.” “A particular case has nothing to do with a general law,” said Acquilla with her genius for easy evasion. “Besides, such a case as yours has yet to be determined. Trust me, my dear one. I shall know how to protect us.” My glance dropped before the ardor of her look. “But how can passion under your society ever be immoral?” I asked. “Morality is order, and immorality disorder. Anything that takes away from a woman the control over her faculties is of the quality of disorder and therefore immoral. The moment the relationship exceeds the bounds of her self-control, a woman passes into a state of emotional servitude and ceases to think honestly. Of course, in your day, you used marriage as a moral umbrella, forgetting that in the majority of cases, marriage either became a physical slavery or worse, and where hatred had risen, contrary to the natural selective principles of nature and therefore doubly immoral.” “All this is marvelously if incredibly reasoned, Acquilla,” I said, “but since you admit that the passions do flame out, how do you treat them?”