“Hello, Twenty-Second Century!” This salutation delivered with perfect good humor and confidence caught that animal curiosity which is instinct in the crowd. The first ranks stopped and stared. Profiting by the moment, I put Nestor behind me with a commanding gesture and advancing boldly among them, said: “You are not a bit more curious to know what men were in my day than I am to know you and your ways. Gentlemen, I am delighted to be with you. And if anyone here thinks that it was with any pleasure that I have suffered myself to be dragged about and exhibited like a tamed animal, let him undeceive himself. Or if you think I am sent here by any complaints of yours, you are wrong again. I am here because the female powers that be, regard me as a menace to the society they have imposed on you. As I shall probably be deported within forty-eight hours to another century, make the most of this opportunity to find out how and why men ruled the world when men were giants!” This speech which I personally thought rather bombastic, had a triumphant result. My appeal to the curiosity of the male (which women have always insisted on) turned the irritation of the crowd into one of the friendliest eagerness. By nightfall I can truly say that I was the most popular man in the Club. I wisely postponed any attempt to stir my fellow men to revolt until I had taken time to acquaint myself with their point of view, their habits and their inhibitions. At first I admit to a certain discouragement as I realized the full strength of the inertia that ease and idleness had developed in them. The young males had been rendered so pampered and indolent that at first I found it impossible to arouse them to any shame of the life of luxury and indulgence in which they were steeped. Outside of the gladiators (who were like a sex apart) the young male of the twenty-second century was a vain and slothful creature of the harem. Due, no doubt, to the multiplication of automatic machinery and the use of the aeroplane, I doubt if any of them could have walked a brisk five miles without needing resuscitation. On the other hand, all their physical education was directed towards the terpsichorean arts, in which they excelled for grace of movement and lightness of poise.