“Your confidence in human wit is commendable from a patriotic point of view,” returned the Professor, “but for this particular occasion it is not entirely justified. The fact is that not many years ago your race in North America and Europe had so crowded upon its conditions of comfortable existence that it was in imminent danger of a disastrous, if not total collapse. The efforts then made to prevent this, resulted almost in the disorganization of society to such an extent that a collapse from this cause was seriously threatened. Your race and nation have been saved from such collapse and a repetition of one of its numerous relapses into barbarism, not, however, by human wit this time, but by the wisdom and generosity of the race I have the honor to represent.” “What! the Lunarians?” “The same. Our people saw the straits to which the human family was reduced, and willing that it should be spared the distress that they had been compelled to undergo before the discovery of the means of protection against themselves, they sent messengers to earth with the necessary facts and instructions.” “I am amazed, and gratified,” said I, “for this signal proof that benevolence is not confined to any one world or race; but I am impatient to know what this wonderful and essential secret is, that defied the penetration of the wise of my own race.” “Our belief,” said he, “is that it would not always have eluded them, but they would have failed to apprehend it in time to save the race from present disaster. The Lunarians have always taken a deep interest in Mundane affairs, and have given many hints to man, some of which have been acted upon with good results. But many others could not be properly acted on or even fairly understood, because the education of your race had not prepared them for it. We are often tempted to exclaim “what a stupid race.” But then we remember how very young and immature you are, and we remember too that once we were in a like state of infancy ourselves, and so we exercise charity.” “But what was the secret you told us?—I am anxious to learn at once, lest some accident shall forever bar my opportunity.” “Well the secret is the simplest thing in the world, and your scientists have been reproaching themselves all over the earth for not having discovered it themselves. In fact, as they say, they did discover all around it when they lit upon the “Option of Sex.” It is simply the conditions for the production at will of the _Third Sex_.” “The Third Sex!” I echoed in amazement.