When they met again, Paul began skipping and dancing, as if he had gone quite out of his senses, and every now and then between the skips he gave a sepulchral groan. Virginia asked him in astonishment what on earth was the matter with him. 'Matter!' he exclaimed. 'Why, Humanity is at last perfect! All the evils of existence are removed; we neither of us believe in a God or a celestial future; and we are both in full enjoyment of the higher pleasures and the apprehension of scientific truth. And therefore I skip because Humanity is so unspeakably happy, and I groan because it is so unspeakably solemn.' 'Alas! alas!' cried Virginia, 'and would not you like to kiss me?' 'No,' said the Professor, sternly; 'and you would not like me to kiss you. It is impossible that one half of Humanity should prefer the pleasure of unlawful love to the pleasure of finding out scientific truths.' 'But,' pleaded Virginia, 'cannot we enjoy both?' 'No,' said the Professor, 'for if I began to kiss you I should soon not care two straws about the parasites of the missing link.' 'Well, said Virginia, 'it is nice of you to say that; but still----Ah me! Ah me!' And her bosom heaved slowly with a soft, long sigh. CHAPTER XVII. Virginia was preparing, with a rueful face, to resume her enjoyment of the higher pleasures, when a horrible smell, like that of an open drain, was suddenly blown in through the window. Virginia stopped her nose with her handkerchief. The Professor's conduct was very different. 'Oh, rapture!' he cried, jumping up from his seat, 'I smell the missing link.' And in another instant he was gone. 'Well,' said Virginia, 'here is one comfort. Whilst Paul is away I shall be relieved from the higher pleasures. Alas!' she cried, as she flung herself down on the sofa, 'he is so nice-looking, and such an enlightened thinker. But it is plain he has never loved, or else very certainly he would love again.' Paul returned in about a couple of hours, again unsuccessful in his search. 'Ah!' cried Virginia, 'I am so glad you have not caught the creature!' 'Glad!' echoed the Professor, 'glad! Do you know that till I have caught the missing link the cause of glorious truth will suffer grievously? The missing link is the token of the solemn fact of our origin from inorganic matter. I did but catch one blessed glimpse of him. He had certainly a silver band about his neck. He was about three feet high. He was rolling in a lump of carrion. It is through him that we are related to the stars--the holy, the glorious stars, about which we know so little.' 'Bother the stars!' said Virginia; 'I couldn't bear, Paul, that anything should come between you and me. I have been thinking of you and longing for you the whole time you have been away.' 'What!' cried Paul, 'and how have you been able to forego the pleasures of the intellect?'