might be, gaming debts must in honour be paid in full. Before long this became the expected and customary method of spending the evenings, now longer and cooler, and the news of these wonderful terrestrial games and customs spread rapidly, and others wished to join the privileged circle, to take part in these ravishing amusements. What if they lost! it was nothing! they would lose one time and gain the next, so things must work out even; and what so refreshing after a hard day’s work as to spend their leisure in exciting play, smoking curled leaves, and drinking the hot and delicious spirit that drove away all care. Truly these Earthians were a wonderful race, and, but for them, the leaves would have been unsmoked, the spirit untasted, all enjoyment from them unknown, and they vowed that henceforth the world would not be the same. They began to teach others, and some found themselves unable to pay and had to sell their stock, for they could not be called dishonourable; they could, however, always play again and win more, getting all back with interest, and for the first time there came the desire for wealth, for unlimited stock, and the only way to get it was to win it from some one else, so again they played and several lost all. These refused to pay, but they were so oppressed by the high moral standard and tone of their companions, and especially of the terrestrials, who placed ‘honour’ above all other virtues, even above life, that in despair they gave up all that they had and paid,—and the first pauper was created. Then others, men, and women too, who had lost even more than they possessed, having staked wildly in their excitement, found themselves in terrible positions, and being able to give themselves in complete settlement, recklessly paid this price and became free from their debts, but woke up to the fact that heavy toll was henceforth to be exacted,—and theft and immorality were for the first time known on the planet. The visitors had only been there a month, but they were doing excellent business, having already taken much of the profits of these people, many of whom, because they lived in community, had only part-shares in goods, but who, in terror of being considered dishonourable, took their own and their partners’ shares, themselves receiving all the money with which to pay their debts and buy spirit, which had by this time increased in value. In other places there was no money, but by a gradual and judicious exchange of goods, the strangers soon gathered to themselves many valuables in such small compass as could be carried about with them on their persons, and in many other ways the Earthians proved themselves smart business men.