'That man is the greatest authority, not only in England, but in the world, on bones. If you give one bone of any creature known to have once crawled, walked, flown, or swum, he will tell you not only what the creature was, but its probable size, and most likely he will tell you from what era of that creature's development the bone dates. The man in front is the illustrious broacher of the chimpanzee theory--that theory which caused more commotion in Europe, and more intellectual disquiet, than all the inventions of man since Abraham to our day. The man whom he is talking to is the most revolutionary chemist of our time. He has been able to do almost everything in chemistry save invent life. He is a physiologist as well as a chemist. The man leaning on his stick beside him is our greatest electrician. He and the chemist work together incessantly, and are hopeful they may yet get the pendulum of life to swing where no life was before, and into which no life has been imparted. On your left is a great geologist. He followed up a discovery made in the diluvial deposit in the Nile Valley. He also was largely instrumental in throwing back the age of granite as many years as the most remote fixed star is miles from earth, which, as far as the human mind can conceive, is infinity. Writing at the table, you find one of those men who make the morbid side of Nature a study. He has a theory explaining away almost every form of mental enthusiasm which has led to delusion. Spiritualism and religious frenzies are his strong points--' 'My God!' cried Osborne, in horror, 'there are women coming into this place!' 'Why should not women come in here? There is no place where they may sit with more security. We do not insist upon their coming here in indecently low dresses. While they are with us they will hear no double-meaning phrases, such as they find at many theatres. They are not asked to sit out an opera, the plot of which is a tissue of crimes such as pure women should never have heard of. They will hear no cursing or swearing here. On our stage we do not exhibit any scenes of gambling or drunkenness. The air of this place is as pure as that of the chastest house in London, and from the time they come in until they leave they will hear nothing which could defile a sanctuary.' 'Yes, but,' said Osborne, 'all they hear in this place must tend to unsettle them on matters they have, in their childhood, been taught to regard with reverence.'