"According to the traditions and annals of the Caskians, they began many thousands of years ago to train themselves toward the highest culture and most perfect development of which mankind is capable. Their aim was nothing short of the Ideal, and they believed that the ideal was possible. It took many centuries to counteract and finally to eradicate hereditary evils, but their courage and perseverance did not give way, and they triumphed. They have dropped the baser natural propensities--" "As, in the course of evolution, it is said, certain species of animals dropped their tails to become Man," interrupted Elodia. She rose from the divan on which she had gracefully disposed herself when she quit playing, and glided from the room, sweeping a bow to us as she vanished, before Severnius or I could interpose an objection to her leaving us. Although there was never any appearance of haste in her manner, she had a swift celerity of movement which made it impossible to anticipate her intention. Severnius, however, did not care to interpose an objection, I think. He felt somewhat hurt by her sarcastic comments upon his friends, and he expanded more after she had gone. "You must certainly visit Lunismar before you leave Mars," he said. "You will feel well repaid for the trouble. It is a beautiful city, wonderful in its cleanness, in its dearth of poverty and squalor, and in the purity and elevation of its social tone. I think you will wish you might live there always." There seemed to be a regret in his voice, and I asked: "Why did not you remain there?" "Because of my sister," he answered. "But she will marry, doubtless." For some occult reason I hung upon his reply to this. He shook his head. "I do not think she will," he said. "And she and I are all that are left of our family." "She does not like,--or she does not believe in these Caskians?" I hoped he would contradict me, and he did. I had come to found my judgments of people and of things upon Elodia's, even against the testimony of my reason. If she disapproved of her brother's extraordinary friends and thought them an impossible people, why, then, I knew I should have misgivings of them, too; and I wanted to believe in them, not only on Severnius' account, but because they presented a curious study in psychology. "O, yes, she does," he said. "She thinks that their principles and their lives are all right for themselves, but would not be for her--or for us; and our adoption of them would be simply apish. She is genuine, and she detests imitation. She accepts herself--as she puts it--as she found herself. God, who made all things, created her upon a certain plane of life, and with certain tastes, faculties, passions and propensities, and that it is not her office to disturb or distort the order of His economy." "She does not argue thus in earnest," I deprecated.