the less a fact that she is approaching death, the turn of the tide which
will carry splendor and power to some new nation. Your theory of
equilibrium is wrong. Nothing can remain stationary; whatever ceases to
grow, decreases and disappears. And if Paris is bent on dying, she will
die, and the country with her."

"Well, for my part," declared Santerre, resuming the pose of an elegant
pessimist, "if she wishes to die, I shan't oppose her. In fact, I'm fully
determined to help her."

"It is evident that the really honest, sensible course is to check any
increase of population," added Seguin.

But Mathieu, as if he had not heard them, went on: "I know Herbert
Spencer's law, and I believe it to be theoretically correct. It is
certain that civilization is a check to fruitfulness, so that one may
picture a series of social evolutions conducing now to decrease and now
to increase of population, the whole ending in final equilibrium, by the
very effect of culture's victory when the world shall be entirely
populated and civilized. But who can foretell what road will be followed,
through what disasters and sufferings one may have to go? More and more
nations may disappear, and others may replace them; and how many
thousands of years may not be needed before the final adjustment,
compounded of truth, justice, and peace, is arrived at? At the thought of
this the mind trembles and hesitates, and the heart contracts with a
pang."

Deep silence fell while he thus remained disturbed, shaken in his faith
in the good powers of life, and at a loss as to who was right--he or
those two men so languidly stretched out before him.