and perhaps in the end the whole of it. It was said amongst them on
all hands that it had been a great mistake of the various governments
not to have resisted sooner; and the liberals and radicals (the name
as perhaps you may know of the more democratically inclined part of
the ruling classes) were much blamed for having led the world to this
pass by their mis-timed pedantry and foolish sentimentality: and one
Gladstone, or Gledstein (probably, judging by this name, of
Scandinavian descent), a notable politician of the nineteenth
century, was especially singled out for reprobation in this respect.
I need scarcely point out to you the absurdity of all this. But
terrible tragedy lay hidden behind this grinning through a horse-
collar of the reactionary party. 'The insatiable greed of the lower
classes must be repressed'--'The people must be taught a lesson'--
these were the sacramental phrases current amongst the reactionists,
and ominous enough they were."

The old man stopped to look keenly at my attentive and wondering
face; and then said:

"I know, dear guest, that I have been using words and phrases which
few people amongst us could understand without long and laborious
explanation; and not even then perhaps. But since you have not yet
gone to sleep, and since I am speaking to you as to a being from
another planet, I may venture to ask you if you have followed me thus
far?"

"O yes," said I, "I quite understand: pray go on; a great deal of
what you have been saying was common place with us--when--when--"

"Yes," said he gravely, "when you were dwelling in the other planet.