final triumph of philosophy!"

"A poor triumph!"--murmured Theos wearily. "What, in such a case,
would become of all the nobler sentiments and passions of man,--
love, hope, gratitude, duty, ambition?"

"They would be precisely the same as before"--rejoined the other
complacently--"Only we should have learned to accept them merely
as the means whereby to sustain the IMPRESSION that we live,--an
impression which would always be agreeable, however delusive!"

Theos shrugged his shoulders. "You possess a peculiarly
constituted mind, sir!"--he said--"And I congratulate you on the
skill you display in following out a somewhat puzzling
investigation to almost its last hand's-breadth of a conclusion,--
but.. pardon me,--I should scarcely think the discussion of such
debatable theories conducive to happiness!"

"Happiness!".. and the scientist smiled scornfully,--"'Tis a
fool's term, and designates a state of being that can only pertain
to foolishness! Show me a perfectly happy man, and I will show you
an ignorant witling, light-headed, hardhearted, and of a most
powerfully good digestion! Many such there be now wantoning among
us, and the head and chief of them all is perhaps the most popular
numskull in Al-Kyris, . . the Poet,--bah! ... let us say the braying
Jack-ass in office,--the laurelled Sah-luma!"

Theos gave an indignant start,--the hot color flushed his brows, . .
then he restrained himself by an effort.