He spoke with rapid, almost unconscious fervor, and as he ended
raised one hand with an enthusiastic gesture toward the now
brilliant sapphire sky and glowing sun. The scientist looked at
him furtively and smiled,--a bland, expostulatory smile.

"Oh, you are young!--you must be very young!" he said
forbearingly.. "In a little time you will grow out of all this
ill-judged fanaticism for an Art, the pursuance of which is really
only wasted labor! Think of the absurdity of it!--what can be more
foolish than the writing of verse to express or to encourage
emotion in the human subject, when the great aim of education at
the present day is to carefully eradicate emotion by degrees, till
we succeed in completely suppressing it! An outburst of feeling is
always vulgar,--the highest culture consists in being impassively
equable of temperament, and absolutely indifferent to the attacks
of either joy or sorrow. I should be inclined to ask you to
consider this matter more seriously, and from the strictly common-
sense point of view, did I not know that for you to undertake a
course of useful meditation while you remain is Sah-luma's
companionship would be impossible, . . quite impossible!
Nevertheless our discourse has been so far interesting, that I
shall be happy to meet you again and give you an opportunity for
further converse should you desire it, . . ask for the Head
Professor of Scientific Positivism, any day in the Strangers'
Court of the Royal Institutional College, and I will at once
receive you! My name is Mira-Khabur,--Professor Mira Khabur...at
your service!"

And laying one hand on his breast he bowed profoundly.