And considering that motherhood is something that is denied to us lords
of the earth--"

"For which we can thank a merciful Providence," interjected the girl
solemnly.

"Considering this--excuse my seriousness--really amazing fact, you can't
blame us for expecting women to fulfil this vital function before taking
up other matters."

"Yes?" remarked the girl, watching the peaches with anxious eye as Van
Emmon helped himself. "Funny; but I always understood that the first
function of man was to father the race; yet, invariably the young
fellows try to make names for themselves before, not after, they marry!"

"Scalped!" chuckled Van Emmon, as the doctor hid his discomfiture behind
a large piece of cake. "You may know a lot about Venus, doc, but you
don't know much about women!"

"Speaking about Venus," Smith was reminded, "we may learn something
bearing upon the very point we have been discussing if Kinney's right
about the inhabitants."

The doctor nodded eagerly. "You see, if there's people still alive on
the planet, they're probably further advanced than we on the earth.
Other things being equal, of course. Being a smaller planet than ours,
she cooled off sooner, and thus became fit for life earlier. And having
been made from the same 'batch,' to use Van's expression, that Mercury
and all the rest were, why, in all likelihood evolution has taken place
there much the same as with us, only sooner.