was possible on certain conditions to procure human labor, but it was
extremely difficult to do so. Then, for seven or eight hundred years
slavery had been prohibited in the land, all existing slaves having been
emancipated--after which, in the course of a few generations, Hili-lian
history says, the slaves and the slave-spirit were lost in the mass of
the population.

"In thinking over the position of Lilama and Pym, you must consider that
the older members of the family would probably not soon hear of such a
thing as love between these two, and, even when they did hear of it,
would have little doubt of being able to 'control the situation' as they
should please. Then, with the ideas possessed by the Hili-lites, there
would not arise any very serious objection to a union by marriage of
Lilama and young Pym. The Hili-lites believed the feelings to be a guide
to true happiness; and whilst they would certainly have controlled the
circumstances leading up to the seemingly unwise marriage of a girl of
sixteen--for they believed also in a proper education of the
feelings--they would not have prevented even a seemingly unwise
marriage, provided the feelings of those concerned loudly demanded such
a union--I mean that if in _reason_ such a marriage should seem
unwise--But enough. The hour is late, and I shall not before to-morrow
evening at eight o'clock begin a description of the exciting scenes
through which the beautiful Lilama was so soon to pass, and the
adventures of Pym and Peters--adventures so terrible that for centuries
to come they will descend, a thrilling romance, from generation to
generation, in those usually quiet and peaceful islands."

And then, against my protest, he took his departure.