ation, and the size of
the body is smaller than in a second-class male. In the land from which
he comes I find that they learn nothing by experience. The child born
into the world there naturally adopts the safe quadrupedal position and
has the use of its toes. The creature that we have here can do
absolutely nothing with his toes and is uncomfortable in the quadrupedal
position. In fact, the deformity of his body prevents him from adopting
it easily."

At this point in his lecture he would change to a different language and
continue. This second language was used by first-class beings among
themselves when they wished to say anything without being understood by
those whom they considered their inferiors. In the presence of a
second-class being it was that language which the first class always
adopted. Among themselves and in my presence they spoke English, except
on the occasions when they did not wish me to understand them.

I began to rebel against the kind of life which I was leading. I
disliked to be made a curiosity and a show of. The monotony affected me.
The horrible familiarities of those two plants in my sleeping-room got
on my nerves. I began to hint to the Professor that I must have change
and more freedom or that the source of his information would possibly be
dried up.

"If you became useless to me," he said carelessly, "you would be killed,
of course. You would have failed and your body would go into the
refuse-destructor."

"Very likely," I said. "But you would not get the information which you
want. And you do want it, you know."

That was my trump card. He really did want to acquire all possible
information about what he called the old world. In return for this I was
always able to obtain concessions, and I did not fail in this case. I
told him that I wished to explore the island, to go right over to the
other side of it and see the places where the second class lived and the
work they did. At first he tried to dissuade me. He pointed out that the
distance to the other side of the island was not less than eight miles,
and refused to believe that this would not be beyond my strength. He
painted in lurid colours the dangers of the mountain which I should have
to cross and of the forests which I should find on the other side. I,
however, remained obstinate in my purposes and at last obtained his
permission to go, on condition that I returned in ten days and that I
never spoke with any second-class b