may not quite
harmonize. In such cases Nature has provided that every weekly Chorus
shall bring the three Lovers into closer harmony. Each trial of voice,
each fresh discovery of discord, almost imperceptibly induces the less
perfect to modify his or her vocal utterance so as to approximate to
the more perfect. And after many trials and many approximations, the
result is at last achieved. There comes a day at last, when, while the
wonted Marriage Chorus goes forth from universal Lineland, the three
far-off Lovers suddenly find themselves in exact harmony, and, before
they are awake, the wedded Triplet is rapt vocally into a duplicate
embrace; and Nature rejoices over one more marriage and over three more
births."

Section 14. How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland

Thinking that it was time to bring down the Monarch from his raptures
to the level of common sense, I determined to endeavour to open up to
him some glimpses of the truth, that is to say of the nature of things
in Flatland. So I began thus: "How does your Royal Highness
distinguish the shapes and positions of his subjects? I for my part
noticed by the sense of sight, before I entered your Kingdom, that some
of your people are Lines and others Points, and that some of the Lines
are larger--" "You speak of an impossibility," interrupted the King;
"you must have seen a vision; for to detect the difference between a
Line and a Point by the sense of sight is, as every one knows, in the
nature of things, impossible; but it can be detected by the sense of
hearing, and by the same means my shape can be exactly ascertained.
Behold me--I am a Line, the longest in Lineland, over six inches of
Space--" "Of Length", I ventured to suggest. "Fool," said he, "Space
is Length. Interrupt me again, and I have done."

I apologized; but he continued scornfully, "Since you are impervious to
argument, you shall hear with your ears how by means of my two voices I
reveal my shape to my Wives, who are at this moment six thousand miles
seventy yards two feet eight inches away, the one to the North, the
other to the South. Listen, I call to them."

He chirruped, and then complacently continued: "My wives at this
moment receiving the sound of one of my voices, closely followed by the
other, and perceiving that the latter reaches them after an interval in
which sound can traverse 6.457 inches, infer that one of my mouths is
6.457 inches further from