Leila, 'if she postponed her decision long. We naturally wish to breed from the best available material, and it is essential for women of our position to set an example. I have not the least doubt, from my personal knowledge of her, that Nicolette is certain to make a brilliant success of motherhood, and at the same time to find in it the whole satisfaction of her personal ambitions. But it would surely be a mistake to begin her career while she still feels undecided or immature. A slight postponement would not, in my opinion, be detrimental to her future.'

Claire Tamston was a big woman with a deceptively small voice.

'It is astonishing to me,' she said, glancing at Antonia with just the slightest tinge of suspicion and dislike in her eyes, that your daughter should have these curious hesitancies. I fail to see how a young girl of her personality and education should for one moment doubt that motherhood is the career for which she is fitted or that the earlier she can embark on it the better. She is the sort of young woman we need for the production of sons and daughters who will do honour to our state and carry on its glorious tradition. I am against a postponement. The motives for it seem to me trivial, and the work she wishes to do temporarily could be done by any boy or girl who has no such important ultimate destiny.'

'I differ from you,'-Miomi Lander smiled at

the older woman. She was a subtle creature, was Miomi. Her manners were so perfect that they invariably left the onlooker in doubt as to her intentions. She had a sense of humour and could differentiate between the relative importance of the problems before the council, an ability that Claire Tamston unfortunately did not possess.

'What we want to avoid above all things is getting unsuitable people into the profession. Naturally Antonia would like her own daughter to do as she did, and the rest of us are keen on example as well as babies. But as Nicolette cannot give us either until she has mated, it is clear that from her point of view the important thing is to find a young man for her. The race is the ideal, ultimately, and later on one can be satisfied to do one's work as one is bidden, for its sake. But the first time there must inevitably be the appropriate stimulus. As we obviously cannot provide it, we must give her the chance to find some one who will. I propose to leave the matter entirely to her own judgment. Let her find the mate, and the children will follow as a matter of course. If they should not, it would be quite a different affair. As for Weil, his work is so important now that Reconstruction is having such admirable psychological effects, that I certainly think we should let him have the assistant he wants. He does seem to want Nicolette.' 'A dangerous precedent,' murmured Claire,

who swelled with dissatisfaction as she saw the decision of her colleagues going against her.

'This phase of society is based on precedents, most of whose dangers have been proved to be chimerical.'

'How long does she intend to remain with Weil ? '

'Let us give her six months,' proposed Leila, and then go into the matter again. In the meantime he will have an opportunity to find some one to replace her.'

'On that understanding I will accept your decision,' answered Claire. I would emphatically not do so in every case, but this girl is clearly a little out of the ordinary. I suppose,' she added, turning to Antonia and revealing her disapproval more openly in looks than in words, 'that you will attend to the necessary precautions?'

'By all means,' replied Antonia, and Nicolette, watching, decided that the latent hostility between them should be turned to her own profit.

'That is settled then, Nicolette,' said Leila, smiling on her sweetly. 'You shall be appointed to assist Weil for a period of six months, and we rely on you to uphold your prestige, which involves that of your whole caste. Is that satisfactory to you?

The last question was invariably asked of every applicant who applied to a council, and also of those who came up on account of transgression of

some rule. At the present moment Nicolette interpreted it in a purely formal manner. So far, so satisfactory.

She therefore answered,' Quite, thank you,' endeavouring to return as well as she could the other woman's benevolent smile.

'And hurry up about that young man,' added Miomi, as they all rose to go.

ANTIBODIES

You will not easily persuade me that man's
future will be less surprising and tragic than his
past. J. B. S. HALDANE-IN A CRITICISM OF

THE SYNOPSIS OF THIS BOOK.

I

ANTONIA was in for a difficult six months, and she felt aggrieved about it. The unadmitted cause of her annoyance was Claire Tamston, for whom she felt a daily growing antipathy. Claire never omitted an opportunity to inquire with affected interest after Nicolette's welfare, and Antonia interpreted each inquiry as a renewed reflection on her own integrity. Claire was an abomination, with her self-satisfaction, her suspicions, her public spirit. But Antonia had been well disciplined and was no fool; she knew that the precept 'Love thine enemies' was the basis of all government by consent. In ancient days judges had worn in some countries special robes in which to preside in their courts. There was now no need for such childish symbols of autosuggestion. Antonia as a member of the council was at her best, for she held that concord among arbitrators was the essential basis of justice towards appellants.

The self-discipline she practised in public, however, was not proof against a certain irritation in