capital which allowed labor to work. It was the old, old story. In days gone by the priests had said, 'Your only hope of salvation lies in our hands.' Humanity finally denied this and took its own salvation to itself. Kings said, 'The only way to get just laws is to let us make them'; humanity rebelled and made its own laws. Capitalists said, 'The only way of exchanging the products of your labor for those of another is by coming to us'; and at last, for a third time, humanity rebelled.

"Through all this, one sees ignorance-ignorance shown in the conception of salvation, ignorance shown in the value and relation of laws to human happiness, and lastly, ignorance shown in the conception of a just circulating medium. My friend, how many intelligent people of your time understood the theory of evolution in its broad application to human actions? Most men and women, while realizing progress in the past, regarded the fundamental condition of things in the nineteenth century with satisfaction. They kept holidays in memory of dead patriots, and persecuted the living ones. Especially was this the case with those who, from some opportunity to which they were born, led an

idle, wasteful life. While hearing the rumbling voice of the downtrodden, they dismissed any earnest desire to change society, by laying the blame on human nature, by giving charity while denying justice; and some there were who to all these entreaties for justice turned a deaf ear and said, with Louis, 'Après moi le déluge.' Their retribution was quick and terrible; and sad to say, the innocent suffered with the guilty. But it is always thus. No great change for the good of humanity has ever taken place but some innocent people had to suffer.

"But come, come, let us not think of these things. The three tyrannies humanity has had to suffer from-priest, king, and capitalist-are too sad to dwell on ; let us only think of the fact that at last they are things of the past."

"Professor, what you have said has made a deep impression on me. I must admit that under the influence of the age of money my mind had been prejudiced. It stands now before me as clear as crystal."

"Yes? I am glad it is so. But let us go out. I want to show you our money depots and our methods of issuing currency."

CHAPTER VIII.

IN WHICH THE HEAD OF THE MONEY BUREAU, MRS. BRONSON, GIVES ME MUCH INFORMATION.

From the library the professor took me back to the carriage house. We got into a light, open buggy, and soon were rolling along the smooth avenue. We passed many residences on either side, which were mostly built, like the professor's, of artificial stone; and although there was no monotony, neither was there the tremendous difference in structures which in my time denoted tremendous difference in wealth. After travelling about four or five miles, we turned off the avenue to the right, into what was termed a small side street (this is sarcasm: it was sixty-five feet from curb to curb, with twenty-foot sidewalks), and crossing one more avenue, finally stopped at a large brown stone building setting quite a way back from the sidewalk, with a fine lawn, all around it. It had a large, arched entrance

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with fine, heavy carving on either side, and the steps to the door were massive and broad, with elegant railings. The structure was three stories in height and had numerous windows, and this fact, coupled with its standing by itself on a plot of ground at least two hundred feet square, must have made it a delightful place to work in.

The professor got out and said, "I will introduce you to the manager of this depot, a Mrs. Bronson, and she will explain everything and take you over the building. Be careful you do not let her know the true state of affairs, for I shall introduce you simply as Mr. Pangloss."

We left the carriage and entered the building. In the centre there was a statue of Justice, a really magnificent piece of work, heroic size; and on either side broad stairways led above. These stairways were built of marble, and the floor was laid in mosaic.

We were ushered into a reception room by an officer, and the professor handed in his card and asked for Mrs. Bronson. While the usher was away, the professor told me that most of the clerks in the depot were women, the work being light and in many ways suited to them. Soon the door opened, and a lady

appeared, who greeted the professor cordially. The professor said something to her which I could not overhear, but which I knew must be an explanation of my ignorance. I was then introduced to Mrs. Bronson, and the professor said to me, "My friend, I leave you in good hands, and if you will excuse me for half an hour, I will call for you on my way home." "Very good," said I. He then left me.

Mrs. Bronson, who was to enlighten my ignorance and initiate me into the secrets of the scheme of finance, was a woman of about sixty. She was of medium height, with dark eyes and hair, and had a very pleasant face. Like the rest of the women of this republic, she was wonderfully well preserved; one would have thought she was thirty, except perhaps that her manner and dignity showed her maturity; but this was the case with all, and can only be accounted for by the fact that the people of this day had little or nothing to worry about. A man, with simply his hands and brain, could always earn a fine living; he did n't have to be born into an opportunity, as it was in my day.

"Your friend, Professor Harding, tells me that you are unfamiliar with the finances of the country."