If to-day he ceases to crack his brother's bones and rape and bully his
womenkind, it is because he has grown up to a greater game and means to
crack this world and feed upon its marrow and wrench their secrets from
the stars.
And furthermore it would seem that the prophet Martineau had declared
that in this New Age that was presently to dawn for mankind, jealousy
was to be disciplined even as we had disciplined lust and anger; instead
of ruling our law it was to be ruled by law and custom. No longer were
the jealousy of strange peoples, the jealousy of ownership and the
jealousy of sex to determine the framework of human life. There was to
be one peace and law throughout the world, one economic scheme and a
universal freedom for men and women to possess and give themselves.
"And how many generations yet must there be before we reach that
Utopia?" Miss Grammont asked.
"I wouldn't put it at a very great distance."
"But think of all the confusions of the world!"
"Confusions merely. The world is just a muddle of states and religions
and theories and stupidities. There are great lumps of disorderly
strength in it, but as a whole it is a weak world. It goes on by habit.
There's no great idea in possession and the only possible great idea is
this one.
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