“Two great revolutions in knowledge have affected the modern world.  First came the great astronomic discoveries, which subordinated our planet, assigned it its place in the universe, made it a little rolling globe amid innumerable others, instead of the one inhabited world for whose behalf were created sun and moon and stars.  Then the great work of the biologists, which put man into his rank among animals, dethroning him from a fantastic dignity, but at the same time honouring him as the crown of nature’s system, the latest product of aeons of evolution.  These conquests of science have put modern man into an entirely new position, have radically changed his conception of the world and of himself.  Religion, philosophy, morals, politics, all are revolutionised by this accession of knowledge.  It is no exaggeration to say that the telescope and the microscope have given man a new heart and soul. But—­” he paused, effectively,—­“how many are as yet really aware of the change?  The multitude takes no account of it, no conscious account; the average man lives under the heaven of Joshua, on the earth of King Solomon.  We call our age scientific.  So it is—­for a few score human beings.”

Reflecting for a moment, Dyce felt that it would be absurd to charge him with plagiarism, so vastly more eloquent was he than the author to whom he owed his ideas.  Conscience did not trouble him in the least.  He marked with satisfaction the attentiveness of his audience.

“Politics, to be a living thing, must be viewed in this new, large light.  The leader in Liberalism is the man imbued with scientific truth, and capable of applying it to the every day details of government.  Science, I said, teaches hierarchic order—­that is, the rule of the few, of the select, the divinely appointed.  But this hierarchy is an open order—­open to the select of every rank; a process of perpetual renewal will maintain the health of the political organism.  The true polity is only in slow formation; for, obviously, human reason is not yet a complete development.  As yet, men come to the front by accident; some day they will be advanced to power by an inevitable and impeccable process of natural selection.  For my own part”—­he turned slightly towards the hostess—­“I think that use will be made of our existing system of aristocracy; in not a few instances, technical aristocracy is justified by natural pre-eminence.  We can all think of examples.  Personally, I might mention my friend Lord Dymchurch—­a member of the true aristocracy, in every sense of the word.”

“I don’t know him,” said Lady Ogram.

“That doesn’t surprise me.  He leads an extremely retired life.  But I am sure you would find him a very pleasant acquaintance.”