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SIGNOR DAVELLI
147

too limited for such freedom as you desire. We should speedily come into collision with each other if there were no limit of any sort to our freedom."

"Yes, if your world were the only world."

I did not notice at the time his use of the pronoun "your" for "our." I only replied, "If our world were multiplied a hundred thousand fold, and I can well believe that there may be a hundred thousand such worlds, still the limits of habitable space must ultimately be a limit to freedom so that it cannot be unconditional."

"There are no limits," he said, "to habitable space."

I began to think that he was a very clever madman, and I said nothing.

"For such as you," he continued, "the limit exists, but not for me, nor for such as I."

Now I was sure he was mad, and I still kept silence.

"Nor yet for you," he added, "either, if you have courage enough to overleap the limit."

Now I began to be afraid that the form of mania which affected him was homicidal, and that he would presently require me, as he said, "to overleap the limit." But he rose to his feet with such a collected air, and looked so full of proud intellect and power