Page:The Diothas, or, A far look ahead (IA diothasorfarlook01macn).pdf/202

 the station assigned on one side of the square, and accompanied Hulmar to the door, where Utis was awaiting my arrival. I was now presented to an astonishing number of kinsfolk. Every one, indeed, seemed to be the relative, more or less remote, of every one else. All these, I understood, and began to believe, were relatives by my mother's side. As for the Thiusens, they formed, I suppose, with their allied families, no inconsiderable fraction of the population of Maoria.

As we came forth from the religious service,—it appeared to be taken for granted that I, or he that I represented, was entitled to the privilege of admission with the elders,—I found Reva, who was not yet one of the privileged, waiting for us at the door. Beside her stood Eured and Esna, the son and daughter of my host.

"We have come to present you to some of your cousins," said Reva. "We have promised to bring you."

Such a summons was, of course, not to be resisted. I walking beside Reva, the children led the way to one of the numerous class-rooms in the lower part of the building. Eured first presented me to a number of boy-cousins of about his own age; Esna next, in another room, to my girl-cousins. I then followed Reva.

In an apartment, of which all I recollect is, that it was very pretty and very cheerful,—my attention at the time was better occupied than in examining its details,—in this apartment I was led in upon a cluster of about twenty of my fair cousins. Their ages ranged from fifteen, or so, to about twenty. Each might have been selected as a distinct type of lovely maidenhood. There