| PROLOGUE. | |
| PART | PAGE |
|---|---|
| I. | [1] |
| II. | [23] |
| III. | [31] |
| MERCIA, THE ASTRONOMER ROYAL. | |
| CHAPTER | PAGE |
| I. | [41] |
| II. | [73] |
| III. | [85] |
| IV. | [103] |
| V. | [127] |
| VI. | [132] |
| VII. | [158] |
| VIII. | [186] |
| IX. | [230] |
| X. | [264] |
| XI. | [287] |
| XII. | [295] |
| XIII. | [341] |
PROLOGUE
PART I
The year of grace, 2002, had arrived and the world had seen many changes. The kingdoms of the earth had gone through great experiences. Nations had risen and fallen; the boundaries of Empires had been modified; for a serious redistribution of territory had taken place.
Petty sovereignties had now become merged into greater ones, having fallen a prey to the strong; for the dominant Powers had divided the spoil by agreement.
Nevertheless, on the whole, peace and contentment reigned; for advanced knowledge, not only taught the inutility, gross inhumanity, and waste of war, but science had made such wonderful progress in the arts of warfare throughout the whole world, that a battle actually meant the complete annihilation of both sides; thus a victory for either became an impossibility.
Along with this enforced peace-keeping the wave of civilisation had spread everywhere carrying its mind-culture, its arts, and handicrafts to the uttermost parts of the earth; until the world had become a huge beehive of active industry, although not necessarily a severe muscle-wearing one.
Through all the generations dating from the close of the nineteenth century the social question relative to the status of woman had been ever uppermost, having been kept to the front by the intense longing of the sex for a wider walk of life, a more extended field of action.
They demanded a great reformation, a complete recast of social economics.
The leading features of their programme being a higher education, which should be recognised by the Universities, Law, and Medical Corporations, in order that more honourable, lucrative, and responsible employments might be opened to them.