edge of the skylight and make it fast. He estimated the height. Now your Professor of Subliminal Consciousness in general is no dab at this; but that great Governess of the Gods, Necessity, to whom I have already paid eight well-merited compliments, threw him back in this matter also upon the primitive foundations of society, and the Philosopher was astonished to find himself applying the most ancient of measures. He reckoned by his own height taken against the wall. He was a man of six feet. The lowest part of the window was about twice his own height from the floor—a matter of twelve feet; its summit another six or eight.
Then Professor Higginson, having for the first time in his life measured, began the ancient and painful but absorbing task of building next.
It is the noblest of man's handicrafts! He had heard somewhere that the stretch of a man's arms is about his own height, and in this spread-eagle fashion he measured the bed, the desk, the chairs, the bookshelves.
He carefully put the food down upon the floor, tipped the desk up lengthways on one end. He did this at a terrible strain—and was annoyed to see ink flowing out suddenly and barely missing his trouser leg.
