The Milky Way 



little by little. The filaments of cosmic matter 

 connecting it to the whole are gradually absorbed 

 by the principal mass; the elementary nebula 

 becomes rounded and then splits into two 

 masses of corresponding importance, or even 

 into a greater number. The first case is the 

 most frequent and gives birth to these binary 

 systems, these Siamese twins whose abundance 

 has been demonstrated by observation. In 

 other cases, practically the entire mass of the 

 nebula condenses to form a central sun sur- 

 rounded by a variable number of satellites. 

 All these stars are ageing, and will die. The 

 heavens are a cemetery of stars. 



The conceptions which we are justified in 

 inferring from the positive facts of science go 

 no farther. The problem of origin and end is 

 no nearer solution for the universe than for 

 man himself; perhaps it is devoid of meaning, 

 because evolution has neither beginning nor 

 end. 



257 



