The Nuptial Flight 



things happen, can only reflect a reality 

 proportionate to our needs and our stat- 

 ure ; nor have we any warrant for believ- 

 ing that nature ever loses sight of her 

 wandering results and causes. 



In any event she will rarely permit 

 them to stray too far, or approach illogi- 

 cal or dangerous regions. She disposes 

 of two forces that never can err; and 

 when the phenomenon shall have tres- 

 passed beyond certain limits, she will 

 beckon to life or to death — which ar- 

 rives, re-establishes order, and unconcern- 

 edly marks out the path afresh. 



[86] 



She eludes us on every side ; she re- 

 pudiates most of our rules and breaks 

 our standards to pieces. On our right 

 she sinks far beneath the level of our 

 thoughts, on our left she towers moun- 

 tain-high above them. She appears to 

 309 



