When the powerful become too powerful in their own countries and, while holding power over a long period, dissipate not only the whole national wealth but also the intellectual wealth of their state, there are still many people in many countries who are surprised when, here and there, overnight, and, in the nature of things, frequently in the most barbarous manner, those in power are assassinated and anarchy reigns. We can call it luck, said the professor from that state from which he could have fled and in which the prime minister had been assassinated the week before. When the professor returned to his own country, however, he was immediately arrested at the frontier and thrown into prison in spite of the fact that a new prime minister, and one totally opposed to the one who had been assassinated, had assumed power in the meantime.