Platomics

platomics

TANNIS OF THE FLATS

Credit: Nicolas Lobos via Unsplash In the recent years, there has been a slight decline in dating app downloads. Experts say that dating apps are losing their appeal, especially with Gen Z daters. To regain the audience's interest, many apps are adding “social discovery” features built around users' personalities, interests, and hobbies. Social discovery, a concept that centers on the idea of connecting people based on their shared interests and activities is designed to help people find like-minded individuals for romantic or platonic relationships. Here's what is shaping the future of this industry. AI: Personalization and Improved Interactions Artificial Intelligence is actively used to analyze user behavior, preferences, and interactions to offer more accurate and relevant recommendations. Apps like Tinder use AI to improve match suggestions, while Hinge employs machine learning to refine its algorithm based on user feedback. AI helps users start conversations, suggest topics for discussion, and even predict compatibility based on data. For instance, OkCupid uses AI algorithms to analyze users' responses to thousands of questions, refining match suggestions based on shared values and interests. This simplifies the social dating and discovery process, making it more engaging and efficient, helping to find more suitable people. Niche Communities on the Rise The increasing desire of users to engage with platforms that cater specifically to their unique interests gives rise to more social discovery platforms. People now are seeking out deeper connections and communities that provide a more tailored and authentic experience instead of all-encompassing social networks like Facebook and X (Twitter). There are dozens of niche community platforms for everyone. Reading fans will enjoy Goodreads, a platform for book lovers to review books, share reading lists, and follow favorite authors. For artists who'd like to share and discuss their artworks, there is DeviantArt. To find interesting patterns and yarn, crocheters can join Ravelry. Niche communities for professionals offer tailored spaces for individuals to connect and collaborate within their specific fields. For instance, GitHub serves as a hub for software developers to share and collaborate on projects, while Doximity connects medical professionals for networking and peer support. For new-age entrepreneurs, digital nomads and startuppers, there's an app called MEEET that combines blockchain technology and developers' ambition to create stronger connections between different professionals. Blockchain: Transparency and Security in Digital Dating Blockchain technology brings new levels of security and transparency, protecting users' personal data and preventing fraud. Decentralized platforms increase trust as data cannot be altered or tampered with. This is especially important for protecting sensitive information such as personal photos and messages, creating a safer and more secure environment for users. VR Revolution: Transforming Social Discovery and Dating The accessibility and user-friendliness of VR technology and VR headsets are increasing, broadening the horizons of social discovery and dating platforms. Today, thanks to Flirtual and Nevermet it is possible to match with other VR enthusiasts and then arrange a meetup with them somewhere in the metaverse. Soon, it will be a widespread and more convenient way of meeting new people and potential partners. The Impact of Technology on Human Connections The dating and social discovery app landscape is rapidly evolving with the integration of AI personalization, niche communities, blockchain security, and VR technology. The variety of relationships users can find on these platforms has become wider as people seek to connect not only romantically. Today, with the ubiquity of remote work, many individuals experience a decline in their social life and look for new friends to spend more time with. Social discovery apps are revolutionizing the way people connect by leveraging shared interests and advanced technologies. Features such as AI-powered personalization and blockchain technology are enhancing user interactions and engagement, making it easier to find like-minded individuals for both romantic, platonic and professional relationships. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and engaging niche communities, new social discovery platforms create a more dynamic and secure environment to meet and connect on different levels. Credit: Nicolas Lobos via Unsplash In the recent years, there has been a slight decline in dating app downloads. Experts say that dating apps are losing their appeal, especially with Gen Z daters. To regain the audience's interest, many apps are adding “social discovery” features built around users' personalities, interests, and hobbies. In the recent years, there has been a slight decline in dating app downloads. Experts say that dating apps are losing their appeal , especially with Gen Z daters. To regain the audience's interest, many apps are adding “social discovery” features built around users' personalities, interests, and hobbies. losing their appeal losing their appeal Social discovery, a concept that centers on the idea of connecting people based on their shared interests and activities is designed to help people find like-minded individuals for romantic or platonic relationships. Here's what is shaping the future of this industry. Social discovery , a concept that centers on the idea of connecting people based on their shared interests and activities is designed to help people find like-minded individuals for romantic or platonic relationships. Here's what is shaping the future of this industry. Social discovery AI: Personalization and Improved Interactions Artificial Intelligence is actively used to analyze user behavior, preferences, and interactions to offer more accurate and relevant recommendations. Apps like Tinder use AI to improve match suggestions, while Hinge employs machine learning to refine its algorithm based on user feedback. AI helps users start conversations, suggest topics for discussion, and even predict compatibility based on data. For instance, OkCupid uses AI algorithms to analyze users' responses to thousands of questions, refining match suggestions based on shared values and interests. This simplifies the social dating and discovery process, making it more engaging and efficient, helping to find more suitable people. Niche Communities on the Rise The increasing desire of users to engage with platforms that cater specifically to their unique interests gives rise to more social discovery platforms. People now are seeking out deeper connections and communities that provide a more tailored and authentic experience instead of all-encompassing social networks like Facebook and X (Twitter). tailored and authentic tailored and authentic There are dozens of niche community platforms for everyone. Reading fans will enjoy Goodreads, a platform for book lovers to review books, share reading lists, and follow favorite authors. For artists who'd like to share and discuss their artworks, there is DeviantArt. To find interesting patterns and yarn, crocheters can join Ravelry. Niche communities for professionals offer tailored spaces for individuals to connect and collaborate within their specific fields. For instance, GitHub serves as a hub for software developers to share and collaborate on projects, while Doximity connects medical professionals for networking and peer support. For new-age entrepreneurs, digital nomads and startuppers, there's an app called MEEET that combines blockchain technology and developers' ambition to create stronger connections between different professionals. Blockchain: Transparency and Security in Digital Dating Blockchain technology brings new levels of security and transparency, protecting users' personal data and preventing fraud. Decentralized platforms increase trust as data cannot be altered or tampered with. This is especially important for protecting sensitive information such as personal photos and messages, creating a safer and more secure environment for users. VR Revolution: Transforming Social Discovery and Dating The accessibility and user-friendliness of VR technology and VR headsets are increasing, broadening the horizons of social discovery and dating platforms. Today, thanks to Flirtual and Nevermet it is possible to match with other VR enthusiasts and then arrange a meetup with them somewhere in the metaverse. Soon, it will be a widespread and more convenient way of meeting new people and potential partners. Flirtual and Nevermet Flirtual and Nevermet way of meeting new people way of meeting new people The Impact of Technology on Human Connections The dating and social discovery app landscape is rapidly evolving with the integration of AI personalization, niche communities, blockchain security, and VR technology. The variety of relationships users can find on these platforms has become wider as people seek to connect not only romantically. Today, with the ubiquity of remote work, many individuals experience a decline in their social life and look for new friends to spend more time with. Social discovery apps are revolutionizing the way people connect by leveraging shared interests and advanced technologies. Features such as AI-powered personalization and blockchain technology are enhancing user interactions and engagement, making it easier to find like-minded individuals for both romantic, platonic and professional relationships. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and engaging niche communities, new social discovery platforms create a more dynamic and secure environment to meet and connect on different levels. Social discovery apps are revolutionizing the way people connect by leveraging shared interests and advanced technologies. Features such as AI-powered personalization and blockchain technology are enhancing user interactions and engagement, making it easier to find like-minded individuals for both romantic, platonic and professional relationships. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and engaging niche communities, new social discovery platforms create a more dynamic and secure environment to meet and connect on different levels.

From AI to VR: Recent Trends in Social Discovery and Dating

এআই থেকে ভিআর পর্যন্ত: সামাজিক আবিষ্কার এবং ডেটিংয়ে সাম্প্রতিক প্রবণতা

Von KI bis VR: Aktuelle Trends bei Social Discovery und Dating

De la IA a la realidad virtual: tendencias recientes en descubrimiento social y citas

De l’IA à la VR : tendances récentes en matière de découverte sociale et de rencontres

एआई से वीआर तक: सामाजिक खोज और डेटिंग में हालिया रुझान

AIからVRまで: ソーシャルディスカバリーとデートの最新トレンド

AI에서 VR까지: 소셜 검색 및 데이트의 최근 동향

Da IA à RV: tendências recentes em descoberta social e namoro

От искусственного интеллекта к виртуальной реальности: последние тенденции в социальных исследованиях и знакомствах

Yapay Zekadan VR'ye: Sosyal Keşif ve Flört Etmede Son Trendler

Từ AI đến VR: Xu hướng gần đây trong khám phá xã hội và hẹn hò

从人工智能到虚拟现实：社交发现和约会的最新趋势

Working in computer systems on the infra layer should be illegal if you don't comprehend Greek syntactical and propositional logic. Learning Greek (even modern watered Greek for noobs) is essential for grasping the roots of many fundamental concepts in philosophy, math, and science. Take propositional logic, for instance. Ancient Greeks, with their communication protocol, laid the foundation for abstract thinking and logical reasoning in an era where most of the world was still eating from the floor, quite literally. In Greek, the word "logos" encompasses not only logic but also meaning itself, reason, and discourse. Understanding the etymology and nuances of such Greek terms can deepen your comprehension of these concepts. For instance, "propositional" logic relates to "προτάσεις" a term the Greeks used to denote statements or assertions. Moreover, Greek OGs like Plato and Aristotle made significant contributions to the philosophy of language and logic, shaping the way we think about truth, validity, and argumentation, even nowadays. So, while you might not need to be fluent in Greek, Ancient, or Modern, a grasp of its key terms and philosophical history can indeed illuminate your path in philosophy, math, computer science, and beyond. There is a reason why Bill Gates was fascinated enough with Aristotele to ensure his top-shelf writings were kept private and only accessible to him. You can also see that spill over the Windows operating system (particularly W98 and older Vs) when you get a blue screen or black screen also known as Greek screen lol, cause you see a bunch of random Greek characters that make no sense, even to Greeks. Modern computers partially think Greek, and there is a good computational reason for that. Take this group of words for example and see how they translate into Greek: disease = νόσος (nosos) hospital = νοσοκομείο (nosokomio) nurse = νοσοκόμα (nosokoma) You might say “It all looks Greek to me”, but for a computer, it makes absolute sense, and it helps limit computational resources while maintaining maximum efficiency, as the correlation between these words is not only a conceptual one but also a grammatical and syntactical, meaning the computer will spend less time and resources in searching all the possibilities across all domains to find or conclude to these relations. What am I up to (BMIs part #1) Now, enough with the never-ending Greek dive. Let’s shake our minds and I’ll explain what I am up to, how it occurred to me, and how I non-surprisingly ended up stumbling upon the usual philosophical suspects who have thought and processed everything we’re struggling with today thousands of years ago already. It’s just sometimes hard for us to believe everything they say in a literal way, as it often implies that A. we are stupid, and B. that God or a creator of this environment exists which leads to C. we are artificial or fake. Modern humans tend to avoid any reality that suggests the above. As you might already know, I am on an active quest to switch my presence, and by extent contributions, from the web3 industry into the fascinating BMI industry (brain-machine-interfaces) for a plethora of good reasons. First, after almost 8 years in blockchain, I have a 360 understanding of the industry, the hurdles, the regulatory trajectory, the underlying infra and real tech, and the unavoidable monopoly. Not even talking about the often disgusting greed that makes up 99% of the rapidly growing sector nowadays. That helped me realize that there is nothing more I can contribute to this industry at this rate, as it is already a closed loop with a fixated future that no matter how much “decentralization” they’re selling through media narratives, will end up on the opposite side of what people are taught to envision. Blockchain is made for machines, even if it’s hard to grasp as a self-centered being who must justify everything, especially manmade tech, as something that has to benefit us personally, somehow. In the end, the true power of blockchain is the ability of , and for us being able to cultivate digital twins based on immutable records of our internet behavior. machines to cultivate an essence of time On the other hand, we have Quantum Computing, Bioinformatics and Genetic Engineering, Brain-Machine or Brain-Computer interfaces, and soon-to-be Permanent Realities (PR), emerging from XR endeavors and their intersection with BMIs. These industries might sound far-fetched for the untrained mind, but I assure you, they are just around the corner, and most importantly for me, they are at the stage, where blockchain was 10 years ago, meaning that there is room for contribution, ethical debate, and the trajectory has still multiple possibilities considering anyone can touch the steering wheel (for now). Of course, having almost 0 scientific background, I had to get up to speed, so I started to study research papers, watch YouTube talks on the subject, connect with industry leaders and pioneers, and do market research in terms of startups, tech, talent, VCs, etc. in the space, and finally educate myself hands-on on some of the elements and verticals through which broader industries contribute to BMIs. Being almost married to Coursera, I jumped into a cherry-picked group of classes that I thought would help me get a better grasp of BMIs both on a theoretical and practical level. I am happy to share my list: The Brain and Space by Duke University Synapses, Neurons, and Brains by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Introduction to Logic by Standford University Computational Neuroscience by the University of Washington Introduction to Quantum Information by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Bioinformatics for Beginners by the University of California San Diego *Depending on your transferable skills, you might need to get a course on molecular biology, organic chemistry, linear algebra, statistical tables, and well, the Greek language, lol. Long story short, In multiple cases, I came across the importance of Greek syntax and philosophical principles especially when it comes to defining things, finding truths, and validating information. As for why am I doing this, as explained above, I believe that there is infinite space for experimentation, pivoting, debate, and trajectory direction, both on the infra and tech/science side of things, as well as the business, regulatory, and ethical facades of this fascinating straight-outta-movie industry. After talking with friends deep in the gov and regulatory sectors like Eva Kaili, Dimitrios Psarrakis, Yannis Mastrogeorgiou, and Dimitris Dimitriadis, among others, I realized that we don’t even have a clean regulatory picture of who is working on brain implants at the moment, who is funding them, and how is it regulated - if it is in any way (spoiler alert: it isn’t lol). There are a bunch of narrative-intensive plays like Musk’s Neuralink, and the German-heavy Blackrock Neurotech, among hundreds of genuine startups in the space that know what they’re doing, but also those who focus solely on narrative and marketing. Separating noise from facts becomes easier once you get the basics and start to understand how this tech could work and how it could never work, and it usually all boils down to information theory, syntax, security & privacy, etc. Before we dive deeper into BMIs, let’s take a side road where I explain how I believe in our brains based on a series of experiences, and what I learned from the . information is being categorized LSD Ancient Greeks LSD intel exchange and categorization Although I’d love to talk about my acid trips for days (maybe in another post), I will focus on information gathering, storage, zipping and archiving, and most importantly categorization and hierarchical relations. During my experiences while under the influence of lysergic diethylamine, I had the opportunity to attract and subtract information from and to various domains, some beyond the physical and digital boundaries of information we normally perceive on an everyday basis. If you’ve tried LSD you know what I’m talking about, and if not, When you consume LSD you get to listen to all the stations in a specific spectrum or range of frequencies, sometimes even simultaneously. imagine that you’re a radio always tuned to a specific station (physical reality), and sometimes you can switch to an alt station (digital reality, social media, metaverse, etc.) The types of information, even if they’re most of the times cloudy and nonsensical af, bear some “traits”, similar to NFTs 🤭, which help you better categorize them, even if you are not aware consciously of where the information came from and what it is about. Like trying to read an .exe file on a Mac. It won’t work out unless you wear a Windows simulator (which is the equivalent of what LSD does to your OS), but you can at least flag it and categorize it for future use. My experience, and it seems to be a universal perception, reveals that there are and be worked towards something. So, don’t take anything you’re about to read literally, but try to think of it as logical practices to understand the relation, category, and hierarchy of information inside our brains: 3 main distinguishable types of information that can be picked up by the organic processor (brain) this type of information occupies most of our intel carrying slots, and it is temporal, For instance, an ice cream brand, or a paper straw. A manmade wall. A mortgage. A police car. What makes this information Green is that it can be denied at any moment and it wouldn’t affect the bigger movement or life itself. Eg. if you forget about that ice cream or the cops, life won’t get into a threatening trajectory, no matter how important you might perceive some of these info pieces are in the short run. Green flagged information: short-term, and one could say non-essential or non-important information. this type of information is hierarchically more important than Green, and it . Fire would be the perfect example of Yellow information. Any green information combined with fire, may it be paper, cars, walls, humans, or animals, will tend to become carbon sooner or later, while fire will remain fire. It is also more important than Green information because if you forget about fire, then the chances for a trajectory that leads to devastating futures rise like crazy, but it’s still not at the top of information classes. Yellow flagged information: directly affects and influences Green information packages, without being influenced by Green information the top, or at least, what our brain perceives as the most important information are Red info packs. These packs are always occupying the exact same space in our intel slots, and there are never more or less across beings, while Green and Yellow info are liquid from person to person. For example, if all our slots of info are 10. Then 1, not less than 1, and only 1, is Red. Then 2-4 are Yellow, and the rest are Green depending on how many Yellow. A typical human would look like 1R-3Y-6G. Stuff so important that it cannot be in your discretion to influence, but it feels sort of autonomous and automatic. Red flagged information: Red information is something like the ROM of who we are. They contain information related to your species, how you walk, how you breathe, how your heart beats etc. I have attempted to recreate alt versions of selves with eg. only green only yellow or only red or mix the balance in different ways to see what happens and it never works out. The information is already pre-distributed perfectly. Eg. When I was immature, I thought that if Red is rare and the best type of info, creating a unit with only Red info would mean he would be like Superman or something. Instead, the subject looked like Magikarp out of the water. That was because it was absolutely sure that it had to walk and breathe, but also swim and take water in, but also fly, and flop its wings, all at the same time, simultaneously, causing awkward paralysis. Red information is distributed only once per unit for a good reason. Again, don’t take the above literally, but rather try to think of the relation between different types of information our brain has access to. The Greek syntactical parallelism I discussed this idea with my good friend Andronikos Koulis who has a background in linguistic psychology, philosophy, and political history, and who helped me better phrase the types of information, in accordance with Aristotelian or Platonic principles for communication. You can switch Green with , Yellow with , and Red with . Γνώμη (Opinion or Proposition) Γνώση (Gnosis or Knowledge) Πίστη (Faith or Belief) In this case, your opinions are short-term and non-important, meaning that they can change or be denied at any moment. An opinion is gossiping, or speculating about the next bull market. Gnosis represents established knowledge based on experience and accumulated opinions and mistakes that compound into solid truths. That could be for example the fact that you know when you wake up you will go to the bathroom. It’s not an opinion and you don’t debate with yourself before you fall asleep thinking “Should I go to the bathroom tomorrow”? No. It’s fixed. Not forever, but it’s long—term. Finally, your faith and belief are hierarchically the top—shelf category of information that can alter, and influence the previous two even if defying logic is at play. For example, a religious fanatic who believes he will go to heaven if he blows up taking 100 people with him, might be delusional to common logic, but in his head, since it’s not an opinion, and it’s not just knowledge but occupies faith slots, it is the subject’s sole reality. Faith comes both as true and false beliefs and both will have the same effect because what matters is the type of information and not its validity. Usually, false faith reveals its corrosion sooner or later. Eg. people who believe in money, eventually realize that money is not important. People who believe in a specific personified God and not in the notion of the creator, eventually realize that this specific figure doesn’t exist, etc. True faith is undeniable, and once you tap into it, you can never erase it, although it is extremely rare, and it doesn’t occur, you are rather tuned in a way to understand what has been already there, even before you. It is now here that you think about it, and it will be when you will not. BMIs part #2 In this context, you can analogize the importance of categorizing and understanding informational hierarchy, way before we start implanting chips inside our brains 🤖🧠. This is not just a regulatory, technical, or ethical concern, but it affects the preservational aspect of mankind as we know it. In short, the reason I boldly label Neuralink and other similar attempts a narrative-intensive scam is because not only they haven’t solved that hierarchical part, but they haven’t even thought of it, being naive and greedy af. You could simply inject information into the brain in the form of signals and action potential or spikes, or even stimulate the brain in ways that control Sodium/Potassium equilibrium in the brain to generate artificial liquidity of hormones and other stimulants. I mean you could, if you’re a money maker, but you CAN’T if you really wanna interact with the brain in a pragmatic way. An analogical example: Imagine that you have a BMI installed and you want to install a skillware (this will make more sense in the near future), eg. learn the English language or Karate in a matter of minutes or even seconds. It’s one thing to be able to translate the actual intel into mechanical signals, into electricity, into chemistry, and vice versa, and a completely different thing, to know what type of information you’re installing into the brain, and which hierarchical slot it should be occupying. If we don’t do this the correct delicate way the brain and Ancients dictated, then eg. The same if you install Karate for example, not in the appropriate channels, and instead install it with a hierarchy of faith or belief, then the user might start beating the shit out of people on the street for no reason because he doesn’t just know Karate, but he believes, and breathes Karate. if you install the English language into Green or Opinion slots, then the user might think he knows English, but he won’t really know it. This was originally posted via my Emerging Realities newsletter. Subscribe for free for more stories of this nature . here Outro For that reason, I am trying to figure out how to combine all the different puzzle pieces to ensure we don’t treat BMIs as another fancy tech, but we are aware of the long-term implications of intel displacement, and wrong categorization and hierarchy of information. We should be aware of science and tech, sure, but there are things beyond these aspects, that you can only learn if you look deeper than books and internet pages. You have to look beyond logic, philosophy, and the idea of God, and be prepared to encounter truths and faiths that might alter your entire being. Otherwise, it clearly smells like yet another cash grab with greed being the top driving force of “innovation”. Happy to elaborate further, discuss, and debate on the subject. Hit me on socials and I will most likely answer asap. Till next time, I wish you wake up every day with a passion for life and not fake consistency for money or views or muscles and glutes that will never be used outside Instagram. 🥰 I love you. Ross Peili Also published . here

Greek Syntax & Propositional Logic In Philosophy, Math, CS & Beyond

The long obscurity of the Dark Ages lifted over Italy

MASTERS AND MEN.

Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . "I WOULD DO IT NOW." here "I WOULD DO IT NOW." Though it was rumoured all over London that the Duke of Omnium was dying, his Grace had been dressed and taken out of his bed-chamber into a sitting-room, when Madame Goesler was brought into his presence by Lady Glencora Palliser. He was reclining in a great arm-chair, with his legs propped up on cushions, and a respectable old lady in a black silk gown and a very smart cap was attending to his wants. The respectable old lady took her departure when the younger ladies entered the room, whispering a word of instruction to Lady Glencora as she went. "His Grace should have his broth at half-past four, my lady, and a glass and a half of champagne. His Grace won't drink his wine out of a tumbler, so perhaps your ladyship won't mind giving it him at twice." "Marie has come," said Lady Glencora. "I knew she would come," said the old man, turning his head round slowly on the back of his chair. "I knew she would be good to me to the last." And he laid his withered hand on the arm of his chair, so that the woman whose presence gratified him might take it within hers and comfort him. "Of course I have come," said Madame Goesler, standing close by him and putting her left arm very lightly on his shoulder. It was all that she could do for him, but it was in order that she might do this that she had been summoned from London to his side. He was wan and worn and pale,—a man evidently dying, the oil of whose lamp was all burned out; but still as he turned his eyes up to the woman's face there was a remnant of that look of graceful fainéant nobility which had always distinguished him. He had never done any good, but he had always carried himself like a duke, and like a duke he carried himself to the end. "He is decidedly better than he was this morning," said Lady Glencora. "It is pretty nearly all over, my dear. Sit down, Marie. Did they give you anything after your journey?" "I could not wait, Duke." "I'll get her some tea," said Lady Glencora. "Yes, I will. I'll do it myself. I know he wants to say a word to you alone." This she added in a whisper. But sick people hear everything, and the Duke did hear the whisper. "Yes, my dear;—she is quite right. I am glad to have you for a minute alone. Do you love me, Marie?" It was a foolish question to be asked by a dying old man of a young woman who was in no way connected with him, and whom he had never seen till some three or four years since. But it was asked with feverish anxiety, and it required an answer. "You know I love you, Duke. Why else should I be here?" "It is a pity you did not take the coronet when I offered it you." "Nay, Duke, it was no pity. Had I done so, you could not have had us both." "I should have wanted only you." "And I should have stood aloof,—in despair to think that I was separating you from those with whom your Grace is bound up so closely. We have ever been dear friends since that." "Yes;—we have been dear friends. But—" Then he closed his eyes, and put his long thin fingers across his face, and lay back awhile in silence, still holding her by the other hand. "Kiss me, Marie," he said at last; and she stooped over him and kissed his forehead. "I would do it now if I thought it would serve you." She only shook her head and pressed his hand closely. "I would; I would. Such things have been done, my dear." "Such a thing shall never be done by me, Duke." They remained seated side by side, the one holding the other by the hand, but without uttering another word, till Lady Glencora returned bringing a cup of tea and a morsel of toast in her own hand. Madame Goesler, as she took it, could not help thinking how it might have been with her had she accepted the coronet which had been offered. In that case she might have been a duchess herself, but assuredly she would not have been waited upon by a future duchess. As it was, there was no one in that family who had not cause to be grateful to her. When the Duke had sipped a spoonful of his broth, and swallowed his allowance of wine, they both left him, and the respectable old lady with the smart cap was summoned back to her position. "I suppose he whispered something very gracious to you," Lady Glencora said when they were alone. "Very gracious." "And you were gracious to him,—I hope." "I meant to be." "I'm sure you did. Poor old man! If you had done what he asked you I wonder whether his affection would have lasted as it has done." "Certainly not, Lady Glen. He would have known that I had injured him." "I declare I think you are the wisest woman I ever met, Madame Max. I am sure you are the most discreet. If I had always been as wise as you are!" "You always have been wise." "Well,—never mind. Some people fall on their feet like cats; but you are one of those who never fall at all. Others tumble about in the most unfortunate way, without any great fault of their own. Think of that poor Lady Laura." "Yes, indeed." "I suppose it's true about Mr. Kennedy. You've heard of it of course in London." But as it happened Madame Goesler had not heard the story. "I got it from Barrington Erle, who always writes to me if anything happens. Mr. Kennedy has fired a pistol at the head of Phineas Finn." "At Phineas Finn!" "Yes, indeed. Mr. Finn went to him at some hotel in London. No one knows what it was about; but Mr. Kennedy went off in a fit of jealousy, and fired a pistol at him." "He did not hit him?" "It seems not. Mr. Finn is one of those Irish gentlemen who always seem to be under some special protection. The ball went through his whiskers and didn't hurt him." "And what has become of Mr. Kennedy?" "Nothing, it seems. Nobody sent for the police, and he has been allowed to go back to Scotland,—as though a man were permitted by special Act of Parliament to try to murder his wife's lover. It would be a bad law, because it would cause such a deal of bloodshed." "But he is not Lady Laura's lover," said Madame Goesler, gravely. "That would make the law difficult, because who is to say whether a man is or is not a woman's lover?" "I don't think there was ever anything of that kind." "They were always together, but I dare say it was Platonic. I believe these kind of things generally are Platonic. And as for Lady Laura;—heavens and earth!—I suppose it must have been Platonic. What did the Duke say to you?" "He bade me kiss him." "Poor dear old man. He never ceases to speak of you when you are away, and I do believe he could not have gone in peace without seeing you. I doubt whether in all his life he ever loved any one as he loves you. We dine at half-past seven, dear: and you had better just go into his room for a moment as you come down. There isn't a soul here except Sir Omicron Pie, and Plantagenet, and two of the other nephews,—whom, by the bye, he has refused to see. Old Lady Hartletop wanted to come." "And you wouldn't have her?" "I couldn't have refused. I shouldn't have dared. But the Duke would not hear of it. He made me write to say that he was too weak to see any but his nearest relatives. Then he made me send for you, my dear;—and now he won't see the relatives. What shall we do if Lady Hartletop turns up? I'm living in fear of it. You'll have to be shut up out of sight somewhere if that should happen." During the next two or three days the Duke was neither much better nor much worse. Bulletins appeared in the newspapers, though no one at Matching knew from whence they came. Sir Omicron Pie, who, having retired from general practice, was enabled to devote his time to the "dear Duke," protested that he had no hand in sending them out. He declared to Lady Glencora every morning that it was only a question of time. "The vital spark is on the spring," said Sir Omicron, waving a gesture heavenward with his hand. For three days Mr. Palliser was at Matching, and he duly visited his uncle twice a day. But not a syllable was ever said between them beyond the ordinary words of compliments. Mr. Palliser spent his time with his private secretary, working out endless sums and toiling for unapproachable results in reference to decimal coinage. To him his uncle's death would be a great blow, as in his eyes to be Chancellor of the Exchequer was much more than to be Duke of Omnium. For herself Lady Glencora was nearly equally indifferent, though she did in her heart of hearts wish that her son should go to Eton with the title of Lord Silverbridge. On the third morning the Duke suddenly asked a question of Madame Goesler. The two were again sitting near to each other, and the Duke was again holding her hand; but Lady Glencora was also in the room. "Have you not been staying with Lord Chiltern?" "Yes, Duke." "He is a friend of yours." "I used to know his wife before they were married." "Why does he go on writing me letters about a wood?" This he asked in a wailing voice, as though he were almost weeping. "I know nothing of Lord Chiltern. Why does he write to me about the wood? I wish he wouldn't write to me." "He does not know that you are ill, Duke. By-the-bye, I promised to speak to Lady Glencora about it. He says that foxes are poisoned at Trumpeton Wood." "I don't believe a word of it," said the Duke. "No one would poison foxes in my wood. I wish you'd see about it, Glencora. Plantagenet will never attend to anything. But he shouldn't write to me. He ought to know better than to write letters to me. I will not have people writing letters to me. Why don't they write to Fothergill?" and then the Duke began in truth to whimper. "I'll put it all right," said Lady Glencora. "I wish you would. I don't like them to say there are no foxes; and Plantagenet never will attend to anything." The wife had long since ceased to take the husband's part when accusations such as this were brought against him. Nothing could make Mr. Palliser think it worth his while to give up any shred of his time to such a matter as the preservation of foxes. On the fourth day the catastrophe happened which Lady Glencora had feared. A fly with a pair of horses from the Matching Road station was driven up to the door of the Priory, and Lady Hartletop was announced. "I knew it," said Lady Glencora, slapping her hand down on the table in the room in which she was sitting with Madame Goesler. Unfortunately the old lady was shown into the room before Madame Goesler could escape, and they passed each other on the threshold. The Dowager Marchioness of Hartletop was a very stout old lady, now perhaps nearer to seventy than sixty-five years of age, who for many years had been the intimate friend of the Duke of Omnium. In latter days, during which she had seen but little of the Duke himself, she had heard of Madame Max Goesler, but she had never met that lady. Nevertheless, she knew the rival friend at a glance. Some instinct told her that that woman with the black brow and the dark curls was Madame Goesler. In these days the Marchioness was given to waddling rather than to walking, but she waddled past the foreign female,—as she had often called Madame Max,—with a dignified though duck-like step. Lady Hartletop was a bold woman; and it must be supposed that she had some heart within her or she would hardly have made such a journey with such a purpose. "Dear Lady Hartletop," said Lady Glencora, "I am so sorry that you should have had this trouble." "I must see him," said Lady Hartletop. Lady Glencora put both her hands together piteously, as though deprecating her visitor's wrath. "I must insist on seeing him." "Sir Omicron has refused permission to any one to visit him." "I shall not go till I've seen him. Who was that lady?" "A friend of mine," said Lady Glencora, drawing herself up. "She is—, Madame Goesler." "That is her name, Lady Hartletop. She is my most intimate friend." "Does she see the Duke?" Lady Glencora, when expressing her fear that the woman would come to Matching, had confessed that she was afraid of Lady Hartletop. And a feeling of dismay—almost of awe—had fallen upon her on hearing the Marchioness announced. But when she found herself thus cross-examined, she resolved that she would be bold. Nothing on earth should induce her to open the door of the Duke's room to Lady Hartletop, nor would she scruple to tell the truth about Madame Goesler. "Yes," she said, "Madame Goesler does see the Duke." "And I am to be excluded!" "My dear Lady Hartletop, what can I do? The Duke for some time past has been accustomed to the presence of my friend, and therefore her presence now is no disturbance. Surely that can be understood." "I should not disturb him." "He would be inexpressibly excited were he to know that you were even in the house. And I could not take it upon myself to tell him." Then Lady Hartletop threw herself upon a sofa, and began to weep piteously. "I have known him for more than forty years," she moaned, through her choking tears. Lady Glencora's heart was softened, and she was kind and womanly; but she would not give way about the Duke. It would, as she knew, have been useless, as the Duke had declared that he would see no one except his eldest nephew, his nephew's wife, and Madame Goesler. That evening was very dreadful to all of them at Matching,—except to the Duke, who was never told of Lady Hartletop's perseverance. The poor old woman could not be sent away on that afternoon, and was therefore forced to dine with Mr. Palliser. He, however, was warned by his wife to say nothing in the lady's presence about his uncle, and he received her as he would receive any other chance guest at his wife's table. But the presence of Madame Goesler made the chief difficulty. She herself was desirous of disappearing for that evening, but Lady Glencora would not permit it. "She has seen you, my dear, and asked about you. If you hide yourself, she'll say all sorts of things." An introduction was therefore necessary, and Lady Hartletop's manner was grotesquely grand. She dropped a very low curtsey, and made a very long face, but she did not say a word. In the evening the Marchioness sat close to Lady Glencora, whispering many things about the Duke; and condescending at last to a final entreaty that she might be permitted to see him on the following morning. "There is Sir Omicron," said Lady Glencora, turning round to the little doctor. But Lady Hartletop was too proud to appeal to Sir Omicron, who, as a matter of course, would support the orders of Lady Glencora. On the next morning Madame Goesler did not appear at the breakfast-table, and at eleven Lady Hartletop was taken back to the train in Lady Glencora's carriage. She had submitted herself to discomfort, indignity, fatigue, and disappointment; and it had all been done for love. With her broad face, and her double chin, and her heavy jowl, and the beard that was growing round her lips, she did not look like a romantic woman; but, in spite of appearances, romance and a duck-like waddle may go together. The memory of those forty years had been strong upon her, and her heart was heavy because she could not see that old man once again. Men will love to the last, but they love what is fresh and new. A woman's love can live on the recollection of the past, and cling to what is old and ugly. "What an episode!" said Lady Glencora, when the unwelcome visitor was gone;—"but it's odd how much less dreadful things are than you think they will be. I was frightened when I heard her name; but you see we've got through it without much harm." A week passed by, and still the Duke was living. But now he was too weak to be moved from one room to another, and Madame Goesler passed two hours each day sitting by his bedside. He would lie with his hand out upon the coverlid, and she would put hers upon it; but very few words passed between them. He grumbled again about the Trumpeton Woods, and Lord Chiltern's interference, and complained of his nephew's indifference. As to himself and his own condition, he seemed to be, at any rate, without discomfort, and was certainly free from fear. A clergyman attended him, and gave him the sacrament. He took it,—as the champagne prescribed by Sir Omicron, or the few mouthfuls of chicken broth which were administered to him by the old lady with the smart cap; but it may be doubted whether he thought much more of the one remedy than of the other. He knew that he had lived, and that the thing was done. His courage never failed him. As to the future, he neither feared much nor hoped much; but was, unconsciously, supported by a general trust in the goodness and the greatness of the God who had made him what he was. "It is nearly done now, Marie," he said to Madame Goesler one evening. She only pressed his hand in answer. His condition was too well understood between them to allow of her speaking to him of any possible recovery. "It has been a great comfort to me that I have known you," he said. "Oh no!" "A great comfort;—only I wish it had been sooner. I could have talked to you about things which I never did talk of to any one. I wonder why I should have been a duke, and another man a servant." "God Almighty ordained such difference." "I'm afraid I have not done it well;—but I have tried; indeed I have tried." Then she told him he had ever lived as a great nobleman ought to live. And, after a fashion, she herself believed what she was saying. Nevertheless, her nature was much nobler than his; and she knew that no man should dare to live idly as the Duke had lived. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Anthony Trollope (2006). Phineas Redux. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18640/pg18640-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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