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34 TTHE CAUSE AND THE CAUSER. what was discoverable-some causer of causes, or rather of accidents. Why, the notion was laughable-was a contradiction in itself. Bumble minor, on the other hand, was a "naturalistic." He insisted that nature, modified by circumstances, did everything, and accounted for everything. He called it race-experience. By race-experience, flowers, liable to be injured by rain, closed against rain ; and insects sought food in flowers. By race-experience the sitting magistrate shrank into his shell from danger, or when he needed repose of body or mind. By race-experience, also, no doubt, everything had happened which Dr. Earwig had observed. He did not see how, exactly (Bumble minor was candour itself); but that was no matter, he was sure of the theory. By race-experience everything which had existence did the best it could for itself. Race-experience was therefore that causer of causes whose very existence the accidentalists denied. There was only one thing it could not account for, and that was the strangely illogical opinion held by his learned brother, Bumble major.