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           ‘Somostpeoplethink. Butwaitamoment. Cananinstantaneouscubeexist?’ 

           ‘Don’tfollowyou,’saidFilby. 

           ‘Canacubethatdoesnotlastforanytimeatall,havearealexistence?’ 

           Filbybecamepensive. ‘Clearly,’theTimeTravellerproceeded,‘anyrealbodymusthaveextensioninfourdirections: itmusthaveLength,Breadth,Thickness,and—Duration. Butthroughanaturalinfirmityoftheflesh,whichIwillexplaintoyouinamoment,weinclinetooverlookthisfact. Therearereallyfourdimensions,threewhichwecallthethreeplanesofSpace,andafourth,Time. Thereis,however,atendencytodrawanunrealdistinctionbetweentheformerthreedimensionsandthelatter,becauseithappensthatourconsciousnessmovesintermittentlyinonedirectionalongthelatterfromthebeginningtotheendofourlives.’ 

           ‘That,’saidaveryyoungman,makingspasmodiceffortstorelighthiscigaroverthelamp;‘that...veryclearindeed.’ 

           ‘Now,itisveryremarkablethatthisissoextensivelyoverlooked,’continuedtheTimeTraveller,withaslightaccessionofcheerfulness. ‘ReallythisiswhatismeantbytheFourthDimension,thoughsomepeoplewhotalkabouttheFourthDimensiondonotknowtheymeanit. ItisonlyanotherwayoflookingatTime. ThereisnodifferencebetweenTimeandanyofthethreedimensionsofSpaceexceptthatourconsciousnessmovesalongit. Butsomefoolishpeoplehavegotholdofthewrongsideofthatidea. YouhaveallheardwhattheyhavetosayaboutthisFourthDimension?’ 

           ‘Ihavenot,’saidtheProvincialMayor. 

           ‘Itissimplythis. ThatSpace,asourmathematicianshaveit,isspokenofashavingthreedimensions,whichonemaycallLength,Breadth,andThickness,andisalwaysdefinablebyreferencetothreeplanes,eachatrightanglestotheothers.