ACROSS THE ZODIAC: The Story of a Wrecked Record

DECIPHERED, TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY PERCY GREG

AUTHOR OF "THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE" ETC. 

 "Thoughts he sends to each planet, Uranus, Venus, and Mars; Soars to the Centre to span it, Numbers the infinite Stars. "

 _Courthope's Paradise of Birds_

CONTENTS

 I. SHIPWRECK. 

 II. OUTWARD BOUND. 

 III. THE UNTRAVELLED DEEP. 

 IV. A NEW WORLD. 

 V. LANGUAGE, LAWS, AND LIFE. 

 VI. AN OFFICIAL VISIT. 

 VII. ESCORT DUTY. 

 VIII. A FAITH AND ITS FOUNDER. 

 IX. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 

 X. WOMAN AND WEDLOCK. 

 XI. A COUNTRY DRIVE. 

 XII. ON THE RIVER. 

 XIII. THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT. 

 XIV. BY SEA. 

 XV. FUR-HUNTING. 

 XVI. TROUBLED WATERS. 

 XVII. PRESENTED AT COURT. 

 XVIII. A PRINCE'S PRESENT. 

 XIX. A COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT. 

 XX. LIFE, SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC. 

 XXI. PRIVATE AUDIENCES. 

 XXII. PECULIAR INSTITUTIONS. 

 XXIII. CHARACTERISTICS. 

 XXIV. WINTER. 

 XXV. APOSTACY. 

 XXVI. TWILIGHT. 

 XXVII. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 

 XXVIII. DARKER YET. 

 XXIX. AZRAEL. 

 XXX. FAREWELL. 

CHAPTER I - SHIPWRECK. 

Once only, in the occasional travelling of thirty years, did I loseany important article of luggage; and that loss occurred, not underthe haphazard, devil-take-the-hindmost confusion of English, or theelaborate misrule of Continental journeys, but through the absoluteperfection and democratic despotism of the American system. I had togive up a visit to the scenery of Cooper's best Indian novels--noslight sacrifice--and hasten at once to New York to repair the loss. This incident brought me, on an evening near the middle of September1874, on board a river steamboat starting from Albany, the capital ofthe State, for the Empire City. The banks of the lower Hudson are aswell worth seeing as those of the Rhine itself, but even America hasnot yet devised means of lighting them up at night, and consequently Ihad no amusement but such as I could find in the conversation of myfellow-travellers. With one of these, whose abstinence from personalquestions led me to take him for an Englishman, I spoke of my visit toNiagara--the one wonder of the world that answers its warranty--and toMontreal. As I spoke of the strong and general Canadian feeling ofloyalty to the English Crown and connection, a Yankee bystanderobserved--

"Wal, stranger, I reckon we could take 'em if we wanted tu!"

"Yes, " I replied, "if you think them worth the price. But if you do, you rate them even more highly than they rate themselves; and Englishcolonists are not much behind the citizens of the model Republic inhonest self-esteem. "

"Wal, " he said, "how much du yew calc'late we shall hev to pay?"

"Not more, perhaps, than you can afford; only California, and everyAtlantic seaport from Portland to Galveston. "

"Reckon yew may be about right, stranger, " he said, falling back withtolerable good-humour; and, to do them justice, the bystanders seemedto think the retort no worse than the provocation deserved. 

"I am sorry, " said my friend, "you should have fallen in with sounpleasant a specimen of the character your countrymen ascribe withtoo much reason to Americans. I have been long in England, and nevermet with such discourtesy from any one who recognised me as anAmerican. "

After this our conversation became less reserved; and I found that Iwas conversing with one of the most renowned officers of irregularcavalry in the late Confederate service--a service which, in theefficiency, brilliancy, and daring of that especial arm, has neverbeen surpassed since Maharbal's African Light Horse were recognised byfriends and foes as the finest corps in the small splendid army ofHannibal. 

Colonel A---- (the reader will learn why I give neither his name norreal rank) spoke with some bitterness of the inquisitiveness whichrendered it impossible, he said, to trust an American with a secret, and very difficult to keep one without lying. We were presently joinedby Major B----, who had been employed during the war in the conduct ofmany critical communications, and had shown great ingenuity indevising and unravelling ciphers. On this subject a somewhatprotracted discussion arose. I inclined to the doctrine of Poe, thatno cipher can be devised which cannot be detected by an experiencedhand; my friends indicated simple methods of defeating the processeson which decipherers rely. 

"Poe's theory, " said the Major, "depends upon the frequent recurrenceof certain letters, syllables, and brief words in any given language;for instance, of _e_'s and _t_'s, _tion_ and _ed_, _a_, _and_, and_the_ in English. Now it is perfectly easy to introduce abbreviationsfor each of the common short words and terminations, and equally easyto baffle the decipherer's reliance thereon by inserting meaninglesssymbols to separate the words; by employing two signs for a commonletter, or so arranging your cipher that no one shall without extremedifficulty know which marks stand for single and which for severalcombined letters, where one letter ends and another begins. "

After some debate, Colonel A---- wrote down and handed me two lines ina cipher whose character at once struck me as very remarkable. 

"I grant, " said I, "that these hieroglyphics might well puzzle a morepractised decipherer than myself. Still, I can point out even here aclue which might help detection. There occur, even in these two lines, three or four symbols which, from their size and complication, areevidently abbreviations. Again, the distinct forms are very few, andhave obviously been made to serve for different letters by some slightalterations devised upon a fixed rule. In a word, the cipher has beenconstructed upon a general principle; and though it may take a longtime to find out what that principle is, it affords a clue which, carefully followed out, will probably lead to detection. "

"You have perceived, " said Colonel A----, "a fact which it took mevery long to discover. I have not deciphered all the more difficultpassages of the manuscript from which I took this example; but I haveascertained the meaning of all its simple characters, and yourinference is certainly correct. "

Here he stopped abruptly, as if he thought he had said too much, andthe subject dropped. 

We reached New York early in the morning and separated, havingarranged to visit that afternoon a celebrated "spiritual" medium whowas then giving _séances_ in the Empire City, and of whom my friendhad heard and repeated to me several more or less marvellous stories. Our visit, however, was unsatisfactory; and as we came away ColonelA---- said--

"Well, I suppose this experience confirms you in your disbelief?"

"No, " said I. "My first visits have generally been failures, and Ihave more than once been told that my own temperament is mostunfavourable to the success of a seance. Nevertheless, I have in somecases witnessed marvels perfectly inexplicable by known natural laws;and I have heard and read of others attested by evidence I certainlycannot consider inferior to my own. "

"Why, " he said, "I thought from your conversation last night you werea complete disbeliever. "

"I believe, " answered I, "in very little of what I have seen. But thatlittle is quite sufficient to dispose of the theory of pure imposture. On the other hand, there is nothing spiritual and nothing very humanin the pranks played by or in the presence of the mediums. They remindone more of the feats of traditionary goblins; mischievous, noisy, untrustworthy; insensible to ridicule, apparently delighting to makefools of men, and perfectly indifferent to having the tables turnedupon themselves. "

"But do you believe in goblins?"

"No, " I replied; "no more than in table-turning ghosts, and less thanin apparitions. I am not bound to find either sceptics orspiritualists in plausible explanations. But when they insist on analternative to their respective theories, I suggest Puck as at leastequally credible with Satan, Shakespeare, or the parrot-cry ofimposture. It is the very extravagance of illogical temper to call onme to furnish an explanation _because_ I say 'we know far too littleof the thing itself to guess at its causes;' but of the currentguesses, imposture seems inconsistent with the evidence, and'spiritual agency' with the character of the phenomena. "

"That, " replied Colonel A----, "sounds common sense, and sounds evenmore commonplace. And yet, no one seems really to draw a strong, clearline between non-belief and disbelief. And you are the first and onlyman I ever met who hesitates to affirm the impossibility of that whichseems to him wildly improbable, contrary at once to received opinionand to his own experience, and contrary, moreover, to all knownnatural laws, and all inferences hitherto drawn from them. Your men ofscience dogmatise like divines, not only on things they have not seen, but on things they refuse to see; and your divines are half of themafraid of Satan, and the other half of science. "

"The men of science have, " I replied, "like every other class, theirespecial bias, their peculiar professional temptation. Theanti-religious bigotry of Positivists is quite as bitter andirrational as the theological bigotry of religious fanatics. Atpresent the two powers countervail and balance each other. But, asthree hundred years ago I should certainly have been burnt for aheretic, so fifty or a hundred years hence, could I live so long, Ishould be in equal apprehension of being burnt by some successor ofMr. Congreve, Mr. Harrison, or Professor Huxley, for presuming tobelieve in Providential government. "

"The intolerance of incredulity, " returned Colonel A----, "is a soresubject with me. I once witnessed a phenomenon which was to me quiteas extraordinary as any of the 'spiritual' performances. I have atthis moment in my possession apparently irresistible evidence of thereality of what then took place; and I am sure that there exists at apoint on the earth's surface, which unluckily I cannot define, strongcorroborative proof of my story. Nevertheless, the first persons whoheard it utterly ridiculed it, and were disposed to treat me either asa madman, or at best as an audacious trespasser on that privilege oflying which belonged to them as mariners. I told it afterwards tothree gentlemen of station, character, and intelligence, every one ofwhom had known me as soldier, and I hope as gentleman, for years; andin each case the result was a duel, which has silenced those whoimputed to me an unworthy and purposeless falsehood, but has left aheavy burden on my conscience, and has prevented me ever since fromrepeating what I know to be true and believe to be of greaterinterest, and in some sense of greater importance, than any scientificdiscovery of the last century. Since the last occasion on which I toldit seven years have elapsed, and I never have met any one but yourselfto whom I have thought it possible to disclose it. "

"I have, " I answered, "an intense interest in all occult phenomena;believing in regard to alleged magic, as the scientists say ofpractical science, that every one branch of such knowledge throwslight on others; and if there be nothing in your story which it ispersonally painful to relate, you need not be silenced by anyapprehension of discourteous criticism on my part. "

"I assure you, " he said, "I have no such wish now to tell the story asI had at first. It is now associated with the most painful incident ofmy life, and I have lost altogether that natural desire for sympathyand human interest in a matter deeply interesting to myself, which, like every one else, I felt at first, and which is, I suppose, themotive that prompts us all to relate often and early any occurrencethat has keenly affected us, in whatever manner. But I think that Ihave no right to suppress so remarkable a fact, if by telling it I canplace it effectually on record for the benefit of men sensible enoughto believe that it may have occurred, especially since somewhere inthe world there must yet exist proof that it did occur. If you willcome to my rooms in ---- Street tomorrow, Number 999, I will notpromise, but I think that I shall have made up my mind to tell youwhat I have to tell, and to place in your hands that portion of theevidence which is still at my command--evidence that has asignificance of its own, to which my experience is merely episodical. "

I spent that evening with the family of a friend, one of severalformer officers of the Confederacy, whose friendship is the onepermanent and valuable result of my American tour. I mentioned theColonel's name, and my friend, the head of the family, having servedwith him through the Virginian campaigns, expressed the highestconfidence in his character, the highest opinion of his honour andveracity; but spoke with bitter regret and pain of the duels in whichhe had been engaged, especially of one which had been fatal; remarkingthat the motive in each instance remained unknown even to the seconds. "I am sure, " he said "that they were not, could not have been, foughtfor the one cause that would justify them and explain the secrecy ofthe quarrel--some question involving female honour or reputation. Ican hardly conceive that any one of his adversaries could have calledin question in any way the personal loyalty of Colonel A----; and, asyou remarked of General M----, it is too absurd for a man who hadfaced over and over again the fire of a whole brigade, who had ledcharges against fourfold numbers, to prove his personal courage withsword or pistol, or to think that any one would have doubted eitherhis spirit or his nerve had he refused to fight, whatever theprovocation. Moreover, in each case he was the challenger. "

"Then these duels have injured him in Southern opinion, and haveprobably tended to isolate him from society?"

"No, " he replied. "Deeply as they were regretted and disapproved, hisservices during the war were so brilliant, and his personal characterstands so high, that nothing could have induced his fellow-soldiers toput any social stigma upon him. To me he must know that he would bemost welcome. Yet, though we have lived in the same city for fiveyears, I have only encountered him three or four times in the street, and then he has passed with the fewest possible words, and has neithergiven me his address nor accepted my urgent invitations to visit ushere. I think that there is something in the story of those duels thatwill never be known, certainly something that has never been guessedyet. And I think that either the circumstances in which they must havehad their origin, or the duels themselves, have so weighed upon hisspirits, perhaps upon his conscience, that he has chosen to avoid hisformer friends, most of them also the friends of his antagonists. Though the war ruined him as utterly as any of the thousands ofSouthern gentlemen whom it has reduced from wealth to absolutepoverty, he has refused every employment which would bring him beforethe public eye. "

"Is there, " I asked, "any point of honour on which you could supposehim to be so exceptionally sensitive that he would think it necessaryto take the life of a man who touched him on that point, thoughafterwards his regret, if not repentance, might be keen enough tocrush his spirit or break his heart?"

The General paused for a moment, and his son then interposed--

"I have heard it said that Colonel A---- was in general the leastquarrelsome of Confederate officers; but that on more than oneoccasion, where his statement upon some point of fact had beenchallenged by a comrade, who did not intend to question his veracitybut simply the accuracy of his observation, their brother officers hadmuch trouble in preventing a serious difficulty. "

The next day I called as agreed upon my new-found friend, and withsome reluctance he commenced his story. 

"During the last campaign, in February 1865, I was sent by General Leewith despatches for Kirby Smith, then commanding beyond theMississippi. I was unable to return before the surrender, and, forreasons into which I need not enter, I believed myself to be markedout by the Federal Government for vengeance. If I had remained withintheir reach, I might have shared the fate of Wirz and other victims ofcalumnies which, once put in circulation during the war, theirofficial authors dared not retract at its close. Now I and others, who, if captured in 1865, might probably have been hanged, are neithermolested nor even suspected of any other offence than that offighting, as our opponents fought, for the State to which ourallegiance was due. However, I thought it necessary to escape beforethe final surrender of our forces beyond the Mississippi. I made myway to Mexico, and, like one or two Southern officers of greaterdistinction than myself, entered the service of the EmperorMaximilian, not as mere soldiers of fortune, but because, knowingbetter than any but her Southern neighbours knew it the miserableanarchy of Mexico under the Republic, we regarded conquest as the onechance of regeneration for that country, and the Emperor Maximilian asa hero who had devoted himself to a task heroic at once in its dangerand difficulty--the restoration of a people with whom his house had acertain historical connection to a place among the nations of thecivilised world. After his fall, I should certainly have been shot hadI been caught by the Juarists in pursuit of me. I gained the Pacificcoast, and got on board an English vessel, whose captain--loading forSan Francisco--generously weighed anchor and sailed with but half acargo to give me a chance of safety. He transferred me a few daysafterwards to a Dutch vessel bound for Brisbane, for at that time Ithought of settling in Queensland. The crew was weak-handed, andconsisted chiefly of Lascars, Malays, and two or three Europeandesperadoes of all languages and of no country. Her master was barelycompetent to the ordinary duties of his command; and it was nosurprise to me when the first storm that we encountered drove uscompletely out of our course, nor was I much astonished that thecaptain was for some days, partly from fright and partly from drink, incapable of using his sextant to ascertain the position of the ship. One night we were awakened by a tremendous shock; and, to spare youthe details of a shipwreck, which have nothing to do with my story, wefound ourselves when day broke fast on a coral reef, about a mile froman island of no great size, and out of sight of all other land. Thesextant having been broken to pieces, I had no means of ascertainingthe position of this island, nor do I now know anything of it exceptthat it lay, in the month of August, within the region of thesoutheast trade winds. We pulled on shore, but, after exploring theisland, it was found to yield nothing attractive to seamen exceptcocoa-nuts, with which our crew had soon supplied themselves aslargely as they wished, and fish, which were abundant and easilycaught, and of which they were soon tired. The captain, therefore, when he had recovered his sobriety and his courage, had no greatdifficulty in inducing them to return to the ship, and endeavoureither to get her off or construct from her timbers a raft which, following the course of the winds, might, it was thought, bring theminto the track of vessels. This would take some time, and I meanwhilewas allowed to remain (my own wish) on _terra firma_; the noise, dirt, and foul smells of the vessel being, especially in that climate, intolerable. 

"About ten o'clock in the morning of the 25th August 1867, I was lyingtowards the southern end of the island, on a little hillock tolerablyclear of trees, and facing a sort of glade or avenue, covered onlywith brush and young trees, which allowed me to see the sky withinperhaps twenty degrees of the horizon. Suddenly, looking up, I sawwhat appeared at first like a brilliant star considerably higher thanthe sun. It increased in size with amazing rapidity, till, in a veryfew seconds after its first appearance, it had a very perceptibledisc. For an instant it obscured the sun. In another moment atremendous shock temporarily deprived me of my senses, and I thinkthat more than an hour had elapsed before I recovered them. Sittingup, somewhat confused, and looking around me, I became aware that somestrange accident had occurred. In every direction I saw such traces ofhavoc as I had witnessed more than once when a Confederate forceholding an impenetrable woodland had been shelled at random for somehours with the largest guns that the enemy could bring into the field. Trees were torn and broken, branches scattered in all directions, fragments of stone, earth, and coral rock flung all around. Particularly I remember that a piece of metal of considerable size hadcut off the tops of two or three trees, and fixed itself at last onwhat was now the summit of one about a third of whose length had beenbroken off and lay on the ground. I soon perceived that thismiraculous bombardment had proceeded from a point to thenorth-eastward, the direction in which at that season and hour the sunwas visible. Proceeding thitherward, the evidences of destructionbecame every minute more marked, I might say more universal. Trees hadbeen thrown down, torn up by the roots, hurled against one another;rocks broken and flung to great distances, some even thrown up in theair, and so reversed in falling that, while again half buried in thesoil, they exposed what had been their undermost surface. In a word, before I had gone two miles I saw that the island had sustained ashock which might have been that of an earthquake, which certainlyequalled that of the most violent Central American earthquakes inseverity, but which had none of the special peculiarities of that kindof natural convulsion. Presently I came upon fragments of a shiningpale yellow metal, generally small, but in one or two cases ofremarkable size and shape, apparently torn from some sheet of greatthickness. In one case I found embedded between two such jaggedfragments a piece of remarkably hard impenetrable cement. At last Icame to a point from which through the destruction of the trees thesea was visible in the direction in which the ship had lain; but theship, as in a few moments I satisfied myself, had utterly disappeared. Reaching the beach, I found that the shock had driven the sea far upupon the land; fishes lying fifty yards inland, and everythingdrenched in salt water. At last, guided by the signs ofever-increasing devastation, I reached the point whence the mischiefhad proceeded. I can give no idea in words of what I there found. Theearth had been torn open, rooted up as if by a gigantic explosion. Insome places sharp-pointed fragments of the coral rock, which at adepth of several feet formed the bed of the island, were discerniblefar below the actual surface. At others, the surface itself was raisedseveral feet by _dèbris_ of every kind. What I may call thecrater--though it was no actual hole, but rather a cavity torn andthen filled up by falling fragments--was two or three hundred feet incircumference; and in this space I found considerable masses of thesame metallic substance, attached generally to pieces of the cement. After examining and puzzling myself over this strange scene for sometime, my next care was to seek traces of the ship and of her crew; andbefore long I saw just outside the coral reef what had been herbowsprit, and presently, floating on the sea, one of her masts, withthe sail attached. There could be little doubt that the shock hadextended to her, had driven her off the reef where she had been fixedinto the deep water outside, where she must have sunk immediately, andhad broken her spars. No traces of her crew were to be seen. They hadprobably been stunned at the same time that they were thrown into deepwater; and before I came in sight of the point where she had perished, whatever animal bodies were to be found must have been devoured by thesharks, which abounded in that neighbourhood. Dismay, perplexity, andhorror prevented my doing anything to solve my doubts or relieve myastonishment before the sun went down; and during the night my sleepwas broken by snatches of horrible dreams and intervals of waking, during which I marvelled over what I had seen, scarcely crediting mymemory or my senses. In the morning, I went back to the crater, andwith some tools that had been left on shore contrived to dig somewhatdeeply among the _debris_ with which it was filled. I found verylittle that could enlighten me except pieces of glass, of variousmetals, of wood, some of which seemed apparently to have been portionsof furniture; and one damaged but still entire relic, which Ipreserved and brought away with me. "

Here the Colonel removed a newspaper which had covered a portion ofhis table, and showed me a metallic case beaten out of all shape, butapparently of what had been a silvery colour, very little rusted, though much soiled. This he opened, and I saw at once that it was ofenormous thickness and solidity, to which and to favouringcircumstances it owed its preservation in the general ruin hedescribed. That it had undergone some severe and violent shock therecould be no question. Beside the box lay a less damaged though stillseriously injured object, in which I recognised the resemblance of abook of considerable thickness, and bound in metal like that of thecase. This I afterwards ascertained beyond doubt to be a metalloidalloy whereof the principal ingredient was aluminium, or somesubstance so closely resembling it as not to be distinguishable fromit by simple chemical tests. A friend to whom I submitted a smallportion broken off from the rest expressed no doubt that it was a kindof aluminium bronze, but inclined to believe that it contained noinconsiderable proportion of a metal with which chemists are as yetimperfectly acquainted; perhaps, he said, silicon; certainly somethingwhich had given to the alloy a hardness and tenacity unknown to anyfamiliar metallurgical compound. 

"This, " said my friend, opening the volume, "is a manuscript which wascontained in this case when I took it from among the debris of thecrater. I should have told you that I found there what I believed tobe fragments of human flesh and bone, but so crushed and mangled thatI could form no positive conclusion. My next care was to escape fromthe island, which I felt sure lay far from the ordinary course ofmerchant vessels. A boat which had brought me ashore--the smaller ofthe two belonging to the ship--had fortunately been left on the end ofthe island furthest from that on which the vessel had been driven, andhad, owing to its remoteness, though damaged, not been fatally injuredby the shock. I repaired this, made and fixed a mast, and with nolittle difficulty contrived to manufacture a sort of sail from stripsof bark woven together. Knowing that, even if I could sustain life onthe island, life under such circumstances would not be worth having, Iwas perfectly willing to embark upon a voyage in which I was wellaware the chances of death were at least as five to one. I caught andcontrived to smoke a quantity of fish sufficient to last me for afortnight, and filled a small cask with brackish but still drinkablewater. In this vessel, thus stored, I embarked about a fortnight afterthe day of the mysterious shock. On the second evening of my voyage Iwas caught by a gale which compelled me to lower the sail, and beforewhich I was driven for three days and nights, in what direction I canhardly guess. On the fourth morning the wind had fallen, and by noonit was a perfect calm. I need not describe what has been described byso many shipwrecked sailors, --the sufferings of a solitary voyager inan open boat under a tropical sun. The storm had supplied me withwater more than enough; so that I was spared that arch-torture ofthirst which seems, in the memory of such sufferers, to absorb allothers. Towards evening a slight breeze sprang up, and by morning Icame in sight of a vessel, which I contrived to board. Her crew, however, and even her captain, utterly discredited such part of mystrange story as I told them. On that point, however, I will say nomore than this: I will place this manuscript in your hands. I willgive you the key to such of its ciphers as I have been able to makeout. The language, I believe, for I am no scholar, is Latin of amediæval type; but there are words which, if I rightly decipher them, are not Latin, and hardly seem to belong to any known language; mostof them, I fancy, quasi-scientific terms, invented to describe varioustechnical devices unknown to the world when the manuscript waswritten. I only make it a condition that you shall not publish thestory during my life; that if you show the manuscript or mention thetale in confidence to any one, you will strictly keep my secret; andthat if after my death, of which you shall be advised, you do publishit, you will afford no clue by which the donor could be confidentlyidentified. "

"I promise, " said I. "But I should like to ask you one question. Whatdo you conceive to have been the cause of the extraordinary shock youfelt and of the havoc you witnessed? What, in short, the nature of theoccurrence and the origin of the manuscript you entrust to my care?"

"Why need you ask me?" he returned. "You are as capable as myself ofdrawing a deduction from what I have told you, and I have told youeverything, I believe, that could assist you. The manuscript will tellthe rest. "

"But, " said I, "an actual eye-witness often receives from a number oflittle facts which he cannot remember, which are perhaps too minute tohave been actually and individually noted by him, an impression whichis more likely to be correct than any that could be formed by astranger on the fullest cross-questioning, on the closest examinationof what remains in the witness's memory. I should like to hear, beforeopening the manuscript, what you believe to have been its origin. 

"I can only say, " he answered, "that what must be inferred from themanuscript is what I had inferred before I opened it. That sameexplanation was the only one that ever occurred to me, even in thefirst night. It then seemed to me utterly incredible, but it is stillthe only conceivable explanation that my mind can suggest. "

"Did you, " asked I, "connect the shock and the relics, which I presumeyou know were not on the island before the shock, with the meteor andthe strange obscuration of the sun?"

"I certainly did, " he said. "Having done so, there could be but oneconclusion as to the quarter from which the shock was received. "

The examination and transcription of the manuscript, with all the helpafforded me by my friend's previous efforts, was the work of severalyears. There is, as the reader will see, more than one _hiatus valdedeflendus_, as the scholiasts have it, and there are passages inwhich, whether from the illegibility of the manuscript or theemployment of technical terms unknown to me, I cannot be certain ofthe correctness of my translation. Such, however, as it is, I give itto the world, having fulfilled, I believe, every one of the conditionsimposed upon me by my late and deeply regretted friend. 

The character of the manuscript is very curious, and its translationwas exceedingly difficult. The material on which it is writtenresembles nothing used for such purposes on Earth. It is more like avery fine linen or silken web, but it is far closer in texture, andhas never been woven in any kind of loom at all like those employed inany manufacture known to history or archaeology. The letters, or moreproperly symbols, are minute, but executed with extraordinaryclearness. I should fancy that something more like a pencil than apen, but with a finer point than that of the finest pencil, wasemployed in the writing. Contractions and combinations are not merelyfrequent, but almost universal. There is scarcely an instance in whichfive consecutive letters are separately written, and there is nosingle line in which half a dozen contractions, often including fromfour to ten letters, do not occur. The pages are of the size of anordinary duodecimo, but contain some fifty lines per page, and perhapsone hundred and fifty letters in each line. What were probably thefirst half dozen pages have been utterly destroyed, and the next halfdozen are so mashed, tattered, and defaced, that only a few sentenceshere and there are legible. I have contrived, however, to combinethese into what I believe to be a substantially correct representationof the author's meaning. The Latin is of a monastic--sometimes almostcanine--quality, with many words which are not Latin at all. For therest, though here and there pages are illegible, and though somesymbols, especially those representing numbers or chemical compounds, are absolutely undecipherable, it has been possible to effect what Ihope will be found a clear and coherent translation. I have condensedthe narrative but have not altered or suppressed a line for fear ofoffending those who must be unreasonable, indeed, if they lay theoffence to my charge. 

One word more. It is possible, if not likely, that some of thosefriends of the narrator, for whom the account was evidently written, may still be living, and that these pages may meet their eyes. If so, they may be able to solve the few problems that have entirely baffledme, and to explain, if they so choose, the secrets to which, intentionally or through the destruction of its introductory portion, the manuscript affords no clue. 

I must add that these volumes contain only the first section of theMS. Record. The rest, relating the incidents of a second voyage anddescribing another world, remains in my hands; and, should this partof the work excite general attention, the conclusion will, by myselfor by my executors, be given to the public. Otherwise, on my death, itwill be placed in the library of some national or scientificinstitution. 

CHAPTER II - OUTWARD BOUND. 

. .. For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of theApergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed. It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force inthe atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainlyascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic ofthe gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter. Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in largequantity had been found. The progress of electrical science had solvedthis difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, itpossessed a value which had never before belonged to it. 

Ever since, in childhood, I learnt that the planets were worlds, avisit to one or more of the nearest of them had been my favouriteday-dream. Treasuring every hint afforded by science or fancy thatbore upon the subject, I felt confident that such a voyage would beone day achieved. Helped by one or two really ingenious romances onthis theme, I had dreamed out my dream, realised every difficulty, ascertained every factor in the problem. I had satisfied myself thatonly one thing needful was as yet wholly beyond the reach and even theproximate hopes of science. Human invention could furnish as yet nomotive power that could fulfil the main requirement of theproblem--uniform or constantly increasing motion _in vacuo_--motionthrough a region affording no resisting medium. This must be a_repulsive_ energy capable of acting through an utter void. Man, animals, birds, fishes move by repulsion applied at every moment. Inair or water, paddles, oars, sails, fins, wings act by repulsionexerted on the fluid element in which they work. But in space there isno such resisting element on which repulsion can operate. I needed arepulsion which would act like gravitation through an indefinitedistance and in a void--act upon a remote fulcrum, such as might bethe Earth in a voyage to the Moon, or the Sun in a more distantjourney. As soon, then, as the character of the apergic force was madeknown to me, its application to this purpose seized on my mind. Experiment had proved it possible, by the method described at thecommencement of this record, to generate and collect it in amountspractically unlimited. The other hindrances to a voyage through spacewere trivial in comparison with that thus overcome; there weredifficulties to be surmounted, not absent or deficient powers innature to be discovered. The chief of these, of course, concerned theconveyance of air sufficient for the needs of the traveller during theperiod of his journey. The construction of an air-tight vessel waseasy enough; but however large the body of air conveyed, even thoughits oxygen should not be exhausted, the carbonic acid given out bybreathing would very soon so contaminate the whole that life would beimpossible. To eliminate this element it would only be necessary tocarry a certain quantity of lime-water, easily calculated, and bymeans of a fan or similar instrument to drive the whole of the airperiodically through the vessel containing it. The lime in solutioncombining with the noxious gas would show by the turbid whiteness ofthe water the absorption of the carbonic acid and formation ofcarbonate of lime. But if the carbonic acid gas were merely to beremoved, it is obvious that the oxygen of the air, which forms a partof that gas, would be constantly diminished and ultimately exhausted;and the effect of highly oxygenated air upon the circulation isnotoriously too great to allow of any considerable increase at theoutset in the proportion of this element. I might carry a fresh supplyof oxygen, available at need, in some solid combination like chlorateof potash; but the electricity employed for the generation of theapergy might be also applied to the decomposition of carbonic acid andthe restoration of its oxygen to the atmosphere. 

But the vessel had to be steered as well as propelled; and in order toaccomplish this it would be necessary to command the direction of theapergy at pleasure. My means of doing this depended on two of thebest-established peculiarities of this strange force: its rectilineardirection and its conductibility. We found that it acts through air orin a vacuum in a single straight line, without deflection, andseemingly without diminution. Most solids, and especially metals, according to their electric condition, are more or less impervious toit--antapergic. Its power of penetration diminishes under a veryobscure law, but so rapidly that no conceivable strength of currentwould affect an object protected by an intervening sheet half an inchin thickness. On the other hand, it prefers to all other lines theaxis of a conductive bar, such as may be formed of [undecipherable] inan antapergic sheath. However such bar may be curved, bent, ordivided, the current will fill and follow it, and pursue indefinitely, without divergence, diffusion, or loss, the direction in which itemerges. Therefore, by collecting the current from the generator in avessel cased with antapergic material, and leaving no other aperture, its entire volume might be sent into a conductor. By cutting acrossthis conductor, and causing the further part to rotate upon thenearer, I could divert the current through any required angle. Thus Icould turn the repulsion upon the resistant body (sun or planet), andso propel the vessel in any direction I pleased. 

I had determined that my first attempt should be a visit to Mars. TheMoon is a far less interesting body, since, on the hemisphere turnedtowards the Earth, the absence of an atmosphere and of water ensuresthe absence of any such life as is known to us--probably of any lifethat could be discerned by our senses--and would prevent landing;while nearly all the soundest astronomers agree in believing, onapparently sufficient grounds, that even the opposite hemisphere [ofwhich small portions are from time to time rendered visible by thelibration, though greatly foreshortened and consequently somewhatimperfectly seen] is equally devoid of the two primary necessaries ofanimal and vegetable life. That Mars has seas, clouds, and anatmosphere was generally admitted, and I held it to be beyondquestion. Of Venus, owing to her extraordinary brilliancy, to the factthat when nearest to the Earth a very small portion of her lightedsurface is visible to us, and above all to her dense cloud-envelope, very little was known; and though I cherished the intention to visither even more earnestly than my resolve to reach the probably lessattractive planet Mars, I determined to begin with that voyage ofwhich the conditions and the probable result were most obvious andcertain. I preferred, moreover, in the first instance, to employ theapergy as a propelling rather than as a resisting force. Now, afterpassing beyond the immediate sphere of the Earth's attraction, it isplain that in going towards Mars I should be departing from the Sun, relying upon the apergy to overcome his attraction; whereas in seekingto attain Venus I should be approaching the Sun, relying for my mainmotive power upon that tremendous attraction, and employing the apergyonly to moderate the rate of movement and control its direction. Thelatter appeared to me the more delicate, difficult, and perhapsdangerous task of the two; and I resolved to defer it until after Ihad acquired some practical experience and dexterity in the control ofmy machinery. 

It was expedient, of course, to make my vessel as light as possible, and, at the same time, as large as considerations of weight wouldadmit. But it was of paramount importance to have walls of greatthickness, in order to prevent the penetration of the outer cold ofspace, or rather the outward passage into that intense cold of theheat generated within the vessel itself, as well as to resist thetremendous outward pressure of the air inside. Partly for thesereasons, and partly because its electric character makes it especiallycapable of being rendered at will pervious or impervious to theapergic current, I resolved to make the outer and inner walls of analloy of . .. , while the space between should be filled up with a massof concrete or cement, in its nature less penetrable to heat than anyother substance which Nature has furnished or the wit of manconstructed from her materials. The materials of this cement and theirproportions were as follows. [2]

 * * * * *

Briefly, having determined to take advantage of the approachingopposition of Mars in MDCCCXX . .. [3], I had my vessel constructed withwalls three feet thick, of which the outer six and the inner threeinches were formed of the metalloid. In shape my Astronaut somewhatresembled the form of an antique Dutch East-Indiaman, being widest andlongest in a plane equidistant from floor and ceiling, the sides andends sloping outwards from the floor and again inwards towards theroof. The deck and keel, however, were absolutely flat, and each onehundred feet in length and fifty in breadth, the height of the vesselbeing about twenty feet. In the centre of the floor and in that of theroof respectively I placed a large lens of crystal, intended to act asa window in the first instance, the lower to admit the rays of theSun, while through the upper I should discern the star towards which Iwas steering. The floor, being much heavier than the rest of thevessel, would naturally be turned downwards; that is, during thegreater part of the voyage towards the Sun. I placed a similar lens inthe centre of each of the four sides, with two plane windows of thesame material, one in the upper, the other in the lower half of thewall, to enable me to discern any object in whatever direction. Thecrystal in question consisted of . .. , which, as those who manufacturedit for me are aware, admits of being cast with a perfection andequality of structure throughout unattainable with ordinary glass, andwrought to a certainty and accuracy of curvature which the mostpatient and laborious polishing can hardly give to the lenses even ofmoderate-sized telescopes, whether made of glass or metal, and issingularly impervious to heat. I had so calculated the curvature thatseveral eye-pieces of different magnifying powers which I carried withme might be adapted equally to any of the window lenses, and throw aperfect image, magnified by 100, 1000, or 5000, upon mirrors properlyplaced. 

I carpeted the floor with several alternate layers of cork and cloth. At one end I placed my couch, table, bookshelves, and other necessaryfurniture, with all the stores needed for my voyage, and with afurther weight sufficient to preserve equilibrium. At the other I madea garden with soil three feet deep and five feet in width, dividedinto two parts so as to permit access to the windows. I filled eachgarden closely with shrubs and flowering plants of the greatestpossible variety, partly to absorb animal waste, partly in the hope ofnaturalising them elsewhere. Covering both with wire netting extendingfrom the roof to the floor, I filled the cages thus formed with avariety of birds. In the centre of the vessel was the machinery, occupying altogether a space of about thirty feet by twenty. Thelarger portion of this area was, of course, taken up by the generator, above which was the receptacle of the apergy. From this descendedright through the floor a conducting bar in an antapergic sheath, sodivided that without separating it from the upper portion the lowermight revolve in any direction through an angle of twenty minutes(20'). This, of course, was intended to direct the stream of therepulsive force against the Sun. The angle might have been extended tothirty minutes, but that I deemed it inexpedient to rely upon a force, directed against the outer portions of the Sun's disc, believing thatthese are occupied by matter of density so small that it might affordno sufficient base, so to speak, for the repulsive action. It wasobviously necessary also to repel or counteract the attraction of anybody which might come near me during the voyage. Again, in gettingfree from the Earth's influence, I must be able to steer in anydirection and at any angle to the surface. For this purpose I placedfive smaller bars, passing through the roof and four sides, connected, like the main conductor, with the receptacle or apergion, but so thatthey could revolve through a much larger angle, and could at anymoment be detached and insulated. My steering apparatus consisted of atable in which were three large circles. The midmost and left hand ofthese were occupied by accurately polished plane mirrors. The centralcircle, or metacompass, was divided by three hundred and sixty finelines, radiating from the centre to the circumference, marking as manydifferent directions, each deviating by one degree of arc from thenext. This mirror was to receive through the lens in the roof theimage of the star towards which I was steering. While this remainedstationary in the centre all was well. When it moved along any one ofthe lines, the vessel was obviously deviating from her course in theopposite direction; and, to recover the right course, the repellentforce must be caused to drive her in the direction in which the imagehad moved. To accomplish this, a helm was attached to the lowerdivision of the main conductor, by which the latter could be made tomove at will in any direction within the limit of its rotation. Controlling this helm was, in the open or steering circle on the righthand, a small knob to be moved exactly parallel to the deviation ofthe star in the mirror of the metacompass. The left-hand circle, ordiscometer, was divided by nineteen hundred and twenty concentriccircles, equidistant from each other. The outermost, about twice asfar from the centre as from the external edge of the mirror, wasexactly equal to the Sun's circumference when presenting the largestdisc he ever shows to an observer on Earth. Each inner circlecorresponded to a diameter reduced by one second. By means of avernier or eye-piece, the diameter of the Sun could be read off thediscometer, and from his diameter my distance could be accuratelycalculated. On the further side of the machinery was a chamber for thedecomposition of the carbonic acid, through which the air was drivenby a fan. This fan itself was worked by a horizontal wheel with twoprojecting squares of antapergic metal, against each of which, as itreached a certain point, a very small stream of repulsive force wasdirected from the apergion, keeping the wheel in constant and rapidmotion. I had, of course, supplied myself with an ample store ofcompressed vegetables, preserved meats, milk, tea, coffee, &c. , and asupply of water sufficient to last for double the period which thevoyage was expected to occupy; also a well-furnished tool-chest (withwires, tubes, &c. ). One of the lower windows was made just largeenough to admit my person, and after entering I had to close it andfix it in its place firmly with cement, which, when I wished to quitthe vessel, would have again to be removed. 

Of course some months were occupied in the manufacture of thedifferent portions of the vessel and her machinery, and sometime morein their combination; so that when, at the end of July, I was ready tostart, the opposition was rapidly approaching. In the course of somefifty days the Earth, moving in her orbit at a rate of about elevenhundred miles [4] per minute, would overtake Mars; that is to say, would pass between him and the Sun. In starting from the Earth Ishould share this motion; I too should go eleven hundred miles aminute in the same direction; but as I should travel along an orbitconstantly widening, the Earth would leave me behind. The apergy hadto make up for this, as well as to carry me some forty millions ofmiles in a direction at right angles to the former--right outwardtowards the orbit of Mars. Again, I should share the motion of thatparticular spot of the Earth's surface from which I rose around heraxis, a motion varying with the latitude, greatest at the equator, nothing at the pole. This would whirl me round and round the Earth atthe rate of a thousand miles an hour; of this I must, of course, getrid as soon as possible. And when I should be rid of it, I meant tostart at first right upward; that is, straight away from the Sun andin the plane of the ecliptic, which is not very different from that inwhich Mars also moves. Therefore I should begin my effective ascentfrom a point of the Earth as far as possible from the Sun; that is, onthe midnight meridian. 

For the same reason which led me to start so long before the date ofthe opposition, I resolved, having regard to the action of the Earth'srotation on her axis, to start some hours before midnight. Takingleave, then, of the two friends who had thus far assisted me, Ientered the Astronaut on the 1st August, about 4. 30 P. M. After sealingup the entrance-window, and ascertaining carefully that everything wasin order--a task which occupied me about an hour--I set the generatorto work; and when I had ascertained that the apergion was full, andthat the force was supplied at the required rate, I directed the wholeat first into the main conductor. After doing this I turned towardsthe lower window on the west--or, as it was then, the right-handside--and was in time to catch sight of the trees on the hills, somehalf mile off and about two hundred feet above the level of mystarting-point. I should have said that I had considerably compressedmy atmosphere and increased the proportion of oxygen by about ten percent. , and also carried with me the means of reproducing the wholeamount of the latter in case of need. Among my instruments was apressure-gauge, so minutely divided that, with a movable vernier ofthe same power as the fixed ones employed to read the glass circles, Icould discover the slightest escape of air in a very few seconds. Thepressure-gauge, however, remained immovable. Going close to the windowand looking out, I saw the Earth falling from me so fast that, withinfive minutes after my departure, objects like trees and even houseshad become almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. I had halfexpected to hear the whistling of the air as the vessel rushed upward, but nothing of the kind was perceptible through her dense walls. Itwas strange to observe the rapid rise of the sun from the westward. Still more remarkable, on turning to the upper window, was the rapidlyblackening aspect of the sky. Suddenly everything disappeared except abrilliant rainbow at some little distance--or perhaps I should ratherhave said a halo of more than ordinary rainbow brilliancy, since itoccupied, not like the rainbows seen from below, something less thanhalf, but nearly two-thirds of a circle. I was, of course, aware thatI was passing through a cloud, and one of very unusual thickness. In afew seconds, however, I was looking down upon its upper surface, reflecting from a thousand broken masses of vapour at differentlevels, from cavities and hillocks of mist, the light of the sun;white beams mixed with innumerable rays of all colours in a confusion, of indescribable brilliancy. I presume that the total obscuration ofeverything outside the cloud during my passage through it was due toits extent and not to its density, since at that height it could nothave been otherwise than exceedingly light and diffuse. Looking upwardthrough the eastern window, I could now discern a number of brighterstars, and at nearly every moment fresh ones came into view on aconstantly darkening background. Looking downward to the west, wherealone the entire landscape lay in daylight, I presently discerned theoutline of shore and sea extending over a semicircle whose radius muchexceeded five hundred miles, implying that I was about thirty-fivemiles from the sea-level. Even at this height the extent of my surveywas so great in comparison to my elevation, that a line drawn from thevessel to the horizon was, though very roughly, almost parallel to thesurface; and the horizon therefore seemed to be not very far from myown level, while the point below me, of course, appeared at a vastdistance. The appearance of the surface, therefore, was as if thehorizon had been, say, some thirty miles higher than the centre of thesemicircle bounding my view, and the area included in my prospect hadthe form of a saucer or shallow bowl. But since the diameter of thevisible surface increases only as the square root of the height, thisappearance became less and less perceptible as I rose higher. It hadtaken me twenty minutes to attain the elevation of thirty-five miles;but my speed was, of course, constantly increasing, very much as thespeed of an object falling to the Earth from a great height increases;and before ten more minutes had elapsed, I found myself surrounded bya blackness nearly absolute, except in the direction of theSun, --which was still well above the sea--and immediately round theterrestrial horizon, on which rested a ring of sunlit azure sky, broken here and there by clouds. In every other direction I seemed tobe looking not merely upon a black or almost black sky, but into closesurrounding darkness. Amid this darkness, however, were visibleinnumerable points of light, more or less brilliant--the stars--whichno longer seemed to be spangled over the surface of a distant vault, but rather scattered immediately about me, nearer or farther to theinstinctive apprehension of the eye as they were brighter or fainter. Scintillation there was none, except in the immediate vicinity of theeastern horizon, where I still saw them through a dense atmosphere. Inshort, before thirty minutes had elapsed since the start, I wassatisfied that I had passed entirely out of the atmosphere, and hadentered into the vacancy of space--if such a thing as vacant spacethere be. 

At this point I had to cut off the greater part of the apergy andcheck my speed, for reasons that will be presently apparent. I hadstarted in daylight in order that during the first hundred miles of myascent I might have a clear view of the Earth's surface. Not only didI wish to enjoy the spectacle, but as I had to direct my course byterrestrial landmarks, it was necessary that I should be able to seethese so as to determine the rate and direction of the Astronaut'smotion, and discern the first symptoms of any possible danger. Butobviously, since my course lay generally in the plane of the ecliptic, and for the present at least nearly in the line joining the centres ofthe Earth and Sun, it was desirable that my real journey into spaceshould commence in the plane of the midnight meridian; that is, fromabove the part of the Earth's surface immediately opposite the Sun. Ihad to reach this line, and having reached it, to remain for some timeabove it. To do both, I must attain it, if possible, at the samemoment at which I secured a westward impulse just sufficient tocounterbalance the eastward impulse derived from the rotation of theEarth;--that is, in the latitude from which I started, a thousandmiles an hour. I had calculated that while directing through the mainbar a current of apergy sufficient to keep the Astronaut at a fixedelevation, I could easily spare for the eastward conductor sufficientforce to create in the space of one hour the impulse required, butthat in the course of that hour the gradually increasing apergic forcewould drive me 500 miles westward. Now in six hours the Earth'srotation would carry an object close to its surface through an angleof 90°; that is, from the sunset to the midnight meridian. But thegreater the elevation of the object the wider its orbit round theEarth's centre, and the longer each degree; so that moving eastwardonly a thousand miles an hour, I should constantly lag behind a pointon the Earth's surface, and should not reach the midnight meridiantill somewhat later. I had, moreover, to lose 500 miles of theeastward drift during the last hour in which I should be subject toit, through the action of the apergic force above-mentioned. Now, anelevation of 330 miles would give the Astronaut an orbit on which 90°would represent 6500 miles. In seven hours I should be carried alongthat orbit 7000 miles eastward by the impulse my Astronaut hadreceived from the Earth, and driven back 500 miles by the apergy; sothat at 1 A. M. By my chronometer I should be exactly in the plane ofthe midnight meridian, or 6500 miles east of my starting-point inspace, provided that I put the eastward apergic current in actionexactly at 12 P. M. By the chronometer. At 1 A. M. Also I should havegenerated a westward impulse of 1000 miles an hour. This, oncecreated, would continue to exist though the force that created it werecut off, and would exactly counterbalance the opposite rotationimpulse derived from the Earth; so that thenceforward I should beentirely free from the influence of the latter, though still sharingthat motion of the Earth through space at the rate of nearly nineteenmiles per second, which would carry me towards the line joining at themoment of opposition her centre with that of Mars. 

All went as I had calculated. I contrived to arrest the Astronaut'smotion at the required elevation just about the moment of sunset onthe region of the Earth immediately underneath. At 12 P. M. , or 24h bythe chronometer, I directed a current of the requisite strength intothe eastward conductor, which I had previously pointed to the Earth'ssurface, but a little short of the extreme terrestrial horizon, as Icalculated it. At 1 A. M. I found myself, judging by the stars, exactlywhere I wished to be, and nearly stationary as regarded the Earth. Iinstantly arrested the eastward current, detaching that conductor fromthe apergion; and, directing the whole force of the current into thedownward conductor, I had the pleasure of seeing that, after a verylittle adjustment of the helm, the stars remained stationary in themirror of the metacompass, showing that I had escaped from theinfluence of the Earth's rotation. It was of course impossible tomeasure the distance traversed during the invisibility of the Earth, but I reckoned that I had made above 500 miles between 1h. And 2h. A. M. , and that at 4h. I was not less than 4800 miles from the surface. With this inference the indication of my barycrite substantiallyagreed. The latter instrument consisted of a spring whose deflectionby a given weight upon the equator had been very carefully tested. Gravity diminishing as the square of the distance from the centre, itwas obvious that at about 8000 miles--or 4000 above the Earth'ssurface--this spring would be deflected only one quarter as much by agiven weight as on Earth: at 16, 000 miles from the surface, or 20, 000from the centre, one-twenty-fifth as much, and so on. I had graduatedthe scale accordingly, and it indicated at present a distance somewhatless than 9000 miles from the centre. Having adjusted the helm and setthe alarum to wake me in six hours, I lay down upon my bed. 

The anxiety and peril of my position had disturbed me very littlewhilst I was actively engaged either in steering and manipulating mymachinery, or in looking upon the marvellous and novel spectaclespresented to my eyes; but it now oppressed me in my sleep, and causedme frequently to wake from dreams of a hideous character. Two or threetimes, on such awaking, I went to examine the metacompass, and on oneoccasion found it necessary slightly to readjust the helm; the starsby which I steered having moved some second or two to the right oftheir proper position. 

On rising, I completed the circuit which filled my vessel withbrilliant light emitted from an electric lamp at the upper part of thestern, and reflected by the polished metallic walls. I then proceededto get my breakfast, for which, as I had tasted nothing since somehours before the start, I had a hearty appetite. I had anticipatedsome trouble from the diminished action of gravity, doubting whetherthe boiling-point at this immense height above the Earth might not beaffected; but I found that this depends upon the pressure of theatmosphere alone, and that this pressure was in nowise affected by theabsence of gravity. My atmosphere being somewhat denser than that ofthe Earth, the boiling-point was not 100°, but 101° Cent. Thetemperature of the interior of the vessel, taken at a pointequidistant from the stove and from the walls, was about 5° C. ;unpleasantly cool, but still, with the help of a greatcoat, notinconveniently so. I found it absolutely impossible to measure bymeans of the thermometers I had placed outside the windows the cold ofspace; but that it falls far short of the extreme supposed by somewriters, I confidently believe. It is, however, cold enough to freezemercury, and to reduce every other substance employed as a test ofatmospheric or laboratory temperatures to a solidity which admits ofno further contraction. I had filled one outside thermometer withspirit, but this was broken before I looked at it; and in another, whose bulb unfortunately was blackened, and which was filled withcarbonic acid gas, an apparent vacuum had been created. Was it thatthe gas had been frozen, and had sunk into the lower part of the bulb, where it would, of course, be invisible? When I had completed my mealand smoked the very small cigar which alone a prudent considerationfor the state of the atmosphere would allow me, the chronometer showed10 A. M. It was not surprising that by this time weight had becomealmost non-existent. My twelve stone had dwindled to the weight of asmall fowl, and hooking my little finger into the loop of a stringhung from a peg fixed near the top of the stern wall, I found myselfable thus to support my weight without any sense of fatigue for aquarter of an hour or more; in fact, I felt during that timeabsolutely no sense of muscular weariness. This state of thingsentailed only one inconvenience. Nothing had any stability; so thatthe slightest push or jerk would upset everything that was not fixed. However, I had so far anticipated this that nothing of any materialconsequence was unfixed, and except that a touch with my spoon upsetthe egg-cup and egg on which I was about to breakfast, and that this, falling against a breakfast cup full of coffee, overturned that, I wasnot incommoded. I managed to save the greater part of the beverage, since, the atmospheric pressure being the same though the weight wasso changed, lead, and still more china or liquid, fell in theAstronaut as slowly as feathers in the immediate vicinity of theEarth. Still it was a novel experience to find myself able to lean inany direction, and rest in almost any posture, with but the slightestsupport for the body's centre of gravity; and further to find onexperiment that it was possible to remain for a couple of hours withmy heels above my head, in the favourite position of a Yankee's lowerlimbs, without any perceptible congestion of blood or confusion ofbrain. 

I was occupied all day with abstract calculations; and knowing thatfor some time I could see nothing of the Earth--her dark side beingopposite me and wholly obscuring the Sun, while I was as yet far fromhaving entered within the sphere where any novel celestial phenomenamight be expected--I only gave an occasional glance at the discometerand metacompass, suppressing of course the electric glare within myvessel, till I awoke from a short siesta about 19h. (7 P. M. ) The Earthat this time occupied on the sphere of view a space--defined at firstonly by the absence of stars--about thirty times greater than the discof the Moon as seen through a tube; but, being dark, scarcely seemedlarger to the eye than the full Moon when on the horizon. But a newmethod of defining its disc was presently afforded me. I was, in fact, when looking through the lower window, in the same position as regardsthe Earth as would be an inhabitant of the lunar hemisphere turnedtowards her, having no external atmosphere interposed between us, butbeing at about two-thirds of the lunar distance. And as, during aneclipse, the Lunarian would see round the Earth a halo created by therefraction of the Sun's rays in the terrestrial atmosphere--a halobright enough on most occasions so to illuminate the Moon as to renderher visible to us--so to my eyes the Earth was surrounded by a halosomewhat resembling the solar corona as seen in eclipses, if notnearly so brilliant, but, unlike the solar corona, coloured, with apreponderance of red so decided as fully to account for the peculiarhue of the eclipsed Moon. To paint this, unless means of paintinglight--the one great deficiency which is still the opprobrium of humanart--were discovered, would task to the uttermost the powers of theablest artist, and at best he could give but a very imperfect notionof it. To describe it so that its beauty, brilliancy, and wondrousnature shall be in the slightest degree appreciated by my readerswould require a command of words such as no poet since Homer--nay, notHomer himself--possessed. What was strange, and can perhaps berendered intelligible, was the variation, or, to use a phrase moresuggestive and more natural, if not more accurate, the extrememobility of the hues of this earthly corona. There were none of theefflorescences, if one may so term them, which are so generallyvisible at four cardinal points of its solar prototype. The outerportion of the band faded very rapidly into the darkness of space; butthe edge, though absolutely undefined, was perfectly even. But on thegenerally rainbow-tinted ground suffused with red--which perhaps mightbest be described by calling it a rainbow seen on a background ofbrilliant crimson--there were here and there blotches of black or oflighter or darker grey, caused apparently by vast expanses of cloud, more or less dense. Round the edges of each of these were littleirregular rainbow-coloured halos of their own interrupting andvariegating the continuous bands of the corona; while throughout allwas discernible a perpetual variability, like the flashing or shootingof colour in the opal, the mother-of-pearl, or similarly tintedtranslucent substances when exposed to the irregular play of brightlight--only that in this case the tints were incomparably morebrilliant, the change more striking, if not more rapid. I could notsay that at any particular moment any point or part of the surfacepresented this or that definite hue; and yet the general character ofthe rainbow, suffused with or backed by crimson, was constant andunmistakable. The light sent through the window was too dim and tooimperfectly diffused within my vessel to be serviceable, but for sometime I put out the electric lamp in order that its diffused lightshould not impair my view of this exquisite spectacle. As thrown, after several reflections, upon the mirror destined afterwards tomeasure the image of the solar disc, the apparition of the halo was ofcourse much less bright, and its outer boundary ill defined foraccurate measurement. The inner edge, where the light was bounded bythe black disc of the Earth, shaded off much more quickly from darkreddish purple into absolute blackness. 

And now a surprise, the first I had encountered, awaited me. Iregistered the gravity as shown by the barycrite; and, extinguishingthe electric lamp, measured repeatedly the semi-diameter of the Earthand of the halo around her upon the discometer, the inner edge of thelatter affording the measurement of the black disc, which of itself, of course, cast no reflection. I saw at once that there was a signaldifference in the two indications, and proceeded carefully to revisethe earth-measurements. On the average of thirteen measures the halowas about 87", or nearly 1-1/2' in breadth, the disc, allowing for thetwilight round its edge or limb, about 2° 50'. If the refractingatmosphere were some 65 miles in depth, these proportions werecorrect. Relighting the lamp, I worked out severally on paper theresults indicated by the two instruments. The discometer gave adistance, roughly speaking, of 40 terrestrial radii, or 160, 000 miles. The barycrite should have shown a gravity, due to the Earth'sattraction, not 40 but 1600 times less than that prevailing on theEarth's surface; or, to put it in a less accurate form, a weight of100 lbs. Should have weighed an ounce. It did weigh two ounces, thegravity being not one 1600th but one 800th of terrestrial gravity, orjust double what, I expected. I puzzled myself over this matterlonger, probably, than the intelligent reader will do: the explanationbeing obvious, like that of many puzzles that bewilder our mindsintensely, only to humiliate us proportionately when the solution isfound--a solution as simple as that of Columbus's egg-riddle. Atlength, finding that the lunar angle--the apparent position of theMoon--confirmed the reading of the discometer, giving the same apogaicdistance or elevation, I supposed that the barycrite must be out oforder or subject to some unsuspected law of which future observationsmight afford evidence and explanation, and turned to other subjects ofinterest. 

Looking through the upper window on the left, I was struck by therapid enlargement of a star which, when I first noticed it, might beof the third magnitude, but which in less than a minute attained thefirst, and in a minute more was as large as the planet Jupiter whenseen with a magnifying power of one hundred diameters. 

Its disc, however, had no continuous outline; and as it approached Iperceived that it was an irregular mass of whose size I could form noteven a conjectural estimate, since its distance must be absolutelyuncertain. Its brilliancy grew fainter in proportion to theenlargement as it approached, proving that its light was reflected;and as it passed me, apparently in the direction of the earth, I had asufficiently distinct view of it to know that it was a mainly metallicmass, certainly of some size, perhaps four, perhaps twenty feet indiameter, and apparently composed chiefly of iron; showing a more orless blistered surface, but with angles sharper and faces moreregularly defined than most of those which have been found upon theearth's surface--as if the shape of the latter might be due in part tothe conflagration they undergo in passing at such tremendous speedthrough the atmosphere, or, in an opposite sense, to the fracturescaused by the shock of their falling. Though I made no attempt tocount the innumerable stars in the midst of which I appeared to float, I was convinced that their number was infinitely greater than thatvisible to the naked eye on the brightest night. I remembered howgreatly the inexperienced eye exaggerates the number of stars visiblefrom the Earth, since poets, and even olden observers, liken theirnumber to that of the sands on the seashore; whereas the patient workof map and catalogue makers has shown that there are but a fewthousands visible in the whole heavens to the keenest unaided sight. Isuppose that I saw a hundred times that number. In one word, thesphere of darkness in which I floated seemed to be filled with pointsof light, while the absolute blackness that surrounded them, theabsence of the slightest radiation, or illumination of space at large, was strange beyond expression to an eye accustomed to that diffusionof light which is produced by the atmosphere. I may mention here thatthe recognition of the constellations was at first exceedinglydifficult. On Earth we see so few stars in any given portion of theheavens, that one recognises without an effort the figure marked outby a small number of the brightest amongst them; while in my positionthe multitude was so great that only patient and repeated effortenabled me to separate from the rest those peculiarly brilliantluminaries by which we are accustomed to define such constellations asOrion or the Bear, to say nothing of those minor or more arbitrarilydrawn figures which contain few stars of the second magnitude. The eyehad no instinctive sense of distance; any star might have been withina stone's throw. I need hardly observe that, while on one hand themotion of the vessel was absolutely imperceptible, there was, on theother, no change of position among the stars which could enable me toverify the fact that I was moving, much less suggest it to the senses. The direction of every recognisable star was the same as on Earth, asit appears the same from the two extremities of the Earth's orbit, 19millions of miles apart. Looking from any one window, I could see nogreater space of the heavens than in looking through a similaraperture on Earth. What was novel and interesting in my stellarprospect was, not merely that I could see those stars north and southwhich are never visible from the same point on Earth, except in theimmediate neighbourhood of the Equator; but that, save on the smallspace concealed by the Earth's disc, I could, by moving from window towindow, survey the entire heavens, looking at one minute upon thestars surrounding the vernal, and at another, by changing my position, upon those in the neighbourhood of the autumnal equinox. By littlemore than a turn of my head I could see in one direction Polaris(_alpha_ Ursæ Minoris) with the Great Bear, and in another theSouthern Cross, the Ship, and the Centaur. 

About 23h. 30m. , near the close of the first day, I again inspectedthe barycrite. It showed 1/1100 of terrestrial gravity, an incrediblysmall change from the 1/800 recorded at 19h. , since it implied aprogress proportionate only to the square root of the difference. Theobservation indicated, if the instrument could be trusted, an advanceof only 18, 000 miles. It was impossible that the Astronaut had not bythis time attained a very much greater speed than 4000 miles an hour, and a greater distance from the Earth than 33 terrestrial radii, or132, 000 miles. Moreover, the barycrite itself had given at 19h. Adistance of 28-1/2 radii, and a speed far greater than that which uponits showing had since been maintained. Extinguishing the lamp, I foundthat the Earth's diameter on the discometer measured 2° 3' 52" (?). This represented a gain of some 90, 000 miles; much more approximate tothat which, judging by calculation, I ought to have accomplishedduring the last four hours and a half, if my speed approached to thatI had estimated. I inspected the cratometer, which indicated a forceas great as that with which I had started, --a force which should bythis time have given me a speed of at least 22, 000 miles an hour. Atlast the solution of the problem flashed upon me, suggested by thevery extravagance of the contradictions. Not only did the barycritecontradict the discometer and the reckoning but it contradicteditself; since it was impossible that under one continuous impulsationI should have traversed 28-1/2 radii of the Earth in the firsteighteen hours and no more than 4-1/2 in the next four and a halfhours. In truth, the barycrite was effected by two separateattractions, --that of the Earth and that of the Sun, as yet operatingalmost exactly in the same direction. At first the attraction of theformer was so great that that of the Sun was no more perceived thanupon the Earth's surface. But as I rose, and the Earth's attractiondiminished in proportion to the square of the distance from hercentre--which was doubled at 8000 miles, quadrupled at 16, 000, and soon--the Sun's attraction, which was not perceptibly affected bydifferences so small in proportion to his vast distance of 95, 000, 000miles, became a more and more important element in the total gravity. If, as I calculated, I had by 19h. Attained a distance from the earthof 160, 000 miles, the attractions of Earth and Sun were by that timepretty nearly equal; and hence the phenomenon which had so puzzled me, that the gravitation, as indicated by the barycrite, was exactlydouble that which, bearing in mind the Earth's attraction alone, I hadcalculated. From this point forward the Sun's attraction was thefactor which mainly caused such weight as still existed; a change ofposition which, doubling my distance from the Earth, reduced herinfluence to one-fourth, not perceptibly affecting that of a body fourhundred times more remote. A short calculation showed that, this factborne in mind, the indication of the barycrite substantially agreedwith that of the discometer, and that I was in fact very nearly whereI supposed, that is, a little farther than the Moon's farthestdistance from the Earth. It did not follow that I had crossed theorbit of the Moon; and if I had, she was at that time too far off toexercise a serious influence on my course. I adjusted the helm andbetook myself to rest, the second day of my journey having alreadycommenced. 

CHAPTER III - THE UNTRAVELLED DEEP. 

Rising at 5h. , I observed a drooping in the leaves of my garden, andespecially of the larger shrubs and plants, for which I was not whollyunprepared, but which might entail some inconvenience if, failingaltogether, they should cease to absorb the gases generated fromburied waste, to consume which they had been planted. Besides this, Ishould, of course, lose the opportunity of transplanting them to Mars, though I had more hope of acclimatising seedlings raised from the seedI carried with me than plants which had actually begun their life onthe surface of the Earth. The failure I ascribed naturally to theknown connection between the action of gravity and the circulation ofthe sap; though, as I had experienced no analogous inconvenience in myown person, I had hoped that this would not seriously affectvegetation. I was afraid to try the effect of more liberal watering, the more so that already the congelation of moisture upon the glassesfrom the internal air, dry as the latter had been kept, was a sensibleannoyance--an annoyance which would have become an insuperable troublehad I not taken so much pains, by directing the thermic currents uponthe walls, to keep the internal temperature, in so far as comfortwould permit--it had now fallen to 4° C. --as near as possible to thatof the inner surface of the walls and windows. A careful use of thethermometer indicated that the metallic surface of the former was nownearly zero C. , or 32° F. The inner surface of the windows was somewhatcolder, showing that the crystal was more pervious to heat than thewalls, with their greater thickness, their outer and inner lining ofmetal, and massive interior of concrete. I directed a current from thethermogene upon either division of the garden, hoping thus to protectthe plants from whatever injury they might receive from the cold. Somewhat later, perceiving that the drooping still continued, Iresolved upon another experiment, and arranging an apparatus of copperwire beneath the soil, so as to bring the extremities in immediatecontact with their roots, I directed through these wires a prolongedfeeble current of electricity; by which, as I had hoped rather thanexpected, the plants were after a time materially benefited, and towhich I believe I owed it that they had not all perished long beforethe termination of my voyage. 

It would be mere waste of space and time were I to attempt anythinglike a journal of the weeks I spent in the solitude of this artificialplanet. As matter of course, the monotony of a voyage through space isin general greater than that of a voyage across an ocean like theAtlantic, where no islands and few ships are to be encountered. It wasnecessary to be very frequently, if not constantly, on the look-outfor possible incidents of interest in a journey so utterly novelthrough regions which the telescope can but imperfectly explore. Itwas difficult, therefore, to sit down to a book, or even to pursue anynecessary occupation unconnected with the actual conduct of thevessel, with uninterrupted attention. My eyes, the only sense organs Icould employ, were constantly on the alert; but, of course, by far thegreater portion of my time passed without a single new object oroccasion of remark. That a journey so utterly without precedent orparallel, in which so little could be anticipated or provided for, through regions absolutely untraversed and very nearly unknown, shouldbe monotonous, may seem strange. But in truth the novelties of thesituation, such as they were, though intensely striking andinteresting, were each in turn speedily examined, realised, and, so tospeak, exhausted; and this once done, there was no greater occupationto the mind in the continuance of strange than in that of familiarscenery. The infinitude of surrounding blackness, filled as it werewith points of light more or less brilliant, when once its effects hadbeen scrutinised, and when nothing more remained to be noted, affordedcertainly a more agreeable, but scarcely a more interesting orabsorbing, outlook than the dead grey circle of sea, the dead greyhemisphere of cloud, which form the prospect from the deck of a packetin mid-Atlantic; while of change without or incident in the vesselherself there was, of course, infinitely less than is afforded in anocean voyage by the variations of weather, not to mention the solaceof human society. Everything around me, except in the one direction inwhich the Earth's disc still obscured the Sun, remained unchanged forhours and days; and the management of my machinery required no morethan an occasional observation of my instruments and a change in theposition of the helm, which occupied but a few minutes some half-dozentimes in the twenty-four hours. There was not even the change of nightand day, of sun and stars, of cloud or clear sky. Were I to describethe manner in which each day's leisure was spent, I should bore myreaders even more than--they will perhaps be surprised by theconfession--I was bored myself. 

My sleep was of necessity more or less broken. I wished to have eighthours of rest, since, though seven of continuous sleep might well havesufficed me, even if my brain had been less quiet and unexcited duringthe rest of the twenty-four, it was impossible for me to enjoy thatterm of unbroken slumber. I therefore decided to divide my sleep intotwo portions of rather more than four hours each, to be taken as arule after noon and after midnight; or rather, since noon and midnighthad no meaning for me, from 12h. To 16h. And from 24h. To 4. H. But ofcourse sleep and everything else, except the necessary management ofthe machine, must give way to the chances of observation; it would bebetter to remain awake for forty-eight hours at a stretch than to missany important phenomenon the period of whose occurrence could be evenremotely calculated. 

At 8h. , I employed for the first time the apparatus which I may callmy window telescope, to observe, from a position free from thedifficulties inflicted on terrestrial astronomers by the atmosphere, all the celestial objects within my survey. As I had anticipated, theabsence of atmospheric disturbance and diffusion of light was ofextreme advantage. In the first place, I ascertained by the barycriteand the discometer my distance from the Earth, which appeared to beabout 120 terrestrial radii. The light of the halo was of course verymuch narrower than when I first observed it, and its scintillations orcoruscations no longer distinctly visible. The Moon presented anexquisitely fine thread of light, but no new object of interest on thevery small portion of her daylight hemisphere turned towards me. Marswas somewhat difficult to observe, being too near what may be calledmy zenith. But the markings were far more distinct than they appear, with greater magnifying powers than I employed, upon the Earth. Intruth, I should say that the various disadvantages due to theatmosphere deprive the astronomer of at least one-half of theavailable light-collecting power of his telescope, and consequently ofthe defining power of the eye-piece; that with a 200 glass he seesless than a power of 100 reveals to an eye situated in space; though, from the nature of the lens through which I looked, I cannot speakwith certainty upon this point. With a magnifying power of 300 thepolar spots of Mars were distinctly visible and perfectly defined. They were, I thought, less white than they appeared from the Earth, but their colour was notably different from that of the planet'sgeneral surface, differing almost as widely from the orange hue ofwhat I supposed to be land as from the greyish blue of the water. Theorange was, I thought, deeper than it appears through a telescope ofsimilar power on Earth. The seas were distinctly grey rather thanblue, especially when, by covering the greater part of the field, Icontrived for a moment to observe a sea alone, thus eliminating theeffect of contrast. The bands of Jupiter in their turn were morenotably distinct; their variety of colour as well as the contrast oflight and shade much more definite, and their irregularities moreunmistakable. A satellite was approaching the disc, and this affordedme an opportunity of realising with especial clearness the differencebetween observation through seventy or a hundred miles of terrestrialatmosphere outside the object glass and observation in space. The twodiscs were perfectly rounded and separately discernible until theytouched. Moreover, I was able to distinguish upon one of the darkerbands the disc of the satellite itself, while upon a lighter band itsround black shadow was at the same time perfectly defined. Thiswonderfully clear presentation of one of the most interesting ofastronomical phenomena so absorbed my attention that I watched thesatellite and shadow during their whole course, though the former, passing after a time on to a light band, became comparativelyindistinct. The moment, however, that the outer edge passed off thedisc of Jupiter, its outline became perfectly visible against theblack background of sky. What was still more novel was the occultationfor some little time of a star, apparently of the tenth magnitude, notby the planet but by the satellite, almost immediately after it passedoff the disc of the former. Whether the star actually disappeared atonce, as if instantaneously extinguished, or whether, as I thought atthe moment, it remained for some tenth of a second partially visible, as if refracted by an atmosphere belonging to the satellite, I willnot venture to say. The bands and rings of Saturn, the divisionbetween the two latter, and the seven satellites, were also perfectlyvisible, with a distinctness that a much greater magnifying powerwould hardly have attained under terrestrial conditions. I wasperplexed by two peculiarities, not, so far as I know, hitherto [5]mentioned by astronomers. The circumference did not appear to presentan even curvature. 

I mean that, apart from the polar compression, the shape seemed as ifthe spheroid were irregularly squeezed; so that though not broken byprojection or indentation, the limb did not present the regularquasi-circular curvature exhibited in the focus of our telescopes. Also, between the inner ring and the planet, with a power of 500, Idiscerned what appeared to be a dark purplish ring, semi-transparent, so that through it the bright surface of Saturn might be discerned asthrough a veil. Mercury shone brightly several degrees outside thehalo surrounding the Earth's black disc; and Venus was also visible;but in neither case did my observations allow me to ascertain anythingthat has not been already noted by astronomers. The dim form of Uranuswas better defined than I had previously seen it, but no marking ofany kind was perceptible. 

Rising from my second, or, so to speak, midday rest, and having busiedmyself for some little time with what I may call my household andgarden duties, I observed the discometer at 1h. (or 5 P. M. ). Itindicated about two hundred terrestrial radii of elevation. I had, ofcourse, from the first been falling slightly behind the Earth in herorbital motion, and was no longer exactly in opposition; that is tosay, a line drawn from the Astronaut to the Earth's centre was nolonger a prolongation of that joining the centres of the Earth andSun. The effect of this divergence was now perceptible. The earthlycorona was unequal in width, and to the westward was very distinctlybrightened, while on the other side it was narrow and comparativelyfaint. While watching this phenomenon through the lower lens, Ithought that I could perceive behind or through the widest portion ofthe halo a white light, which at first I mistook for one of thosescintillations that had of late become scarcely discernible. But aftera time it extended visibly beyond the boundary of the halo itself, andI perceived that the edge of the Sun's disc had come at last intoview. It was but a minute and narrow crescent, but was well worthwatching. The brightening and broadening of the halo at this point Iperceived to be due, not to the Sun's effect upon the atmosphere thatproduced it, but chiefly to the twilight now brightening on that limbof the Earth's disc; or rather to the fact that a small portion ofthat part of the Earth's surface, where, if the Sun were not visible, he was but a very little below the horizon, had been turned towardsme. I saw through the telescope first a tiny solar crescent of intensebrightness, then the halo proper, now exceedingly narrow, and thenwhat looked like a silver terrestrial crescent, but a mere thread, finer and shorter than any that the Moon ever displays even totelescopic observers on Earth; since, when such a minute portion ofher illuminated surface is turned towards the Earth, it is utterlyextinguished to our eyes by the immediate vicinity of the Sun, as wassoon the case with the terrestrial crescent in question. I watchedlong and with intense interest the gradual change, but I was calledaway from it by a consideration of no little practical moment. I mustnow be moving at a rate of nearly, if not quite, 40, 000 miles an hour, or about a million miles per diem. It was not my intention, forreasons I shall presently explain, ever greatly to exceed this rate;and if I meant to limit myself to a fixed rate of speed, it was timeto diminish the force of the apergic current, as otherwise before itsreduction could take effect I should have attained an impulse greaterthan I desired, and which could not be conveniently or easilydiminished when once reached. Quitting, therefore, though reluctantly, my observation of the phenomena below me, I turned to the apergion, and was occupied for some two or three hours in gradually reducing theforce as measured by the cratometer attached to the downwardconductor, and measuring with extreme care the very minute effectproduced upon the barycrite and the discometer. Even the differencebetween 200 and 201 radii of elevation or apogaic distance was noteasily perceptible on either. It took, of course, much more minuteobservation and a much longer time to test the effect produced by theregulation of the movement, since whether I traveller forty, forty-five, or forty-two thousand miles in the course of one hour madescarcely any difference in the diameter of the Earth's disc, stillless, for reasons above given, in the gravity. By midnight, however, Iwas satisfied that I had not attained quite 1, 000, 000 miles, or 275terrestrial radii; also that my speed was not greater than 45, 000miles (11-1\4 radii) per hour, and was not, I thought, increasing. Ofthis last point, however, I could better satisfy myself at the end ofmy four hours' rest, to which I now betook myself. 

I woke about 4h. 30m. , and on a scrutiny of the instruments, feltsatisfied that I was not far out in my calculations. A later hour, however, would afford a more absolute certainty. I was about to turnagain to the interesting work of observation through the lens in thefloor, when my attention was diverted by the sight of something like awhitish cloud visible through the upper window on my left hand. Examined by the telescope, its widest diameter might be at most tendegrees. It was faintly luminous, presenting an appearance veryclosely resembling that of a star cluster or nebula just beyond thepower of resolution. As in many nebulae, there was a visibleconcentration in one part; but this did not occupy the centre, but aposition more resembling that of the nucleus of a small taillesscomet. The cloudlet might be a distant comet, it might be a lessdistant body of meteors clustering densely in some particular part oftheir orbit; and, unfortunately, I was not likely to solve theproblem. Gradually the nebula changed its position, but not its form, seeming to move downwards and towards the stern of my vessel, as if Iwere passing it without approaching nearer. By the time that I wassatisfied of this, hunger and even faintness warned me that I must notdelay preparing my breakfast. When I had finished this meal andfulfilled some necessary tasks, practical and arithmetical, the handof the chronometer indicated the eighth hour of my third day. I turnedagain somewhat eagerly to the discometer, which showed an apparentdistance of 360 terrestrial radii, and consequently a movement whichhad not materially varied from the rate of 11-1/4 radii per hour. Bythis time the diameter of the Earth was not larger in appearance thanabout 19', less than two-thirds that of the Sun; and she consequentlyappeared as a black disc covering somewhat more than one-third of hisentire surface, but by no means concentrical. The halo had of coursecompletely disappeared; but with the vernier it was possible todiscern a narrow band or line of hazy grey around the black limb ofthe planet. She was moving, as seen from the Astronaut, very slightlyto the north, and more decidedly, though very slowly, to the eastward;the one motion due to my deliberately chosen direction in space, theother to the fact that as my orbit enlarged I was falling, though asyet slowly, behind her. The sun now shone through, the variouswindows, and, reflected from the walls, maintained a continuousdaylight within the Astronaut, as well diffused as by the atmosphereof Earth, strangely contrasting the star-spangled darkness outside. 

At the beginning as at the end of my voyage, I steered a distinctcourse, governed by considerations quite different from those whichcontrolled the main direction of my voyage. Thus far I had simplyrisen straight from the Earth in a direction somewhat to thesouthward, but on the whole "in opposition, " or right away from theSun. So, at the conclusion of my journey, I should have to devote somedays to a gradual descent upon Mars, exactly reversing the process ofmy ascent from the Earth. But between these two periods I hadcomparatively little to do with either planet, my course beinggoverned by the Sun, and its direction and rate being uniform. Iwished to reach Mars at the moment of opposition, and during the wholeof the journey to keep the Earth between myself and the Sun, for areason which may not at first be obvious. The moment of opposition isnot necessarily that at which Mars is nearest to the Earth, but issufficiently so for practical calculation. At that moment, accordingto the received measurement of planetary distances, the two would bemore than 40 millions of miles apart. In the meantime the Earth, travelling on an interior or smaller orbit, and also at a greaterabsolute speed, was gaining on Mars. The Astronaut, moving at theEarth's rate under an impulse derived from the Earth's revolutionround the Sun (that due to her rotation on her own axis having beengot rid of, as aforesaid), traveller in an orbit constantly widening, so that, while gaining on Mars, I gained on him less than did theEarth, and was falling behind her. Had I used the apergy only to driveme directly outward from the Sun, I should move under the impulsederived from the Earth about 1, 600, 000 miles a day, or 72 millions ofmiles in forty-five days, in the direction common to the two planets. The effect of the constantly widening orbit would be much as if thewhole motion took place on one midway between those of the Earth andMars, say 120 millions of miles from the Sun. The arc described onthis orbit would be equivalent to 86 millions of miles on that ofMars. The entire arc of his orbit between the point opposite to thatoccupied by the Earth when I started and the point of opposition--theentire distance I had to gain as measured along his path--was about116 millions of miles; so that, trusting to the terrestrial impulsealone, I should be some 30 millions behindhand at the critical moment. The apergic force must make up for this loss of ground, while drivingme in a direction, so to speak, at right angles with that of theorbit, or along its radius, straight outward from the Sun, forty oddmillions of miles in the same time. If I succeeded in this, I shouldreach the orbit of Mars at the point and at the moment of opposition, and should attain Mars himself. But in this I might fail, and I shouldthen find myself under the sole influence of the Sun's attraction;able indeed to resist it, able gradually to steer in any directionaway from it, but hardly able to overtake a planet that should lie farout of my line of advance or retreat, while moving at full speed awayfrom me. In order to secure a chance of retreat, it was desirable aslong as possible to keep the Earth between the Astronaut and the Sun;while steering for that point in space where Mars would lie at themoment when, as seen from the centre of the Earth, he would be mostnearly opposite the Sun, --would cross the meridian at midnight. It wasby these considerations that the course I henceforward steered wasdetermined. By a very simple calculation, based on the familiarprinciple of the parallelogram of forces, I gave to the apergiccurrent a force and direction equivalent to a daily motion of about750, 000 miles in the orbital, and rather more than a million in theradial line. I need hardly observe that it would not be to the apergiccurrent alone, but to a combination of that current with the orbitalimpulse received at first from the Earth, that my progress and coursewould be due. The latter was the stronger influence; the former onlywas under my control, but it would suffice to determine, as I mightfrom time to time desire, the resultant of the combination. The onlyobvious risk of failure lay in the chance that, my calculationsfailing or being upset, I might reach the desired point too soon ortoo late. In either case, I should be dangerously far from Mars, beyond his orbit or within it, at the time when I should come into aline with him and the Sun; or, again, putting the same mischance inanother form, behind him or before him when I attained his orbit. ButI trusted to daily observation of his position, and verification of my"dead reckoning" thereby, to find out any such danger in time to avertit. 

The displacement of the Earth on the Sun's face proved it to benecessary that the apergic current should be directed against thelatter in order to govern my course as I desired, and to recover theground I had lost in respect to the orbital motion. I hoped for amoment that this change in the action of the force would settle aproblem we had never been able to determine. Our experiments provedthat apergy acts in a straight line when once collected in anddirected along a conductor, and does not radiate, like other forces, from a centre in all directions. It is of course this radiation--diffusing the effect of light, heat, or gravity over the surface of asphere, which surface is proportionate to the square of theradius--that causes these forces to operate with an energy inverselyproportionate, not to the distance, but to its square. We had noreason to think that apergy, exempt as it is from this law, would beat all diminished by distance; and this view the rate of accelerationas I rose from the Earth had confirmed, and my entire experience hassatisfied me that it is correct. None of our experiments, however, hadindicated, or could well indicate, at what rate this force can travelthrough space; nor had I yet obtained any light upon this point. Fromthe very first the current had been continuous, the only interruptiontaking place when I was not five hundred miles from the Earth'ssurface. Over so small a distance as that, the force would move soinstantaneously that no trace of the interruption would be perceptiblein the motion of the Astronaut. Even now the total interruption of theaction of apergy for a considerable time would not affect the rate atwhich I was already moving. It was possible, however, that if thecurrent had been hitherto wholly intercepted by the Earth, it mighttake so long a time in reaching the Sun that the interval between themovement of the helm and the response of the Astronaut's coursethereto might afford some indication of the time occupied by thecurrent in traversing the 96-1/2 millions of miles which parted mefrom the Sun. My hope, however, was wholly disappointed. I couldneither be sure that the action was instantaneous, nor that it wasotherwise. 

At the close of the third day I had gained, as was indicated by theinstruments, something more than two millions of miles in a directline from the Sun; and for the future I might, and did, reckon on asteady progress of about one and a quarter million miles daily underthe apergic force alone--a gain in a line directly outward from theSun of about one million. Henceforward I shall not record myobservations, except where they implied an unexpected or alteredresult. 

On the sixth day, I perceived another nebula, and on this occasion ina more promising direction. It appeared, from its gradual movement, tolie almost exactly in my course, so that if it were what I suspected, and were not at any great distance from me, I must pass either near orthrough it, and it would surely explain what had perplexed and baffledme in the case of the former nebula. At this distance the nature ofthe cloudlet was imperceptible to the naked eye. The window telescopewas not adjustable to an object which I could not bring convenientlywithin the field of view of the lenses. In a few hours the nebula sochanged its form and position, that, being immediately over theportion of the roof between the front or bow lens and that in thecentre of the roof, its central section was invisible; but theextremities of that part which I had seen in the first instancethrough the upper plane window of the bow were now clearly visiblefrom the upper windows of either side. What had at first been a meregreatly elongated oval, with a species of rapidly diminishing tail ateach extremity, had now become an arc spanning no inconsiderable partof the space above me, narrowing rapidly as it extended downwards andsternwards. Presently it came in view through the upper lens, but didnot obscure in the least the image of the stars which were thenvisible in the metacompass. I very soon ascertained that the cloudletconsisted, as I had supposed in the former case, of a multitude ofpoints of light less brilliant than the stars, the distance betweenwhich became constantly wider, but which for some time were separatelyso small as to present no disc that any magnifying power at my commandcould render measurable. In the meantime, the extremities visiblethrough the other windows were constantly widening out till lost inthe spangled darkness. By and by, it became impossible with the nakedeye to distinguish the individual points from the smaller stars; andshortly after this the nearest began to present discs of appreciablesize but somewhat irregular shape. I had now no doubt that I was aboutto pass through one of those meteoric rings which our most advancedastronomers believe to exist in immense numbers throughout space, andto the Earth's contact with or approach to which they ascribe theshowers of falling, stars visible in August and November. Ere long, one after another of these bodies passed rapidly before my sight, atdistances varying probably from five yards to five thousand miles. Where to test the distance was impossible, anything like accuratemeasurement was equally out of the question; but my opinion is, thatthe diameters of the nearest ranged from ten inches to two hundredfeet. One only passed so near that its absolute size could be judgedby the marks upon its face. This was a rock-like mass, presenting atmany places on the surface distinct traces of metallic veins orblotches, rudely ovoid in form, but with a number of broken surfaces, one or two of which reflected the light much more brilliantly thanothers. The weight of this one meteoroid was too insignificant ascompared with that of the Astronaut seriously to disturb my course. Fortunately for me, I passed so nearly through the centre of theaggregation that its attraction as a whole was nearly inoperative. Sofar as I could judge, the meteors in that part of the ring throughwhich I passed were pretty evenly distributed; and as from theappearance of the first which passed my window to the disappearance ofthe last four hours elapsed, I conceived that the diameter of thecongeries, measured in the direction of my path, which seemed to benearly in the diameter of their orbit, was about 180, 000 miles, andprobably the perpendicular depth was about the same. 

I may mention here, though somewhat out of place, to avoidinterrupting the narrative of my descent upon Mars, the onlyinteresting incident that occurred during the latter days of myjourney--the gradual passage of the Earth off the face of the Sun. Forsome little time after this the Earth was entirely invisible; butlater, looking through the telescope adjusted to the lens on thatside, I discerned two very minute and bright crescents, which, fromtheir direction and position, were certainly those of the Earth andMoon, indeed could hardly be anything else. 

Towards the thirtieth day of my voyage I was disturbed by theconflicting indications obtained from different instruments andseparate observations. The general result came to this, that thediscometer, where it should have indicated a distance of 333, actuallygave 347. But if my speed had increased, or I had overestimated theloss by changes of direction, Mars should have been larger in equalproportion. This, however, was not the case. Supposing my reckoning tobe right, and I had no reason to think it otherwise, except theindication of the discometer, the Sun's disc ought to have diminishedin the proportion of 95 to 15, whereas the diminution was in theproportion of 9 to 1. So far as the barycrite could be trusted, itsvery minute indications confirmed those of the discometer; and theonly conclusion I could draw, after much thought and many intricatecalculations, was that the distance of 95 millions of miles betweenthe Earth and the Sun, accepted, though not very confidently, by allterrestrial astronomers, is an over-estimate; and that, consequently, all the other distances of the solar system have been equallyoverrated. Mars consequently would be smaller, but also his distanceconsiderably less, than I had supposed. I finally concluded that thesolar distance of the Earth was less than 9 millions of miles, insteadof more than 95. This would involve, of course, a proportionatediminution in the distance I had to traverse, while it did not implyan equal error in the reckoning of my speed, which had at first beencalculated from the Earth's disc, and not from that of the Sun. Hence, continuing my course unchanged, I should arrive at the orbit of Marssome days earlier than intended, and at a point behind that occupiedby the planet, and yet farther behind the one I aimed at. Prolongedobservation and careful calculation had so fully satisfied me of thenecessity of the corrections in question, that I did not hesitate toalter my course accordingly, and to prepare for a descent on thethirty-ninth instead of the forty-first day. I had, of course, toprepare for the descent very long before I should come within thedirect influence of the attraction of Mars. This would not prevailover the Sun's attraction till I had come within a little more than100, 000 miles of the surface, and this distance would not allow formaterial reduction of my speed, even were I at once to direct thewhole force of the apergic current against the planet. I estimatedthat arriving within some two millions of miles of him, with a speedof 45, 000 miles per hour, and then directing the whole force of thecurrent in his direction, I should arrive at his surface at a speednearly equal to that at which I had ascended from the Earth. I knewthat I could spare force enough to make up for any miscalculationpossible, or at least probable. Of course any serious error might befatal. I was exposed to two dangers; perhaps to three: but to nonewhich I had not fully estimated before even preparing for my voyage. If I should fail to come near enough to the goal of my journey, andyet should go on into space, or if, on the other hand, I should stopshort, the Astronaut might become an independent planet, pursuing anorbit nearly parallel to that of the Earth; in which case I shouldperish of starvation. It was conceivable that I might, in attemptingto avert this fate, fall upon the Sun, though this seemed exceedinglyimprobable, requiring a combination of accidents very unlikely tooccur. On the other hand, I might by possibility attain my point, andyet, failing properly to calculate the rate of descent, be dashed topieces upon the surface of Mars. Of this, however, I had very littlefear, the tremendous power of the apergy having been so fully provedthat I believed that nothing but some disabling accident tomyself--such as was hardly to be feared in the absence of gravitation, and with the extreme simplicity of the machinery I employed--couldprevent my being able, when I became aware of the danger, to employ intime a sufficient force to avert it. The first of these perils, then, was the graver one, perhaps the only grave one, and certainly to myimagination it was much the most terrible. The idea of perishing ofwant in the infinite solitude of space, and being whirled round forever the dead denizen of a planet one hundred feet in diameter, had init something even more awful than grotesque. 

On the thirty-ninth morning of my voyage, so far as I could calculateby the respective direction and size of the Sun and of Mars, I waswithin about 1, 900, 000 miles from the latter. I proceeded withouthesitation to direct the whole force of the current permitted toemerge from the apergion directly against the centre of the planet. His diameter increased with great rapidity, till at the end of thefirst day I found myself within one million of miles of his surface. His diameter subtended about 15', and his disc appeared aboutone-fourth the size of the Moon. Examined through the telescope, itpresented a very different appearance from that either of the Earth orof her satellite. It resembled the former in having unmistakably airand water. But, unlike the Earth, the greater portion of its surfaceseemed to be land; and, instead of continents surrounded by water, itpresented a number of separate seas, nearly all of them land-locked. Around the snow-cap of each pole was a belt of water; around this, again, a broader belt of continuous land; and outside this, formingthe northern and southern boundary between the arctic and temperatezones, was another broader band of water, connected apparently in oneor two places with the central, or, if one may so call it, equatorialsea. South of the latter is the one great Martial ocean. The moststriking feature of this new world, as seen from this point, was theexistence of three enormous gulfs, from three to five thousand milesin length, and apparently varying in breadth from one hundred to sevenhundred miles. In the midst of the principal ocean, but somewhat tothe southward, is an island of unique appearance. It is roughlycircular, and, as I perceived in descending, stands very high, itstable-like summit being some 4000 feet, as I subsequently ascertained, above the sea-level. Its surface, however, was perfectlywhite--scarcely less brilliant, consequently, than an equal area ofthe polar icefields. The globe, of course, revolved in some 4-1/ hoursof earthly time, and, as I descended, presented successively everypart of its surface to my view. I speak of descent, but, of course, Iwas as yet ascending just as truly as ever, the Sun being visiblethrough the lens in the floor, and reflected upon the mirror of thediscometer, while Mars was now seen through the upper lens, and hisimage received in the mirror of the metacompass. A noteworthy featurein the meteorology of the planet became apparent during the second dayof the descent. As magnified by the telescope adjusted to the upperlens, the distinctions of sea and land disappeared from the easternand western limbs of the planet; indeed, within 15° or an hour of timefrom either. It was plain, therefore, that those regions in which itwas late evening or early morning were hidden from view; and, independently of the whitish light reflected from them, there could belittle doubt that the obscuration was due to clouds or mists. Had thewhitish light covered the land alone, it might have been attributed toa snowfall, or, perhaps, even to a very severe hoar frost congealing adense moisture. But this last seemed highly improbable; and that mistor cloud was the true explanation became more and more apparent as, with a nearer approach, it became possible to discern dimly a broadexpanse of water contrasting the orange tinge of the land through thisannular veil. At 4h. On the second day of the descent, I was about500, 000 miles from Mars, the micrometer verifying, by the increasedangle subtended by the diameter, my calculated rate of approach. Onthe next day I was able to sleep in security, and to devote myattention to the observation of the planet's surface, for at its closeI should be still 15, 000 miles from Mars, and consequently beyond thedistance at which his attraction would predominate over that of theSun. To my great surprise, in the course of this day I discerned twosmall discs, one on each side of the planet, moving at a rate whichrendered measurement impossible, but evidently very much smaller thanany satellite with which astronomers are acquainted, and so small thattheir non-discovery by terrestrial telescopes was not extraordinary. They were evidently very minute, whether ten, twenty, or fifty milesin diameter I could not say; neither of them being likely, so far as Icould calculate, to come at any part of my descent very near theAstronaut, and the rapidity of their movement carrying them across thefield, even with the lowest power of my telescopes, too fast formeasurement. That they were Martial moons, however, there could be nodoubt. 

About 10h. On the last day of the descent, the effect of Mars'attraction, which had for some time so disturbed the position of theAstronaut as to take his disc completely out of the field of themeta-compass, became decidedly predominant over that of the Sun. I hadto change the direction of the apergic current first to the left-handconductor, and afterwards, as the greater weight of the floor turnedthe Astronaut completely over, bringing the planet immediately belowit, to the downward one. I was, of course, approaching Mars on thedaylight side, and nearly in the centre. This, however, did notexactly suit me. During the whole of this day it was impossible that Ishould sleep for a minute; since if at any point I should find that Ihad miscalculated my rate of descent, or if any other unforeseenaccident should occur, immediate action would be necessary to preventa shipwreck, which must without doubt be fatal. It was very likelythat I should be equally unable to sleep during the first twenty-fourhours of my sojourn upon Mars, more especially should he be inhabited, and should my descent be observed. It was, therefore, my policy toland at some point where the Sun was setting, and to enjoy rest duringsuch part of the twelve hours of the Martial night as should not beemployed in setting my vessel in order and preparing to evacuate it. Ishould have to ascertain exactly the pressure of the Martialatmosphere, so as not to step too suddenly from a dense into what wasprobably a very light one. If possible, I intended to land upon thesummit of a mountain, so high as to be untenanted and of difficultaccess. At the same time it would not do to choose the highest pointof a very lofty range, since both the cold and the thinness of the airmight in such a place be fatal. I wished, of course, to leave theAstronaut secure, and, if not out of reach, yet not within easy reach;otherwise it would have been a simple matter to watch my opportunityand descend in the dark from my first landing-place by the same meansby which I had made the rest of my voyage. 

At 18h. I was within 8000 miles of the surface, and could observe Marsdistinctly as a world, and no longer as a star. The colour, soremarkable a feature in his celestial appearance, was almost equallyperceptible at this moderate elevation. The seas are not so much blueas grey. Masses of land reflected a light between yellow and orange, indicating, as I thought, that orange must be as much the predominantcolour of vegetation as green upon Earth. As I came still lower, andonly parts of the disc were visible at once, and these through theside and end windows, this conviction was more and more stronglyimpressed upon my mind. What, however, was beyond denial was, that ifthe polar ice and snow were not so purely and distinctly white as theyappear at a distance upon Earth, they were yet to a great extentdevoid of the yellow tinge that preponderated everywhere else. Themost that could be said was, that whereas on Earth the snow is of thatwhite which we consider absolute, and call, as such, snow-white, butwhich really has in it a very slight preponderance of blue, upon Marsthe polar caps are rather cream-white, or of that white, so common inour flowers, which has in it an equally slight tinge of yellow. On theshore, or about twenty miles from the shore of the principal sea tothe southward of the equator, and but a few degrees from the equatoritself, I perceived at last a point which appeared peculiarly suitablefor my descent. A very long range of mountains, apparently having anaverage height of about 14, 000 feet, with some peaks of probably twiceor three times that altitude, stretched for several hundred milesalong the coast, leaving, however, between it and the actualshore-line an alluvial plain of some twenty to fifty miles across. Atthe extremity of this range, and quite detached from it, stood anisolated mountain of peculiar form, which, as I examined it throughthe telescope, appeared to present a surface sufficiently broken andsloped to permit of descent; while, at the same time, its height andthe character of its summit satisfied me that no one was likely toinhabit it, and that though I might descend-it in a few hours, toascend it on foot from the plain would be a day's journey. Towardsthis I directed my course, looking out from time to time carefully forany symptoms of human habitation or animal life. I made out by degreesthe lines of rivers, mountain slopes covered by great forests, extensive valleys and plains, seemingly carpeted by a low, dense, richvegetation. But my view being essentially of a bird's-eye character, it was only in those parts that lay upon my horizon that I coulddiscern clearly the height of any object above the general level; andas yet, therefore, there might well be houses and buildings, cultivated fields and divisions, which I could not see. 

Before I had satisfied myself whether the planet was or was notinhabited, I found myself in a position from which its general surfacewas veiled by the evening mist, and directly over the mountain inquestion, within some twelve miles of its summit. This distance Idescended in the course of a quarter of an hour, and landed without ashock about half an hour, so far as I could judge, after the Sun haddisappeared below the horizon. The sunset, however, by reason of themists, was totally invisible. 

CHAPTER IV - A NEW WORLD. 

I will not attempt to express the intensity of the mingled emotionswhich overcame me as I realised the complete success of the moststupendous adventure ever proposed or even dreamed by man. I don'tthink that any personal vanity, unworthy of the highest lessons I hadreceived, had much share in my passionate exultation. The conceptionwas not original; the means were furnished by others; the executiondepended less on a daring and skill, in which any courageous travelleror man of science knowing what I knew might well have excelled me, than on the direct and manifest favour of Providence. But thisenterprise, the greatest that man had ever attempted, had in itself acharm, a sanctity in my eyes that made its accomplishment anunspeakable satisfaction. I would have laid down life a dozen timesnot only to achieve it myself, but even to know that it had beenachieved by others. All that Columbus can have felt when he first setfoot on a new hemisphere I felt in tenfold force as I assured myselfthat not, as often before, in dreams, but in very truth and fact, Ihad traversed forty million miles of space, and landed in a new world. Of the perils that might await me I could hardly care to think. Theymight be greater in degree. 

They could hardly be other in kind, than those which a traveller mightincur in Papua, or Central Africa, or in the North-West Passage. Theycould have none of that wholly novel, strange, incalculable characterwhich sometimes had given to the chances of my etherial voyage a vaguehorror and mystery that appalled imagination. For the first timeduring my journey I could neither eat nor sleep; yet I must do both. Imight soon meet with difficulties and dangers that would demand allthe resources of perfect physical and mental condition, with heavycalls on the utmost powers of nerve and muscle. I forced myself, therefore, to sup and to slumber, resorting for the first time in manyyears to the stimulus of brandy for the one purpose, and to the aid ofauthypnotism for the other. When I woke it was 8h. By my chronometer, and, as I inferred, about 5h. After midnight of the Martial meridianon which I lay. Sleep had given me an appetite for breakfast, andnecessary practical employment calmed the excitement natural to mysituation. My first care, after making ready to quit the Astronaut assoon as the light around should render it safe to venture into scenesso much more utterly strange, unfamiliar, and unknown than the wildestof the yet unexplored deserts of the Earth, was to ascertain thecharacter of the atmosphere which I was presently to breathe. Did itcontain the oxygen essential to Tellurian lungs? Was it, if capable ofrespiration, dense enough to sustain life like mine? I extracted theplug from the tubular aperture through which I had pumped in the extraquantity of air that the Astronaut contained; and substituted thesliding valve I had arranged for the purpose, with a small hole which, by adjustment to the tube, would give the means of regulating theair-passage at pleasure. The difficulty of this simple work, and thetremendous outward pressure of the air, showed that the externalatmosphere was very thin indeed. This I had anticipated. Gravity onthe surface of Mars is less than half what it is on Earth; the totalmass of the planet is as two to fifteen. It was consequently to beexpected that the extent of the Martial atmosphere, and its densityeven at the sea-level, would be far less than on the heavier planet. Rigging the air-pump securely round the aperture, exhausting itschamber, and permitting the Martial air to fill it, I was glad to finda pressure equal to that which prevails at a height of 16, 000 feet onEarth. Chemical tests showed the presence of oxygen in somewhatgreater proportion than in the purest air of terrestrial mountains. Itwould sustain life, therefore, and without serious injury, if thechange from a dense to a light atmosphere were not too suddenly made. I determined then gradually to diminish the density of the internalatmosphere to something not very much greater than that outside. Forthis purpose I unrigged the air-pump apparatus, and almost, but notquite, closed the valve, leaving an aperture about the twentieth partof an inch in diameter. The silence was instantly broken by a whistlethe shrillest and loudest I had ever heard; the dense compressedatmosphere of the Astronaut rushing out with a force which actuallycreated a draught through the whole vessel, to the great discomfitureof the birds, which roughed their feathers and fluttered about indismay. The pressure gauge fell with astonishing rapidity, despite theminuteness of the aperture; and in a few minutes indicated about 24barometrical inches. I then checked the exit of the air for a time, while I proceeded to loosen the cement around the window by which Ihad entered, and prepared for my exit. Over a very light flannelunder-vesture I put on a mail-shirt of fine close-woven wire, whichhad turned the edge of Mahratta tulwars, repelled the thrust of aCalabrian stiletto, and showed no mark of three carbine bullets firedpoint-blank. Over this I wore a suit of grey broadcloth, and a pair ofstrong boots over woollen socks, prepared for cold and damp as well asfor the heat of a sun shining perpendicularly through an Alpineatmosphere. I had nearly equalised the atmospheric pressure within andwithout, at about 17 inches, before the first beams of dawn shoneupward on the ceiling of the Astronaut. A few minutes later I steppedforth on the platform, some two hundred yards in circumference, whereon the vessel rested. The mist immediately around me was fastdispersing; five hundred feet below it still concealed everything. Onthree sides descent was barred by sheer precipices; on the fourth asteep slope promised a practicable path, at least as far as my eyecould reach. I placed the weaker and smaller of my birds in portablecages, and then commenced my experiment by taking out a strong-wingedcuckoo and throwing him downwards over the precipice. He fell at firstalmost like a stone; but before he was quite lost to sight in themist, I had the pleasure of seeing that he had spread his wings, andwas able to sustain himself. As the mist was gradually dissolving, Inow ventured to begin my descent, carrying my bird-cages, anddismissing the larger birds, several of which, however, persistentlyclung about me. I had secured on my back an air-gun, arranged to firesixteen balls in succession without reloading, while in my belt, scabbarded in a leathern sheath, I had placed a well and often triedtwo-edged sword. I found the way practicable, though not easy, till Ireached a point about 1000 feet below the summit, where fartherprogress in the same direction was barred by an abrupt and impassablecleft some hundred feet deep. To the right, however, the mountain sideseemed to present a safe and sufficiently direct descent. The sun wasa full hour above the horizon, and the mist was almost gone. Still Ihad seen no signs of animal life, save, at some distance and in rapidmotion, two or three swarms of flying insects, not much resembling anywith which I was acquainted. The vegetation, mostly small, was of ayellowish colour, the flowers generally red, varied by occasionalexamples of dull green and white; the latter, however, presenting thatsort of creamy tinge which I had remarked in the snow. Here I releasedand dismissed my birds one by one. The stronger and more courageousflew away downwards, and soon disappeared; the weakest, trembling andshivering, evidently suffering from the thinness of the atmosphere, hung about me or perched upon the cages. 

The scene I now contemplated was exceedingly novel and striking. Thesky, instead of the brilliant azure of a similar latitude on earth, presented to my eye a vault of pale green, closely analogous to thatolive tint which the effect of contrast often throws over a smallportion of clear sky distinguished among the golden and rose-colouredclouds of a sunset in our temperate zones. 

The vapours which still hung around the north-eastern andsouth-eastern horizon, though dispelled from the immediate vicinity ofthe Sun, were tinged with crimson and gold much deeper than the tintspeculiar to an earthly twilight. The Sun himself, when seen by thenaked eye, was as distinctly golden as our harvest moon; and the wholelandscape, terrestrial, aerial, and celestial, appeared as if bathedin a golden light, wearing generally that warm summer aspect peculiarto Tellurian landscapes when seen through glass of a rich yellow tint. It was a natural inference from all I saw that there takes place inthe Martial atmosphere an absorption of the blue rays which gives tothe sunlight a predominant tinge of yellow or orange. The small rockyplateau on which I stood, like the whole of the mountainside I haddescended, faced the extremity of the range of which this mountain wasan outpost; and the valley which separated them was not from mypresent position visible. I saw that I should have to turn my backupon this part of the landscape as I descended farther, and thereforetook note at this point of the aspect it presented. The most prominentobject was a white peak in the distant sky, rising to a height abovemy actual level, which I estimated conjecturally at 25, 000 feet, guessing the distance at fifty miles. The summit was decidedly moreangular and pointed, less softened in outline by atmosphericinfluences, than those of mountains on Earth. Beyond this in thefarthest distance appeared two or three peaks still higher, but ofwhich, of course, only the summits were visible to me. On this side ofthe central peak an apparently continuous double ridge extended towithin three miles of my station, exceedingly irregular in level, thehighest elevations being perhaps 20, 000, the lowest visibledepressions 3000 feet above me. There appeared to be a line ofperpetual snow, though in many places above, this line patches ofyellow appeared, the nearer of which were certainly and the moredistant must be inferred to be covered with a low, close herbaceousvegetation. The lower slopes were entirely clothed with yellow orreddish foliage. Between the woods and snow-line lay extensivepastures or meadows, if they might be so called, though I saw nothingwhatever that at all resembled the grass of similar regions on Earth. Whatever foliage I saw--as yet I had not passed near anything thatcould be called a tree, and very few shrubs--consisted distinctly ofleaves analogous to those of our deciduous trees, chiefly of threeshapes: a sort of square rounded at the angles, with short projectingfingers; an oval, slightly pointed where it joined the stalk; andlanceolate or sword-like blades of every size, from two inches to fourfeet in length. Nearly all were of a dull yellow or copper-red tinge. None were as fine as the beech-leaf, none succulent or fleshy; nothingresembling the blades of grass or the bristles of the pine andcedar tribes was visible. 

My path now wound steadily downward at a slope of perhaps one in eightalong the hillside, obliging me to turn my back to the mountains, while my view in front was cut off by a sharp cross-jutting ridgeimmediately, before me. By the time I turned this, all my birds haddeserted me, and I was not, I think, more than 2000 feet from thevalley below. Just before reaching this point I first caught sight ofa Martial animal. A little creature, not much bigger than a rabbit, itself of a sort of sandy-yellow colour, bounded from among someyellow herbage by my feet, and hopped or sprang in the manner of akangaroo down the steep slope on my left. When I turned the ridge, awide and quite new landscape burst upon my sight. I was looking uponan extensive plain, the continuation apparently of a valley of whichthe mountain range formed the southern limit. To the southward thisplain was bounded by the sea, bathed in the peculiar light I havetried to describe, and lying in what seemed from this distance aglassy calm. To eastward and northward the plain extended to thehorizon, and doubtless far beyond it; while from the valley north ofthe mountain range emerged a broad river, winding through the plaintill it was lost at the horizon. Plain I have called it, but I do notmean to imply that it was by any means level. On the contrary, itssurface was broken by undulations, and here and there by hills, butall so much lower than the point on which I stood that the generaleffect was that of an almost flat surface. And now the question ofhabitation, and of human habitation, seemed to be solved. Lookingthrough my field-glass, I saw, following the windings of the river, what must surely be a road; serving also, perhaps, as an embankment, since it was raised many feet above the level of the stream. Itseemed, too, that the plain was cultivated. Everywhere appearedextensive patches, each of a single colour, in every tint between deepred and yellowish green, and so distinctly rectangular in form asirresistibly to suggest the idea of artificial, if not human, arrangement. But there were other features of the scene that dispelledall doubt upon this point. Immediately to the south-eastward, andabout twenty miles from where I stood, a deep arm of the sea ran upinto the land, and upon the shores of this lay what was unquestionablya city. It had nothing that looked like fortifications, and even atthis distance I could discern that its streets were of remarkablewidth, with few or no buildings so high as mosques, churches, State-offices, or palaces in Tellurian cities. Their colours were mostvarious and brilliant, as if reflected from metallic surfaces; and onthe waters of the bay itself rode what I could not doubt to be shipsor rafts. More immediately beneath me, and scattered at intervals overthe entire plain, clustering more closely in the vicinity of the city, were walled enclosures, and in the centre of each was what couldhardly be anything but a house, though not apparently more than twelveor fourteen feet high, and covering a space sufficient for an Europeanor even American street or square. Upon the lower slopes of the hillwhereon I stood were moving figures, which, seen through thebinocular, proved to be animals; probably domestic animals, since theynever ranged very far, and presented none of those signs ofwatchfulness and alarm which are peculiar to creatures not protectedby man from their less destructive enemies, and taught to lay asidetheir dread of man himself. I had descended, then, not only into aninhabited world--not only into a world of men, who, however they mightdiffer in outward form, must resemble in their wants, ideas, andhabits, in short, in mind if not in body, the lords of my ownplanet--but into a civilised world and among a race living under asettled order, cultivating the soil, and taming the brutes to theirservice. 

And now, as I came on lower ground, I found at each step new objectsof curiosity and interest. A tree with dark-yellowish leaves, tallerthan most timber trees on Earth, bore at the end of drooping twigslarge dark-red fruits--fruits with a rind something like that of apomegranate, save for the colour and hardness, and about the size of ashaddock or melon. One of these, just within reach of my hand, Igathered, but found it impossible to break the thin, dry rind orshell, without the aid of a knife. Having pierced this, a stream ofred juice gushed out, which had a sweet taste and a strong flavour, not unlike the juice expressed from cherries, but darker in colour. Dissecting the fruit completely, I found it parted by a membrane, essentially of the same nature as the rind, but much thinner andrather tough than hard, into sixteen segments, like those of an orangedivided across the middle, each of which enclosed a seed. These seedswere all joined at the centre, but easily separated. They were of ayellow colour and about as large as an almond kernel. Some fruitsthat, being smaller, I concluded to be less ripe, were of areddish-yellow. After walking for about a mile through a grove of suchtrees, always tending downwards, I came to another of more variedcharacter. The most prevalent tree here was of lower stature and withleaves of great length and comparatively narrow, the fruit of which, though protected by a somewhat similar rind, was of rich goldencolour, not so easily seen among the yellowish leaves, and containedone solid kernel of about the size of an almond, enclosed entirely ina sort of spongy material, very palatable to the taste, and resemblingmore the inside of roasted maize than any other familiar vegetable. AsI emerged entirely from the grove, I came upon a ditch about twice asbroad as deep. On Earth I certainly could not have leaped it; butsince landing on Mars, I had forgotten the weightless life of theAstronaut, and felt as if on Earth, but enjoying great increase ofstrength and energy; and with these sensations had come instinctivelyan exalted confidence in my physical powers. I took, therefore, avigorous run, and leaping with all my strength, landed, somewhat to myown surprise, a full yard on the other side of the ditch. 

Having done so, I found myself in what was beyond doubt a cultivatedfield, producing nothing but one crimson-coloured plant, about a footin height. This carpeted the soil with broad leaves shaped somethinglike those of the laurel, and in colour exactly resembling a witheredlaurel leaf, but somewhat thicker, more metallic and brighter inappearance, and perfectly free from the bitter taste of the bay tribe. At a little distance I saw half-a-dozen animals somewhat resemblingantelopes, but on a second glance still more resembling the fabledunicorn. They were like the latter, at all events, in the singleparticular from which it derived its name: they had one horn, abouteight inches in length, intensely sharp, smooth and firm in texture asivory, but marbled with vermilion and cream white. Their skins werecream-coloured, dappled with dark red. Their ears were large andprotected by a lap which fell down so as to shelter the interior partof the organ, but which they had not quite lost the power to erect atthe approach of a sound that startled them. They looked up at me, atfirst without alarm, afterwards with some surprise, and presentlybounded away; as if my appearance, at first familiar, had, on a closerexamination, presented some unusual particulars, frightening them, aseverything unusual frightens even those domestic animals on Earth bestacquainted with man and most accustomed to his caprices. I noticedthat all were female, and their abnormally large udders suggested thatthey were domestic creatures kept for their milk. Not being able tosee a path through the field, I went straight forward, endeavouring totrample the pasture as little as I could, but being surprised toremark how very little the plants had been injured by the feet of theanimals. The leaves had been grazed, but the stems were seldom ornever broken. In fact, the animals seemed to have gathered their foodas man would do, with an intelligent or instinctive care not to injurethe plant so as to deprive it of the power of reproducing theirsustenance. 

In another minute I discerned the object of my paramount interest, ofwhose vicinity I had thus far seen nearly every imaginable evidenceexcept himself. It was undoubtedly a man, but a man very much smallerthan myself. His eyes were fixed upon the ground as if in reverie, andhe did not perceive me till I had come within fifty yards of him, sothat I had full time to remark the peculiarities of his form andappearance. He was about four feet eight or nine inches in height, with legs that seemed short in proportion to the length and girth ofthe body, but only because, as was apparent on more careful scrutiny, the chest was proportionately both longer and wider than in our race;otherwise he greatly resembled the fairer families of the Aryan breed, the Swede or German. The yellow hair, unshaven beard, whiskers, andmoustache were all close and short. The dress consisted of a sort ofblouse and short pantaloons, of some soft woven fabric, and of avermilion colour. The head was protected from the rays of anequatorial sun by a species of light turban, from which hung down ashort shade or veil sheltering the neck and forehead. His bare feetwere guarded by sandals of some flexible material just covering thetoes and bound round the ankle by a single thong. He carried noweapon, not even a staff; and I therefore felt that there was noimmediate danger from him. On seeing me he started as with intensesurprise and not a little alarm, and turned to run. Size and length oflimb, however, gave me immense advantage in this respect, and in lessthan a minute I had come up with and laid my hand upon him. 

He looked up at me, scanning my face with earnest curiosity. I tookfrom my pocket first a jewel of very exquisite construction, abutterfly of turquoise, pearl, and rubies, set on an emerald branch, upon which he looked without admiration or interest, then a watch verysmall and elaborately enamelled and jewelled. To the ornament he paidno attention whatever; but when I opened the watch, its constructionand movement evidently interested him. Placing it in his hands andendeavouring to signify to him by signs that he was to retain it, Ithen held his arm and motioned to him to guide me towards the housesvisible in the distance. This he seemed willing to do, but before wehad gone many paces he repeated two or three times a phrase or wordwhich sounded like "r'mo-ah-el" ("whence-who-what" do you want?). Ishook my head; but, that he might not suppose me dumb, I answered himin Latin. The sound seemed to astonish him exceedingly; and as I wenton to repeat several questions in the same tongue, for the purpose ofshowing him that I could speak and was desirous of doing so, Iobserved that his wonder grew deeper and deeper, and was evidentlymingled first with alarm and afterwards with anger, as if he thought Iwas trying to impose upon him. I pointed to the sky, to the summit ofthe mountain from which I had descended, and then along the course bywhich I had come, explaining aloud at the same time the meaning of mysigns. I thought that he had caught the latter, but if so, it onlyprovoked an incredulous indignation, contempt of a somewhat angrycharacter being the principal expression visible in his countenance. Isaw that it was of little use to attempt further conversation for thepresent, and, still holding his hand and allowing him to direct me, looked round again at the scenes through which we were passing. Thelower hill slopes before us appeared to be divided into fields oflarge extent, perhaps some 100 acres each, separated by ditches. Wefollowed a path about two yards broad, raised two or three inchesabove the level of the ground, and paved with some kind of hardconcrete. Each ditch was crossed by a bridge of planks, in the middleof which was a stake or short pole, round which we passed with ease, but which would obviously baffle a four-footed animal of any size. Thecrops were of great variety, and wonderfully free from weeds. Most ofthem showed fruit of one kind or another, sometimes gourd-like globeson the top of upright stalks, sometimes clusters of a sort of nut onvines creeping along the soil, sometimes a number of pulpy fruitsabout the size of an orange hanging at the end of pendulous stalksspringing from the top of a stiff reed-like stem. One field was bare, its surface of an ochreish colour deeper than that of clay, broken andsmoothed as perfectly as the surface of the most carefully tendedflower-bed. Across this was ranged a row of birds, differing, thoughwhere and how I had hardly leisure to observe, from the form of anyearthly fowl, about twice the size of a crow, and with beaksapparently at least as powerful but very much longer. Extendingentirely across the field, they kept line with wonderful accuracy, andas they marched across it, slowly and constantly dug their beaks intothe soil as if seeking grubs or worms beneath the surface. They wenton with their work perfectly undisturbed by our presence. In the nextfield was a still odder sight; here grew gourd-like heads on erectreed-like stems, and engaged in plucking the ripe purple fruit, carefully distinguishing them from the scarlet unripened heads, werehalf-a-score of creatures which, from their occupation and demeanour, I took at first to be human; but which, as we approached nearer, I sawwere only about half the size of my companion, and thickly coveredwith hair, with bushy tails, which they kept carefully erect so as notto touch the ground; creatures much resembling monkeys in movement, size, and length, and flexibility of limb, but in other respects morelike gigantic squirrels. They held the stalks of the fruit theyplucked in their mouths, filling with them large bags left atintervals, and from the manner in which they worked I suspected thatthey had no opposable thumbs--that the whole hand had to be used likethe paw of a squirrel to grasp an object. I pointed to these, directing my companion's attention and asking, "What are they?""Ambau, " he said, but apparently without the slightest interest intheir proceedings. Indeed, the regularity and entire freedom fromalarm or vigilance which characterised their movements, convinced methat both these and the birds we passed were domesticated creatures, whose natural instincts had been turned to such account by humantraining. 

After a few moments more, we came in sight of a regular road, in adirection nearly at right angles to that which followed the course ofthe river. Like the path, it was constructed of a hard polishedconcrete. It was about forty paces broad, and in the centre was araised way about four inches higher than the general surface, andoccupying about one-fourth of the entire width. Along the main way oneither side passed from time to time with great rapidity lightvehicles of shining metal, each having three wheels, one small one infront and two much larger behind, with box-like seat and steeringhandle; otherwise resembling nothing so much as the velocipedes I haveseen ridden for amusement by eccentric English youths. It was clear, however, that these vehicles were not moved by any effort on the partof their drivers, and their speed was far greater than that of theswiftest mail-coach:--say, from fifteen to thirty miles an hour. Allrisk of collision was avoided, as those proceeding in oppositedirections took opposite sides of the road, separated by the raisedcentre I have described. Crossing the road with caution, we came upona number of small houses, perhaps twenty feet square, each standing inthe midst of a garden marked out by a narrow ditch, some of themhaving at either side wings of less height and thrown a littlebackward. In the centre of each, and at the end of the wings wherethese existed, was what seemed to be a door of some translucentmaterial about twelve feet in height. But I observed that these doorswere divided by a scarcely perceptible line up to six feet from theground, and presently one of these parted, and a figure, closelyresembling that of my guide, came out. 

We had now reached another road which led apparently towards thelarger houses I had seen in the distance, and were proceeding alongthe raised central pathway, when some half-dozen persons from thecottages followed us. At a call from my guide, these, and presently asmany more, ran after and gathered around us. I turned, took down myair-gun from my back, and waving it around me, signalled to them tokeep back, not choosing to incur the danger of a sudden rush, sincetheir bearing, if not plainly hostile, was not hospitable or friendly. Thus escorted, but not actually assailed, I passed on for three orfour miles, by which time we were among the larger dwellings of whichI have spoken. Each of them stood in grounds enclosed by walls abouteight feet high, each of some uniform colour, contrasting agreeablywith that chosen for the exterior of the house. The enclosures variedin size from about six to sixty acres. The houses were for the mostpart some twelve feet in height, and from one to four hundred feetsquare. On several flat roofs, guarded by low parapets, other persons, all about the size of my guide, now showed themselves, all of theminterested, and, as it seemed, somewhat excited by my appearance. In afew cases groups differently dressed, and, from their somewhat smallerstature, slighter figures, and the long hair here and there visible, probably consisting of women, were gathered on a remoter portion ofthe roof. But these, when seen by those in front, were always waivedback with an impatient or threatening gesture, and instantly retired. Presently two or three men more richly dressed than my escort, and invarious colours, came out upon the road. Addressing one of these, Ipointed again to the sky, and again endeavoured to describe myjourney, holding out to him at the same time, as the thing most likelyto conciliate him, a watch somewhat larger than that I had bestowedupon my guide. He, however, did not come within arm's length; and whenI repeated my signs, he threw back his head with a sort of sneer anduttered a few words in a sharp tone, at which my escort rushed uponand attempted to throw me down. For this, however, I had been longprepared, and striking right and left with my air-gun--for I wasdetermined not to shed blood except in the last extremity--I speedilycleared a circle round me, still grasping my guide with the left hand, from a providential instinct which suggested that his close contiguitymight in some way protect me. A call from the chief of my antagonistswas answered from the roof of a neighbouring house. I heard a whizzingthrough the air, and presently something like a winged serpent, butwith a slender neck, and shoulders of considerable breadth, and a headmuch larger than a serpent's in proportion to the body, and shapedmore like a bird's, with a sharp, short beak, sprang upon and coiledround my left arm. That it was trying to sting with an erectile organplaced about midway between the shoulders and the tail I becameinstinctively aware, and presently felt something like a weak electricthrill over all my body, while my left hand, which was naked, sustained a severe shock, completely numbing it for the moment. Icaught the beast by the neck, and flung him with all my force right inthe face of my chief antagonist, who fell with a cry of terror. Looking in the direction from which this dangerous assailant had come, I perceived another in the air, and saw that not a moment was to belost. Dropping my gun with the muzzle between my feet, and holding itso far as I could with my numbed left hand--releasing also my guide, but throwing him to the ground as I released him--I drew my sword; andbut just in time, with the same motion with which I drew it, I cutright through the neck of the dragon that had been launched againstme. My principal enemy had quickly recovered his feet and presence ofmind, and spoke very loudly and at some length to the person who hadlaunched the dragons. The latter disappeared, and at the same time thegroup around me began to disperse. Whatever suited them was certainnot to suit me, and accordingly, still holding my sword, I caught oneof them with each hand. It was well I had done so, for within anotherminute the owner of the dragons reappeared with a weapon not whollyunlike a long cannon of very small bore fixed upon a sort of stand. This he levelled at me, and I, seeing that a danger of whose magnitudeand nature I could form no exact estimate was impending, caught upinstinctively one of my prisoners, and held him as a shield betweenmyself and the weapon pointed at me. This checked my enemy, who forthe moment seemed almost as much at a loss as myself. Fortunately hishostile intention evidently endangered not only my life but all nearme, and secured me from any close attack. 

At this moment a somewhat remarkable personage came to the front ofthe group which had gathered some few yards before me. He wore a longfrock of emerald green and trousers of the same colour, gathered in atthe waist by a belt of a red metal. On earth I should have taken himfor a hale and vigorous gentleman of some fifty years; he was twoinches short of five feet, but well proportioned as a man of middlesize. Gentleman I say emphatically; for something of dignity, gravity, and calm good-breeding, was conspicuous in his manner, as authorityunmixed with menace was evident in his tone. He called, somewhatperemptorily as I thought, to the man who was still aiming his weaponat my head, then waived back those behind him, and presently advancedtowards me, looking me straight in the eyes with a steadiness andintensity of gaze far exceeding, both in expressiveness and in effect, the most fixed stare of the most successful mesmerists I have known. Idoubt whether I should have had the power to resist his will had Ithought it wise to do so. But I was perfectly aware that, howeversuccessful in repelling the first tumultuous attack, prolongedself-defence was hopeless. 

I must, probably at the next move, certainly in a few minutes, succumbto the enemies around me. I could not conciliate those whose malignityI could not comprehend. I had done them no injury, and they couldhardly be maddened by fear, since my size and strength did not seem tooverawe them save at close quarters, and of my weapons they werecertainly less afraid than I of theirs. My only chance must lie infinding favour with an individual protector. When, therefore, thenew-comer fearlessly laid his hand on an arm which could have killedhim at a blow, and rather by gesture than by force released mycaptives, policy as well as instinct dictated submission. I allowedhim to disarm and make me in some sense his prisoner without a show ofresistance. He took me by the left hand, first placing my fingers uponhis own wrist and then grasping mine, and led me quietly through thecrowd, which gave way before him reluctantly and not without angrymurmurs, but with a certain awe as before one superior either in poweror rank. 

Thus he led me for about half a mile, till we reached the crystal gateof an enclosure of exceptional size, the walls of which, like the gateitself, were of a pale rose-colour. Through grounds laid out insymmetrical alternation of orchard and grove, shrubbery, close-carpeted field, and garden beds, arranged with evident regard toeffect in form and colour, as well as to fitting distribution of shadeand sun, we followed a straight path which sloped under a canopy offlowering creepers up to the terrace on which stood the house itself. There were some eight or nine crystal doors (or windows) in the front, and in the centre one somewhat larger than the others, which, as wecame immediately in front of it, opened, not turning on hinges, but, like every other door I had seen, dividing and sliding rapidly intothe walls to the right and left. We entered, and it immediately closedbehind us in the same way. Turning my head for a moment, I wassurprised to observe that, whereas I could see nothing through thedoor from the outside, the scene without was as visible from within asthrough the most perfectly transparent glass. The chamber in which Ifound myself had walls of bright emerald green, with all the brillianttransparency of the jewel; their surface broken by bas-reliefs ofminutely perfect execution, and divided into panels--each of whichseemed to contain a series of distinct scenes, one above the other--byliving creepers with foliage of bright gold, and flowers sometimespink, sometimes cream-white of great size, both double and single; theformer mostly hemispherical and the latter commonly shaped as hollowcones or Avide shallow champagne glasses. In these walls two or threedoors appeared, reaching, from the floor to the roof, which wascoloured like the walls, and seemingly of the same material. Throughone of these my guide led me into a passage which appeared to runparallel with the front of the house, and turning down this, a dooragain parted on the right hand, through which he led me into a similarbut smaller apartment, some twenty feet in width and twenty-five inlength. The window--if I should so call that which was simply anotherdoor--of this apartment looked into one corner of a flower-garden ofgreat extent, beyond and at each end of which were other portions ofthe dwelling. The walls of this chamber were pink, the surfaceappearing as before of jewel-like lustre; the roof and floor of agreen lighter than that of the emerald. In two corners were piles ofinnumerable cushions and pillows covered with a most delicatesatin-like fabric, embroidered with gold, silver, and feathers, allsoft as eider-down and of all shapes and sizes. There were three orfour light tables, apparently of metal, silver, or azure, or golden incolour, in various parts of the chamber, with one or two of differentform, more like small office-tables or desks. In one of the walls wassunk a series of shelves closed by a transparent sheet of crystal ofpale yellow tinge. There were three or four movable seats resemblingwriting or easy-chairs, but also of metal, luxurious all though alldifferent. In the corner to the left, farthest from the inner court orperistyle, was a screen, which, as my host showed me, concealed a bathand some other convenient appurtenances. The bath was a cylinder somefive feet in depth and about two in diameter, with thin double walls, the space between which was filled with an apparatus of small pipes. By pressing a spring, as my protector pointed out, countless minutejets of warm perfumed water were thrown from every part of theinterior wall, forming the most delicious and perfect shower-bath thatcould well be devised. 

My host then led me to a seat among the cushions, and placed himselfbeside me, looking for some time intently and gravely into my face, but with nothing of offensive curiosity, still less of menace in hisgaze. It appeared to me as if he wished to read the character andperhaps the thoughts of his guest. The scrutiny seemed to satisfy him. He stretched out his left hand, and grasping mine, placed it on hisheart, and then dropping my hand, placed his upon my breast. He thenspoke in words whose meaning I could not guess, but the tone soundedto me as that of inquiry. The question most likely to be askedconcerned my character and the place from which I had come. I againexplained, again pointing upward. He seemed dubious or perplexed, andit occurred to me that drawing might assist explanation; since, fromthe bas-reliefs and tracery, it was evident that the art was carriedto no common excellence in Mars. I drew, therefore, in the firstplace, a globe to represent the Earth, traced its orbit round the Sun, and placed a crescent Moon at some little distance, indicating itspath round the Earth. It was evident that my host understood mymeaning, the more clearly when I marked upon the form of the Earth acrescent, such as she would often present through a Martial telescope. Sketches in outline roughly exhibiting different stages of my voyage, from the first ascent to the final landing, appeared to convince myhost of my meaning, if not of my veracity. Signing to me to remainwhere I was, he left the room. In a few minutes he returned, accompanied by one of the strange squirrel-like animals I had seen inthe fields. I was right in conjecturing that the creature had noopposable thumb; but a little ingenuity had compensated this so far asregarded the power of carrying. A little chain hung down from eachwrist, and to these was suspended a tray, upon which were arranged avariety of fruits and what seemed to be small loaves of variousmaterials. Breaking one of these and cutting open with a small knife, apparently of silver, one of the fruits, my host tasted each and thenmotioned to me to eat. The attendant had placed the tray upon a table, disengaged the chains, and disappeared; the door opening and closingas he trod, somewhat more heavily than had been necessary for my host, upon particular points of the floor. 

The food offered me was very delicious and various in flavour. My hostshowed me how to cut the top from some of the hard-rind fruits, so asto have a cup full of the most delicately-flavoured juice, the wholepulp having been reduced to a liquid syrup by a process with whichsome semicivilised cultivators on Earth are familiar. When I hadfinished my meal, my host whistled, and the attendant, returning, carried away the tray. His master gave him at the same time what wasevidently an order, repeating it twice, and speaking with signalclearness of intonation. The little creature bowed its head, apparently as a sign of intelligence, and in a few minutes returnedwith what seemed like a pencil or stylus and writing materials, andwith a large silver-like box of very curious form. To one side wasaffixed a sort of mouthpiece, consisting of a truncated cone expandinginto a saucer-shaped bowl. Across the wider and outer end of the conewas stretched a membrane or diaphragm about three inches in diameter. Into the mouth of the bowl, two or three inches from the diaphragm, myhost spoke one by one a series of articulate but single sounds, beginning with _â, a, aa, au, o, oo, ou, u, y or ei (long), i (short), oi, e, _ which I afterwards found to be the twelve vowels of theirlanguage. After he had thus uttered some forty distinct sounds, hedrew from the back of the instrument a slip of something likegoldleaf, on which as many weird curves and angular figures weretraced in crimson. Pointing to these in succession, he repeated thesounds in order. I made out that the figures in question representedthe sounds spoken into the instrument, and taking out my pencil, marked under each the equivalent character of the Roman alphabet, supplemented by some letters not admitted therein but borrowed fromother Aryan tongues. My host looked on with some interest whilst I didthis, and bent his head as if in approval. Here then was the alphabetof the Martial tongue--an alphabet not arbitrary, but actuallyproduced by the vocal sounds it represented! The elaborate machinerymodifies the rough signs which are traced by the mere aerialvibrations; but each character is a true physical type, a visualimage, of the spoken sound; the voice, temper, accent, sex, of aspeaker affect the phonograph, and are recognisable in the record. Theinstrument wrote, so to speak, different hands under my voice andunder Esmo's; and those who knew him could identify his phonogram, asmy friends my manuscript. 

After I had been employed for some time in fixing these forms and thecorresponding sounds in my memory, my host advanced to the window, andopening it, led me into the interior garden; which, as I had supposed, was a species of central court around which the house was built. 

The construction of the house was at once apparent. It consisted of afront portion, divided by the gallery of which I have spoken, all therooms on one side thereof looking, like the chamber I first entered, into the outer enclosure; those on the other into the interior gardenor peristyle. Beyond the latter was a single row of chambers openingupon it, appropriated to the ladies and children of the household. Thecourt was roofed over with the translucent material of the windows. Itwas about 360 feet in length by 300 in width. At either end werechambers entirely formed of the same material as the roof, in one ofwhich the various birds and animals employed either in domesticservice or in agriculture, in another the various stores of thehousehold, were kept. In front of these, two inclined planes of thesame material as the walls of the house led up to the several parts ofthe roof. The court was divided by broad concrete paths into fourgardens. In the centre of each was a basin of water and a fountain, above which was a square opening of some twenty feet in the roof. Eachgarden was, so to speak, turfed with minute plants, smaller than daisyroots, and even more closely covering the soil than English lawngrass. These were of different colours--emerald, gold, andpurple--arranged in bands. This turf was broken by a number of beds ofall shapes, the crescent, circle, and six-rayed star being apparentlythe chief favourites. The smaller of these were severally filled withone or two flowers; in the larger, flowers of different colours wereset in patterns, generally rising from the outside to the centre, andnever allowing the soil to be seen through a single interval. Thecontrast of colours and tints was admirably ordered; the size, form, and structure of the flowers wonderfully various and alwaysexquisitely beautiful. The exact tints of silver and gold werefrequent and especially favoured, At each corner of every garden was ahollow silvery pillar, up which creepers with flowers of marvelloussize and beauty, and foliage of hues almost as striking as those ofthe flowers, were conducted to form a perfect arch overhead, partingoff the gardens from the walks. In each basin were fishes whosebrilliancy of colouring and beauty of form far surpassed anything Ihave seen in earthly seas or rivers. 

At the meeting of the four cross paths was a wide space covered with asoft woven carpet, upon which were strown cushions similar to those inmy room. On these several ladies were reclining, who rose as the headof the family approached. One who seemed by her manner to be themistress, and by her resemblance to some of her younger companions themother, of the family, wore a sort of light golden half-helmet on thehead, and over this, falling round her half-way to the waist, acrimson veil, intended apparently to protect her head and neck fromthe sun as much as to conceal them. Her face was partially uncovered. The dress of all was, except in colour and in certain omissions andadditions, much the same. The under-garments must have been slight inmaterial and few in number. Nothing was to be seen of them save thesleeves, which were of a delicate substance, resembling that of thefinest Parisian kid gloves, but far softer and finer. Over all was arobe almost without shape, save what it took from the figure to whichit closely adapted itself, suspended by broad ribbons and jewelledclasps from the shoulders, falling nearly to the ankles, and gatheredin by a zone at the waist. This garment left the neck, shoulders, andthe upper part of the bosom uncovered; but the veil, whether coveringthe head completely, drawn round all save the face, or consisting onlyof two separate muslin falls behind either ear, was always so arrangedas to render the general effect far more decorous than the "lowdresses" of European matrons and maidens. The ankles and feet wereentirely bare, save for sandals with an embroidered velvety coveringfor the toes, and silver bands clasped round the ankles. The eldestlady wore a pale green robe of a fine but very light silken-seemingfabric. Three younger ones wore a similar material of pink, withsilver head-dresses and veils hiding everything but the eyes. Allthese had sleeves reaching to the wrist, ending in gloves of the samefabric. Two young girls were robed in white gauze, with gauze veilsattached over either ear to a very slight silver coronal; their armsbare till the sleeve of the under-robe appeared, a couple of inchesbelow the shoulder; their bright soft faces and their long hair (whichfell freely down the back, kept in graceful order here and there byalmost invisible silver clasps or bands) were totally uncovered. "Amaiden, " says the Martialist, "may make the most of her charms; awife's beauty is her lord's exclusive right. " One of the girls, myhost's daughters, might almost have veiled her entire form above theknees in the masses of rich soft brown hair inherited from her father, but mingled with tresses of another tinge, shimmering like gold undercertain lights. Her eyes, of deepest violet, were shaded by dark thicklashes, so long that when the lids were closed they traced a clearblack curve on either cheek. The other maiden had, like their mother, and, I believe, like the younger matrons, the bright hair--flaxen inearly childhood, pale gold in maturer years--and the blue or grey eyescharacteristic of the race. My host spoke two or three words to thechief of the party, indicating me by a graceful and courteous wave ofthe hand, upon which the person addressed slightly bent her head, laying her hand at the same time upon her heart. The othersacknowledged the introduction by a similar but slighter inclination, and all resumed their places as soon as my host, seating himselfbetween us, signed to me to occupy some pillows which one of the youngladies arranged on his left hand, I had observed by this time that theleft hand was used by preference, as we use the right, for allpurposes, and therefore was naturally extended in courtesy; and theleft side was, for similar reasons, the place of honour. 

Three or four children were playing in another part of the court. All, with one exception, were remarkably beautiful and healthy-looking, certainly not less graceful in form and movement than the happiest andprettiest in our own world. Their tones were soft and gentle, andtheir bearing towards each other notably kind and considerate. Oneunfortunate little creature differed from the rest in all respects. Itwas slightly lame, misshapen rather than awkward, and with a face thatindicated bad health, bad temper, or both. Its manner was peevish andfractious, its tones sharp and harsh, and its actions rough and hasty. I took it for a mother's sickly favourite, deformed in character tocompensate for physical deformity. Watching them for a short time, Isaw the little creature repeatedly break out in all the humours of anill-tempered, over-indulged youngest-born in an ill-managed family;snatching toys from the others, and now and then slapping or pinchingthem. But they never returned either word or blow, even when pain orvexation brought the tears to their eyes. When its caprices becameintolerable most of its companions withdrew; one, however, alwaysremaining on the watch, even if driven from the immediateneighbourhood by its intolerably provoking temper, tones, and acts. 

Before sunset we were joined by a young man, who, first approaching myhost with a respectful inclination of the head, stood before him tillapparently desired by a few quiet words to speak; when he addressedthe head of the family in some short sentences, and then, at a signfrom him, turned to two of the squirrel-like animals, "ambau, " whichfollowed him. These then laid at my feet two large baskets, or openbags of golden network, containing many of the smaller objects left inthe Astronaut. Emptying these, they brought several more, till theyhad laid before me the whole of my wardrobe and my store of intendedpresents, books, and drawings, with such of my instruments as were notattached to the walls. It was evident that great care had been takennot to injure or dismantle the vessel. Nothing that actually belongedto it had been taken away, and of the articles brought not one hadbeen broken or damaged. It was equally evident that there was nointention or idea of appropriating them. They were brought and handedover to me as a host on Earth might send for the baggage of anunexpected guest. Of the various toys and ornaments that I had broughtfor the purpose, I offered several of the most precious to my host. Heaccepted one of the smallest and least valuable, rather declining tounderstand than refusing the offer of the rest. The bringer did thesame. Then placing in the chief's hands an open jewel-box containing avariety of the choicest jewellery, I requested by signs his permissionto offer them to the ladies. The elder ones imitated his example, andgraciously accepted one or two tasteful feminine ornaments, of farless beauty and value than any of the few splendid jewels that adornedtheir belts and clasped their robes at the shoulder, or fastened theirveils. The white-robed maidens shrank back shyly until the box waspressed upon them, when each, at a word from the mistress, selectedsome small gold or silver locket or chain; each at once placing thearticle accepted about her person, with an evident intention of addingto the grace with which it was received and acknowledging the intendedcourtesy. How valueless the most valuable of these trifles must havebeen in their eyes I had begun to suspect from what I saw, and wasafterwards made fully aware. As the shades of evening fell, thefountains ceased to play, the young man pressed electric springs whichclosed the openings in the roof, and, finally, turning a small handle, caused a bright light to diffuse itself over the whole garden, andthrough the doors into the chambers opening upon it. At the same timea warmer air gradually spread throughout the interior of the building. A meal was then served in small low trays, which was eaten by all ofus reclining on our cushions; after which the ladies retired, and myhost conducted me back to my chamber, and left me to repose. 

My books and sketches, as well as the portfolios of popular printswhich I had selected to assist me in describing the life and sceneryof our world, were, with my wardrobe and other properties, arranged onmy shelves by the _ambau_, under the direction of Kevimâ, the younggentleman who had superintended their removal and conveyance to hisfather's house. The portfolios gave me occasional means and topics ofpleasant intercourse with the family of my host, before we couldconverse at ease in their language. The children, though nevertroublesome or importunate, took frequent opportunities of stealinginto the room to look over the prints I produced for their amusement. The ladies also, particularly the violet-eyed maiden, who seemed to bethe especial guardian of the little ones, would draw near to look andlisten. The latter, though she never entered the room or directlyaddressed me, often assisted in explaining my broken sentences to hercharges, some of them not many years younger than herself. I tooksincere pleasure in the children's company and growing confidence, butthey were not the less welcome because they drew their sisters tolisten to my descriptions of an existence so strange and so remote inhabits and character, as well as in space. Perhaps their gentlegoverness learned more than any other member of the family respectingEarth-life, and my own adventures by land and water, in air and space. For, though just not child enough to share the children's freedom, shetook in all they heard; she listened in silence during our eveninggatherings to the conversation in which her father and brotherencouraged me to practise the language I was laboriously studying. Shehad, therefore, double opportunities of acquiring a knowledge whichseemed to interest her deeply; naturally, since it was so absolutelynovel, and communicated by one whose very presence was the mostmarvellous of the marvels it attested. How much she understood I couldnot judge. Except her mother, the ladies did not take a direct part inmy talk with the children, and but very seldom interposed, through myhost, a shy brief question when the evening brought us all together. The maidens, despite their theoretical privileges, were even morereserved than their elders, and the dark-haired Eveena the most silentand shy of all. 

I learned afterwards that the privilege of intercourse with the ladiesof the household, restricted as it was, was wholly exceptional, andeven in this family was conceded only out of consideration for one whocould not safely be allowed to leave the house. 

CHAPTER V - LANGUAGE, LAWS, AND LIFE. 

Though treated with the greatest kindness and courtesy, I soon foundreason to understand that I was, at least for the present, a prisoner. My host or his son never failed to invite me each day to spend sometime in the outer enclosure, but never intentionally left me alonethere. On one occasion, when Kevimâ had been called away and Iventured to walk down towards the gate, my host's youngest child, whohad been playing on the roof, ran after me, and reaching me just as myfoot was set on the spring that opened the gate or outer door, caughtme by the hand, and looking up into my face, expressed by glance andgesture a negative so unmistakable that I thought it expedient at onceto comply and return to the house. There my time was occupied, for asgreat a part of each day as I could give to such a task withoutextreme fatigue, in mastering the language of the country. This was amuch simpler task than might have been supposed. I soon found that, unlike any Terrestrial tongue, the language of this people had notgrown but been made--constructed deliberately on set principles, witha view to the greatest possible simplicity and the least possibletaxation of the memory. There were no exceptions or irregularities, and few unnecessary distinctions; while words were so connected andrelated that the mastery of a few simple grammatical forms and of acertain number of roots enabled me to guess at, and by and by to feeltolerably sure of, the meaning of a new word. The verb has six tenses, formed by the addition of a consonant to the root, and six persons, plural and singular, masculine and feminine. 

 Singular. | Masc. | Fem. || Plural. | Masc. | Fem. --------------|-------|------||----------|-------|-------- I am | avâ | ava || We are | avau | avaa Thou art | avo | avoo || You are | avou | avu He or she is | avy | ave || They are | avoi | avee --------------|-------|------||----------|-------|--------

The terminations are the three pronouns, feminine and masculine, singular and plural, each represented by one of twelve vowelcharacters, and declined like nouns. When a nominative immediatelyfollows the verb, the pronominal suffix is generally dropped, unlessrequired by euphony. Thus, "a man strikes" is _dak klaftas_, but inthe past tense, _dakny klaftas_, the verb without the suffix beingunpronounceable. The past tense is formed by the insertion of _n_(_avnâ_: "I have been"), the future by _m_: _avmâ_. The imperative, _avsâ_; which in the first person is used to convey determination orresolve; _avsâ_, spoken in a peremptory tone, meaning "I _will_ be, "while _avso_, according to the intonation, means "be" or "thou shaltbe;" i. E. , shalt whether or no. _R_ forms the conditional, _avrâ_, and_ren_ the conditional past, _avrenâ_, "I should have been. " The needfor a passive voice is avoided by the simple method of putting thepronoun in the accusative; thus, _dâcâ_ signifies "I strike, " _dâcal_(me strike) "I am struck. " The infinitive is _avi; avyta_, "being;"_avnyta_, "having been;" _avmyta_, "about to be. " These are declinedlike nouns, of which latter there are six forms, the masculine in _â, o, and y, _ the feminine in _a, oo, and e;_ the plurals being formedexactly as in the pronominal suffixes of the verb. The root-word, without inflexion, alone is used where the name is employed in noconnection with a verb, where in every terrestrial language thenominative would be employed. Thus, my guide had named thesquirrel-monkeys _ambau_ (sing. _ambâ_); but the word is declined asfollows:--

 _Singular. _ _Plural. _

 _Nominative_ ambâs ambaus

 _Accusative_ ambâl ambaul

 _Dative, to_ or _in_ ambân ambaun

 _Ablative, by_ or _from_ ambâm ambaum

The five other forms are declined in the same manner, the vowel of thelast syllable only differing. Adjectives are declined like nouns, buthave no comparative or superlative degree; the former being expressedby prefixing the intensitive syllable _ca_, the latter, when used(which is but seldom) by the prefix _ela_, signifying _the_ in anemphatic sense, as his Grace of Wellington is in England called _The_Duke _par excellence_. Prepositions and adverbs end in _t_ or _d_. 

Each form of the noun has, as a rule, its special relation to the verbof the same root: thus from dâc, "strike, " are derived _dâcâ_, "weapon" or "hammer;", _dâco_, a "stroke" or "striking" [as given]both masculine; _dâca_, "anvil;" _dâcoo_, "blow" or "beating" [asreceived]; and _dâke_, "a thing beaten, " feminine. The sixth form, _dâky_, masculine, has in this case no proper signification, and notbeing wanted, is not used. Individual letters or syllables are largelyemployed in combination to give new and even contradictory meanings toa root. Thus _n_, like the Latin _in_, signifies "penetration, ""motion towards, " or simply "remaining in a place, " or, again, "permanence. " _M_, like the Latin _ab_ or _ex_, indicates "motionfrom. " _R_ expresses "uncertainty" or "incompleteness, " and isemployed to convert a statement into a question, or a relative pronouninto one of inquiry. _G_, like the Greek _a_ or _anti_, generallysignifies "opposition" or "negation;" _ca_ is, as aforesaid, intensitive, and is employed, for example, to convert _âfi_, "tobreathe, " into _câfi_, "to speak. " _Cr_ is by itself an interjectionof abhorrence or disgust; in composition it indicates detestation ordestruction: thus, _crâky_ signifies "hatred;" _crâvi_, "thedestruction of life" or "to kill. " _L_ for the most part indicatespassivity, but with different effect according to its place in theword. Thus _mepi_ signifies "to rule;" _mepil_, "to be ruled;"_melpi_, "to control one's self;" _lempi_, "to obey. " Thesignification of roots themselves is modified by a modification of theprincipal vowel or consonant, _i. E. _, by exchanging the original forone closely related. Thus _avi_, "exist;" _âvi_, "be, " in the positivesense of being this or that; _afi_, "live;" _âfi_, "breathe. " _Z_ is adiminutive; _zin_, "with, " often abbreviated to _zn_, "combination, ""union. " Thus _znaftau_ means "those who were brought into lifetogether, " or "brethren. "

I may add, before I quit this subject, that the Martial system ofarithmetic differs from ours principally in the use of a duodecimalinstead of a decimal basis. Figures are written on a surface dividedinto minute squares, and the value of a figure, whether it signify somany units, dozens, twelve dozens, and so forth, depends upon thesquare in which it is placed. The central square of a line representsthe unit's place, and is marked by a line drawn above it. Thus afigure answering to our I, if placed in the fourth square to the left, represents 1728. In the third place to the right, counting the unitsquare in both cases, it signifies 1/144, and so forth. 

In less than a fortnight I had obtained a general idea of thelanguage, and was able to read easily the graven representations ofspoken sound which I have described; and by the end of a month (to usea word which had no meaning here) I could speak intelligibly if notfreely. Only in a language so simple could my own anxiety to overcomeas soon as possible a fatal obstacle to all investigation of this newworld, and the diligent and patient assistance given by my host or hisson for a great part of every day, have enabled me to make such rapidprogress. I had noted even, during the short evening gatherings whenthe whole family was assembled, the extreme taciturnity of both sexes;and by the time I could make myself understood, I was not surprised tolearn that the Martials have scarcely the idea of what we mean byconversation, not talking for the sake of talking, or speaking unlessthey have something to discuss, explain, or communicate. I found, again, that a new and much more difficult task, though fortunately onenot so indispensable, was still in store for me. The Martials have twoforms of writing: the one I have described, which is simply amechanical rendering of spoken words into artificially simplifiedvisible signs; the other, written by hand, with a fine pencil of somechemical material on a prepared surface, textile or metallic. Thecharacters of the latter are, like ours wholly arbitrary; but thecontractions and abbreviations are so numerous that the mastery of themere alphabet, the forty or fifty single letters employed, is but asingle step in the first stage of the hard task of learning to read. In no country on Earth, except China, is this task half so severe asin Mars. On the other hand, when it is once mastered, a far superiorinstrument has been gained; the Martial writing being a most terse butperfectly legible shorthand. Every Martial can write at least asquickly as he can speak, and can read the written character morerapidly than the quickest eye can peruse the best Terrestrial print. Copies, whether of the phonographic or stylographic writing, aremultiplied with extreme facility and perfection. The original, onceinscribed in either manner upon the above-mentioned _tafroo_ orgold-leaf, is placed upon a sheet of a species of linen, smoother thanpaper, called _difra_. A current of electricity sent through theformer reproduces the writing exactly upon the latter, which has beenpreviously steeped in some chemical composition; the effect apparentlydepending on the passage of the electricity through the untouchedmetal, and its absolute interception by the ink, if I may so call it, of the writing, which bites deeply into the leaf. This process can berepeated almost _ad libitum_; and it is equally easy to take at anytime a fresh copy upon _tafroo_, which serves again for thereproduction of any number of _difra_ copies. The book, for theconvenience of this mode of reproduction, consists of a single sheet, generally from four to eight inches in breadth and of any lengthrequired. The writing intended to be thus copied is always minute, andis read for the most part through magnifying spectacles. A roller isattached to each end of the sheet, and when not in use the latter iswound round that attached to the conclusion. When required forreading, both rollers are fixed in a stand, and slowly moved byclockwork, which spreads before the eyes of the reader a length ofabout four inches at once. The motion is slackened or quickened at thereader's pleasure, and can be stopped altogether, by touching aspring. Another means of reproducing, not merely writings or drawings, but natural objects, consists in a simple adaptation of the _cameraobscura_. [The only essential difference from our photographs beingthat the Martial art reproduces colour as well as outline, I omit thisdescription. ]

While I was practising myself in the Martial language my host turnedour experimental conversations chiefly, if not exclusively, uponTerrestrial subjects; endeavouring to learn all that I could convey tohim of the physical peculiarities of the Earth, of geology, geography, vegetation, animal life in all its forms, human existence, laws, manners, social and domestic order. Afterwards, when, at the end ofsome fifty days, he found that we could converse, if not with ease yetwithout fear of serious misapprehension, he took an early opportunityof explaining to me the causes and circumstances of my unfriendlyreception among his people. 

"Your size and form, " he said, "startled and surprised them. I gatherfrom what you have told me that on Earth there are many nations veryimperfectly known to one another, with different dress, language, andmanners. This planet is now inhabited by a single race, all speakingthe same tongue, using much the same customs, and differing from oneanother in form and size much less widely than (I understand) do menupon your Earth. There you might have been taken for a visitor fromsome strange and unexplored country. Here it was clear that you werenot one of our race, and yet it was inconceivable what else you couldbe. We have no giants; the tallest skeleton preserved in our museumsis scarcely a hand's breadth taller than myself, and does not, ofcourse, approach to your stature. Then, as you have pointed out, yourlimbs are longer and your chest smaller in proportion to the rest ofthe body; probably because, as you seem to say, your atmosphere isdenser than ours, and we require ampler lungs to inhale the quantityof air necessary at each breath for the oxidation of the blood. Thenyou were not dumb, and yet affected not to understand our language andto speak a different one. No such creature could have existed in thisplanet without having been seen, described, and canvassed. You didnot, therefore, belong to us. The story you told by signs was quicklyapprehended, and as quickly rejected as an audacious impossibility. Itwas an insult to the intelligence of your hearers, and a sufficientground for suspecting a being of such size and physical strength ofsome evil or dangerous design. The mob who first attacked you wereprobably only perplexed and irritated; those who subsequentlyinterfered may have been animated also by scientific curiosity. Youwould have been well worth anatomisation and chemical analysis. Yourmail-shirt protected you from the shock of the dragon, which was meantto paralyse and place you at the mercy of your assailants; the metaldistributing the current, and the silken lining resisting its passage. Still, at the moment when I interposed, you would certainly have beendestroyed but for your manoeuvre of laying hold of two of yourimmediate escort. Our destructive weapons are far superior to any youpossess or have described. That levelled at you by my neighbour wouldhave sent to ten times your distance a small ball, which, bursting, would have asphyxiated every living thing for several yards around. But our laws regarding the use of such weapons are very stringent, andyour enemy dared not imperil the lives of those you held. Those lawswould not, he evidently thought, apply to yourself, who, as he wouldhave affirmed, could not be regarded as a man and an object of legalprotection. "

He explained the motives and conduct of his countrymen with suchperfect coolness, such absence of surprise or indignation, that I feltslightly nettled, and answered sarcastically, "If the slaughter ofstrangers whose account of themselves appears improbable be socompletely a matter of course among you, I am at a loss to understandyour own interference, and the treatment I have received from yourselfand your family, so utterly opposite in spirit as well as in form tothat I met from everybody else. "

"I do not, " he answered, "always act from the motives in vogue amongmy fellow-creatures of this planet; but why and how I differ from themit might not be well to explain. It is for the moment of moreconsequence to tell you why you have been kept in some sense aprisoner here. My neighbours, independently of general laws, are forcertain reasons afraid to do me serious wrong. While in my company orin my dwelling they could hardly attempt your life without endangeringmine or those of my family. If you were seen alone outside mypremises, another attempt, whether by the asphyxiator or by adestructive animal, would probably be made, and might this time provesuccessful. Till, therefore, the question of your humanity and rightto the protection of our law is decided by those to whom it has beensubmitted, I will beg you not to venture alone beyond the bounds thatafford you security; and to believe that in this request, as indetaining you perforce heretofore, I am acting simply for your ownwelfare, and not, " he added, smiling, "with a view to secure the firstopportunity of putting your relation to our race to the tests of thedissecting table and the laboratory. "

"But my story explained everything that seemed inexplicable; why wasit not believed? It was assumed that I could not belong to Mars; yet Iwas a living creature in the flesh, and must therefore have come fromsome other planet, as I could hardly be supposed to be an inhabitantof space. "

"We don't reason on impossibilities, " replied my friend. "We have amaxim that it is more probable that any number of witnesses shouldlie, that the senses of any number of persons should be deluded, thanthat a miracle should be true; and by a miracle we mean aninterruption or violation of the known laws of nature. "

"One eminent terrestrial sceptic, " I rejoined, "has said the samething, and masters of the science of probabilities have supported hisassertion. But a miracle should be a violation not merely of the knownbut of all the laws of nature, and until you know all those laws, howcan you tell what is a miracle? The lifting of iron by a magnet--Isuppose you have iron and loadstones here as we have on Earth--was, tothe first man who witnessed it, just as complete a violation of thelaw of gravity as now appears my voyage through space, accomplished bya force bearing some relation to that which acts through the magnet. "

"Our philosophers, " he answered, "are probably satisfied that theyknow nearly all that is to be known of natural laws and forces; and todelusion or illusion human sense is undeniably liable. "

"If, " I said, "you cannot trust your senses, you may as welldisbelieve in your own existence and in everything around you, for youknow nothing save through those senses which are liable to illusion. But we know practically that there are limits to illusion. At anyrate, your maxim leads directly and practically to the inference that, since I do not belong to Mars and cannot have come from any otherworld, I am not here, and in fact do not exist. Surely it was somewhatillogical to shoot an illusion and intend to dissect a spectre! Is nota fact the complete and unanswerable refutation of its impossibility?"

"A good many facts to which I could testify, " he replied, "are in thisworld confessed impossibilities, and if my neighbours witnessed themthey would pronounce them to be either impostures or illusions. "

"Then, " said I, somewhat indignantly, "they must prefer inferencesfrom facts to facts themselves, and the deductions of logic to theevidence of their senses. Yet, if that evidence be wanting incertainty, then, since no chain can be stronger than its weakestpoint, inferences are doubly uncertain; first, because they are drawnfrom facts reported by sense, and, secondly, because a flaw in thelogic is always possible. "

"Do not repeat that out of doors, " he answered, smiling. "It is notpermitted here to doubt the infallibility of science; and any one whoventures to affirm persistently a story which science pronouncesimpossible (like your voyage through space), if he do not fall at oncea victim to popular piety, would be consigned to the worse than livingdeath of life-long confinement in a lunatic hospital. "

"In that case I fear very much that I have little chance of being putunder the protection of your laws, since, whatever may be theimpression of those who have seen me, every one else must inevitablypronounce me non-existent; and a nonentity can hardly be the subjectof legal wrong or have a right to legal redress. "

"Nor, " he replied, "can there be any need or any right to annihilatethat which does not exist. This alternative may occupy our Courts ofJustice, for aught I know, longer than you or I can hope to live. WhatI have asked is that, till these have decided between twocontradictory absurdities, you shall be provisionally and withoutprejudice considered as a human reality and an object of legalprotection. "

"And who, " I asked, "has authority _ad interim_ to decide this point?"

"It was submitted, " he answered, "in the first place, to the Astyntâ(captain, president) who governs this district; but, as I expected, hedeclined to pronounce upon it, and referred it to the Mepta (governor)of the province. Half-an-hour's argument so bewildered the latter thathe sent the question immediately to the Zamptâ (Regent) of thisdominion, and he, after hearing by telegraph the opening of the case, at once pronounced that, as affecting the entire planet, it must bedecided by the Camptâ or Suzerain. Now this gentleman is impatient ofthe dogmatism of the philosophers, who have tried recently to imposeupon him one or two new theoretical rules which would limit the amountof what he calls free will that he practically enjoys; and as thephilosophers are all against you, and as, moreover, he has a strongthough secret hankering after curious phenomena--it would not do tosay, after impossibilities--I do not think he will allow you to bedestroyed, at least till he has seen you. "

"Is it possible, " I said, "that even your monarch cherishes a beliefin the incredible or logically impossible, and yet escapes the lunaticasylum with which you threaten me?"

"I should not escape grave consequences were I to attribute to him aheresy so detestable, " said my host. "Even the Camptâ would not berash enough to let it be said that he doubts the infallibility ofscience, or of public opinion as its exponent. But as it is the worstof offences to suggest the existence of that which is pronouncedimpossible or unscientific, the supreme authority can always, invirtue of the enormity of the guilt, insist on undertaking himself theexecutive investigation of all such cases; and generally contrives tohave the impossibility, if a tangible one, brought into the presenceeither as evidence or as accomplice. "

"Well, " I rejoined, after a few minutes' reflection, "I don't knowthat I have much right to complain of ideas which, after all, are butthe logical development of those which, are finding constantly moreand more favour among our most enlightened nations. I can quitebelieve, from what I have seen of our leading scientists, that inanother century it may be dangerous in my own country for mydescendants to profess that belief in a Creator and a future lifewhich I am superstitious enough to prefer to all the revelations ofall the material sciences. "

"As you value your life and freedom, " he replied, "don't speak of sucha belief here, save to the members of my own family, and to those withwhom I may tell you you are safe. Such ideas were held here, almost asgenerally as you say they now are on Earth, some twelve thousand yearsago, and twenty thousand years ago their profession was compulsory. But for the last hundred centuries it has been settled that they areutterly fatal to the progress of the race, to enlightenment, tomorality, and to the practical devotion of our energies to thebusiness of life; and they are not merely disavowed and denounced, buthated with an earnestness proportioned to the scientific enthusiasm ofclasses and individuals. "

"But, " said I, "if so long, so severely, and so universallydiscountenanced, how can their expression by one man here or there beconsidered perilous?"

"Our philosophers say, " he replied, "that the attractiveness of theseideas to certain minds is such that no reasoning, no demonstration oftheir absurdity, will prevent their exercising a mischievous influenceupon weak, and especially upon feminine natures; and perhaps thesuspicion that they are still held in secret may contribute to keepalive the bitterness with which they are repudiated and repressed. Butif they are so held, if there be any who believe that the order of theuniverse was at first established, and that its active forces arestill sustained and governed, by a conscious Intelligence--if there bethose who think that they have proof positive of the continuedexistence of human beings after death--their secret has been wellkept. For very many centuries have elapsed since the last victim ofsuch delusions, as they were solemnly pronounced by public vote in thereign of the four-hundredth predecessor of the present Camptâ, wassent as incurable to the dangerous ward of our strictest hospital forthe insane. "

A tone of irony, and at the same time an air of guarded reserve, seemed to pervade all my host's remarks on this subject, and Iperceived that for some reason it was so unpleasant to him thatcourtesy obliged me to drop it. I put, therefore, to turn theconversation, some questions as to the political organisation of whichhis words had afforded me a glimpse; and in reply he undertook to giveme a summary of the political history of his planet during the lastfew hundred generations. 

"If, " he said, "in giving you this sketch of the process by which ourpresent social order has been established, I should mention a class orparty who have stood at certain times distinctly apart from or inopposition to the majority, I must, in the first place, beg you to askno questions about them, and in the next not to repeat incautiouslythe little I may tell you, or to show, by asking questions of others, what you have heard from me. "

I gave my promise frankly, of course, and he then gave me thefollowing sketch of Martial history:--

We date events from the union of all races and nations in a singleState, a union which was formally established 13, 218 years ago. Atthat time the large majority of the inhabitants of this planetpossessed no other property than their houses, clothes, and tools, their furniture, and a few other trifles. The land was owned by fewerthan 400, 000 proprietors. Those who possessed movable wealth may havenumbered thrice as many. Political and social power was in the handsof the owners of property, and of those, generally connected with themby birth or marriage, who were at any rate not dependent on manuallabour for their bread. But among these there were divisions andfactions on various questions more or less trivial, none of themapproaching in importance or interest to the fundamental andirreconcilable conflict sure one day to arise between those who hadaccumulated wealth and those who had not. To gain their ends in one oranother of these frivolous quarrels, each party in turn admitted topolitical influence section after section of what you call theproletariat; till in the year 3278 universal suffrage was granted, every man and woman over the age of twelve years [6] being entitled toa single and equal vote. 

About the same time the change in opinion of which I have spoken hadtaken general effect, and the vast majority of the men, at any rate, had ceased to believe in a future life wherein the inequalities andiniquities of this might be redressed. It followed that they werefiercely impatient of hardships and suffering, especially such as theythought might be redressed by political and social changes. Theleaders of the multitude, for the most part men belonging to thepropertied classes who had either wasted their wealth or neverpossessed any, demanded the abolition of private ownership, first ofland, then of movable wealth; a demand which fiercely excited thepassions of those who possessed neither, and as bitterly provoked theanger and alarm of those who did. The struggle raged for somegenerations and ended by an appeal to the sword; in which, since theforce of the State was by law in the hands of the majority, theintelligent, thrifty, careful owners of property with their adherentswere signally defeated. Universal communism was established in 3412, none being permitted to own, or even to claim, the exclusive use ofany portion of the planet's surface, or of any other property exceptthe share of food and clothing allotted to him. One only privilege wasallowed to certain sectaries who still clung to the habits of thepast, to the permanence and privacy of family life. They werepermitted to have houses or portions of houses to themselves, and tolive there on the share of the public produce allotted to the severalmembers of each household. It had been assumed as matter of course bythe majority that when every one was forced to work there would bemore than enough for all; that public spirit, and if necessarycoercion, would prove as effectual stimulants to exertion and industryas interest and necessity had done under the system of privateownership. 

Those who relied on the refutation of this theory forgot that withpoor and suffering men who look to no future, and acknowledge no lawbut such as is created by their own capricious will and pleasure, envyis even a more powerful passion than greed. The Many preferred thatwealth and luxury should be destroyed, rather than that they should bethe exclusive possession of the Few. The first and most visible effectof Communism was the utter disappearance of all perishable luxuries, of all food, clothing, furniture, better than that enjoyed by thepoorest. Whatever could not be produced in quantities sufficient togive each an appreciable share was not produced at all. Next, thequarrels arising out of the apportionment of labour were bitter, constant, and savage. Only a grinding despotism could compose them, and those who wielded such despotism for a short time excited duringthe period of their rule such fierce and universal hatred, that theywere invariably overturned and almost invariably murdered before theirvery brief legal term of office had closed. It was not only that thoseengaged in the same kind of labour quarrelled over the task assignedto each, whether allotted in proportion to his strength, or to thedifficulty of his labour, or by lot equally to all. Those to whom theless agreeable employments were assigned rebelled or murmured, and atlast it was necessary to substitute rotation for division of labour, since no one would admit that he was best fitted for the lower or lessagreeable. Of course we thus wasted silver tools in doing the work ofiron, and reduced enormously the general production of wealth. Next, it was found that since one man's industry or idleness could produceno appreciable effect upon the general wealth, still less upon theparticular share assigned to him, every man was as idle as the envyand jealousy of his neighbours would allow. Finally, as the produceannually diminished and the number of mouths to be fed became aserious consideration, the parents of many children were regarded aspublic enemies. The entire independence of women, as equal citizens, with no recognised relation to individual men, was the inevitableoutcome, logically and practically, of the Communistic principle; butthis only made matters worse. Attempts were of course made to restrainmultiplication by law, but this brought about inquisitions so utterlyintolerable that human nature revolted against them. The sectaries Ihave mentioned--around whom, without adopting or even understandingtheir principles, gradually gathered all the better elements ofsociety, every man of intellect and spirit who had not been murdered, with a still larger proportion of women--seceded separately or inconsiderable numbers at once; established themselves in those parts ofthe planet whose less fertile soil or less genial climate had causedthem to be abandoned, and there organised societies on the oldprinciples of private ownership and the permanence of household ties. By and by, as they visibly prospered, they attracted the envy andgreed of the Communists. They worked under whatever disadvantage couldbe inflicted by climate and soil, but they had a much more thancountervailing advantage in mutual attachment, in freedom from thebitter passions necessarily excited by the jealousy and incessantmutual interference inseparable from the Communistic system, and intheir escape from the caprice and instability of populargovernment--these societies, whether from wisdom or mere reaction, submitting to the rule of one or a few chief magistrates selected bythe natural leaders of each community. Moreover, they had not merelythe adhesion of all the more able, ambitious, and intellectual whoseceded from a republic in which neither talent nor industry couldgive comfort or advantage, but also the full benefit of inventivegenius, stimulated by the hope of wealth in addition to whateverpublic spirit the habits of Communism had not extinguished. Theysystematically encouraged the cultivation of science, which theCommunists had very early put down as a withdrawal of energy from thelabour due to the community at large. They had a monopoly ofmachinery, of improvement, of invention both in agriculture, inmanufactures, and in self-defence. They devised weapons far moredestructive than those possessed by the old _régime_, and still moresuperior to such as, after centuries of anarchy and decline, theCommunists were able to procure. Finally, when assailed by the latter, vast superiority of numbers was annulled by immeasurable superiorityin weapons and in discipline. The secessionists were animated, too, bya bitter resentment against their assailants, as the authors of thegeneral ruin and of much individual suffering; and when the victorywas gained, they not infrequently improved it to the utter destructionof all who had taken part in the attack. Whichever side were most toblame in the feud, no quarter was given by either. It was aninternecine war of numbers, ignorance, and anarchy against science andorder. On both sides there still remained much of the spirit generatedin times when life was less precious than the valour by which alone itcould be held, and preserved through milder ages by the belief thatdeath was not annihilation--enough to give to both parties courage tosacrifice their lives for the victory of their cause and thedestruction of their enemies. But after a few crushing defeats, theCommunists were compelled to sue for peace, and to cede a large partof their richest territory. Driven back into their own chaotic misery, deterred by merciless punishment from further invasion of theirneighbours' dominions, they had leisure to contrast their wretchedcondition with that of those who prospered under the restored systemof private ownership, family interest, strong, orderly, permanentgovernment, material and intellectual civilisation. Machinery did forthe new State, into which the seceding societies were consolidated bythe necessity of self-defence, much more than it had done beforeCommunism declared war on it. The same envy which, if war had been anylonger possible, would have urged the Communists again and again toplunder the wealth that contrasted so forcibly their own increasingpoverty, now humbled them to admire and covet the means which hadproduced it. At last, after bitter intestine struggles, theyvoluntarily submitted to the rule of their rivals, and entreated thelatter to accept them as subjects and pupils. Thus in the 39th centuryorder and property were once more established throughout the planet. 

"But, as I have said, what you call religion had altogetherdisappeared--had ceased, at least as an avowed principle, to affectthe ideas and conduct of society or of individuals. There-establishment of peace and order concentrated men's energies on theproduction of material wealth and the achievement of physical comfortand ease. Looking forward to nothing after death, they could only makethe best of the short life permitted to them and do their utmost tolengthen it. In the assurance of speedy separation, affection became asource of much more anxiety and sorrow than happiness. All ties beingprecarious and their endurance short, their force became less andless; till the utmost enjoyment of the longest possible life forhimself became the sole, or almost the sole, animating motive, the oneparamount interest, of each individual. The equality which logic hadestablished between the sexes dissolved the family tie. It wasimpossible for law to dictate the conditions on which two free andequal individuals should live together, merely because they differedin sex. All the State could do it did; it insisted on a provision forthe children. But when parental affection was extinguished, suchprovision could only be secured by handing over the infant and itsportion to the guardianship of the State. As children were troublesomeand noisy, the practice of giving them up to public officers to bebrought up in vast nurseries regulated on the strictest scientificprinciples became the general rule, and was soon regarded as a duty;what was at first almost openly avowed selfishness soon justifying andglorifying itself on the ground that the children were better offunder the care of those whose undivided attention was given to them, and in establishments where everything was regulated with sole regardto their welfare, than they could be at home. No law compels us tosend our children to these establishments. In rare cases a favouritewill persuade her lord to retain her pet son and make him heir, butboth the Courts and public opinion discountenance this practice. Somefamilies, like my own, systematically retain their children andeducate them at home; but it is generally thought that in doing so wedo them a wrong, and our neighbours look askance upon so signal adeviation from custom; the more so, perhaps, that they half suspect usof dissenting from their views on other subjects, on which ouropinions do not so directly or so obviously affect our conduct, and onwhich therefore we are not so easily convicted of free choice"[heresy]. Here I inquired whether the birth and parentage of thechildren sent to the public establishments were registered, so as topermit their being reclaimed or inheriting property. 

"No, " he replied. "Inheritance by mere descent is a notion no longerfavoured. I believe that young mothers sometimes, before parting withtheir children, impress upon them some indelible mark by which it maybe possible hereafter to recognise them; but such recognitions seldomoccur. Maternal affection is discountenanced as a purely animalinstinct, a survival from a lower grade of organisation, and does notgenerally outlast a ten years' separation; while paternal love isutterly scouted as an absurdity to which even the higher animals arenot subject. Boys are kept in the public establishments until the ageof twelve, those from ten to twelve being separated from the youngerones and passing through the higher education in separate colleges. The girls are educated apart till they complete their tenth year, andare almost invariably married in the course of the next. At first, under the influence of the theory of sexual equality, both receivedtheir intellectual instruction in the same classes and passed throughthe same examinations. Separation was soon found necessary; but stillgirls passed through the same intellectual training as their brothers. Experience, however, showed that this would not answer. Those girlswho distinguished themselves in the examinations were, with scarcelyan exception, found unattractive as wives and unfit to be mothers. Avery much larger number, a number increasing in every generation, suffered unmistakably from the severity of the mental discipline towhich they were subjected. The advocates of female equality made avery hard fight for equal culture; but the physical consequences wereperfectly clear and perfectly intolerable. When a point was reached atwhich one half the girls of each generation were rendered invalids forlife, and the other half protected only by a dense stupidity orvolatile idleness which no school punishments could overcome, theEqualists were driven from one untenable point to another, and forcedat last to demand a reduction of the masculine standard of educationto the level of feminine capacities. Upon this ground they took theirlast stand, and were hopelessly beaten. The reaction was so completethat for the last two hundred and forty generations, the standard offemale education has been lowered to that which by general confessionordinary female brains can stand without injury to the physique. Thepractical consequences of sexual equality have re-established in amore absolute form than ever the principle that the first purpose offemale life is marriage and maternity; and that, for their own sakesas for the sake of each successive generation, women should be sotrained as to be attractive wives and mothers of healthy children, allother considerations being subordinated to these. A certain smallnumber of ladies avail themselves of the legal equality they stillenjoy, and live in the world much as men. But we regard them asthird-rate men in petticoats, hardly as women at all. Marriage withone of them is the last resource to which a man too idle or toofoolish to earn his own living will betake himself. Whatever theireducation, our women have always found that such independence as theycould earn by hard work was less satisfactory than the dependence, coupled with assured comfort and ease, which they enjoy as theconsorts, playthings, or slaves of the other sex; and they are onlytoo glad to barter their legal equality for the certainty ofprotection, indolence, and permanent support. "

"Then your marriages, " I said, "are permanent?"

"Not by law, " he replied. "Nothing like what our remote ancestorscalled marriage is recognised at all. The maidens who come of age eachyear sell themselves by a sort of auction, those who purchase themarranging with the girls themselves the terms on which the latter willenter their family. Custom has fixed the general conditions whichevery girl expects, and which only the least attractive are forced toforego. They are promised a permanent maintenance from their master'sestate, and promise in return a fixed term of marriage. After two orthree years they are free to rescind the contract; after ten or twelvethey may leave their husbands with a stipulated pension. They receivean allowance for dress and so forth proportionate to their personalattractions or to the fancy of the suitor; and of course the richestmen can offer the best terms, and generally secure the most agreeablewives, in whatever number they please or think they can withoutinconvenience support. "

"Then, " I said, "the women can divorce themselves at pleasure, but themen cannot dismiss them! This hardly looks like equality. "

"The practical result, " he answered, "is that men don't care for arelease which would part them from complaisant slaves, and that womendare not seek a divorce which can only hand them over to anothermaster on rather worse terms. When the longer term has expired, thelatter almost always prefer the servitude to which they are accustomedto an independent life of solitude and friendlessness. "

"And what becomes, " I asked, "of the younger men who must enter theworld without property, without parents or protectors?"

"We are, after youth has passed, an indolent race. We hardly care, asa rule, to cultivate our fields or direct our factories; but preferdevoting the latter half at least of our lives to a somewhateasy-going cultivation of that division of science which takes hold ofour fancy. These divisions are such as your conversation leads me tothink you would probably consider absurdly minute. A single class ofinsects, a single family of plants, the habits of one race of fishes, suffice for the exclusive study of half a lifetime. Minds of a moreactive or more practical bent will spend an equal time over theconstruction of a new machine more absolutely automatic than any thathas preceded it. Physical labour is thrown as much as possible on theyoung; and even they are now so helped by machinery and by trainedanimals, that the eight hours' work which forms their day's labourhardly tires their muscles. Our tastes render us very anxious todevolve upon others as soon as possible the preservation anddevelopment of the property we have acquired. A man of moderate means, long before he has reached his thirtieth [7] year, generally seeks oneassistant; men of larger fortune may want two, five, or ten. These arechosen, as a rule, by preference from those who have passed the moststringent and successful collegiate examination. Martial parents arenot prolific, and the mortality in our public nurseries is very large. I impute it to moral influences, since the chief cause of death is lowvitality, marked nervous depression and want of animal spirits, suchas the total absence of personal tenderness and sympathy must producein children. It is popularly ascribed to the over-cultivation of therace, as plants and animals highly civilised--that is, greatlymodified and bred to an artificial excellence by human agency--arecertainly delicate, unprolific, and especially difficult to rear. There is little disease in the nurseries, but there is little healthand a deficiency of nervous energy. One fact is significant, howeverinterpreted, and bears directly on your last question. Since the wideextension of polygamy, female births are to male about as seven tosix; but the deaths in public nurseries between the first and tenthyears are twenty-nine in twelve dozen admissions in the stronger sex, and only about ten in the weaker. Read these facts as we may, theyensure employment to the young men when their education iscompleted--the two last years of severe study adding somewhat to themortality among them. 

"A large number find employment in superintending the property ofothers. To give them a practical interest in its preservation andimprovement, they are generally, after a shorter or longer probation, adopted by their employers as heirs to their estate; our experience ofCommunism having taught us that immediate and obvious self-interest isthe only motive that certainly and seriously affects human action. Thedistance at which they are kept, and the absolute seclusion of ourfamily life, enables us easily to secure ourselves against anyover-anxiety on their part to anticipate their inheritance. Theminority who do not thus find a regular place in society are employedin factories, as artisans, or on the lands belonging to the State. Toensure their zeal, the last receive a fixed proportion of the produce, or are permitted to rent land at fixed rates, and at the end of tenyears receive a part thereof in full property. By these means we arefree from all the dangers and difficulties of that state of societywhich preceded the Communistic cataclysm. We have poor men, and menwho can live only by daily labour; but these have dissipated theirwealth, or are looking forward at no very distant period to asufficient competence. The entire population of our planet does notexceed two hundred millions, and is not much increased from generationto generation. The area of cultivable land is about ten millions ofsquare miles, and half a square mile in these equatorial continents, which alone are at all generally inhabited, will, if well cultivatedand cared for, furnish the largest household with every luxury thatman's heart can desire. Eight hours' labour in the day for ten yearsof life will secure to the least fortunate a reasonable competence;and an ambitious man, with quick intelligence and reasonable industry, may always hope to become rich, if he thinks wealth worth the labourof invention or of exceptionally troublesome work. "

"Mars ought, then, " I said, "to be a material paradise. You haveattained nearly all that our most advanced political economists regardas the perfection of economical order--a population nearly stationary, and a soil much more than adequate to their support; a generaldistribution of property, total absence of permanent poverty, andfreedom from that gnawing anxiety regarding the future of ourselves orour children which is the great evil of life upon Earth and theopprobrium of our social arrangements. You have carried out, moreover, the doctrines of our most advanced philosophers; you have absoluteequality before the law, competitive examination among the young forthe best start in life, with equal chances wherever equality ispossible; and again, perfect freedom and full legal equality asregards the relations of the sexes. Are your countrymen satisfied withthe results?"

"Yes, " answered my host, "in so far, at least, that they have no wishto change them, no idea that any great social or political reformscould improve our condition. Our lesson in Communism has rendered allagitation on such matters, all tendency to democratic institutions, all appeals to popular passions, utterly odious and alarming to us. But that we are happy I will venture neither to affirm nor to deny. Physically, no doubt, we have great advantages over you, if I rightlyunderstand your description of life on Earth. We have got rid of oldage, and, to a great extent, of disease. Many of our scientistspersist in the hope to get rid of death; but, since all that has beenaccomplished in this direction was accomplished some two thousandyears back, and yet we continue to die, general opinion hardly concursin this hope. "

"How do you mean, " I inquired, "that you have got rid of old age andof disease?"

"We have, " he replied, "learned pretty fully the chemistry of life. Wehave found remedies for that hardening of the bones and weakening ofthe muscles which used to be the physical characteristics of decliningyears. Our hair no longer whitens; our teeth, if they decay, are nowremoved and naturally replaced by new ones; our eyes retain to thelast the clearness of their sight. A famous physician of five thousandyears back said in controversy on this subject, that 'the clock wasnot made to go for ever;' by which he meant that human bodies, likethe materials of machines, wore out by lapse of time. In his day thiswas true, since it was impossible fully to repair the waste andphysical wear and tear of the human frame. This is no longer so. Theclock does not wear out, but it goes more and more slowly andirregularly, and stops at last for some reason that the most skilfulinspection cannot discover. The body of him who dies, as we say, 'byefflux of time' at the age of fifty is as perfect as it was atfive-and twenty. [8] Yet few men live to be fifty-five, [9] and mosthave ceased to take much interest in practical life, or even inscience, by forty-five. " [10]

"That seems strange, " I said. "If no foreign body gets into themachinery, and the machinery itself does not wear out, it is difficultto understand why the clock should cease to go. "

"Would not some of your race, " he asked, "explain the mystery bysuggesting that the human frame is not a clock, but contains, and owesits life to, an essence beyond the reach of the scalpel, themicroscope, and the laboratory?"

"They hold that it is so. But then it is not the soul but the bodythat is worn out in seventy or eighty of the Earth's revolutions. "

"Ay, " he said; "but if man were such a duplex being, it might be thatthe wearing out of the body was necessary, and had been adapted torelease the soul when it had completed its appropriate term of servicein the flesh. "

I could not answer this question, and he did not pursue the theme. Presently I inquired, "If you allow no appeal to popular feeling orpassion, to what was I so nearly the victim? And what is the terrorismthat makes it dangerous to avow a credulity or incredulity opposed toreceived opinion?"

"Scientific controversies, " he replied, "enlist our strongest andangriest feelings. It is held that only wickedness or lunacy canresist the evidence that has convinced a vast majority. Byarithmetical calculation the chances that twelve men are wrong andtwelve thousand [11] right, on a matter of inductive or deductiveproof, are found to amount to what must be taken for practicalcertainty; and when the twelve still hold out, they are regarded asmadmen or knaves, and treated accordingly by their fellows. If it bethought desirable to invoke a legal settlement of the issue, a councilof all the overseers of our scientific colleges is called, and itsdecision is by law irrevocable and infallible, especially if ratifiedby the popular voice. And if a majority vote be worth anything at all, I think this modern theory at least as sound as the democratic theoryof politics which prevailed here before the Communistic revolution, and which seems by your account to be gaining ground on Earth. "

"And what, " I inquired, "is your political constitution? What are thepowers of your rulers; and how, in the absence of public discussionand popular suffrage, are they practically limited?"

"In theory they are unlimited, " he answered; "in practice they arelimited by custom, by caution, and, above all, by the lack of motivesfor misrule. The authority of each prince over those under him, fromthe Sovereign to the local president or captain, is absolute. But theExecutive leaves ordinary matters of civil or criminal law to theCourts of Justice. Cases are tried by trained judges; the olddemocratic usage of employing untrained juries having been long agodiscarded, as a worse superstition than simple decision by lot. Thelot is right twelve times in two dozen; the jury not oftener thanhalf-a-dozen times. The judges don't heat or bias their minds bydiscussion. They hear all that can be elicited from parties, accuser, accused, and witnesses, and all that skilled advocates can say. Thenthe secretary of the Court draws up a summary of the case, each judgetakes it home to consider, each writes out his judgment, which is readby the secretary, none but the author knowing whose it is. If themajority be five to two, judgment is given; if less, the case is triedagain before a higher tribunal of twice as many judges. If no decisioncan be reached, the accused is acquitted for the time, or, in a civildispute, a compromise is imposed. The rulers cannot, without incurringsuch general anger as would be fatal to their power, disregard ourfundamental laws. Gross tyranny to individuals is too dangerous to becarried far. It is a capital crime for any but the officers of theSovereign and of the twelve Regents to possess the fearfullydestructive weapons that brought our last wars to an end. But any man, driven to desperation, can construct and use similar weapons so easilythat no ruler will drive a man to such revengeful despair. Again, thetyranny of subordinate officials would be checked by their chief, whowould be angry at being troubled and endangered by misconduct in whichhe had no direct interest. And finally, _personal_ malice is not astrong passion among us; and our manners render it unlikely that aruler should come into such collision with any of his subjects aswould engender such a feeling. Of those immediately about him, he canand does at once get rid as soon as he begins to dislike, and beforehe has cause to hate them. It is our maxim that greed of wealth orlust of power are the chief motives of tyranny. Our rulers cannot wellhope to extend a power already autocratic, and we take care to leavethem nothing to covet in the way of wealth. We can afford to give themall that they can desire of luxury and splendour. To enrich to theuttermost a few dozen governors costs us nothing comparable to thecost of democracy, with its inseparable party conflicts, maladministration, neglect, and confusion. "

"A clever writer on Earth lately remarked that it would be easy tosatiate princes with all personal enjoyments, but impossible tosatiate all their hangers-on, or even all the members of theirfamily. "

"You must remember, " he replied, "that we have here, save in suchexceptional cases as my own, nothing like what you call a family. Theladies of a prince's house have everything they can wish for withintheir bounds and cannot go outside of these. As for dependents, no manhere, at least of such as are likely to be rulers, cares for hisnearest and dearest friends enough to incur personal peril, publicdispleasure, or private resentment on their account. The officialsaround a ruler's person are few in number, so that we can afford tomake their places too comfortable and too valuable to be lightlyrisked. Neglect, again, is pretty sure to be punished by superiorauthority. Activity in the promotion of public objects is the onlyinterest left to princes, while tyranny is, for the reasons I havegiven, too dangerous to be carried far. "

CHAPTER VI - AN OFFICIAL VISIT. 

At this point of our conversation an ambâ entered the room and madecertain signs which my host immediately understood. 

"The Zamptâ, " he said, "has called upon me, evidently on your account, and probably with some message from his Suzerain. You need not beafraid, " he added. "At worst they would only refuse you protection, and I could secure you from danger under my own roof, and in the lastextremity effect your retreat and return to your own planet; supposingfor a moment, " he added, smiling, "that you are a real being and comefrom a real world. "

The Regent of that dominion, the only Martialist outside my host'sfamily with whom I had yet been able to converse, awaited us in thehall or entrance chamber. I bowed low to him, and then remainedstanding. My host, also saluting his visitor, at once took his seat. The Regent, returning the salute and seating himself, proceeded toaddress us; very little ceremony on either side being observed betweenthis autocratic deputy of an absolute Sovereign and his subjects. 

"Esmo _dent Ecasfen_" said the Regent, "will you point out the personyou declare yourself to have rescued from assault and received intoyour house on the 431st day of this year?"

"That is the person, Regent, " said my host, pointing to me. 

The visitor then asked my name, which I gave, and addressing methereby, he continued--

"The Camptâ has requested me to ascertain the truth regarding youralleged size, so far exceeding anything hitherto known among us. Youwill permit me, therefore, to measure your height and girth. "

I bowed, and he proceeded to ascertain that I was about a foot tallerand some ten inches larger round the waist than himself. Of thesefacts he took note, and then proceeded--

"The signs you made to those who first encountered you were understoodto mean that you descended from the sky, in a vessel which is now lefton the summit of yonder mountain, Asnyca. "

"I did not descend from the sky, " I replied, "for the sky is, as weboth know, no actual vault or boundary of the atmospheric depths. Iascended from a world nearer to the Sun, and after travelling forforty days through space, landed upon this planet in the vessel youmention. "

"I am directed, " he answered, "to see this vessel, to inspect yourmachinery and instruments, and to report thereon to the Suzerain. Youwill doubtless be ready to accompany me thither to-morrow two hoursafter sunrise. You may be accompanied, if you please, by your host orany members of his family; I shall be attended by one or more of myofficers. In the meantime I am to inform you that, until my report hasbeen received and considered, you are under the protection of the law, and need not apprehend any molestation of the kind you incurred atfirst. You will not, however, repeat to any one but myself theexplanation you have offered of your appearance--which, I understand, has been given in fuller detail to Esmo--until the decision of theCamptâ shall have been communicated to you. "

I simply bowed my assent; and after this brief but sufficientfulfilment of the purpose for which he had called, the Regent took hisleave. 

"What, " I asked, when we re-entered my chamber, "is the meaning of thetitle by which the Regent addressed you?"

"In speaking to officials, " he replied, "of rank so high as his, it iscustomary to address them simply by their titles, unless more than oneof the same rank be present, in which case we call them, as we doinferior officials, by their name with the title appended. Forinstance, in the Court of the Sovereign our Regent would be calledEndo Zamptâ. Men of a certain age and social position, but having nooffice, are addressed by their name and that of their residence; and, _asfe_ meaning a town or dwelling, usage gives me the name of Esmo, inor of the town of Eca. 

"I am sorry, " he went on, "that neither my son nor myself canaccompany you to-morrow. All the elder members of my family areengaged to attend at some distance hence before the hour at which youcan return. But I should not like you to be alone with strangers; and, independently of this consideration, I should perhaps have asked ofyou a somewhat unusual favour. My daughter Eveena, who, like most of_our_ women" (he laid a special emphasis on the pronoun) "has receiveda better education than is now given in the public academies, has beenfrom the first greatly interested in your narrative and in all youhave told us of the world from which you come. She is anxious to seeyour vessel, and I had hoped to take her when I meant to visit it inyour company. But after to-morrow I cannot tell when you may besummoned to visit the Camptâ, or whether after that visit you arelikely to return hither. I will ask you, therefore, if you do notobject to what I confess is an unusual proceeding, to take Eveenaunder your charge to-morrow. "

"Is it, " I inquired, "permissible for a young lady to accompany astranger on such an excursion?"

"It is very unusual, " returned my host; "but you must observe thathere family ties are, as a rule, unknown. It cannot be usual for amaiden to be attended by father or brother, since she knows neither. It is only by a husband that a girl can, as a rule, be attendedabroad. Our usages render such attendance exceedingly close, and, onthe other hand, forbid strangers to interrupt or take notice thereof. In Eveena's presence the Regent will find it difficult to draw youinto conversation which might be inconvenient or dangerous; andespecially cannot attempt to gratify, by questioning you, anycuriosity as to myself or my family. "

"But, " I said, "from what you say, it seems that the Regent and anyone who might accompany him would draw inferences which might not beagreeable to you or to the young lady. "

"I hardly understand you, " he replied. "The only conjecture they couldmake, which they will certainly make, is that you are, or are about tobe, married to her; and as they will never see her again, and, if theydid, could not recognise her--as they will not to-morrow know anythingsave that she belongs to my household, and certainly will not speak toher--I do not see how their inference can affect her. When I part withher, it will be to some one of my own customs and opinions; and to usthis close confinement of girls appears to transcend reasonablerestraint, as it contradicts the theoretical freedom and equalitygranted by law to the sex, but utterly withheld by the social usageswhich have grown out of that law. "

"I can only thank you for giving me a companion more agreeable thanthe official who is to report upon my reality, " I said. 

"I do not desire, " he continued, "to bind you to any reserve inreplying to questions, beyond what I am sure you will do without apledge--namely, to avoid betraying more than you can help of thatwhich is not known outside my own household. But on this subject I maybe able to speak more fully after to-morrow. Now, if you will comeinto the peristyle, we shall be in time for the evening meal. "

Eveena's curiosity had in nowise overcome her silent shyness. Shemight possibly have completed her tenth year, which epoch in the lifeof Mars is about equivalent to the seventeenth birthday of a damselnurtured in North-Western Europe. I hardly think that I had addressedher directly half-a-dozen times, or had received from her a dozenwords in return. I had been attracted, nevertheless, not only by hergrace and beauty, but by the peculiar sweetness of her voice and thegentleness of her manner and bearing when engaged in pacifying disputeor difficulty among the children, and particularly in dealing with thehalf-deformed spoilt infant of which I have spoken. This evening thatlittle brat was more than usually exasperating, and having exhaustedthe patience or repelled the company of all the rest, found itselfalone, and set up a fretful, continuous scream, disagreeable even tome, and torturing to Martial ears, which, adapted to hear in that thinair, are painfully alive to strident, harsh, or even loud sounds. Instantly obeying a sign from her mother, Eveena rose in the middle ofa conversation to which she had listened with evident interest, anddevoted herself for half-an-hour to please and pacify thisuncomfortable child. The character and appearance of this infant, soutterly unlike all its companions, had already excited my curiosity, but I had found no opportunity of asking a question without risking animpertinence. On this occasion, however, I ventured to make someremark on the extreme gentleness and forbearance with which not onlyEveena but the children treated their peevish and exacting brother. 

"He is no brother of theirs, " said Zulve, the mistress of the house. "You would hardly find in any family like ours a child with soirritable a temper or a disposition so selfish, and nowhere a creatureso hardly treated by Nature in body as well as mind. "

"Indeed, " I said, hardly understanding her answer. 

"No, " said my host. "It is the rule to deprive of life, promptly andpainlessly, children to whom, from physical deformity or defect, lifeis thought unlikely to be pleasant, and whose descendants might be aburden to the public and a cause of physical deterioration to therace. It is, however, one of the exceptional tenets to which I havebeen obliged to allude, that man should not seek to be wiser thanNature; and that life should neither be cut short, except as apunishment for great crimes, nor prolonged artificially contrary tothe manifest intention, or, as our philosophers would say, the commoncourse of Nature. Those who think with me, therefore, alwaysendeavour, when we hear in time of their approaching fate, to preservechildren so doomed. Precautions against undue haste or readiness todestroy lives that might, after all, grow up to health and vigour areprovided by law. No single physician or physiologist can sign adeath-warrant; and I, though no longer a physician by craft, am amongthe arbiters, one or more of whom must be called in to approve orsuspend the decision. On these occasions I have rescued fromextinction several children of whose unfitness to live, according tothe standard of the State Nurseries, there was no question, and placedthem in families, mostly childless, that were willing to receive them. Of this one it was our turn to take charge; and certainly his chanceis better for being brought up among other children, and under theinfluence of their gentler dispositions and less exactingtemperaments. "

"And is such ill-temper and selfishness, " I asked, "generally foundamong the deformed?"

"I don't think, " replied Esmo, "that this child is much worse thanmost of my neighbours' children, except that physical discomfort makeshim fretful. What you call selfishness in him is only the naturalinheritance derived from an ancestry who for some hundred generationshave certainly never cared for anything or any one but themselves. Ithought I had explained to you by what train of circumstances and ofreasoning family affection, such as it is reputed to have beenthousands of years ago, has become extinct in this planet; and, familyaffection extinguished, all weaker sentiments of regard for otherswere very quickly withered up. "

"You told me something of the kind, " I said; "but the idea of a lifeso utterly swallowed up in self that no one even thinks it necessaryto affect regard for and interest in others, was to me sounintelligible and inconceivable that I did not realise the fullmeaning of your account. Nor even now do I understand how a societyformed of such members can be held together. On Earth we should expectthem either to tear one another to pieces, or to relapse intoisolation and barbarism lower than that of the lowest tribe whichpreserves social instincts and social organisation. A society composedof men resembling that child, but with the intelligence, force, andconsistent purpose of manhood, would, I should have thought, be littlebetter than a congregation of beasts of prey. "

"We have such beasts, " said Esmo, "in the wild lands, and they arecertainly unsociable and solitary. But men, at least civilised men, are governed not only by instinct but by interest, and the interest ofeach individual in the preservation of social co-operation and socialorder is very evident and very powerful. Experience and schooldiscipline cure children of the habit of indulging mere temper andspite before they come to be men, and they are taught by practice aswell as by precept the absolute necessity of co-operation. Egotism, therefore, has no tendency to dissolve society as a mere organisation, though it has utterly destroyed society as a source of pleasure. "

"Does your law, " I asked, "confine the principle of euthanasia toinfants, or do you put out of the world adults whose life is supposed, for one reason or another, to be useless and joyless?"

"Only, " he answered, "in the case of the insane. When the doctors aresatisfied that a lunatic cannot be cured, an inquest is held; and ifthe medical verdict be approved, he is quietly and painlesslydismissed from existence. Logically, of course, the same principleshould be applied to all incurable disease; and I suspect--indeed Iknow--that it is applied when the household have become weary, and thepatient is utterly unable to protect himself or appeal to the law. Butthe general application of the principle has been successfullyresisted, on the ground that the terror it would cause, the constantanxiety and alarm in which men would live if the right of judging whenlife had become worthless to them were left to others, would faroutweigh any benefit which might be derived from the legalisedextinction of existences which had become a prolonged misery; and suchcases, as I have told you, are very rare among us. A case of hopelessbodily suffering, not terminating very speedily in death, does notoccur thrice a year among the whole population of the planet, exceptthrough accident. We have means of curing at the outset almost all ofthose diseases which the observance for hundreds of generations ofsound physical conditions of life has not extirpated; and in the worstinstances our anæsthetics seldom fail to extinguish the sense of painwithout impairing intellect. Of course, any one who is tired of hislife is at liberty to put an end to it, and any one else may assisthim. But, though the clinging to existence is perhaps the mostirrational of all those purely animal instincts on emancipation fromwhich we pride ourselves, it is the strongest and the most lasting. The life of most of my countrymen would be to me intolerableweariness, if only from the utter want, after wealth is attained, ofall warmer and less isolated interest than some one pet scientificpursuit can afford; and yet more from the total absence of affection, family duties, and the various mental occupations which interest inothers affords. But though the question whether life is worth livinghas long ago been settled among us in the negative, suicide, thelogical outcome of that conviction, is the rarest of all the methodsby which life is terminated. "

"Which seems to show that even in Mars logic does not always dominatelife and prevail over instinct. But what is the most usual cause ofdeath, where neither disease nor senility are other than rareexceptions?"

"Efflux of time, " Esmo replied with an ironical smile. "That is thechief fatal disease recognised by our physicians. "

"And what is its nature?"

"Ah, that neither I nor any other physician can tell you. Life 'goesout, ' like a lamp when the materials supplying the electric currentare exhausted; and yet here all the waste of which physic can takecognisance is fully repaired, and the circuit is not broken. "

"What are the symptoms, then?"

"They are all reducible to one--exhaustion of the will, the primeelement of personality. The patient ceases to _care_. It is too muchtrouble to work; then too much trouble to read; then too much troubleto exert even those all but mechanical powers of thought which arenecessary to any kind of social intercourse--to give an order, toanswer a question, to recognise a name or a face: then even thepassions die out, till the patient cannot be provoked to rate a stupidambâ or a negligent wife; finally, there is not energy to dress orundress, to rise up or sit down. Then the patient is allowed to die:if kept alive perforce, he would finally lack the energy to eat oreven to breathe. And yet, all this time, the man is alive, the self isthere; and I have prolonged life, or rather renewed it, for a time, bysome chance stimulus that has reached the inner sight through thethickening veil, and shocked the essential man into willing andthinking once more as he thought and willed when he was younger thanhis grandchildren are now. .. . It is well that some of us who know besthow long the flesh may be kept in life, are, in right of that veryknowledge, proof against the wish to keep the life in the flesh forever. "

CHAPTER VII - ESCORT DUTY. 

Immediately after breakfast the next morning my host invited me to thegate of his garden, where stood one of the carriages I had seen beforein the distance, but never had an opportunity of examining. It restedon three wheels, the two hind ones by far larger than that in front, which merely served to sustain the equilibrium of the body and tosteer. The material was the silver-like metal of which most Martialvessels and furniture are formed, every spar, pole, and cross-piecebeing a hollow cylinder; a construction which, with the extremelightness of the metal itself, made the carriage far lighter than anyI had seen on Earth. The body consisted of a seat with sides, back, and footboard, wide enough to accommodate two persons with ease. Itwas attached by strong elastic fastenings to a frame consisting offour light poles rising from the framework in which the axles turned;completely dispensing with the trouble of springs, while affording amore complete protection from anything like jolting. The steering gearconsisted of a helm attached to the front wheel and coming up withineasy reach of the driver's hand. The electric motive power andmachinery were concealed in a box beneath the seat, which was indeedbut the top of this most important and largest portion of thecarriage. The poles sustained a light framework supporting a canopy, which could be drawn over the top and around three sides of thecarriage, leaving only the front open. This canopy, in the presentinstance, consisted of a sort of very fine silken material, thicklyembroidered within and without with feathers of various colours andsizes, combined in patterns of exquisite beauty. My host requested meto mount the carriage with him, and drove for some distance, teachingme how to steer, and how, by pressing a spring, to stop or slacken themotion of the vehicle, also how to direct it over rough ground and upor down the steepest slope on which it was available. When wereturned, the Regent's carriage was standing by the gate, and twoothers were waiting at a little distance in the rear. The Regent, witha companion, was already seated, and as soon as we reached the gate, Eveena appeared. She was enveloped from head to foot in a cloak ofsomething like swans-down covering her whole figure, loose, like theordinary outer garments of both sexes, and gathered in at the waist bya narrow zone of silver, with a sort of clasp of some bright greenjewel; and a veil of white satin-looking material covered the wholehead and face, and fell half-way to the waist. Her gloved right handwas hidden by the sleeve of her cloak; that of the left arm was turnedback, and the hand which she gave me as I handed her to the seat on myleft was bare--a usage both of convenience and courtesy. At Esmo'srequest, the Regent, who led the way, started at a moderate pace, notexceeding some ten miles an hour. I observed that on the roofs of allthe houses along the road the inhabitants had gathered to watch us;and as my companion was so completely veiled, I did not baulk theircuriosity by drawing the canopy. I presently noticed that the girlheld something concealed in her right sleeve, and ventured to ask herwhat she had there. 

"Pardon me, " she said; "if we had been less hurried, I meant to haveasked your permission to bring my pet _esvè_ with me. " Drawing backher sleeve, she showed a bird about the size of a carrier-pigeon, butwith an even larger and stronger beak, white body, and wings and tail, like some of the plumage of the head and neck, tinted with gold andgreen. Around its neck was a little string of silver, and suspendedfrom this a small tablet with a pencil or style. Since by her look andmanner she seemed to expect an answer, I said--

"I am very glad you have given me the opportunity of makingacquaintance with another of those curiously tame and manageableanimals which your people seem to train to such wonderful intelligenceand obedience. We have birds on Earth which will carry a letter from astrange place to their home, but only homewards. "

"These, " she answered, "will go wherever they are directed, if theyhave been there before and know the name of the place; and if thisbird had been let loose after we had left, he would have found me, ifnot hidden by trees or other shelter, anywhere within a score ofmiles. "

"And have your people, " I asked, "many more such wonderfullyintelligent and useful creatures tamed to your service, besides theambau, the tyree, and these letter-carriers?"

"Oh yes!" she answered. "Nearly all our domestic animals will doanything they are told which lies within their power. You have seenthe tyree marching in a line across a field to pick up every singleworm or insect, or egg of such, within the whole space over which theymove, and I think you saw the ambau gathering fruit. It is not veryusual to employ the latter for this purpose, except in the trees. Haveyou not seen a big creature--I should call it a bird, but a bird thatcannot fly, and is covered with coarse hair instead of feathers? It isabout as tall as myself, but with a neck half as long as its body, anda very sharp powerful beak; and four of these _carvee_ would clear afield the size of our garden (some 160 acres) of weeds in a couple ofdays. We can send them, moreover, with orders to fetch a certainnumber of any particular fruit or plant, and they scarcely ever forgetor blunder. Some of them, of course, are cleverer than others. Thecleverest will remember the name of every plant in the garden, andwill, perhaps, bring four or even six different kinds at a time; butgenerally we show them a leaf of the plant we want, or point out tothem the bed where it is to be found, and do not trouble their memorywith more than two different orders at a time. The Unicorns, as youcall them, come regularly to be milked at sunset, and, if toldbeforehand, will come an hour earlier or later to any place pointedout to them. There were many beasts of burden before the electriccarriages were invented, so intelligent that I have heard the ridernever troubled himself to guide them except when he changed hispurpose, or came to a road they had not traversed before. He wouldsimply tell them where to go, and they would carry him safely. Theonly creature now kept for this purpose is the largest of our birds(the _caldecta_), about six feet long from head to tail, and withwings measuring thrice as much from tip to tip. They will sail throughthe air and carry their rider up to places otherwise inaccessible. Butthey are little used except by the hunters, partly because the dangeris thought too great, partly because they cannot rise more than about4000 feet from the sea-level with a rider, and within that heightthere are few places worth reaching that cannot be reached moresafely. People used to harness them to balloons till we found means todrive these by electricity--the last great invention in the way oflocomotion, which I think was completed within my grandfather'smemory. "

"And, " I asked, "have you no animals employed in actually cultivatingthe soil?"

"No, " she replied, "except the weeding birds of whom I have told you. When we have a piece of ground too small for our electric ploughs, wesometimes set them to break it up, and they certainly reduce the soilto a powder much finer than that produced by the machine. "

"I should like to see those machines at work. "

"Well, " answered Eveena, "I have no doubt we shall pass more than oneof them on our way. "

As she said this we reached the great road I had crossed on myarrival, and turning up this for a short distance, sufficient, however, to let me perceive that it led to the seaport town of which Ihave spoken, we came to a break in the central footpath, just wideenough to allow us to pass. Looking back on this occasion, I observedthat we were followed by the two other carriages I have mentioned, butat some distance. We then proceeded up the mountain by a narrow road Ihad not seen in descending it. On either side of this lay fields ofthe kind already described, one of which was in course of cultivation, and here I saw the ploughs of which my companion had spoken. Evidentlyconstructed on the same principle as the carriages, but of muchgreater size, and with heavier and broader wheels, they tore up andbroke to pieces a breadth of soil of some two yards, working to adepth of some eighteen inches, with a dozen sharp powerful triangularshares, and proceeding at a rate of about fifty yards per minute. Eveena explained that these fields were generally from 200 to 600yards square. The machine having traversed the whole field in onedirection, then recommenced its work, ploughing at right angles to theformer, and carrying behind it a sort of harrow, consisting of hookssupported by light, hollow, metallic poles fixed at a certain angle tothe bar forming the rearward extremity of the plough, by which thesurface was levelled and the soil beaten into small fragments; brokenup, in fact, as I had seen, not less completely than ordinary gardensoil in England or Flanders. When it reached the end of its course, the plough had to be turned; and this duty required the employment oftwo men, one at each end of the field, who, however, had no other ormore difficult labour than that of turning the machine at thecompletion of each set of furrows. In another field, already doublyploughed, a sowing machine was at work. The large seeds were placedsingly by means of an instrument resembling a magnified ovipositor, such as that possessed by many insects, which at regulated intervalsmade a hole in the ground and deposited a seed therein. Eveenaexplained that where the seed and plant were small, a continuousstream was poured into a small furrow made by a different instrumentattached to the same machine, while another arm, placed a little tothe rear, covered in the furrow and smoothed the surface. In reply toanother question of mine--"There are, " she said, "some score ofdifferent wool or hair bearing animals, which are shorn twice in theyear, immediately after the rains, and furnish the fibre which iswoven into most of the materials we use for dress and other householdpurposes. These creatures adapt themselves to the shearing machineswith wonderful equanimity and willingness, so that they are seldom ornever injured. "

"Not even, " I asked, "by inexperienced or clumsy hands?"

"Hands, " she said, "have nothing to do with the matter. They have onlyto send the animal into the machine, and, indeed, each goes in of hisown accord as he sees his fellow come out. "

"And have you no vegetable fibres, " I said, "that are used forweaving?"

"Oh yes, " she answered, "several. The outer dress I wear indoors ismade of a fibre found inside the rind of the fruit of the algyro tree, and the stalks of three or four different kinds of plants affordmaterials almost equally soft and fine. "

"And your cloak, " I asked, "is not that made of the skin of someanimal?"

"Yes, " she replied, "and the most curious creature I have heard of. Itis found only in the northern and southern Arctic land-belts, to whichindeed nearly all wild animals, except the few small ones that areencouraged because they prey upon large and noxious insects, are nowconfined. It is about as large as the Unicorns, and has, like them, four limbs; but otherwise it more resembles a bird. It has a bird'slong slight neck, but a very small and not very bird-like head, with along horny snout, furnished with teeth, something between a beak and amouth. Its hind limbs are those of a bird, except that they have moreflesh upon the lowest joints and are covered with this soft down. Itsfront limbs, my father says, seem as if nature had hesitated betweenwings and arms. They have attached to them several long, sharp, featherless quills starting from a shrivelled membrane, which makethem very powerful and formidable weapons, so that no animal likes toattack it; while the foot has four fingers or claws with, which itclasps fish or small dragons, especially those electric dragons ofwhich you have seen a tame and very much enlarged specimen, and soholds them that they cannot find a chance of delivering their electricshock. But for the _Thernee_ these dragons, winged as they are, wouldmake those lands hardly habitable either for man, or other beasts. Allour furs are obtained from those countries, and the creatures fromwhich they are derived are carefully preserved for that purpose, itbeing forbidden to kill more than a certain number of each every year, which makes these skins by far the costliest articles we use. "

By this time we had reached the utmost point to which the carriagescould take us, about a furlong from the platform on which I had restedduring my descent. Seeing that the Regent and his companion haddismounted, I stopped and sprang down from my carriage, holding out myhand to assist Eveena's descent, an attention which I thought seemedto surprise her. Up to the platform the path was easy enough; afterthat it became steep even for me, and certainly a troublesome anddifficult ascent for a lady dressed as I have described, and hardlystronger than a child of the same height and size on earth. Still mycompanion did not seem to expect, and certainly did not inviteassistance. That she found no little difficulty in the walk wasevident from her turning back both sleeves and releasing her bird, which hovered closely round her. Very soon her embarrassments andstumbles threatened such actual danger as overcame my fear ofcommitting what, for aught I knew, might be an intrusion. Catching heras she fell, and raising her by the left hand, I held it fast in myown right, begging to be permitted to assist her for the rest of thejourney. Her manner and the tone of her voice made it evident thatsuch an attention, if unusual, was not offensive; but I observed thatthose who were following us looked at us with some little surprise, and spoke together in words which I could not catch, but the tone ofwhich was not exactly pleasant or complimentary. The Regent, a fewsteps in advance of us, turned back from time to time to ask me sometrivial question. At last we reached the summit, and here I releasedmy companion's hand and stepped forward a pace or two to point out tothe Regent the external structure of the Astronaut. I was near enough, of course, to be heard by Eveena, and endeavoured to address myexplanations as much to her as to the authority to whom I was requiredto render an account. But from the moment that we had actually joinedhim she withdrew from all part and all apparent interest in theconversation. When our companions moved forward to reach the entrance, which I had indicated, I again offered my hand, saying, "I am afraidyou will find some little difficulty in getting into the vessel by thewindow by which I got out. "

The Regent, however, had brought with him several light metal poles, which I had not observed while carried by his companion, but whichbeing put together formed a convenient ladder of adequate length. Hedesired me to ascend first and cut the riband by means of which thewindow had been sealed; the law being so strict that even he would notviolate the symbol of private ownership which protected my vessel. Having done this and opened the window, I sprang down, and he, followed by his companion, ascended the ladder, and resting himselfupon the broad inner ledge of the window--which afforded a convenientseat, since the crystal was but half the thickness of the wall--firsttook a long look all round the interior, and then leaped down, followed by his attendant. Eveena drew back, but was at last persuadedto mount the ladder with my assistance, and rest on the sill till Ifollowed her and lifted her down inside. The Regent had by this timereached the machinery, and was examining it very curiously, withgreater apparent appreciation of its purpose than I should haveexpected. When we joined them, I found little difficulty in explainingthe purpose and working of most parts of the apparatus. The nature andgeneration of the apergic power I took care not to explain. Theexistence of such a repulsive force was the point on which the Regentprofessed incredulity; as it was, of course, the critical fact onwhich my whole narrative turned--on which its truth or falsehooddepended. I resolved ere the close of the inspection to give him clearpractical evidence on this score. In the meantime, listening withoutanswer to his expressions of doubt, I followed him round the interior, explaining to him and to Eveena the use and structure of thethermometer, barycrite, and other instruments. My fair companionseemed to follow my explanation almost as easily as the officials. Ourfollowers, who had now entered the vessel, kept within hearing of myremarks; but, evidently aware that they were there on sufferance, asked no questions, and made their comments in a tone too low to allowme to understand their purport. The impression made on the Regent bythe instruments, so far as I could gather from his brief remarks andthe expression of his face, was one of contemptuous surprise ratherthan the interest excited by the motive machinery. Most of them wereevidently, in his opinion, clumsy contrivances for obtaining resultswhich the scientific knowledge and inventive genius of his countrymenhad long ago secured more completely and more easily. But he waspuzzled by the combination of such imperfect knowledge orsemi-barbaric ignorance with the possession of a secret of suchimmense importance as the repulsive current, not yet known nor, as Igathered, even conceived by the inhabitants of this planet. When hehad completed his inspection, he requested permission to remove someof the objects I had left there; notably many of the dead plants, andseveral books of drawings, mathematical, mechanical, and ornamental, which I had left, and which had not been brought away by my host's sonwhen he visited the vessel. These I begged him to present to theCamptâ, adding to them a few smaller curiosities, after which I drewhim back towards the machinery. He summoned his attendant, and badehim take away to the carriages the articles I had given him, callingupon the intruders to assist. 

I was thus left with him and with Eveena alone in the building; andwith a partly serious, partly mischievous desire to prove to him thesubstantial reality of objects so closely related to my own disputedexistence, and to demonstrate the truth of my story, I loosened one ofthe conductors, connected it with the machinery, and, directing itagainst him, sent through it a very slight apergic current. I was notquite prepared for the result. His Highness was instantly knocked headover heels to a considerable distance. Turning to interrupt thecurrent before going to his assistance, I was startled to perceivethat an accident of graver moment, in my estimation at least, than thediscomfiture of this exalted official, had resulted from myexperiment. I had not noticed that a conductive wire was accidentallyin contact with the apergion, while its end hung down towards thefloor Of this I suppose Eveena had carelessly taken hold, and a partof the current passing through it had lessened the shock to the Regentat the expense of one which, though it could not possibly have injuredher, had from its suddenness so shaken her nerves as to throw her intoa momentary swoon. She was recovering almost at soon as I reached her;and by the time her fellow-sufferer had picked himself up in greatdisgust and astonishment, was partly aware what had happened. She was, however; much more anxious to excuse herself, in the manner of afrightened child, for meddling with the machinery than to hear myapologies for the accident. Noting her agitation, and seeing that shewas still trembling all over, I was more anxious to get her into theopen air, and out of reach of the apparatus she seemed to regard withconsiderable alarm, than to offer any due apology to the exaltedpersonage to whom I had afforded much stronger evidence, if not of myown substantiality, yet of the real existence of a repulsive energy, than I had seriously intended. With a few hurried words to him, Iraised Eveena to the window, and lifted her to the ground outside. Ifelt, however, that I could not leave the Regent to find his own wayout, the more so that I hardly saw how he could reach the window fromthe inside without my assistance. I excused myself, therefore, andseating her on a rock close to the ladder, promised to return at once. This, however, I found impossible. By the time the injured officer hadrecovered the physical shock to his nerves and the moral effect of thedisrespect to his person, his anxiety to verify what he had heardentirely occupied his mind; and he requested further experiments, notupon himself, which occupied some half-hour. He listened and spoke, Imust admit, with temper; but his air of displeasure was evidentenough, and I was aware that I had not entitled myself to his goodword, whether or not he would permit his resentment to colour hisaccount of facts. He was compelled, however, to request my help inreaching the window, which I gave with all possible deference. 

But, to my alarm, when we reached the foot of the ladder, Eveena wasnowhere to be seen. Calling her and receiving no reply, calling againand hearing what sounded like her voice, but in a faint tone andcoming I knew not whither, I ran round the platform to seek her. Icould see nothing of her; but at one point, just where the projectingedge of the platform overhung the precipice below, I recognised herbird fluttering its wings and screaming as if in pain or terror. TheRegent was calling me in a somewhat imperious tone, but of coursereceived neither answer nor attention. Reaching the spot, I lookedover the edge and with some trouble discovered what had happened. Notmerely below but underneath the overhanging edge was a shelf aboutfour feet long and some ten inches in breadth, covered with a flowerequally remarkable in form and colour, the former being that of ahollow cylindrical bell, about two inches in diameter; the latter abluish lilac, the nearest approach to azure I have seen in Mars--thewhole ground one sheet of flowers. On this, holding in ahalf-insensible state to the outward-sloping rock above her, Eveenaclung, her veil and head-dress fallen, her face expressing utterbewilderment as well as terror. I saw, though at the moment I hardlyunderstood, how she had reached this point. A very narrow path, somehundred feet in length, sloped down from the table-rock of the summitto the shelf on which she stood, with an outer hedge of shrubs and thesummits of small trees, which concealed, and in some sort guarded, theprecipice below, so that even a timid girl might pursue the pathwithout fear. But this path ended several feet from the commencementof the shelf. Across the gap had lain a fallen tree, with boughsaffording such a screen and railing on the outward side as might atonce conceal the gulf below, and afford assistance in crossing thechasm. But in crossing this tree Eveena's footsteps had displaced it, and it had so given way as not only to be unavailable, but a seriousobstacle to my passage. Had I had time to go round, I might have beenable to leap the chasm; I certainly could not return that way with aburden even so light as that of my precious charge. The only chancewas to lift her by main force directly to where I stood; and theoutward projection of the rock at this point rendered this peculiarlydifficult, as I had nothing to cling or hold by. The Regent had bythis time reached me, and discerned what had occurred. 

"Hold me fast, " I said, "or sit upon me if you like, to hold me withyour weight whilst I lean over. " The man stood astounded, not by thedanger of another but by the demand on himself; and evidently withoutthe slightest intention of complying. 

"You are mad!" he said. "Your chance is ten times greater to lose yourown life than to save hers. "

"Lose my life!" I cried. "Could I dare return alive without her? Throwyour whole weight on me, I say, as I lean over, and waste no moretime!"

"What!" he rejoined. "You are twice as heavy as I, and if you arepulled over I shall probably go over too. Why am I to endanger myselfto save a girl from the consequences of her folly?"

"If you do not, " I swore, "I will fling you where the carcass of whichyou are so careful shall be crushed out of the very form of themanhood you disgrace. "

Even this threat failed to move him. Meantime the bird, fluttering onmy shoulder, suggested a last chance; and snatching the tablet roundits neck, I wrote two words thereon, and calling to it, "Home!" theintelligent creature flew off at fullest speed. 

"Now, " I said, "if you do not help me I will kill you here and now. Ifyou pretend to help and fail me, that bird carries to Esmo my requestto hold you answerable for our lives. "

I invoked, in utter desperation, the awe with which, as his hints andmy experience implied, Esmo was regarded by his neighbours; andslender as seemed this support, it did not fail me. The Regent'scountenance fell, and I saw that I might depend at least on hispassive compliance. Clasping his arm with my left hand, I said, "Pullback with all your might. If I go over, you _shall_ go over too. " Thenpulling him down with me, and stretching myself over the precipice sofar that but for this additional support I must have fallen, I reachedEveena, whose closed eyes and relaxing limbs indicated that anothermoment's delay might be fatal. 

"Give me your hand, " I cried in despair, seeing how tightly she stillgrasped the tough fibrous shoots growing in the crevices of the rock, whereof she had taken hold. "Give me your hand, and let go!"

To give me her hand was beyond the power of her will; to let gowithout giving me hold would have been fatal. Beaching over to theuttermost, I contrived to lay a firm grasp upon her wrist. But thiswould not do. I could hardly drag her up by one arm, especially if shewould not relax her grasp. I must release the Regent and depend uponhis obedience, or forfeit the chance of saving her, as in a few moremoments she would certainly swoon and fall. 

"Throw yourself upon me, and sit firm, if you value your life, " Icried, and I relaxed my hold on his arm, stretching both hands tograsp Eveena. I felt the man's weight on my body, and with both armsextended to the uttermost hanging over the edge, I caught firm bold ofthe girl's shoulders. Even now, with any girl of her age on earth, andfor aught I know with many Martial damsels, the case would have beenhopeless. My whole strength was required to raise her; I had none tospare to force her loose from her hold. Fortunately my rough and tightclasp seemed to rouse her. Her eyes half opened, and semi-consciousnessappeared to have returned. 

"Let go!" I cried in that sharp tone of imperious anger which--withsome tempers at least--is the natural expression of the outwardimpulse produced by supreme and agonizing terror. Obedience is thehereditary lesson taught to her sex by the effects of equality inMars. Eveena had been personally trained in a principle long discardedby Terrestrial women; and not half aware what she did, but yieldinginstinctively to the habit of compliance with imperative commandspoken in a masculine voice, she opened her hands just as I had lostall hope. With one desperate effort I swung her fairly on to theplatform, and, seeing her safe there, fell back myself scarcely moresensible than she was. 

The whole of this terrible scene, which it has taken so long torelate, did not occupy more than a minute in action. I know notwhether my readers can understand the full difficulty and danger ofthe situation. I know that no words of mine can convey the impressiongraven into my own memory, never to be effaced or weakened whileconsciousness remains. The strongest man on Earth could not have donewhat I did; could not, lying half over the precipice, have swung agirl of eighteen right out from underneath him, and to his own level. But Eveena was of slighter, smaller frame than a healthy French girlof twelve, while I retained the full strength of a man adapted to thework of a world where every weight is twice as heavy as on Mars. WhatI had practically to do was to lift not seven or eight stone ofEuropean girlhood, not even the six Eveena might possibly have weighedon Earth, but half that weight. And yet the position was such that allthe strength I had acquired through ten years of constant practice inthe field and in the chase, all the power of a frame in healthfulmaturity, and of muscles whose force seemed doubled by the tension ofthe nerves, hardly availed. When I recovered my own senses, and hadcontrived to restore Eveena's, my unwilling assistant had disappeared. 

It was an hour before Eveena seemed in a condition to be removed, andperhaps I was not very urgent to hurry her away. I had done no morethan any man, the lowest and meanest on Earth, must have done underthe circumstances. I can scarcely enter into the feelings of thefellow-man who, in my position, could have recognised a choice butbetween saving and perishing with the helpless creature entrusted tohis charge. But hereditary disbelief in any power above the physicalforces of Nature, in any law higher than that of man's own making, hasrendered human nature in Mars something utterly different from, perhaps, hardly intelligible to, the human nature of a planet fortymillion miles nearer the Sun. Though brought up in an affectionatehome, Eveena shared the ideas of the world in which she was born; andso far accepted its standards of opinion and action as natural if notright, that the risk I had run, the effort I had made to save her, seemed to her scarcely less extraordinary than it had appeared to theZamptâ. She rated its devotion and generosity as highly as heappreciated its extravagance and folly; and if he counted me a madman, she was disposed to elevate me into a hero or a demi-god. The tonesand looks of a maiden in such a temper, however perfect her maidenlyreserve, would, I fancy, be very agreeable to men older than I was, either in constitution or even in experience. I doubt whether any manunder fifty would have been more anxious than myself to cut short ourperiod of repose, broken as it was, when I refused to listen to hertearful penitence and self-reproach, by occasional words and looks ofgratitude and admiration. I did, however, remember that it wasexpedient to refasten the window, and re-attach the seals, beforedeparting. At the end of the hour's rest I allowed my charge andmyself, I had recovered more or less completely the nervous forcewhich had been for a while utterly exhausted, less by the effort thanby the terror that preceded it. I was neither surprised, nor perhapsas much grieved as I should have been, to find that Eveena couldhardly walk; and felt to the full the value of those novel conditionswhich enabled me to carry her the more easily in my arms, though muchoppressed even by so slight an effort in that thin air, to the placewhere we had left our carriage--no inconsiderable distance by the pathwe had to pursue. Before starting on our return I had, in despite ofher most earnest entreaties, managed to recover her head-dress andveil, at a risk which, under other circumstances, I might not havecared to encounter. But had she been seen without it on our return, the comments of the whole neighbourhood would have been such as mighthave disturbed even her father's cool indifference. We reached herhome in safety, and with little notice, having, of course, drawn thecanopy around us as completely as possible. I was pleased to find thatonly her younger sister, to whose care I at once committed her, wasthere at present, the elders not having yet returned. I took care todetach from the bird's neck the tablet which had served its purpose sowell. The creature had found his way home within half-an-hour after Idismissed him, and had frightened Zevle [Stella] not a little; thoughthe message, which a fatal result would have made sufficientlyintelligible to Esmo, utterly escaped her comprehension. 

CHAPTER VIII - A FAITH AND ITS FOUNDER. 

On the return of the family, my host was met at the door with suchaccounts of what had happened as led him at once to see and questionhis daughter. It was not, therefore, till he had heard her story thatI saw him. More agitated than I should have expected from one underordinary circumstances so calm and self-possessed, he entered my roomwith a face whose paleness and compressed lips indicated intenseemotion; and, laying his hand on my shoulder, expressed his feelingrather in look and tone than in his few broken and not verysignificant words. After a few moments, however, he recovered hiscoolness, and asked me to supply the deficiencies of Eveena's story. Itold him briefly but exactly what had passed from the moment when Imissed her to that of her rescue. He listened without the slightestsymptom of surprise or anger to the tale of the Regent's indifference, and seemed hardly to understand the disgust and indignation with whichI dwelt upon it. When I had finished--

"You have made, " he said, "an enemy, and a dangerous one; but you havealso secured friends against whose support even the anger of a greaterthan the Zamptâ might break as harmlessly as waves upon a rock. Hebehaved only as any one else would have done; and it is useless to beangry with men for being what they habitually and universally are. What you did for Eveena, one of ourselves, perhaps, but no other, might have risked for a first bride on the first day of her marriage. Indeed, though I am most thankful to you, I should, perhaps, havewithheld my consent to my daughter's request had I supposed that youfelt so strongly for her. "

"I think, " I replied with some displeasure, "that I may positivelyaffirm that I have spoken no word to your daughter which I should nothave spoken in your presence. I am too unfamiliar with your ideas toknow whether your remark has the same force and meaning it would haveborne among my own people; but to me it conveys a grave reproach. WhenI accepted the charge of your daughter during this day's excursion, Ithought of her only as every man thinks of a young, pretty, and gentlegirl of whom he has seen and knows scarcely anything. To avail myselfof what has since happened to make a deeper impression on her feelingsthan you might approve would have seemed to me unpardonabletreachery. "

"You do utterly misunderstand me, " he answered. "It may be that Eveenahas received an impression which will not be effaced from her mind. Itmay be that this morning, could I have foreseen it, I should havedecidedly wished to avoid anything that would so impress her. But thatfeeling, if it exist, has been caused by your acts and not by yourwords. That you should do your utmost, at any risk to yourself, tosave her, is consistent with what I know of your habit of mind, andought not much to surprise me. But, from your own account of what yousaid to the Zamptâ, you were not merely willing to risk life for life. When you deemed it impossible to return without her, you spoke as fewamong us would seriously speak of a favourite bride. "

"I spoke and felt, " I replied, "as any man trained in the hereditarythought of my race and rank would have spoken of any woman committedto his care. All that I said and did for Eveena, I should have saidand done, I hope, for the least attractive or least amiable maiden inthis planet who had been similarly entrusted to my charge. How couldany but the vilest coward return and say to a father, 'You trustedyour daughter to me, and she has perished by my fault or neglect'?"

"Not so, " he answered, "Eveena alone was to blame--and much to blame. She says herself that you had told her to remain where you left hertill your return; and if she had not disobeyed, neither her life noryours would have been imperilled. "

"One hardly expects a young lady to comply exactly with suchrequests, " I said. "At any rate, Terrestrial feelings of honour andeven of manhood would have made it easier to leap the precipice thanto face you and the world if, no matter by whose fault, my charge haddied in such a manner under my eyes and within my reach. "

Esmo's eyes brightened and his cheek flushed a little as I spoke, withmore of earnestness or passion than any incident, however exciting, iswont to provoke among his impassive race. 

"Of one thing, " he said, "you have assured me--that the proposal I wasabout to make rather invites honour than confers it. I have beenobliged, in speaking of the manners and ideas of my countrymen, to letyou perceive not only that I differ from them, but that there areothers who think and act as I do. We have for ages formed a societybound together by our peculiar tenets. That we individually differ inconduct, and, therefore, probably in ideas, from our countrymen, theynecessarily know; that we form a body apart with laws and tenets ofour own, is at least suspected. But our organisation, its powers, itsmethods, its rules of membership, and its doctrines are, and havealways been, a secret, and no man's connection with it is avowed orprovable. Our chief distinctive and essential doctrines you hold asstrongly as we do--the All-perfect Existence, the immortal human soul. From these necessarily follow conceptions of life and principles ofconduct alien to those that have as necessarily grown up among a racewhich repudiates, ignores, and hates our two fundamental premises. After what has happened, I can promise you immediate and eageracceptance among those invested with the fullest privileges of ourorder. They will all admire your action and applaud your motives, though, frankly speaking, I doubt whether any of us would carry yourviews so far as you have done. The best among us would have flinched, unless under the influence of the very strongest personal affection, from the double peril of which you seemed to think so lightly. Theymight indeed have defied the Regent but it would have been in relianceon the protection of, a power superior to his of which you knewnothing. "

"Then, " I said, "I suppose your engagement of to-day was a meeting ofthis society?"

"Yes, " he answered, "a meeting of the Chamber to which I and the eldermembers of my household, including my son and his wife, belong. ""But, " I said, "if you are more powerful than the rulers of yourpeople, what need of such careful secrecy?"

"You will understand the reason, " he answered, "when you learn thenature of our powers. Hundreds among millions, we are no match for thefighting force of our unbelieving countrymen. Our safety lies in theterror inspired by a tradition, verified by repeated and invariableexperience, that no one who injures one of us but has reason to rueit, that no mortal enemy of _the Star_ has ever escaped signalpunishment, more terrible for the mystery attending it. Were we known, were our organisation avowed, we might be hunted down andexterminated, and should certainly suffer frightful havoc, even if inthe end we were able to frighten or overcome our enemies. But if youare disposed to accept my offer--and enrolment among us gives you atonce your natural place in this planet and your best security againstthe enmity you have incurred and will incur here--I should prefer tomake the rest of the explanation that must precede your admission inpresence of my family. The first step, the preliminary instruction inour creed and our simpler mysteries, which is the work of theNovitiate, is a solemn epoch in the lives of our children. They arenot trusted with our secret till we can rely on the maturity of theirintelligence and loyalty of their nature. Eveena would in any casehave been received as a novice within some dozen days. It will now beeasy for me, considering her education and intelligence and my ownposition in the Order, to obtain, for her as for you, exemption fromthe usual probation on proof that you both know all that is usuallytaught therein, and admission on the same occasion; and it will addsolemnity and interest to her first initiation, that this chief lessonof her life should be shared this evening with him to whom she owes itthat she lives to enter the society, to which her ancestors havebelonged since its institution. "

We passed into the peristyle, where the ladies were as usualassembled; but the children had been dismissed, and of the maidensEveena only was present. Fatigue and agitation had left her very pale, and she was resting at full length on the cushions with her headpillowed on her mother's knee. As we approached, however, they allrose, the other ladies greeting me eagerly and warmly, Eveena risingwith difficulty and faltering the welcome which the rest had spokenwith enthusiastic earnestness. Forgetting for the moment the prudencewhich ignorance of Martial customs had hitherto dictated, I lifted tomy lips the hand that she, following the example of the rest, butshyly and half reluctantly, laid on my shoulder--a form very differentto the distant greeting I had heretofore received, and marking that Iwas no longer to be treated as a stranger to the family. My unusualsalute brought the colour back to her cheeks, but no one else tooknotice of it. I observed, however, that on this occasion, instead ofinterposing himself between me and the ladies as usual, her fatherleft vacant the place next to her; and I seated myself at her feet. She would have exchanged her reclining posture for that of the others, but her mother gently drew her down to her former position. 

"Eveena, " said my host, "I have told our friend, what you know, thatthere is in this world a society, of which I am a member, whoseprinciples are not those of our countrymen, but resemble rather thosewhich supplied the impulses on which he acted to-day. This much youknow. What you would have learned a few days hence, I mean that youand he shall now hear at the same time. "

"Before you enter on that subject, " interposed Zulve timidly--for itis most unusual for a lady to interfere in her husband's conversation, much more to offer a suggestion or correction--but yet earnestly, "letme say, on my own part, what I am sure you must have said already onyours. If there be now, or ever shall be, anything we can do for ourguest, anything we can give that he would value, not in requital, butin memory of what he has done for us--whatever it should cost us, though he should ask the most precious thing we possess, it will beour pride and pleasure--the greatest pleasure he can afford us--togrant it. "

The time and the surroundings were not perhaps exactly suitable to theutterance of the wish suggested by these words; but I knew so littlewhat might be in store for me, and understood so well the difficultyand uncertainty of finding future opportunities of intercourse withthe ladies at least of the family, that I dared not lose the present. I spoke at once upon the impulse of the moment, with a sense ofreckless desperation not unlike that with which an artillerist firesthe train whose explosion may win for him the obsidional wreath orblow him into atoms. "You and my host, " I said, "have one treasurethat I have learned to covet, but it is exactly the most preciousthing you possess, and one which it would be presumptuous to ask asreward; even had I not owed to Esmo the life I perilled for Eveena, and if I had acted from choice and freely, instead of doing only whatonly the vilest of cowards could have failed to attempt. In asking itindeed, I feel that I cancel whatever claim your extravagant estimateof that act can possibly ascribe to me. "

"We don't waste words, " answered Esmo, "in saying what we don't mean, and I confirm fully what my wife has said. There is nothing we possessthat we shall not delight to give as token of regard and inremembrance of this day to the saviour of our child. "

"If, " I said, "I find a neighbour's purse containing half his fortune, and return it to him, he may offer me what reward I ask, but wouldhardly think it reasonable if I asked for the purse and its contents. But you have only one thing I care to possess--that which I have, byGod's help, been enabled to save to-day. If I must ask a gift, give meEveena herself. "

Utilitarianism has extinguished in Mars the use of compliment andcircumlocution; and until I concluded, their looks of mild perplexityshowed that neither Zulve nor her husband caught my purpose. Ifancied--for, not daring to look them in the face, I had turned mydowncast glance on Eveena--that she had perhaps somewhat soonerdivined the object of my thoughts. However, a silence of surprise--wasit of reluctance?--followed, and then Zulve bent over her daughter andlooked into her half-averted face, while Esmo answered--

"What you should ask I promised to give; what you have asked I give, in so far as it is mine to give, in willing fulfilment of my pledge. But, of course, what I can give is but my free permission to mydaughter to answer for herself. You will be, I hope, within a few daysat furthest, one of those in whose possession alone a woman of myhouse could be safe or content; and, free by the law of the land tofollow her own wish, she is freed by her father's voice from the rulewhich the usage of ten thousand years imposes on the daughters of ourbrotherhood. "

Zulve then looked up, for Eveena had hidden her face in her mother'srobe, and said--

"If my child will not speak for herself I must speak for her, and inmy own name and in hers I fulfil her father's promise. And now let myhusband tell his story, for nothing can solemnise more appropriatelythe betrothal of a daughter of the Star, than her admission to theknowledge of the Order whose privileges are her heritage. "

"At the time, " Esmo began, "when material science had gained a decidedascendant, and enforced the recognition of its methods as the onlyones whereby certain knowledge and legitimate belief could beattained, those who clung most earnestly to convictions not acquiredor favoured by scientific logic were sorely dismayed. They wereconfounded, not so much by the yet informal but irrevocablemajority-vote against them, as by an instinctive misgiving thatScience was right; and by irrepressible doubts whether that whichwould not bear the application of scientific method could in any sensebe true or trustworthy knowledge. At the same time, to apply ascientific method to the cherished beliefs threatened only to dissolvethem. Fortunately for them and their successors, there was living atthat time one of the most remarkable and original thinkers whom ourrace has produced. From him came the suggestions that gave impulse toour learning and birth to our Order. 'The reasonings, the processes ofScience, ' he affirmed, 'are beyond challenge. Their trustworthinessdepends not on their subject-matter, but on their own character; noton their relation to outward Nature, but on their conformity to thelaws of thought. Their upholders are right in affirming that what willnot ultimately bear the test of their application cannot be knowledge, and probably--for the practical purposes of human life we may saycertainly--cannot be truth. They are wrong in alleging that the ideasfor which they can find no foundation in the subjects to whichscientific method has hitherto been applied, are thereforeunscientific, or sure to disappear under scientific investigation. Ihold that the existence of a Creator and Ruler of the Universe can belogically deduced from first principles, as well as justly inferredfrom cumulative evidences of overwhelming weight. The existence ofsomething in Man that is not merely corporeal, of powers that can actbeyond the reach of any corporeal instruments at his command, orwithout the range of their application, is not proven; it may be, onlybecause the facts that indicate without proving it have never yet beensubject to systematic verification or scientific analysis. But of suchfacts there exists a vast accumulation; unsifted, untested, andtherefore as yet ineffective for proof, but capable, I can scarcelydoubt, of reduction to methodical order and scientific treatment. There are records and traditions of every degree of value, from utterworthlessness to the worth of the most authentic history, preservingthe evidences of powers which may be generally described as spiritual. Through all ages, among all races, the living have alleged themselvesfrom time to time to have seen the forms and even heard the voices ofthe dead. Scientific men have been forced by the actual and publicexercise of the power under the most crucial tests--for instance, toproduce insensibility in surgical operations--to admit that the willof one man can control the brain, the senses, the physical frame ofanother without material contact, perhaps at a distance. There arenarratives of marvels wrought by human will, chiefly in remote, butoccasionally in recent times, transcending and even contradicting oroverruling the known laws of Nature. All these evidences point to oneconclusion; all corroborate and confirm one another. The men ofscience ridicule them because in so many cases the facts areimperfectly authenticated, and because in others the action of thepowers is uncertain, dependent on conditions imperfectly ascertained, and not of that material kind to which material science willinglysubmits. But if they be facts, if they relate to any element of humannature, all these things can be systematically investigated, the trueseparated from the false, the proven from the unproven. The powers canbe investigated, their conditions of action laid down. Probably theymay be so developed as to be exercised with comparative certainty, whether by every one or only by those special constitutions in whichthey may inhere. Such investigations will at present only enlist theattention and care of a few qualified persons, and, that they may becarried on in peace and safety, should be carried on in secrecy. Butupon them may, I hope, be founded a certainty as regards the higherside of man's nature not less complete than that which science, bysimilar methods, has gradually acquired in regard to its purelyphysical aspects. '

"For this end he instituted a secret society, which has subsisted inconstantly increasing strength and cohesion to the present hour. Ithas collected evidence, conducted experiments, investigated records, studied methodically the abnormal phenomena you call occult orspiritual, and reduced them to something like the certainty ofscience. Discoveries from the first curious and interesting havebecome more and more complete, practical, and effective. Our resultshave surpassed the hopes of our Founder, and transcend in importance, while they equal in certainty, the contemporary achievements ofphysical science, --some of the chief of which belong to us. All thatprofound knowledge of human nature could suggest to bring its weaknessto the support of its strength, and enlist both in the work, was doneby our Founder, and by those who have carried out his scheme. Thecorporate character of the society, its rites and formularies, itsgrades and ranks, are matter of deep interest to all its members, havelinked them together by an inviolable bond, and given them a strengthinfinitely greater than numbers without such cohesion could possiblyhave afforded. The Founder left us no moral code, imposed on us noneof his own most cherished ethical convictions, as he pledged us tonone of the conclusions which his own occult studies had led him toanticipate, nearly all of which have been verified by laterinvestigation. Such rules as he imposed were directed only to thecohesion and efficiency of the Order. Our creed still consists only ofthe two fundamental doctrines; two settled principles only are laiddown by our aboriginal law. We are taught to cultivate the closestpersonal affection, the most intimate and binding ties amongourselves; to defend the Order and one another, whether by strenuousresistance or severe reprisals, against all who injure us individuallyor collectively, and especially against persecutors of the Order. Butthe few laws our Founder has left are given in the form of strikingprecepts, brief, and often even paradoxical. For example, the law ofdefence or reprisal is concentrated in one antithetic phrase:--_Gavartdax Zveltâ, gavart gedex Zinta_ [Never let the member strike, neverlet the Order spare]. As it is a rule with us to embody none of oursymbols, forms, or laws in writing, this manner of statement served toimpress them on the memory, as well as to leave the utmost freedom intheir application, by the gathered experience of ages, and theprudence of those who had to deal with the circumstances of eachsuccessive period. Another maxim says, 'Who kisses a brother's handmay kick the Camptâ, ' thus enforcing at once the value of ceremonialcourtesy, and the power conferred by union. We observe more ceremonyin family life than others in the most formal public relations. Theirtheory of life being utterly utilitarian, no form is observed thatserves no distinct practical purpose. We wish to make life gracefuland elegant, as well as easy. Principles originally inculcated upon usby the necessity of self-protection have been enforced and graven onour very nature, by the reaction of our experience against the roughand harsh relations, the jarring and often unfriendly intercourse, ofexternal society. Aliens to our Order--that is, ninety-nine hundredthsof our race--take delight in the infliction of petty personalannoyance, at least never take care not to 'jar each other'selbow-nerves, ' or set on edge the teeth that never bit them. _We_ arecareful not to wound the feelings or even the weaknesses of a brother. Punctilious courtesy, frank apology for unintentional wrong, is withus a point of honour. Disputes, when by any chance they arise, arereferred to the arbitration of our chiefs, who never consider theirwork done till the disputants are cordially reconciled. Envy, the mostdangerous source of ill-will among men, can hardly exist among us. Rank has been well earned by its holder, or in a few cases by hisancestors; and authority is a trust never to be used for its holder'sbenefit. Wealth never provokes covetousness, since no member is everallowed to be poor. Not only the Order but each member is bound totake every opportunity of assisting every other by every method withinhis power. We employ them, we promote them, we give them thepreference in every kind of patronage at our command. But theseobligations are points of honour rather than of law. Only apostasy ortreason to the Order involve compulsory penalties; and the latter, ifit ever occurred in these days, would be visited with instantdeath, --inflicted, as it is inflicted upon irreconcilable enemies, insuch a manner that none could know who passed the sentence, or by whomit was executed. "

"And have you, " I asked, "no apostates, as you have no traitors?"

"No, " he said. "In the first place, none who has lived among us couldendure to fall into the ordinary Martial life. Secondly, thefoundations of our simple creed are so clear, so capable of being madeapparent to every one, that none once familiar with the evidences canwell cease to believe them. "

Here he paused, and I asked, "How is it possible that the means youemploy to punish those who have wronged you should not, in some casesat least, indicate the person who has employed them?"

"Because, " he said, "the means of vengeance are not corporeal; theagency does not in the least resemble any with which our countrymen, or apparently your race on Earth, are acquainted. A traitor would befound dead with no sign of suffering or injury, and the physicianwould pronounce that he had died of apoplexy or heart disease. Apersecutor, or one who had unpardonably wronged any of the Children ofthe Star, might go mad, might fling himself from a precipice, might bevisited with the most terrible series of calamities, all natural intheir character, all distinctly traceable to natural causes, butastonishing and even apparently supernatural in their accumulation, and often in their immediate appropriateness to the character of hisoffence. Our neighbours would, of course, destroy the avenger, if theycould find him out--would attempt to exterminate our society, couldthey prove its agency. "

"But surely your countrymen must either disbelieve in such agency, inwhich case they can hardly fear your vengeance, or they must believeit, and then would deem it just and necessary to retaliate. "

"No, " he said. "They disbelieve in the possibility while they areforced to see the fact. It is impossible, they would say, that a manshould be injured in mind or body, reputation or estate, that theforces of Nature or the feelings of men should be directed againsthim, without the intervention of any material agent, by the mere willof those who take no traceable means to give that will effect. At thesame time, tradition and even authentic history record, whatexperience confirms, that every one who has wronged us deeply has cometo some terrible, awe-striking end. Each man would ridicule heartily aneighbour who should allege such a ground for fearing to injure one ofus; but there is none who is so true to his own unbelief as to do thatwhich, in every instance, has been followed by signal and awfuldisaster. Moreover, we do by visible symbols suggest a relationbetween the vengeance and the crime. Over the heart of criminals whohave paid with their lives, no matter by what immediate agency, forwrong to us, is found after death the image of a small blood-red star;the only case in which any of our sacred symbols are exposed toprofane eyes. "

"Surely, " I said, "in the course of generations, and with yournumbers, you must be often watched and traced; and some one spy, onone out of a million occasions, must have found access to yourmeetings and heard and seen all that passed. "

"Our meetings, " he said, "are held where no human eye can possiblysee, no human ear hear what passes. The Chambers meet in apartmentsconcealed within the dwellings of individual members. When we meet thedoors are guarded, and can be passed only by those who give a tokenand a password. And if these could become known to an enemy, theappearance of a stranger would lead to questions that would at onceexpose his ignorance of our simplest secrets. He would learn nothing, and would never tell his story to the outer world. " . .. 

Opening the door, or rather window, of his private chamber, Esmodirected our eyes to a portrait sunk in the wall, and usuallyconcealed by a screen which fitted exactly the level and the patternsof the general surface. It displayed, in a green vesture not unlikehis own, but with a gold ribbon and emerald symbol like the cross ofan European knighthood over the right shoulder, a spare soldierlyform, with the most striking countenance I have ever seen; one which, once seen, none could forget. The white long hair and beard, theformer reaching the shoulders, the latter falling to the belt, werenot only unlike the fashion of this generation, but gave tokens of agenever discerned in Mars for the last three or four thousand years. Theform, though erect and even stately, was that of one who had felt thelong since abolished infirmity of advancing years. The countenancealone bore no marks of old age. It was full, unwrinkled, firm inphysical as in moral character; calm in the unresisted power ofintellect and will over the passions, serene in a dignity too absoluteand self-contained for pride, but expressing a consciousness ofcommand over others as evident as the unconscious, effortless commandof self to which it owed its supreme and sublime quietude. The lipswere not set as with a habit of reserve or self-restraint, but closeand even as in the repose to which restraint had never been necessary. The features were large, clearly defined, and perfect in shape, proportion, and outline. The brow was massive and broad, but strangelysmooth and even; the head had no single marked development ordeficiency that could have enlightened a phrenologist, as the facetold no tale that a physiognomist could read. The dark deep eyes wereunescapable; while in presence of the portrait you could not for amoment avoid or forget their living, fixed, direct look into your own. Even in the painted representation of that gaze, almost too calm inits absolute mastery to be called searching or scrutinising, yetseeming to look through the eyes into the soul, there was an almostmesmeric influence; as if, across the abyss of ten thousand years, theMaster could still control the wills and draw forth the inner thoughtsof the living, as he had dominated the spirits of their remotestancestors. 

CHAPTER IX - MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 

Next morning Esmo asked me to accompany him on a visit to the seaportI have mentioned. In the course of this journey I had opportunities oflearning many things respecting the social and practical conditions ofhuman life and industry on Mars that had hitherto been unknown to me, and to appreciate the enormous advance in material civilisation whichhas accompanied what seems to me, as it would probably seem to anyother Earth-dweller, a terrible moral degeneration. Most of thesethings I learned partly from my own observation, partly from theexplanations of my companion; some exclusively from what he told me. We passed a house in process of building, and here I learned themanner in which the wonders of domestic architecture, which had sosurprised me by their perfection and beauty, are accomplished. Thematerial employed in all buildings is originally liquid, or ratherviscous. In the first place, the foundation is excavated to a depth oftwo or three feet, the ground beaten hard, and the liquid concretepoured into the level tank thus formed. When this has hardenedsufficiently to admit of their erection, thin frames of metal areerected, enclosing the spaces to be occupied by the several outer andinterior walls. 

These spaces are filled with the concrete at a temperature of about80° C. The tracery and the bas-reliefs impressed on the walls areobtained by means of patterns embossed or marked upon thinner sheetsplaced inside the metallic frames. The hardening is effected partly bysudden cooling, partly by the application of electricity under greathydraulic pressure. The flat roof is constructed in the same manner, the whole mass, when the fluid concrete is solidified, being simplyone continuous stone, as hard and cohesive as granite. Where a flatroof would be liable to give way or break from its own weight, thearch or dome is employed to give the required strength, andconsequently all the largest Martial buildings are constructed in theform of vaults or domes. As regards the form of the building, individual or public taste is absolutely free, it being just as easyto construct a circular or octagonal as a rectangular house orchamber; but the latter form is almost exclusively employed forprivate dwellings. The jewel-like lustre and brilliancy I havedescribed are given to the surfaces of the walls by the simultaneousaction of cold, electricity, and pressure, the principle of which Esmocould not so explain as to render it intelligible to me. Almost thewhole physical labour is done by machinery, from the digging andmixing of the materials to their conveyance and delivery into theplace prepared for them by the erection of the metallic frames, andfrom the erection to the removal of the latter. The translucentmaterial for the windows I have described is prepared by a separateprocess, and in distinct factories, and, ready hardened and cut intosheets of the required size, is brought to the building and fixed inits place by machinery. It can be tinted to the taste of thepurchaser; but, as a rule, a tintless crystal is preferred. The entirework of building a large house, from the foundation to the finishingand removal of the metallic frames, occupies from half-a-dozen toeighteen workmen from four to eight days. This, like most other labourin Mars, goes on continuously; the electric lamps, raised to a greatheight on hollow metallic poles, affording by night a very sufficientsubstitute for the light of the sun. All work is done by three relaysof artisans; the first set working from noon till evening, the nextfrom evening till morning, and the third from morning to noon. TheMartial day, which consists of about twenty-four hours forty minutesof our time, is divided in a somewhat peculiar manner. The two-hourperiods, of which "mean" sunrise and sunset are severally the middlepoints, are respectively called the morning and evening _zydau_. Twoperiods of the same length before and after noon and midnight aredistinguished as the first and second dark, the first and secondmid-day zyda. There remain four intervals of three hours each, popularly described as the sleeping, waking, after-sunrise, andfore-sunset zyda respectively. This is the popular reckoning, and thatmarked upon the instruments which record time for ordinary purposes, and by these the meals and other industrial and domestic epochs arefixed. But for purposes of exact calculation, the day, beginning anhour before mean sunrise, is distributed into twelve periods, orantoi, of a little more than two terrestrial hours each. These againare subdivided by twelve into periods of a little more than 10m. , 50s. , 2-1/2s. , and 5/24s respectively; but of these the second andlast are alone employed in common speech. The uniform employment oftwelve as the divisor and multiplier in tables of weight, distance, time, and space, as well as in arithmetical notation, has all theconveniences of the decimal system of France, and some others besidesdue to the greater convenience of twelve as a base. But as regards thelarger divisions of time, the Martials are placed at a greatdisadvantage by the absence of any such intermediate divisions as theMoon has suggested to Terrestrials. The revolutions of the satellitesare too rapid and their periods too brief to be of service in dividingtheir year of 668-2/3 solar days. Martial civilisation having takenits rise within the tropics--indeed the equatorial continents, whichonly here and there extend far into the temperate zone, and two minorcontinents in the southern ocean, are the only well-peopled portionsof the planet--the demarcation of the seasons afforded by thesolstices have been comparatively disregarded. The year is dividedinto winter and summer, each beginning with the Equinox, anddistinguished as the North and South summer respectively. But thesebeing exceedingly different in duration--the Northern half of theplanet having a summer exceeding by seventy-six days that of theSouthern hemisphere--are of no use as accurate divisions of time. Timeis reckoned, accordingly, from the first day of the year; the 669thday being incomplete, and the new year beginning at the moment of theEquinox with the 0th day. In remote ages the lapse of time was markedby festivals and holidays occurring at fixed periods; but theprinciple of utility has long since abolished all anniversaries, except those fixed by Nature, and these pass without public observanceand almost without notice. 

The climate is comparatively equable in the Northern hemisphere, thesummer of the South being hotter and the winter colder, as the planetis much nearer the Sun during the former. On an average, the solardisc seems about half as large as to eyes on Earth; but the continentslying in a belt around the middle of the planet, nearly the whole ofits population enjoy the advantages of tropical regularity. There aretwo brief rainy seasons on the Equator and in its neighbourhood, andone at each of the tropics. Outside these the cold of winter isaggravated by cloud and mist. The barometer records from 20 inches to21 inches at the sea-level. Storms are slight, brief, and infrequent;the tides are insignificant; and sea-voyages were safe and easy evenbefore Martial ingenuity devised vessels which are almost independentof weather. During the greater part of the year a clear sky from themorning to the evening zyda may be reckoned upon with almost absoluteconfidence. A heavy dew, thoroughly watering the whole surface, rendering the rarity of rain no inconvenience to agriculture, fallsduring the earlier hours of the night, which nevertheless remainscloudy; while the periods of sunset and sunrise are, as I have alreadysaid, marked almost invariably by dense mist, extending from one tofour thousand feet above the sea-level, according to latitude andseason. From the dissipation of the morning to the fall of the eveningmist, the tropical temperature ranges, according to the time of theday and year, from 24° to 35° C. A very sudden change takes place atsunset. Except within 28° of the Equator, night frosts prevail duringno small part of the year. Fine nights are at all times chilly, andmen employed out of doors from the fall of the evening to thedispersal of the morning mists rely on an unusually warm under-dressof soft leather, as flexible as kid, but thicker, which is said tokeep in the warmth of the body far better than any woven material. Women who, from whatever reason, venture out at night, wear thewarmest cloaks they can procure. Those of limited means wear a looselywoven hair or woollen over-robe in lieu of their usual outdoorgarment, resembling tufted cotton. Those who can afford themsubstitute for the envelope of down, described a while back, warm skinor fur overgarments, obtained from the sub-arctic lands and seas, andfurnished sometimes by a creature not very unlike our Polar bear, butpassing half his time in the water and living on fish; sometimes by amammal more resembling something intermediate between the mammoth andthe walrus, with the habits of the hippopotamus and a fur not unlikethe sealskin so much affected in Europe. 

Outside the city, at a distance protecting it from any unpleasantvapours, which besides were carried up metallic tubes of enormousheight, were several factories of great extent, some chemical, sometextile, others reducing from their ores, purifying, forging, andproducing in bulk and forms convenient for their various uses, thenumerous metals employed in Mars. The most important ofthese--_zorinta_--is obtained from a tenacious soil much resemblingour own clay. [12] It is far lighter than tin, has the colour andlustre of silver, and never tarnishes, the only rust produced byoxidation of its surface being a white loose powder, which can bebrushed or shaken off without difficulty. Of this nearly all Martialutensils and furniture are constructed; and its susceptibility to theelectric current renders it especially useful for mechanical purposes, electricity supplying the chief if not the sole motive-power employedin Martial industry. The largest factories, however, employ but a fewhands, the machinery being so perfect as to perform, with very littleinterposition from human hands, the whole work, from the firstpurification to the final arrangement. I saw a mass of ore as dug outfrom the ground put into one end of a long series of machines, whichcame out, without the slightest manual assistance, at the close of acourse of operations so directed as to bring it back to our feet, inthe form of a thin sheet of lustrous metal. In another factory a massof dry vegetable fibre was similarly transformed by machinery aloneinto a bale of wonderfully light woven drapery resembling satin inlustre, muslin or gauze in texture. 

The streets were what, even in the finest and latest-built Americancities, would be thought magnificent in size and admirable inconstruction. The roadway was formed of that concrete, harder thangranite, which is the sole material employed in Martial building, andwhich, as I have shown, can take every form and texture, from that ofjewels or of the finest marble to that of plain polished slate. Alongeach side ran avenues of magnificent trees, whose branches met at aheight of thirty feet over the centre. Between these and the houseswas a space reserved for the passage of light carriages exclusively. The houses, unlike those in the country, were from two to four storiesin height. 

All private dwellings, however, were built, as in the country, arounda square interior garden, and the windows, except those of the frontrooms employed for business purposes, looked out upon this. The spaceoccupied, however, was of course much smaller than where ground wasless precious, few dwellings having four chambers on the same floorand front. The footway ran on the level of what we call the firststory, over a part of the roof of the ground floor; and the businessapartments were always the front chambers of the former, while thestores of the merchants were collected in a single warehouse occupyingthe whole of the ground front. No attempt was made to exhibit them ason Earth. I entered with my host a number of what we should callshops. In every case he named exactly the article he wanted, and itwas either produced at once or he was told that it was not to be hadthere, a thing which, however, seldom happened. The traders are few innumber. One or two firms engaged in a single branch of commerce do thewhole business of an extensive province. For instance, all the textilefabrics on sale in the province were to be seen in one or other of twowarehouses; all metals in sheets, blocks, and wires in another; in athird all finished metal-work, except writing materials; all writing, phonographic, and telegraphic conveniences in a fourth; all furs, feathers, and fabrics made from these in a fifth. The tradesman sellson commission, as we say, receiving the goods from the manufacturer, the farmer, or the State, and paying only for what are sold at the endof each year, reserving to himself one-twenty-fourth of the price. Prices, however, do not vary from year to year, save when, on rareoccasions, an adverse season or a special accident affects the supplyand consequently the price of any natural product--choice fruit, skins, silver, for instance--obtained only from some peculiarlyfavoured locality. 

The monetary system, like so many other Martial institutions, ispurely artificial and severely logical. It is held that the exchangevalue of any article of manufacture or agricultural produce tendssteadily downwards, while any article obtained by mining labour, orsupplied by nature alone, tends to become more and more costly. Theuse of any one article of either class as a measure of value tends inthe long-run to injustice either towards creditors or debtors. Labourmay be considered as the most constant in intrinsic value of allthings capable of sale or barter; but the utmost ingenuity of Martialphilosophers has failed to devise a fixed standard by which one kindof labour can be measured against another, and their respectiveproductive force, and consequently their value in exchange, ascertained. One thing alone retains in their opinion an intrinsicvalue always the same, and if it increase in value, increases only inproportion as all produce is obtained in greater quantities or withgreater facility. Land, therefore, is in their estimationtheoretically the best available measure of value--a dogma which hasmore practical truth in a planet where population is evenly diffusedand increases very slowly, if at all, than it might have in thedensely but unevenly peopled countries of Europe or Asia. A _staltâ_, or square of about fifty yards (rather more than half an acre), is theprimary standard unit of value. For purposes of currency this isrepresented by a small engraved document bearing the Government stamp, which can always at pleasure be exchanged for so much land in aparticular situation. The region whose soil is chosen as the standardlies under the Equator, and the State possesses there some hundreds ofsquare miles, let out on terms thought to ensure its excellentcultivation and the permanence of its condition. The immediateconvertibility of each such document, engraven on a small piece ofmetal about two inches long by one in breadth, and the fortieth partof an inch in thickness, is the ultimate cause and permanent guaranteeof its value. Large payments, moreover, have to be made to the Stateby those who rent its lands or purchase the various articles of whichit possesses a monopoly; or, again, in return for the services itundertakes, as lighting roads and supplying water to districtsdependent on a distant source. Great care is taken to keep the issueof these notes within safe limits; and as a matter of fact they arerather more valuable than the land they represent, and are inconsequence seldom presented for redemption therein. To provideagainst the possibility of such an over-issue as might exhaust thearea of standard land at command of the State, it is enacted that, failing this, the holder may select his portion of State domainwherever he pleases, at twelve years' purchase of the rental; but inpoint of fact these provisions are theoretically rather thanpractically important, since not one note in a hundred is everredeemed or paid off. The "square measure, " upon which the coinage, ifI may so call it is based, following exactly the measure of length, each larger area in the ascending scale represents 144 times thatbelow it. Thus the _styly_ being a little more than a foot, the_steely_ is about 13 feet, or one-twelfth of the _stâly_; but the_steeltâ_ (or square steely) is 1/144th part of the _stâltâ_. The_stoltâ_, again, is about 600 yards square, or 360, 000 square yards, 144 times the _stâltâ_. The highest note, so to speak, in circulationrepresents this last area; but all calculations are made in _staltau_, or twelfths thereof. The _stâltâ_ will purchase about six ounces ofgold. Notes are issued for the third, fourth, and twelfth parts ofthis: values smaller than the latter are represented by a tokencoinage of square medals composed of an alloy in which gold and silverrespectively are the principal elements. The lowest coin is worthabout threepence of English money. 

Stopping at the largest public building in the city, a central hexagonwith a number of smaller hexagons rising around it, we entered one ofthe latter, each side of which might be some 30 feet in length and 15in height. Here were ranged a large number of instruments on theprinciple of the voice-writer, but conveying the sound to a vastdistance along electric wires into one which reverses thevoice-recording process, and repeats the vocal sound itself. Throughone of these, after exchanging a few words with one of the officialsin charge of them, Esmo carried on a conversation of some length, theinstrument being so arranged that while the mouth is applied to onetube another may be held to the ear to receive the reply. In themeantime I fell in with one of the officers, apparently very young, who was strongly interested at the sight of the much-canvassedstranger, and, perhaps on this account, far more obliging than iscommon among his countrymen. From him I learnt that this, with anothermethod I will presently describe, is the sole means of distantcommunication employed in Mars. Those who have not leisure or do notcare to visit one of the offices, never more than twelve-miles distantfrom one another, in which the public instruments are kept, can have awire conveyed to their own house. Almost every house of any pretensionpossesses such a wire. Leading me into the next apartment, my friendpointed out an immense number of instruments of a box-like shape, witha slit in which a leaf of about four inches by two was placed. Thesewere constantly ejected and on the instant mechanically replaced. Thefallen leaves were collected and sorted by the officers present, andat once placed in one or other of another set of exactly similarinstruments. Any one possessing a private wire can write at his owndesk in the manual character a letter or message on one of theseslips. Placing it in his own instrument, it at once reproduces itselfexactly in his autograph, and with every peculiarity, blot, orerasure, at the nearest office. Here the copy is placed in the properbox, and at once reproduced in the office nearest the residence of theperson to whom it is addressed, and forwarded in the same manner tohim. A letter, therefore, covering one of these slips, and saying asmuch as we could write in an average hand upon a large sheet ofletter-paper, is delivered within five minutes at most from the timeof despatch, no matter how great the distance. 

I remarked that this method of communication made privacy impossible. 

"But, " replied the official, "how could we possibly have time toindulge in curiosity? We have to sort hundreds of these papers in anhour. We have just time to look at the address, place them in theproper box, and touch the spring which sets the electric current atwork. If secrecy were needed a cipher would easily secure it, for youwill observe that by this telegraph whatever is inscribed on the sheetis mechanically reproduced; and it would be as easy to send a pictureas a message. "

I learnt that a post of marvellous perfection had, some thousand yearsago, delivered letters all over Mars, but it was now employed only forthe delivery of parcels. Perhaps half the commerce of Mars, exceptthat in metals and agricultural produce, depends on this post. Purchasers of standard articles describe by the telegraph-letter to atradesman the exact amount and pattern of the goods required, andthese are despatched at once; a system of banking, very completelyorganised, enabling the buyer to pay at once by a telegraphic order. 

When Esmo had finished his business, we walked down, at my request, tothe port. Around three sides of the dock formed by walls, said to befifty feet in depth and twenty in thickness, ran a road close to thewater's edge, beyond which was again a vast continuous warehouse. Theinner side was reserved for passenger vessels, and everywhere thelargest ships could come up close, landing either passengers or cargowithout even the intervention of a plank. The appearance of the shipsis very unlike that of Terrestrial vessels. They have no masts orrigging, are constructed of the zorinta, which in Mars serves muchmore effectively all the uses of iron, and differ entirely inconstruction as they are intended for cargo or for travel. Mercantileships are in shape much like the finest American clippers, but withbroad, flat keel and deck, and with a hold from fifteen to twenty feetin depth. Like Malayan vessels, they have attached by strong bars anexternal beam about fifty feet from the side, which rendersoverturning almost impossible. Passenger ships more resemble the formof a fish, but are alike at both ends. Six men working in pairs fourhours at a time compose the entire crew of the largest ship, and halfthis number are required for the smallest that undertakes a voyage ofmore than twelve hours. 

I may here mention that the system of sewage is far superior to anyyet devised on Earth. No particle of waste is allowed to pollute thewaters. The whole is deodorised by an exceedingly simple process, and, whether in town or country, carried away daily and applied to itsnatural use in fertilising the soil. Our practice of throwing away, where it is an obvious and often dangerous nuisance, material sovaluable in its proper place, seemed to my Martial friends aninexplicable and almost incredible absurdity. 

As we returned, Esmo told me that he had been in communication withthe Camptâ, who had desired that I should visit him with the leastpossible delay. 

"This, " he said, "will hurry us in matters where I at any rate shouldhave preferred a little delay. The seat of Government is by a directroute nearly six thousand miles distant, and you will have opportunityof travelling in all the different ways practised on this planet. Along land-journey in our electric carriages, with which you are notfamiliar, is, I think, to be avoided. The Camptâ would wish to seeyour vessel as well as yourself; but, on the whole, I think it issafer to leave it where it is. Kevimâ, and I propose to accompany youduring the first part of your journey. At our first halt, we will stayone night with a friend, that you may be admitted a brother of ourOrder. "

"And, " said I, "what sort of a reception may I expect at the end of myjourney?"

"I think, " he answered, "that you are more likely to be embarrassed bythe goodwill of the Camptâ than by the hostility of some of thoseabout him. His character is very peculiar, and it is difficult toreckon upon his action in any given case. But he differs from nearlyall his subjects in having a strong taste for adventure, none the lessif it be perilous; and since his position prevents him from indulgingthis taste in person, he is the more disposed to take extreme interestin the adventures of others. He has, moreover, a great value for whatyou call courage, a virtue rarely needed and still more rarely shownamong us; and I fancy that your venture through space has impressedhim with a very high estimate of your daring. Assuredly none of us, however great his scientific curiosity, would have dreamed ofincurring such a peril, and incurring it alone. But I must give youone warning. It is not common among us to make valuable gifts: we donot care enough for any but ourselves to give except with the idea ofgetting something valuable in return. Our princes are, however, sowealthy that they can give without sacrifice, and it is considered agrave affront to refuse any present from a superior. Whatever, then, our Suzerain may offer you--and he is almost sure, unless he shouldtake offence, to give you whatever he thinks will induce you to settlepermanently in the neighbourhood of his Court--you must acceptgraciously, and on no account, either then or afterwards, lead him tothink that you slight his present. "

"I must say, " I replied, "that while I wish to remain in your worldtill I have learnt, if not all that is to be learnt, yet very muchmore than I at present know about it, the whole purpose of my voyagewould be sacrificed if I could not effect my return to Earth. "

"I suppose so, " he answered, "and for that reason I wish to keep yourvessel safe and within your reach; for to get away at all you may haveto depart suddenly. But you will not do wisely to make the Princesuspect that such is your intention. Tell him of what you wish to seeand to explore in this world; tell him freely of your own, for he willnot readily fancy that you prefer it to this; but say as little aspossible of your hopes of an ultimate return, and, if you are forcedto acknowledge them, let them seem as indefinite as possible. "

By this time, returning by another road, Esmo stopped the carriage atthe gate of an enclosed garden of moderate size, about two miles fromEcasfe. Entering alone, he presently returned with another gentleman, wearing a dress of grey and silver, with a white ribbon over theshoulder; a badge, I found, of official rank or duties. Mounting hisown carriage, this person accompanied us home. 

CHAPTER X - WOMAN AND WEDLOCK. 

We arrived at home in the course of some few minutes, and here my hostrequested us to wait in the hall, where in about half-an-hour herejoined us, accompanied by all the members of his family, the ladiesall closely veiled. Looking among them instinctively for Eveena, Iobserved that she had exchanged her usual light veil for one fullerand denser, and wore, contrary to the wont of maidens indoors, sleevesand gloves. She held her father's hand, and evinced no littleagitation or alarm. The visitor stood by a table on which had beenplaced the usual pencils or styles, and a sort of open portfolio, onone side of which was laid a small strip of the golden tafroo, inscribed with crimson characters of unusual size, leaving severalblanks here and there. Most of these he filled up, and then, leadingforward his daughter, Esmo signed to me also to approach the table. The others stood just behind us, and the official then placed thedocument in Eveena's hand. She looked through it and replaced it onthe table with the gesture of assent usual among her people, incliningher head and raising her left hand to her lips. The document was thenhanded to me, but I, of course, was unable to read it. I said so, andthe official read it aloud:--

"Between Eveena, daughter of Esmo dent Ecasfen, and ---- [13]_reclamomortâ_ (the alleged arch-traveller), covenant: Eveena willlive with ---- in wedlock for two years, foregoing during that periodthe liberty to quit his house, or to receive any one therein save byhis permission. In consideration whereof he will maintain her, clothing her to her satisfaction, at a cost not exceeding five stâltauby the year. He will provide for any child or children she may bearwhile living with him, or within twice twelve dozen days thereafter. And if at any time he shall dismiss her or permit her to leave him, orif she shall desire to leave him after the expiration of eight years, he will ensure to her for her life an annual payment of fifteenstâltau. Neither shall appeal to a court of law or public authorityagainst the other on account of anything done during the time theyshall live together, except for attempt to kill or for grave bodilyinjury. "

Such is the form of marriage covenant employed in Mars. The occasionwas unfit for discussion, and I simply intimated my acceptance of thecovenants, oo which Eveena and myself forthwith were instructed towrite our names where they appear in the above translation. Theofficial then inquired whether I recognised the lady standing besideme as Eveena, daughter of Esmo. It then struck me that, though I feltpretty certain of her identity, marriage under such conditions mightoccasionally lead to awkward mistakes. There was no such differencebetween my bride and her companions as, but for her dress and heragitation, would have enabled me positively to distinguish them, veiled and silent as all were. I expressed no doubt, however, and theofficial then proceeded to affix his own stamp to the document; andthen lifting up that on which our names had actually been written, showed that, by some process I hardly understand, the signature hadbeen executed and the agreement filled up in triplicate, the officerpreserving one copy, the others being given to the bride andbridegroom respectively. The ladies then retired, Esmo, his son, andthe official remaining, when two ambau brought in a tray ofrefreshments. The official tasted each article offered to him, evidently more as a matter of form than of pleasure. I took thisopportunity to ask some questions regarding the Martial cuisine, andlearnt that all but the very simplest cookery is performed byprofessional confectioners, who supply twice a day the households intheir vicinity; unmarried men taking their meals at the shop. Thepreparation of fruit, roasted grain, beverages consisting of juicesmixed with a prepared nectar, and the vegetables from the garden, which enter into the composition of every meal, are the only culinarycares of the ladies of the family. Everything can be warmed orfreshened on the stove which forms a part of that electric machineryby which in every household the baths and lights are supplied and thehouse warmed at night. The ladies have therefore very little householdwork, and the greater part of this is performed under theirsuperintendence by the animals, which are almost as useful as anyhuman slaves on earth, with the one unquestionable advantage that theycannot speak, and therefore cannot be impertinent, inquisitive, ortreacherous. No fermented liquors form part of the Martial diet; butsome narcotics resembling haschisch and opium are much relished. Whenthe official had retired, I said to my host--

"I thought it best to raise no question or objection in signing thecontract put before me with your sanction; but you must be aware, inthe first place, that I have no means here of performing the pecuniarypart of the covenant, no means of providing either maintenance orpin-money. "

The explanation of the latter phrase, which was immediately demanded, produced not a little amusement, after which Esmo replied gravely--

"It will be very easy for you, if necessary, to realise a competencein the course of half a year. A book relating your adventures, anddescribing the world you have left, would bring you in a verycomfortable fortune; and you might more than double this by givingaddresses in each of our towns, which, if only from the curiosity ourpeople would entertain to see you with their own eyes, would attractcrowded audiences. You could get a considerable sum for the exclusiveright to take your likeness; and, if you chose to explain it, youmight fix your own price on the novel motive power you haveintroduced. But there is another point in regard to the contract whichyou have overlooked, but which I was bound to bear in mind. What youhave promised is, I believe, what Eveena would have obtained from anysuitor she was likely to accept. But since you left the matterentirely to my discretion, I am bound to make it impossible that youshould be a loser; and this document (and he handed me a small slipvery much like that which contained the marriage covenant) imposes onmy estate the payment of an income for Eveena's life equal to that youhave promised her. "

With much reluctance I found myself obliged to accept a dowry which, however natural and proper on Earth, was, I felt, unusual in Mars. Imay say that such charges do not interfere with the free sale of land. They are registered in the proper office, and the State trusteecollects them from the owner for the time being as quit-rents arecollected in Great Britain or land revenue in India. Turning toanother but kindred question, I said--

"Your marriage contract, like our own laws, appears to favour theweaker sex more than strict theoretical equality would permit. This isquite right and practically inevitable; but it hardly agrees with thetheory which supposes bride and bridegroom, husband and wife, to enteron and maintain a coequal voluntary partnership. "

"How so?" he inquired. 

"The right of divorce, " I said, "at the end of two years belongs tothe wife alone. The husband cannot divorce her except under a heavypenalty. "

"Observe, " he answered, "that there is a grave practical inequalitywhich even theory can hardly ignore. The wife parts with something bythe very fact of marriage. At the end of two years, when she has bornetwo, three, or four children, her value in marriage is greatlylessened. Her capacity of maintaining herself, in the days when womendid work, was found practically to be even smaller than beforemarriage. You may say that this really amounts to a recognition bycustom of the natural inequality denied by law; but at any rate, it isan inequality which it was scarcely possible to overlook. Examine thepractical working of the covenants, and you will find that inaffecting to treat unequals as equals they merely make the weaker theslave of the stronger. "

"Surely, " I said, "husband and wife are so far equal, where neither istied to the children, that each can make the other heartily glad toassent to a divorce. "

"Perhaps, where law interferes to enforce monogamy, and thereby tocreate an artificial equality of mutual dependence. But our law cannotdictate to equals, whose sex it ignores, the terms or numbers ofpartnership. So, the terms of the contract being voluntary, men ofcourse insist on excluding legal interference in household quarrels;and before the prohibitive clause was generally adopted, legalinterposition did more harm than good. As you will find, equalitybefore the law gives absolute effect to the real inequality, andchiefly through its coarsest element, superior physical force. Theliberty that is a necessary logical consequence of equality takes fromthe woman her one natural safeguard--the man's need of her goodwill, if not of her affection. "

"In our world, " I replied, "I always held that even slaves, so they behousehold slaves, are secure against gross cruelty. The owner cannotmake life a burden to them without imperilling his own. To reduce thequestion to its lowest terms--malice will always be a match formuscle, and poison an efficient antidote to the _ferula_. "

"So, " rejoined Esmo, "our men have perceived, and consequently theyhave excepted attempts to murder, as the women have excepted seriousbodily injury, from the general rule prohibiting appeals to a court oflaw. "

"And, " said I, "are there many such appeals?"

"Not one in two years, " he replied; "and for a simple reason. Our law, as matter of course and of common sense, puts murder, attempted oraccomplished, on the same footing, and visits both with its supremepenalty. Consequently, a wife detected in such an attempt is at herhusband's mercy; and if he consent to spare her life, she must submitto any infliction, however it may transgress the covenanted limit. Infact, if he find her out in such an attempt, he may do anything butput her to death on his own authority. "

"Still, " I answered, "as long as she remains in the house, she musthave frequent opportunity of repeating her attempt at revenge; and tolive in constant fear of assassination would break down the strongestnerves. "

"Our physicians, " he said, "are more skilful in antidotes than ourwomen in poisons, even when the latter have learned chemistry. Nopoisonous plants are grown near our houses; and as wives never go outalone, they have little chance of getting hold of any fatal drug. Ibelieve that very few attempts to poison are successful, and that manywomen have suffered very severely on mere suspicion. "

"And what, " I asked, "is the legal definition of 'grave bodilyinjury'?"

"Injury, " he said, "of which serious traces remain at the end oftwenty-four days; the destruction of a limb, or the deprivation, partial or total, of a sense. I have often thought bitterly, " hecontinued, "of that boasted logic and liberality of our laws underwhich my daughters might have to endure almost any maltreatment fromtheir husbands, so long as these have but the sense not to employweapons that leave almost ineffaceable marks. This is one main reasonwhy we so anxiously avoid giving them save to those who are bound bythe ties of our faith to treat them as kindly as children--for whom, at the worst, they remain sisters of the Order. If women generally hadparents, our marriage law could never have carried out the fiction ofequality to its logical perfection and practical monstrosity. "

"Equality, then, has given your women a harder life and a worseposition than that of those women in our world who are, not only bylaw but by fact and custom, the slaves of their husbands?"

"Yes, indeed, " he said; "and our proverbs, though made by men, expressthis truth with a sharpness in which there is little exaggeration. Ourschool textbooks tell us that action and reaction are equal andopposite; and this familiar phrase gives meaning to the saw, _Pelmavèdakâl dakè, _ 'She is equal, the thing struck to the hammer, ' meaningthat woman's equality to man is no more effective than the reaction ofthe leather on the mallet. 'Bitterer smiles of twelve than tears often' (referring to the age of marriage). _Thleen delkint treen lalfezevleen_, ''Twixt fogs and clouds she dreams of stars. '"

"What _does_ that mean?"

"Would you not render it in the terminology of the hymn you translatedfor us, 'Between Purgatory and Hell, one dream of Heaven?' Stillpuzzled? 'Between the harshness of school and the misery of marriage, the illusions of the bride. ' Again, _Zefoo zevleel, zave marneel, clafte cratheneel_, 'A child [cries] for the stars, a maiden for thematron's dress, a woman for her shroud. '"

"Do you mean to say that that is not exaggerated?"

"I suppose it is, as women are even less given to suicide than men. That is perhaps the ugliest proverb of its kind. I will only quote onemore, and that is two-edged--

 "'Fool he who heeds a woman's tears, to woman's tongue replies; Fool she who braves man's hand--but when was man or woman wise?'"

Here Zulve came to the door and made a sign to her husband. Waitingcourteously to ascertain that I had finished speaking, and until hisson had somewhat ceremoniously taken leave of me, he led me to thedoor of a chamber next to that I had hitherto occupied. Pausing herehimself, he motioned me to go on, and the door parting, I found myselfin a room I had not before entered, about the same size as my own andsimilarly furnished, but differently coloured, now communicating withit by a door which I knew had not previously existed. Here wereEveena's mother and sister, dressed as usual. 

Eveena herself had exchanged her maiden white for the light pink of ayoung matron, but was closely veiled in a similar material. Her motherand sister kissed her with much emotion, though without the tears andlamentations, real or affected, with which--alike among the nomads ofAsia and the most cultivated races of Europe--even those relatives whohave striven hardest to marry a daughter or sister think it necessaryto celebrate the fulfilment of their hopes, and the termination oftheir often prolonged and wearisome labours. I was then left alonewith my bride, who remained half-seated, half-crouching on thecushions in a corner of the room. I could not help feeling keenly howmuch a marriage so unceremonious and with so little previousacquaintance, or rather so great a reserve and distance in our formerintercourse, intensified the awkwardness many a man on Earth feelswhen first left alone with the partner of his future life. But asingle glance at the small drooping figure half-hidden in the cushionsbrought the reflection that a situation, embarrassing to thebridegroom, must be in the last degree alarming and distressing to thebride. But for her visit to the Astronaut we should have been almoststrangers; I could hardly have recognised even her voice. I must, however, speak; and naturally my first sentence was a half-articulaterequest that she would remove her veil. 

"No, " she whispered, rising, "_you_ must do that. "

Taking off the glove of her left hand, she came up to me shyly andslowly, and placed it in my right--a not unmeaning ceremony. Havingobeyed her instruction, my lips touched for the first time the brow ofmy young wife. That she was more than shy and startled, was evenpainfully agitated and frightened, became instantly apparent now thather countenance was visible. What must be the state of Martial bridesin general, when the signature of the contract immediately places themat the disposal of an utter stranger, it was beyond the power of myimagination to conceive, if their feelings were at all to be measuredby Eveena's under conditions sufficiently trying, but certainly farbetter than theirs. Nothing was so likely to quiet her as perfectcalmness on my side; and, though with a heart beating almost as fastas her own, if with very different emotions, I led her gently back toher place, and resting on a cushion just out of reach, began to talkto her. Choosing as the easiest subject our adventure of yesterday, Iasked what could have induced her to place herself in a situation sodangerous. 

"Do not be angry with me now, " she pleaded. "I am exceedingly fond offlowers; they have been my only amusement except the training of mypets. You can see how little women have to do, how little occupationor interest is permitted us. The rearing of rare flowers, or thecreation of new ones, is almost the only employment in which we canfind exercise for such intelligence as we possess. I had never seenbefore the flower that grew on that shelf. I believe, indeed, that itonly grows on a few of our higher mountains below the snow-line, and Iwas anxious to bring it home and see what could be made of it in thegarden. I thought it might be developed into something almost asbeautiful as that bright _leenoo_ you admired so greatly in myflower-bed. "

"But, " said I, "the two flowers are not of the same shape or colour;and, though I am not learned in botany, I should say hardly belong tothe same family. "

"No, " she said. "But with care, and with proper management of ourelectric apparatus, I accomplished this year a change almost as great. I can show you in my flower-bed one little white flower, of no greatbeauty and conical in shape, from which I have produced in two yearsanother, saucer-shaped, pink, and of thrice the size, almost exactlyrealising an imaginary flower, drawn by my sister-in-law to representone of which she had dreamed. We can often produce the very shape, size, and colour we wish from something that at first seems to have nolikeness to it whatever; and I have been told that a skilful farmerwill often obtain a fruit, or, what is more difficult, an animal, toanswer exactly the ideal he has formed. "

"Some of our breeders, " I said, "profess to develop a sort of ideal ofany given species; but it takes many generations, by picking andchoosing those that vary in the right direction, to accomplishanything of the kind; and, after all, the difference between theoriginal and the improved form is mere development, not essentialchange. "

She hardly seemed to understand this, but answered--

"The seedling or rootlet would be just like the original plant, if wedid not from the first control its growth by means of our electricframes. But if you will allow me, I will show you to-morrow what Ihave done in my own flower-bed, and you will have opportunities ofseeing afterwards how very much more is done by agriculturists withmuch more time and much more potent electricities. "

"At any rate, " I said, "if I had known your object, you certainlyshould have had the flowers for which you risked so much: and if Iremain here three days longer, I promise you plenty of specimens foryour experiment. "

"You do not mean to go back to the Astronaut?" she asked, with an airof absolute consternation. 

"I had not intended to do so, " I replied, "for it seems to beperfectly safe under your father's seal and your stringent laws ofproperty. But now, if time permit, I must get these flowers to whichyou tell me I am so deeply indebted. "

"You are very kind, " returned Eveena earnestly, "but I entreat you notto venture there again. I should be utterly miserable while you wererunning such a risk again, and for such a trifle. "

"It is no such terrible risk to me, and to please you is not quite atrifle. Besides, I ought to deserve my prize better than I have yetdone. But you seem to have some especial spite against the unluckyvessel that brought me here; and that, " I added, smiling, "seemshardly gracious in a bride of an hour. "

"No, no!" she murmured, evidently much distressed; "but the vesselthat brought you here may take you away. "

"I will not pain you yet by saying that I hope it may. At all events, it shall not do so till you are content that it should. "

She made no answer, and seemed for some time to hesitate, as if afraidor unwilling to say something which rose irrepressibly to her lips. Afew persuasive words, however, encouraged her, and she found hervoice, though with a faltering accent, which greatly surprised me whenI learned at last the purport of her request. 

"I do not understand, " she said, "your ideas or customs, but I knowthey are different from ours. I have found at least that they make youmuch more indulgent and tender to women than our own; and I hope, therefore, you will forgive me if I ask more than I have any right todo. "

"I could scarcely refuse my bride's first request, whatever it mightbe. But your hesitation and your apologies might make me fear that youare about to ask something which one or both of us may wish hereafterhad neither been asked nor granted. "

She still hesitated and faltered, till I began to fancy that her wishmust have a much graver import than I at first supposed. Perhaps totreat the matter lightly and sportively would be the course mostlikely to encourage her to explain it. 

"What is it, child, " I asked, "which you think the stranger of anotherworld more likely to grant than one of your own race, and which is soextravagant, nevertheless, that you tremble to ask it even from me? Isit too much to be bound not to appeal against me to the law, whichcannot yet determine whether I am a reality or a fiction? Or have Iproved my arm a little too substantial? Must the giant promise not toexercise the masculine prerogative of physical force safely concededto the dwarf? Fie, Eveena! I am almost afraid to touch you, lest Ishould hurt you unawares; lest tenderness itself should transgress thelimit of legal cruelty, and do grave bodily harm to a creature so muchmore like a fairy than a woman!"

"No, no!" she expostulated, not at all reciprocating the jesting tonein which I spoke. "If you would consent to give such a promise, it isjust one of those we should wish unmade. How could I ask you topromise that I may behave as ill as I please? I dare say I shall befrightened to tears when you are angry; but I shall never wish you toretain your anger rather than vent it and forgive. The proverb says, 'Who punishes pardons; who hates awaits. ' No, pray do not play withme; I am so much in earnest. I know that I don't understand where andwhy your thoughts and ways are so unlike ours. But--but--I thought--Ifancied--you seemed to hold the tie between man and wife somethingmore--faster--more lasting--than--our contract has made it. "

"Certainly! With us it lasts for life at least; and even here, whereit may be broken at pleasure, I should not have thought that, on thevery bridal eve, the coldest heart could willingly look forward to itsdissolution. "

She was too innocent of such a thought--perhaps too much absorbed byher own purpose--to catch the hint of unjust reproach. 

"Well, then, " she said, with a desperate effort, in a voice thattrembled between the fear of offending by presumption or exaction, andthe desire to give utterance to her wish--"I want . .. Will you saythat--if by that time you do not think that I have been too faulty, too undeserving--that I shall go with you when you quit this world?"And, her eagerness at last overpowering her shyness, she looked upanxiously into my face. 

We wholly misconceived each other. She drooped in bitterdisappointment, mistaking my blank surprise for displeasure; her wordsbrought over my mind a rush of that horror with which I ever recallthe scenes I witnessed but too often at Indian funerals. 

"That, of course, will rest with yourself. But even should I hereafterdeserve and win such love as would prompt the wish, I trust you willnever dream of cutting short your life because--in the ordinary courseof nature--mine should end long before the term of yours. "

Her face again brightened, and she looked up more shyly but not lessearnestly. 

"I did not make my meaning clear, " she replied. "I spoke not, as myfather sometimes speaks, of leaving this world, when he means toremind us that death is only a departure to another; though that was, not so long ago, the only meaning the words could bear. I was thinkingof your journey, and I want you to take me with you when you go. "

"You have quite settled in your own mind that I shall go! And in truthyou have now removed, as you yesterday created, the only obstacle. Ifyou would not go with me, I might, rather than give you up, have givenup the whole purpose of my enterprise, and have left my friends, andthe world from which I came, ignorant whether it had ever beenaccomplished. But if you accompany me, I shall certainly try to regainmy own planet. "

"Then, " she said hopefully, but half confidently, "when you go, if Ihave not given you cause of lasting displeasure, you _will_ take mewith you? Most men do not think much of promises, especially ofpromises made to women; but I have heard you speak as if to break aplighted word were a thing impossible. "

"I promise, " I returned earnestly, very much moved by a proof of realaffection such as I had no right to expect, and certainly had notanticipated. "I give you the word of one who has never lied, that if, when the time comes, you wish to go with me, you shall. But by thattime, you will probably have a better idea what are the dangers youare asking to share. "

"What can that matter?" she answered. "I suppose in almost any case weshould escape or die together? To leave me here is to inflictcertainly, and at once, the worst that can possibly befall me; to takeme gives me the hope of living or dying with you; and even if I werekilled, I should be with you, and feel that you were kind to me, tothe last. "

"I little thought, " said I, hesitating long for some expression oftenderness, which the language of Mars refuses to furnish, --"I littlethought to find in a world of which selfishness seems to be theparamount principle, and the absence of real love even between man andwoman the most prevalent characteristic, a wife so true to the bestand deepest meaning of wedlock. Still less could I have hoped to findsuch a wife in one who had scarcely spoken to me twenty-four hoursbefore our marriage. If my unexampled adventure had had no otherreward--if I had cared nothing for the triumph of discovering a newworld with all its wonders--Eveena, this discovery alone is reward infull for all my studies, toils, and perils. For all I have done andrisked already, for all the risks of the future, I am tenfold repaidin winning you. "

She looked up at these words with an expression in which there wasmore of bewilderment and incredulity than of satisfaction, evidentlytouched by the earnestness of my tone, but scarcely understanding mywords better than if I had spoken in my own tongue. It would not beworth while to record the next hour's conversation; I would only notethe strong and painful impression it left upon my mind. There was inEveena's language and demeanour a timidity--a sort of tentativefearful venturing as on dangerous ground, feeling her way, as it were, in almost every sentence--which could not be wholly attributed to theshyness of a very young and very suddenly wedded bride. There wasenough and to spare of this shyness; but more of the sheer physical ornervous fear of a child suddenly left in hands whose reputed severityhas thoroughly frightened her; not daring to give offence by silence, but afraid at each word to give yet more fatal offence in speaking. Longer experience of a world in which even the first passion of loveis devoid of tenderness--in which asserted equality has long sincedeprived women of that claim to indulgence which can only rest onacknowledged weakness--taught me but too well the meaning of thisfearful, trembling anxiety to please, or rather not to offend. Isuppose that even a brutal master hardly likes to see a child cower inhis presence as if constantly expecting a blow; and this cowering wasso evident in my bride's demeanour, that, after trying for a couple ofhours to coax her into confidence and unreserved feminine fluency, Ibegan to feel almost impatient. It was fortunate that, just as my toneinvoluntarily betrayed to her quick and watchful ear some shade ofannoyance, just as I caught a furtive upward glance that seemed to askwhat error she had committed and how it might be repaired, ascratching on the door startled her. She did not, however, venture todisengage herself from the hand which now held her own, but only movedhalf-imperceptibly aside with a slight questioning look and gesture, as if tacitly asking to be released. As I still held her fast, she wassilent, till the unnoticed scratching had been two or three timesrepeated, and then half-whispered, "Shall I tell them to come in?"When I released her, there appeared to my surprise at her call, nohuman intruder, but one of the ambau, bearing on a tray a goblet, which, as he placed it on a table beside us, I perceived to contain aliquid rather different from any yet offered me. The presence of thesemute servants is generally no more heeded than that of our cats anddogs; but I now learnt that Martial ideas of delicacy forbid them, even as human servants would be forbidden, to intrude unannounced onconjugal privacy. When the little creature had departed, I tasted theliquid, but its flavour was so unpleasant that I set down the vesselimmediately. Eveena, however, took it up, and drinking a part of it, with an effort to control the grimace of dislike it provoked, held itup to me again, so evidently expecting and inviting me to share itthat courtesy permitted no further demur. A second sign or look, whenI set it down unemptied, induced me to finish the draught. Regardingthe matter as some trivial but indispensable ceremonial, I took nofurther notice of it; but, thankful for the diversion it had given tomy thoughts, continued my endeavours to soothe and encourage my faircompanion. After a few minutes it seemed as if she were somewhatsuddenly gaining courage and confidence. At the same time I myselfbecame aware of a mental effect which I promptly ascribed to thedraught. Nor was I wrong. It contained one of those drugs which I havementioned; so rarely used in this house that I had never before seenor tasted any of them, but given, as matter of course, on any occasionthat is supposed to involve unusual agitation or make an exceptionalcall on nerves or spirits. But for the influence of this cup I shouldstill have withheld the remark which, nevertheless, I had resolved tomake as soon as I could hope to do so without annoying or alarmingEveena. 

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked somewhat abruptly. The question mayhave startled her, but I was more startled by the answer. 

"Of course, " she said in a tone which would have been absolutelymatter of fact, except that the doubt evidently surprised her. "OughtI not to be so? But what made you ask? And what had I done todisplease you, just before they sent us the 'courage cup'?"

"I did not mean to show anything like displeasure, " I replied. "But Iwas thinking then, and I may tell you now, that you remind me not ofthe women of my own Earth, but of petted children suddenly transferredto a harsh school. You speak and look like such a child, as if youexpected each moment at least to be severely scolded, if not beaten, without knowing your fault. "

"Not yet, " she murmured, with a smile which seemed to me more painfulthan tears would have been. "But please don't speak as if I shouldfear anything so much as being scolded by you. We have a saying that'the hand may bruise the skin, the tongue can break the heart. '"

"True enough, " I said; "only on Earth it is mostly woman's tongue thatbreaks the heart, and men must not in return bruise the skin. "

"Why not?" she asked. "You said to my mother the other day that Argâ(the fretful child of Esmo's adoption) deserved to be beaten. "

"Women are supposed, " I answered, "to be amenable to milderinfluences; and a man must be drunk or utterly brutal before he coulddeal harshly with a creature so gentle and so fragile as yourself. "

"Don't spoil me, " she said, with a pretty half-mournful, half-playfulglance. "'A petted bride makes an unhappy wife. ' Surely it is no truekindness to tempt us to count on an indulgence that cannot last. "

"There is among us, " I rejoined, "a saying about 'breaking a butterflyon the wheel'--as if one spoke of driving away the tiny birds thatnestle and feed in your flowers with a hammer. To apply your proverbsto yourself would be to realise this proverb of ours. Can you not letme pet and spoil my little flower-bird at least till I have tamed her, and trust me to chastise her as soon as she shall give reason--if Ican find a tendril or flower-stem light enough for the purpose?"

"Will you promise to use a hammer when you wish to be rid of her?"said she, glancing up for one moment through her drooping lashes witha look exactly attuned to the mingled archness and pathos of her tone. 

CHAPTER XI - A COUNTRY DRIVE. 

Like all Martialists, I had been accustomed since my landing to wakewith the first light of dawn; but the draught, though its earliereffects were anything but narcotic or stupifying, deepened andprolonged my sleep. It was not till the rays of sunlight came clearand full through the crystal roof of the peristyle, and the window ofour bridal chamber, that my eyes unclosed. The first object on whichthey opened startled me into full waking recollection. Exactly wherethe sunbeams fell, just within reach of my hand, Eveena stood; theloveliest creature I ever beheld, a miniature type of faultlessfeminine grace and beauty. By the standard of Terrestrial humanity shewas tiny rather than small: so light, so perfect in proportion, form, and features, so absolutely beautiful, so exquisitely delicate, as tosuggest the ideal Fairy Queen realised in flesh and blood, rather thanany properly human loveliness. In the transparent delicacy of acomplexion resembling that of an infant child of the fairest and mosttenderly nurtured among the finest races of Europe, in the ideallyperfect outline of face and features--the noble but even forehead--thesmooth, straight, clearly pencilled eyebrows--the large almond-shapedeyes and drooping lids, with their long, dark, soft fringe--the littlemouth and small, white, even regular teeth--the rosy lips, slightlycompressed, save when parted in speech, smile, or eager attention--sheexhibited in their most perfect but by no means fullest developmentthe characteristics of Martial physiognomy; or rather thecharacteristic beauty of a family in which the finest traits of thatphysiognomy are unmixed with any of its meaner or harsherpeculiarities. The hands, long, slight, and soft, the unsandalledfeet, not less perfectly shaped, could only have belonged to the childof ancestors who for more than a hundred generations have never knownhard manual toil, rough exposure, or deforming, cramping costume; evenas every detail of her beauty bore witness to an immemorialinheritance of health unbroken by physical infirmity, undisturbed byviolent passions, and developed by an admirable system of physical andmental discipline and culture. The absence of veil and sleeves leftvisible the soft rounded arms and shoulders, in whose complexion atinge of pale rose seemed to shine through a skin itself oftranslucent white; the small head, and the perfection of the slenderneck, with the smooth unbroken curve from the ear to the arm. Her longhair, fastened only by a silver band woven in and out behind the smallrounded ears, fell almost to her knee; and, as it caught the brightrays of the morning sun, I discerned for the first time the fullbeauty of that tinge of gold which varied the colour of the rich, soft, brown tresses. As her sex are seldom exposed to the cold of thenight or the mists, their underclothing is slight and close fitting. Eveena's thin robe, of the simplest possible form--two wide straightpieces of a material lustrous as satin but rivalling the finestcambric in texture (lined with the same fabric reversed), sewntogether from the hem of the skirt to the arm, and fastened again bythe shoulder clasps--fell perfectly loose save where compressed by thezone or by the movements of the wearer; and where so compressed, defined the outlines of the form as distinctly as the lightest wetdrapery of the studio. Her dress, in short, achieved in its puresimplicity all at which the artistic skill of matrons, milliners, andmaidens aims in a Parisian ball costume, without a shadow of thatsuggestive immodesty from which ball costumes are seldom wholly free. Exactly reversing Terrestrial practice, a Martial wife reserves forstrictest domestic privacy that undressed full-dress, that frankrevelation of her beauty, which the matrons of London, Paris, or NewYork think exclusively appropriate to the most public occasions. Tillnow, while still enjoying the liberty allowed to maidens in thisrespect, Eveena, by the arrangement of her veil, had always given toher costume a reserve wholly unexceptionable, even according to therules enforced by the customs of Western Europe on young girls not yetpresented in the marriage market of society. A new expression, or one, at least, which I had never before seen there, gave to her face astrange and novel beauty; the beauty, I wish to think, of shy, buttrue happiness; felt, it may be, for the first time, and softened, Ifear, by a doubt of its possible endurance which rendered it astouching as attractive. Never was the sleep even of the poet of the_Midsummer Night's Dream_ visited by a lovelier vision--especiallylovely as the soft rose blush suffused her cheeks under my gaze ofadmiration and delight. Springing up, I caught her with both hands anddrew her on my knee. Some minutes passed before either of us cared tospeak. Probably as she rested her head on my arm and looked into myeyes, each read the other's character more truly and clearly thanwords the most frank and open could ever enable us to do. I had taughther last night a few substitutes in the softest tongue I knew forthose words of natural tenderness in which her language is signallydeficient: taught her to understand them, certainly not to use them, for it was long before I could even induce her to address me by name. 

"My father bade me yesterday, " she said at last, "ask you in future towear the dress of our people. Not that you will be the less an objectof attention and wonder, but that in retaining a distinction whichdepends entirely on your own choice, you will seem intentionally toprefer your own habits to ours. "

"I comply of course, " I observed. "Naturally the dress of everycountry is best suited to its own conditions. Yet I should havethought that a preference for my own world, even were it whollyirrational, might seem at least natural and pardonable. "

"People don't, " she answered simply, "like any sign of individualfancy or opinion. They don't like any one to show that he thinks themwrong even on a matter of taste. "

"I fear, then, _carissima_, that I must be content with unpopularity. I may wear the costume of your people; but their thought, theirconduct, their inner and outer life, as your father reports them, andas thus far I have seen them, are to me so unnatural, that the more Iresemble them externally the more my unlikeness in all else is likelyto attract notice. I am sorry for this, because women are by natureprone to judge even their nearest and dearest by the standard offashion, and to exact from men almost as close a conformity to thatstandard as they themselves display. I fear you will have to forgivemany heresies in my conduct as well as in my thoughts. "

"You cannot suppose, " she answered earnestly--she seemed incapable ofapprehending irony or jest, --"that I should wish you more like othersthan you are. Whatever may happen hereafter, I shall always feelmyself the happiest of women in having belonged to one who cares forsomething beside himself, and holds even life cheaper than love. ""I hope so, _carissima_. But in that matter there was scarcely more oflove than of choice. What I did for you I must have done no less forZevle [her sister]. If I had feared death as much as the Regent does, I could not have returned alive and alone. My venture into infinitespace involved possibilities of horror more appalling than the mereterrors of death. You asked of me as my one bridal gift leave to shareits perils. How unworthy of you should I be, if I did not hold thepossession of Eveena, even for the two years of her promise, wellworth dying for!"

The moral gulf between the two worlds is wider than the material. Utterly unselfish and trustful, Eveena was almost pained to bereminded that the service she so extravagantly overprized was renderedto her sex rather than herself; while yet more deeply gratified, though still half incredulous, by the commonplace that preferred loveto life. I had yet to learn, however, that Eveena's nature was asutterly strange in her own world as the ideas in which she waseducated would seem in mine. 

I left her for a few minutes to dress for the first time in thecostume which Esmo's care had provided. The single under-vestment ofsoftest hide, closely fitting from neck to knees, is of all garmentsthe best adapted to preserve natural warmth under the rapid andextreme changes of the external atmosphere. The outer garb consistedof blouse and trousers, woven of a fabric in which a fine warp ofmetallic lustre was crossed by a strong silken weft, giving the effectof a diapered scarlet and silver; both fastened by the belt, a broadgreen strap of some species of leather, clasped with gold. Masculinedress is seldom brilliant, as is that of the women, but convenient andcomfortable beyond any other, and generally handsome and elegant. Theone part of the costume which I could never approve is the sandal, which leaves the feet exposed to dust and cold. Rejoining my bride, Isaid--

"I have had no opportunity of seeing much of this country, and I fancyfrom what I have seen of feminine seclusion that an excursion would beas much a holiday treat to you as to myself. If your father will lendus his carriage, would you like to accompany me to one or two placesKevimâ has described not far from this, and which I am anxious tovisit?"

She bent her head, but did not answer; and fancying that the proposalwas not agreeable to her, I added--

"If you prefer to spend our little remaining time here with yourmother and sister, I will ask your brother to accompany me, though Iam selfishly unwilling to part with you to-day. "

She looked up for a moment with an air of pain and perplexity, and asshe turned away I saw the tears gather in her eyes. 

"What _is_ the matter?" I asked, surprised and puzzled as one on Earthwho tries to please a woman by offering her her own way, and findsthat, so offered, it is the last thing she cares to have. It did notoccur to me that, even in trifles, a Martial wife never dreams thather taste or wish can signify, or be consulted where her lord has apreference of his own. To invite instead of commanding hercompanionship was unusual; to withdraw the expression of my own wish, and bid her decide for herself, was in Eveena's eyes to mark formallyand deliberately that I did not care for her society. 

"What have I done, " she faltered, "to be so punished? I have not, savethe day before yesterday, left the house this year; and you offer methe greatest of pleasures only to snatch it away the next moment. "

"Nay, Eveena!" I answered. "If I had not told you, you must know thatI cannot but wish for your company; but by your silence I fancied youdisliked my proposal, yet did not like to decline it. "

The expression of surprise and perplexity in her face, though halfpathetic, seemed so comical that I with difficulty suppressed a laugh, because for her it was evidently no laughing matter. After giving hertime, as I thought, to recover herself, I said--

"Well, I suppose we may now join them at the morningmeal?"

Something was still wrong, the clue to which I gathered by observingher shy glance at her head-dress and veil. 

"Must you wear those?" I asked--a question which gave her some suchimperfect clue to my thoughts as I had found to hers. 

"How foolish of me, " she said, smiling, "to forget how little you canknow of our customs! Of course I must wear my veil and sleeves; butto-day you must put on the veil, as you removed it last night. "

The awkwardness with which I performed this duty had its effect inamusing and cheering her; and the look of happiness and trust had comeback to her countenance before the veil concealed it. 

I made my request to Esmo, who answered, with some amusement--

"Every house like ours has from six to a dozen larger or lightercarriages. Of course they cost nothing save the original purchase. They last for half a lifetime, and are not costly at the outset. But Ihave news for you which, I venture to think, will be as littleagreeable to you as to ourselves. Your journey must begin tomorrow, and this, therefore, is the only opportunity you will have for such anexcursion as you propose. "

"Then, " I said, "will Eveena still wish to share it?"

Even her mother's face seemed to ask what in the world that couldmatter; but a movement of the daughter's veiled head reminded me thatI was blundering; and pressing her little hand as she lay beside me, Itook her compliance for granted. 

The morning mist had given place to hot bright sunshine when westarted. At first our road lay between enclosures like that whichsurrounded Esmo's dwelling. 

Presently the lines were broken here and there by such fields as I hadseen in descending from Asnyca; some filled with crops of human food, some with artificial pastures, in which Unicorns or other creatureswere feeding. I saw also more than one field wherein the _carvee_ wereweeding or gathering fruit, piling their burdens in either case assoon as their beaks were full into bags or baskets. Pointing out toEveena the striking difference of colour between the cultivated fieldsand gardens and the woods or natural meadows on the mountain sides, Ilearned from her that this distinction is everywhere perceptible inMars. Natural objects, plants or animals, rocks and soil, are for themost part of dimmer, fainter, or darker tints than on Earth; probablyowing to the much less intense light of the Sun; partly, perhaps, tothat absorption of the blue rays by the atmosphere, which diminishes, I suppose, even that light which actually reaches the planet. Butuncultivated ground, except on the mountains above the ordinary rangeof crops or pastures, scarcely exists in the belt of Equatorialcontinents; the turf itself, like the herbage or fruit shrubs in thefields, is artificial, consisting of plants developed through longages into forms utterly unlike the native original by the skill andingenuity of man. Even the great fruit trees have undergone materialchange, not only in the size, flavour, and appearance of the fruitsthemselves, which have been the immediate object of care, but, probably through some natural correlation between, the differentorgans, in the form and colour of the foliage, the arrangement of thebranches, and the growth of the trunk, all of which are much moreregular, and, so to speak, more perfect, than is the case either hereor on Earth with those left to the control of Nature and locality, orthe effects of the natural competition, which is in its way perhaps askeen among plants and animals as among men. Martialists have the samedelight in bright colours as Orientals, with far greater taste inselection and combination; and the favourite hues not only of theirflowers, tame birds, fishes, and quadrupeds, but of plants in whosecultivation utility has been the primary object, contrast signally, asI have said, with the dull tints of the undomesticated flora andfauna, of which comparatively scanty remnants were visible here andthere in this rich country. 

Presently we came within sight of the river, over which was a singlebridge, formed by what might be called a tube of metal built intostrong walls on either bank. In fact, however, the sides were of openwork, and only the roof and floor were solid. The river at this, itsnarrowest point, was perhaps a furlong in breadth, and it was notwithout instinctive uneasiness that I trusted to the security of asingle piece of metal spanning, without even the strength afforded bythe form of the arch, so great a space. 

The first object we were to visit lay at some distance down thestream. As we approached the point, we passed a place where the riverwidened considerably. The main channel in the centre was kept clearand deep to afford an uninterrupted course for navigation; but oneither side were rocks that broke the river into pools and shallows, such as here, no less than on Earth, form the favourite haunts orspawning places of the fish. In some of the lesser pools birds largerthan the stork, bearing under the throat an expansible bag like thatof the pelican, were seeking for prey. They were watched and directedby a master on the shore, and carried to a square tank, fixed on awheeled frame not unlike that of the ordinary carriage, whichaccompanied him, each fish they took. I observed that the latter werecarefully seized, with the least possible violence or injury, placedby a jerk head-downmost in the throat-bag, which, though when empty itwas scarcely perceptible, would contain prey of very considerable sizeand weight, and as carefully disgorged into the tank. In one of themost extensive pools, too deep for these birds, a couple of men hadspread a sort of net, not unlike those used on Earth, but formed oftwisted metal threads with very narrow meshes, enclosing the wholepool, a space of perhaps some 400 square yards. In the centre of thisan electric lamp was let down into the water, some feet below thesurface. The fish crowded towards it, and a sudden shock ofelectricity transmitted through the meshes of the net, as well as fromthe wires of the lamp circuit, stunned for a few minutes all lifewithin the enclosure. The fish then floated on the surface, the netwas drawn together, and they were collected and sorted; some which, asI afterwards learned, were required for breeding, being carefully andseparately preserved in a smaller tank, those fit for food cast intothe larger one, those too small for the one purpose and not needed forthe other being thrown back into the water. I noted, however, thatmany fish apparently valuable were among those thus rejected. I spoketo one of the fishermen, who, regarding me with great surprise andcuriosity, at last answered briefly that a stringent law forbids thecatching of spawning fish except for breeding purposes. Those, therefore, for which the season was close-time were invariably spared. 

In sea-fishing a much larger net, sometimes enclosing more than 10, 000square yards, is employed. This fishing is conducted chiefly at night, the electric lamp being then much more effective in attracting theprey, and lowered only a few inches below the surface. Many largedestructive creatures, unfit for food, generally of a natureintermediate between fish and reptiles, haunt the seas. It is heldunwise to exterminate them, since they do their part in keeping downan immense variety of smaller creatures, noxious for one reason oranother, and also in clearing the water from carrion and masses ofseaweed which might otherwise taint the air of the sea-coasts, especially near the mouths of large tropical rivers. But thesesea-monsters devour enormous quantities of fish, and the huntersappointed to deal with them are instructed to limit their numbers tothe minimum required. Their average increase is to be destroyed eachyear. If at any time it appear that, for whatever cause, the totalnumber left alive is falling off, the chief of this service suspendsit partially or wholly at his discretion. 

We now came to the entrance of a vast enclosure bordering on theriver, the greatest fish-breeding establishment on this continent, orindeed in this world. One of its managers courteously showed me overit. It is not necessary minutely to describe its arrangements, fromthe spawning ponds and the hatching tanks--the latter contained in ahuge building, whose temperature is preserved with the utmost care atthe rate found best suited to the ova--to the multitude of streams, ponds, and lakes in which the different kinds of fish are kept duringthe several stages of their existence. The task of the breeders ismuch facilitated by the fact that the seas of Mars are not, like ours, salt; and though sea and river fish are almost as distinct as onEarth, each kind having its own habitat, whose conditions arecarefully reproduced in the breeding or feeding reservoirs, the samekind of water suits all alike. It is necessary, however, to keep thefishes of tropical seas and streams in water of a very differenttemperature from that suited to others brought from arctic orsub-arctic climates; and this, like every other point affecting thenatural peculiarities and habits of the fish, is attended to withminute and accurate care. The skill and science brought to bear on thetask of breeding accomplish this and much more difficult operationswith marvellous ease and certainty. 

On one of the buildings I observed one of the most remarkable, largest, and most complete timepieces I had yet seen; and I had onthis occasion an opportunity of examining it closely. The dial wasoblong, enclosed in a case of clear transparent crystal, somewhatresembling in form the open portion of a mercurial barometer. At thetop were three circles of different colours, divided by twelveequidistant lines radiating from the centres and subdivided again andagain by the same number. Exactly at the uppermost point of each was agolden indicator. One of these circles marked the temperature, graduated from the lowest to the highest degree ever known in thatlatitude. Another indicated the direction of the wind, while the depthof colour in the circle itself, graduated in a manner carefullyexplained to me, but my notes of which are lost, showed the exactforce of the atmospheric current. The third served the purpose of abarometer. A coloured band immediately below indicated by thevariations of tint the character of the coming weather. This bandstretched right across the face; below it were figures indicating theday of the year. The central portion of the face was occupied by alarger circle, half-green and half-black; the former portionrepresenting the colour of the daylight sky, the latter emblematic ofnight. On this circle the Sun and the planets were represented byfigures whose movement showed exactly the actual place of each in thecelestial sphere. The two Moons were also figured, their phases andposition at each moment being accurately presented to the eye. Aroundthis circle was a narrow band divided into strips of different lengthof various colours, each representing one of the peculiar divisions ofthe Martial day; that point which came under the golden indicatorshowing the _zyda_ and the exact moment of the _zyda_, while themovement of the inner circle fixed with equal accuracy the period ofday or night. Below were other circles from which the observer couldlearn the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, the intensity of thesunlight, and the electric tension at the moment. Each of the sixsmaller circles registered on a moving ribbon the indications of everysuccessive moment, these ribbons when unrolled forming a perfectrecord of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and so forth, inthe form of a curve--a register kept for more than 8000 Martial years. 

Four times during the revolution of the great circle each large clockemits for a couple of minutes a species of chime, the nature of whichmy ignorance of music renders me unable to describe:--viz. , when theline dividing the green and black semicircles is horizontal at noonand midnight, and an hour before, at average sunrise and sunset, itbecomes perpendicular. The individual character of the several chimes, tunes, or peals, whatever they should be called, is so distinct thateven I appreciated it. Further, as the first point of the colouredstrip distinguishing each several _zyda_ reaches the golden indicator, a single slightly prolonged sound--I fancy what is known on Earth as asingle chord--is emitted. Of these again each is peculiar, so that noone with an ear for music can doubt what is the period of the dayannounced. The sound is never, even in the immediate vicinity of theclock, unpleasantly loud; while it penetrates to an amazing distance. It would be perfectly easy, if needful, to regulate all clocks bymechanical control through the electric network extended all over theface of the planet; but the perfect accuracy of each individualtimepiece renders any such check needless. In those latitudes whereday and night during the greater part of the year are not evenapproximately equal, the black and green semicircles are so enlargedor diminished by mechanical means, that the hour of the day or nightis represented as accurately as on the Equator itself. 

The examination of this establishment occupied us for two or threehours, and when we remounted our carriage it seemed to me onlyreasonable that Eveena should be weary both in mind and body. Iproposed, therefore, to return at once, but against this she earnestlyprotested. 

"Well, " I said, "we will finish our excursion, then. Only rememberthat whenever you do feel tired you must tell me at once. I do notknow what exertion you can bear, and of course it would be mostinconsiderate to measure your endurance by my own. "

She promised, and we drove on for another hour in the direction of arange of hills to the north-eastward. The lower and nearer portion ofthis range might he 400 feet above the general level of the plain;beyond, the highest peaks rose to perhaps 1500 feet, the averagesummit being about half that height. Where our road brought us to thefoot of the first slope, large groves of the _calmyra_, whose fruitcontains a sort of floury pulp like roasted potato, were planted onground belonging to the State, and tenanted by young men belonging tothat minority which, as Esmo had told me not being fortunate enough tofind private employment, is thus provided for. Encountering one ofthese, he pointed out to us the narrow road which, winding up theslope, afforded means of bringing down in waggons during the twoharvest seasons, each of which lasts for about fifty days, the fruitof these groves, which furnishes a principal article of food. Thetrees do not reach to a higher level than about 400 feet; and abovethis we had to ascend on foot by a path winding through meadows, whichI at first supposed to be natural. Eveena, however, quickly undeceivedme, pointing out the prevalence of certain plants peculiar to thecultivated pastures we had seen in the plain. These were sopredominant as to leave no reasonable doubt that they had beenoriginally sown by the hand of man, though the irregularity of theirarrangement, and the encroachment of one species upon the ground ofanother, enabled my companion to prove to me with equal clearness thatsince its first planting the pasture had been entirely neglected. Itwas, she thought, worth planting once for all with the most nutritiousherbage, but not worth the labour of subsequent close cultivation. Anylady belonging to a civilised people, and accustomed to a countrylife, upon Earth might easily have perceived all that Eveenadiscovered; but considering how seldom the latter had left her home, how few opportunities she had to see anything of practicalagriculture, the quickness of her perception and the correctness ofher inferences not a little surprised me. The path we pursued leddirectly to the object of our visit. The waters of the higher hillswere collected in a vast tank excavated in an extensive plateau at themid-level. At the summit of the first ascent we met and were escortedby one of the officials entrusted with the charge of these works, which supply water of extraordinary purity to a population of perhapsa quarter of a million, inhabiting a district of some 10, 000 squaremiles in extent. The tank was about sixty feet in depth, and perhaps amile in length, with half that breadth. Its sides and bottom-werelined with the usual concrete. Our guide informed me that in manycases tanks were covered with the crystal employed for doors andwindows; but in the-pure air of these hills such a precaution wasthought unnecessary, as it would have been exceedingly costly. Thewater itself was of wonderful purity, so clear that the smallestobject at the bottom was visible where the Sun, still high in theheavens, shone directly upon the surface. But this purity would by nomeans satisfy the standard of Martial sanitary science. In the firstplace, it is passed into a second division of the tank, where it issubjected to some violent electric action till every kind of organicgerm it may contain is supposed to be completely destroyed. It is thenpassed through several covered channels and mechanically or chemicallycleansed from every kind of inorganic impurity, and finally oxygenatedor aerated with air which has undergone a yet more elaboratepurification. At every stage in this process, a phial of water istaken out and examined in a dark chamber by means of a beam of lightemanating from a powerful electric lamp and concentrated by a hugecrystal lens. If this beam detect any perceptible dust or mattercapable of scattering the light, the water is pronounced impure andpassed through further processes. Only when the contents of the bottleremain absolutely dark, in the midst of an atmosphere whose floatingdust renders the beam visible on either side, so that the phial, whileperfectly transparent to the light, nevertheless interrupts the beamwith a block of absolute darkness, is it considered fit for humanconsumption. It is then distributed through pipes of concrete, intowhich no air can possibly enter, to cisterns equally, air-tight inevery house. The water in these is periodically examined by officersfrom the waterworks, who ascertain that it has contracted no impurityeither in the course of its passage through hundreds of miles ofpiping or in the cisterns themselves. The Martialists consider that tothis careful purification of their water they owe in great measuretheir exemption from the epidemic diseases which were formerly notinfrequent. They maintain that all such diseases are caused by organicself-multiplying germs, and laugh to scorn the doctrine of spontaneousgeneration, either of disease, or of even such low organic life as canpropagate it. I suggested that the atmosphere itself must, if theirtheory were true, convey the microscopic seeds of disease even morefreely and universally than the water. 

"Doubtless, " replied our guide, "it would scatter them more widely;but it does not enable them to penetrate and germinate in the bodyhalf so easily as when conveyed by water. You must be aware that thelining of the upper air-passages arrests most of the impuritiescontained in the inhaled air before it comes into contact with theblood in the lungs themselves. Moreover, the extirpation of onedisease after another, the careful isolation of all infectious cases, and the destruction of every article that could preserve or convey thepoisonous germs, has in the course of ages enabled us utterly todestroy them. "

This did not seem to me consistent with the confession that disordersof one kind or another still not infrequently decimate theirhighly-bred domestic animals, however the human race itself may havebeen secured against contagion. I did not, however, feel competent toargue the question with one who had evidently studied physiology muchmore deeply than myself; and had mastered the records of an experienceinfinitely longer, guided by knowledge far more accurate, than ispossessed by the most accomplished of Terrestrial physiologists. 

The examination of these works of course occupied us for a long time, and obliged us to traverse several miles of ground. More than once Ihad suggested to Eveena that we should leave our work unfinished, andon every opportunity had insisted that she should rest. I had been tookeenly interested in the latter part of the explanation given me, todetect the fatigue she anxiously sought to conceal; but when we leftthe works, I was more annoyed than surprised to find that the walkdown-hill to our carriage was too much for her. The vexation I feltwith myself gave, after the manner of men, some sharpness to the toneof my remonstrance with her. 

"I bade you, and you promised, to tell me as soon as you felt tired;and you have let me almost tire you to death! Your obedience, howeverstrict in theory, reminds me in practice of that promised by women onEarth in their marriage-vow--and never paid or remembered afterwards. "

She did not answer; and finding that her strength was utterlyexhausted, I carried her down the remainder of the hill and placed herin the carriage. During our return neither of us spoke. Ascribing hersilence to habit or fatigue, perhaps to displeasure, and busied inrecalling what I had seen and heard, I did not care to "makeconversation, " as I certainly should have done had I guessed whatimpression my taciturnity made on my companion's mind. I was heartilyglad for her sake when we regained the gate of her father's garden. Committing the carriage to the charge of an ambâ, I half led, halfcarried Eveena along the avenue, overhung with the grand conicalbells--gold, crimson, scarlet, green, white, or striped or variegatedwith some or all these colours--of the glorious _leveloo_, the Martialconvolvulus. Its light clinging stems and foliage hid the _astyra's_arched branches overhead, and formed a screen on either side. From itsbells flew at our approach a whole flock of the tiny and beautifulcaree, which take the chief part in rendering to the flora of Marssuch services as the flowers of Earth receive from bees andbutterflies. They feed on the nectar, farina, syrup, and othersecretions, sweet or bitter, in which the artificial flowers of Marsare peculiarly abundant, and make their nests in the calyx or amongthe petals. These lovely little birds--about the size of a hornet, butperfect birds in miniature, with wings as large as those of thelargest Levantine _papilio_, and feathery down equally fine andsoft--are perhaps the most shy and timid of all creatures familiarwith the presence of Martial humanity. The varied colours of theirplumage, combined and intermingled in marvellously minute patterns, are all of those subdued or dead tints agreeable to the taste ofJapanese artists, and perhaps to no other. They signally contrast thevivid and splendid colouring of objects created or developed by humangenius and patience, from the exquisite decorations and jewel-likemasses of domestic and public architecture to the magnificent flowersand fruit produced, by the labour of countless generations, fromoriginals so dissimilar that only the records of past ages can traceor the searching comparisons of science recognise them. I am told thatthe present race of flower-birds themselves are a sort of indirectcreation of art. They certainly vary in size, shape, and colouraccording to the flower each exclusively frequents; and those whichhaunt the cultivated bells of the _leveloo_ present an amazingcontrast to the far tinier and far less beautiful _caree_ which havenot yet abandoned the wildflowers for those of the garden. Above twohundred varieties distinguished by ornithologists frequent only thedomesticated flowers. 

The flight of this swarm of various beauty recalled the conversationof last night; and breaking off unobserved a long fine tendril of theleveloo, I said lightly--

"Flower-birds are not so well-trained as _esvee_, bambina. "

Never forgetting a word of mine, and never failing to catch with quickintelligence the sense of the most epigrammatic or delicate metaphor, Eveena started and looked up, as if stung by a serious reproach. Fancying that overpowering fatigue had so shaken her nerves, I wouldnot allow her to speak. But I did not understand how much she had beendistressed, till in her own chamber, cloak and veil thrown aside, shestood beside my seat, her sleeveless arms folded behind her, droopinglike a lily beaten down by a thunderstorm. Then she murmured sadly--

"I did not think of offending. But you are quite right; disobedienceshould never pass. "

"Certainly not, " I replied, with a smile she did not see. Taking boththe little hands in my left, I laid the tendril on her soft whiteshoulders, but so gently that in her real distress she did not feelthe touch. "You see I can keep my word; but never let me tire youagain. My flower-bird cannot take wing if she anger me in earnest. "

"Are you not angered now?" she asked, glancing up in utter surprise. 

My eyes, or the sight of the leveloo, answered her; and a sweet brightsmile broke through her look of frightened, penitent submission, asshe snatched the tendril and snapped it in my hand. 

"Cruel!" she said, with a pretty assumption of ill-usage, "to visit afirst fault with the whip. "

"You are hard to please, bambina! I knew no better. Seriously, until Ican measure your strength more truly, never again let me feel that ininviting your company I have turned my pleasure into your pain. "

"No, indeed, " she urged, once more in earnest. "Girls so seldom passthe gate, and men never walk where a carriage will go, or I should nothave been so stupid. But if I had blistered my feet, and the leveloohad been a nut-vine, the fruit was worth the scratches. "

"What do you know, my child, either of blisters or stripes?"

"You will teach me----No, you know I don't mean that! But you willtake me with you sometimes till I learn better! If you are going toleave me at home in future "----

"My child, can you not trust me to take you for my own pleasure?"

The silvery tone of her low sweet laugh was truly perfectly musical. 

"Forgive me, " she said, nestling in the cushions at my knee, andseeking with upturned eyes, like a child better assured of pardon thanof full reconciliation, to read my face, "it is very naughty to laugh, and very ungrateful, when you speak to please me; but is it realkindness to say what I should be very silly to believe?"

"You will believe whatever I tell you, child. If you wish to anger aman, even with you, tell him that he is lying. "

"I do nothing but misbehave, " she said, in earnest despondency. "I----" But I sealed her lips effectually for the moment. 

"Why did you not speak as we came home?"

"You were tired, and I was thinking over all I had seen. Besides, whotalks air?" [makes conversation]. 

"You always talk when you are pleased. The lip-sting (scolding) andsilence frightened me so, you nearly heard me crying. "

"Crying for fear? You did well to break the leveloo!. .. And so youthink I must be tired of my bride, before the colours have gone roundon the dial?"

"Not tired of her. You will like a little longer to find her in thecushions when you are vexed or idle; but you don't want her where herignorance wearies and her weakness hampers you. "

"Are you an _esve_, to be caged at home, and played with for lack ofbetter employment? We shall never understand each other, child. "

"What more can I be? But don't say we shall never understand eachother, " she pleaded earnestly. "It took time and trouble to make mypet understand and obey each word and sign. Zevle gave hers more slapsand fewer sweets, and it learned sooner. But, like me, you want youresve to be happy, not only to fly straight and play prettily. She willtry hard to learn if you will teach her, and not be so afraid ofhurting her, as if she expected sweets from both hands. It is easy foryou to see through her empty head: do cot give her up till she has hadtime to look a little way into your eyes. "

"Eveena, " I answered, almost as much pained as touched by theunaffected humility which had so accepted and carried out my ironicalcomparison, "one simple magnet-key would unlock the breast whosesecrets seem so puzzling; but it has hardly a name in your tongue, andcannot yet be in your hands. "

"Ah, yes!" she said softly, "you gave it me; do you think I have lostit in two nights? But the esve cannot be loved as she loves hermaster. I could half understand the prodigal heart that would buy agirl's life with yours, and all that is bound up in yours. No other_man_ would have done it--in our world, " she added, answering mygesture of dissent; "but they say that the terrible _kargynda_ willstand by his dying mate till he is shot down. You bought my heart, mylove, all I am, when you bought my life, and never asked the cost. "She continued almost in a whisper, her rose-suffused cheeks and moisteyes hidden from my sight as the lips murmured their loving words intomy ear, --"Though the nestling never looked from under the wing, do youthink she knows not what to expect when she is bought from the nest?She dares not struggle in the hand that snatches her; much more didshe deserve to be rated and rapped for fluttering in that which savedher life. Bought twice over, caged by right as by might--was herthought midnight to your eyes, when she wondered at the look thatwatched her so quietly, the hand that would not try to touch lest itshould scare her, the patience that soothed and coaxed her to perch onthe outstretched finger, like a flower-bird tamed at last? Do youthink that name, given her by lips which softened even their words offondness for her ear, did not go to her heart straight as the esveflies home, or that it could ever be forgotten? There is a chant younggirls are fond of, which tells more than I can say. "

Her tones fell so low that I should have lost them, had her lips notactually touched my ear while she chanted the strange words in thesweetest notes of her sweet voice:--

 "Never yet hath single sun Seen a flower-bird tamed and won; Sun and stars shall quit the sky Ere a bird so tamed shall fly. 

 "Never human lips have kissed Flower-bird tamed 'twixt mist and mist; Bird so tamed from tamer's heart Night of death shall hardly part. "

CHAPTER XII - ON THE RIVER. 

The next morning saw our journey commenced. Eveena's wardrobe, with myown and my books, portfolios, models, and specimens of Terrestrial artand mechanism, were packed in light metallic cases adapted to thelarger form of carriage whereof I have made mention. I was fortunatein escaping the actual parting scene between Eveena and her family, and my own leave-taking was hurried. Esmo and his son accompanied us, leading the way in one carriage, while Eveena and myself occupied thatwhich we had used on our memorable trip to the Astronaut. Half an hourbrought us to the road beside the river, and a few minutes more to thepoint at which a boat awaited us. The road being some eight or tenfeet above the level of the water, a light ladder not three feet longwas ready to assist our descent to the deck. The difference of sizebetween the Martial race and my own was forcibly impressed upon me, inseeing that Esmo and his son found this assistance needful, or atleast convenient, while I simply stepped rather than jumped to thedeck, and lifted Eveena straight from her carriage to her seat underthe canopy that covered the stern of the vessel. Intended only forriver navigation, propelled by a small screw like two fishtails set atright angles, working horizontally; the vessel had but two cabins, oneon either side of the central part occupied by the machinery. Thestern apartment was appropriated to myself and my bride, theforecastle, if I may so call it, to our companions, the boatmen havingberths in the corners of the machine-room. The vessel wasflat-bottomed, drawing about eighteen inches of water and rising aboutfive feet from the surface, leaving an interior height which obligedme to be cautious in order not to strike my head against everyprojection or support of the cabin roof. We spent the whole of theday, however, on deck, and purposely slackened the speed of the boat, which usually travels some thirty miles an hour, in order to enjoy theeffect and observe the details of the landscape. For the first fewmiles our voyage lay through the open plain. Then we passed, on theleft as we ascended the stream, the mountain on whose summit I triedwith my binocular to discern the Astronaut, but unsuccessfully, thetrees on the lower slopes intercepting the view. Eveena, seeing myeyes fixed on that point, extended her hand and gently drew the glassout of mine. 

"Not yet, " she said; which elicited from me the excuse--

"That mountain has for me remembrances more interesting than those ofmy voyage, or even than the hopes of return. "

Presently, as we followed the course of the stream, we lost sightaltogether of the rapidly dwindling patches of colour representing theenclosures of Ecasfe. On our left, at a distance varying from three tofive miles, but constantly increasing as the stream bent to thenorthward, was the mountain range I had scanned in my descent. On ourright the plain dipped below the horizon while still but a few feetabove the level of the river; but in the distant sky we discerned someobjects like white clouds, which from their immobility and fixednessof outline I soon discovered to be snow-crowned hills, lower, however, than those to the northward, and perhaps some forty miles distant. Thevalley is one of the richest and most fertile portions of thiscontinent, and was consequently thoroughly cultivated and more denselypeopled than most parts even of the Equatorial zone. An immediateriver frontage being as convenient as agreeable, the enclosures oneither bank were continuous, and narrow in proportion to their depth;the largest occupying no more than from one hundred and fifty to twohundred yards of the bank, the smaller from half to one quarter ofthat length. Most had a tunnel pierced under the road bordering theriver, through which the water was admitted to their grounds andcarried in a minute stream around and even through the house; forornament rather than for use, since every house in a district sopopulous has a regular artificial water supply, and irrigation, as Ihave explained, is not required. The river itself was embellished withmasses of water-flowers; and water-birds, the smallest scarcely largerthan a wagtail, the largest somewhat exceeding the size of a swan, ofa different form and dark grey plumage, but hardly less graceful, seemed to be aware of the stringent protection they enjoyed from thelaw. They came up to our boat and fed out of Eveena's hand withperfect fearlessness. I could not induce any of them to be equallyfamiliar with myself, my size probably surprising them as much astheir masters, and leading them to the same doubt whether I werereally and wholly human. The lower slopes of the hills were coveredwith orchards of every kind, each species occupying the level bestsuited to it, from the reed-supported orange-like _alva_ of thelowlands to the tall _astyra_, above which stretched the timberforests extending as high as trees could grow, while between these andthe permanent snow-line lay the yellowish herbage of extensivepastures. A similar mountain range on earth would have presented agreater variety of colouring and scenery, the total absence ofglaciers, even in the highest valleys, creating a notable difference. The truth is that the snows of Mars are nowhere deep, and melt in thesummer to such an extent that that constant increase whose downwardtendency feeds Terrestrial glaciers cannot take place. Probably thethin atmosphere above the snow-line can hold but little watery vapour. Esmo was of opinion that the snow on the highest steeps, even on alevel plateau, was never more than two feet in depth; and in more thanone case a wind-swept peak or pinnacle was kept almost clear, andpresented in its grey, green, or vermilion rocks a striking contrastto the masses of creamy white around it. This may explain the veryrapid diminution of the polar ice-caps in the summer of either, butespecially of the Southern hemisphere; and also the occasionalappearance of large dark spots in their midst, where the shallow snowhas probably been swept away by the rare storms of this planet from anextensive land surface. It is supposed that no inconsiderable part ofthe ice and snow immediately surrounding the poles covers land; but, though balloon parties have of late occasionally reached the poles, they have never ventured to remain there long enough to disembark andascertain the fact. 

Towards evening the stream turned more decidedly to the north, and atthis point Esmo brought out an instrument constructed somewhat on theprinciple of a sextant or quadrant, but without the mirror, by whichwe were enabled to take reliable measures of the angles. By a processwhich at that time I did not accurately follow, and which I had notsubsequently the means of verifying, the distance as well as the anglesubtended by the height was obtained. Kevimâ, after working out hisfather's figures, informed me that the highest peak in view--thehighest in Mars--was not less than 44, 000 feet. No Martial balloonist, much less any Martial mountain-climber, has ever, save once, reached agreater height than 16, 000 feet--the air at the sea-level beingscarcely more dense than ours at 10, 000 feet. Kevimâ indicated onespot in the southern range of remarkable interest, associated with anincident which forms an epoch in the records of Martial geography. Asloping plateau, some 19, 000 feet above the sea-level, is defined withremarkable clearness in the direction from which we viewed it. Theforests appeared to hide, though they do not of course actuallyapproach, its lower edge. On one side and to the rear it is shut in byprecipices so abrupt that the snow fails to cling to them, while onthe remaining side it is separated by a deep, wide cleft from thewestern portion of the range. Here for centuries were visible therelics of an exploring party, which reached this plateau and neverreturned. Attempts have, since the steering of balloons has become anaccomplished fact, been made to reach the point, but without success, and those who have approached nearest have failed to find any of thelong-visible remains of an expedition which perished four or fivethousand years ago. Kevimâ thought it probable that the metallic poleseven then employed for tents and for climbing purposes might still beintact; but if so, they were certainly buried in the snow, and Esmobelieved it more likely that even these had perished. 

As the mists of evening fell we retreated to our cabin, which waswarmed by a current of heated air from the electric machinery. Hereour evening meal was served, at which Esmo and his son joined us, Eveena resuming, even in their presence, the veil she had worn on deckbut had laid aside the moment we were alone. An hour or two aftersunset, the night (an unusual occurrence in Mars) was clear and fine, and I took this opportunity of observing from a new standpoint thefamiliar constellations. The scintillation so characteristic of thefixed stars, especially in the temperate climates of the Earth, wasscarcely perceptible. Scattered once more over the surface of adefined sky, it was much easier than in space to recognise the severalconstellations; but their new and strange situations were not a littlesurprising at first sight, some of those which, as seen on Earthrevolved slowly in the neighbourhood of the poles, being now not farfrom the tropics, and some, which had their place within the tropics, now lying far to north or south. Around the northern pole the Swanswings by its tail, as in our skies the Lesser Bear; Arided being aPole-Star which needs no Pointers to indicate its position. Vega isthe only other brilliant star in the immediate neighbourhood; and, save for the presence of the Milky Way directly crossing it, thearctic circle is distinctly less bright than our own. The south polelies in one of the dullest regions of the heavens, near the chief starof the Peacock. Arcturus, the Great Bear, the Twins, the Lion, theScorpion, and Fomalhaut are among the ornaments of the Equatorialzone: the Cross, the Centaur, and the Ship of our antarcticconstellations, are visible far into the northern hemisphere. On thepresent occasion the two Moons were both visible in the west, thehorns of both crescents pointing in the same direction, though the onewas in her last, the other in her first phase. 

As we were watching them, Eveena, wrapped in a cloak of fur not alittle resembling that of the silver fox, but far softer, stole herhand into mine and whispered a request that I would lend her theinstrument I was using. With some instruction and help she contrivedto adjust it, her sight requiring a decided alteration of the focusand an approach of the two eye-pieces; the eyes of her race being setsomewhat nearer than in an average Aryan countenance. She expressed nolittle surprise at the clearness of definition, and the markedenlargement of the discs of the two satellites, and would have usedthe instrument to scan the stars and visible planets had I notinsisted on her retirement; the light atmosphere, as is always thecase on clear nights, when no cloud-veil prevents rapid radiation fromthe surface, being bitterly cold, and her life not having accustomedher to the night air even in the most genial season. 

As we could, of course, see nothing of the country through which wepassed during the night, and as Esmo informed me that little ornothing of special interest would occur during this part of ourvoyage, our vessel went at full speed, her pilot being thoroughlyacquainted with the river, and an electric light in the bow enablinghim to steer with perfect confidence and safety. When, therefore, wecame on deck after the dissipation of the morning mist, we foundourselves in a scene very different from that which we had left. Ourcourse was north by west. On either bank lay a country cultivatedindeed, but chiefly pastoral, producing a rich herbage, grazed byinnumerable herds, among which I observed with interest several flocksof large birds, kept, as Esmo informed me, partly for their plumage. This presented remarkable combinations of colour, far surpassing inbrilliancy and in variety of pattern the tail of the peacock, andoften rivalling in length and delicacy, while exceeding in beauty ofcolouring, the splendid feathers which must have embarrassed the Birdof Paradise, even before they rendered him an object of pursuit bythose who have learnt the vices and are eager to purchase the wares ofcivilised man. Immediately across our course, at a distance of somethirty miles, stretched a range of mountains. I inquired of Esmo howthe river turned in order to avoid them, since no opening was visibleeven through my glass. 

"The proper course of the river, " he said, "lies at the foot of thosehills. But this would take us out of our road, and, moreover, thestream is not navigable for many stoloi above the turning-point. Weshall hold on nearly in the same direction as the present till we landat their foot. "

"And how, " I said, "are we to cross them?"

"At your choice, either by carriage or by balloon, " he said. "There isat our landing-place a town in which we shall easily procure either. "

"But, " said I, "though our luggage is far less heavy than would bethat of a bride on Earth, and Eveena's forms the smallest portion ofit, I should fancy that it must be inconveniently heavy for aballoon. "

"Certainly, " he replied; "but we could send it by carriage even overthe mountain roads. The boat, however, will go on, and will meet ussome thirty miles beyond the point where we leave it. "

"And how is the boat to pass over the hills?"

"Not over, but under, " he said, smiling. "There is no natural passageentirely through the range, but there is within it a valley the bottomof which is not much higher than this plain. Of the thirty miles to betraversed, about one-half lies in the course of this valley, alongwhich an artificial canal has been made. Through the hills at eitherend a tunnel has been cut, the one of six, the other of about ninemiles in length, affording a perfectly safe and easy course for theboat; and it is through these that nearly all the heavy trafficpassing in this direction is conveyed. "

"I should like, " I said, "if it be possible, to pass through one atleast of these tunnels, unless there be on the mountains themselvessomething especially worth seeing. "

"Nothing, " he replied. "They are low, none much exceeding the heightof that from which you descended. "

Eveena now joined us on deck, and we amused ourselves for the next twohours in observing the different animals, of which such numbers wereto be seen at every turn, domesticated and trained for one or other ofthe many methods in which the brutes can serve the convenience, thesustenance, or the luxury of man. Animal food is eaten on Mars; butthe flesh of birds and fish is much more largely employed than that ofquadrupeds, and eggs and milk enter into the cuisine far moreextensively than either. In fact, flesh and fish are used much as theyseem to have been in the earlier period of Greek civilisation, asrelish and supplement to fruits, vegetables, and farinaceous dishes, rather than as the principal element of food. As their training andtheir extreme tameness indicate, domestic creatures, even thosedestined only to serve as food or to furnish clothing, are treated notindeed with tenderness, but with gentleness, and without either theneglect or the cruelty which so revolt humane men in witnessing thetreatment of Terrestrial animals by those who have personal charge ofthem. To describe any considerable number of the hundred forms I sawduring this short period would be impossible. I have drawings, orrather pictures, of most, taken by the light-painting process, which Ihope herewith to remit to Earth, and which at least serve to give ageneral idea of the points in which the Martial chiefly differs fromthe Terrestrial fauna. Those animals whose coats furnish a textilefibre more resemble reindeer and goats than sheep; their wool issofter, longer, and less curly, free also from the greasiness of thesheep. 

It seemed to me that an extreme quaintness characterised the domesticcreatures kept for special purposes. This was not the effect of merenovelty, for animals like the _ambâ_ and birds like the _esve_, trained to the performance of services congenial to their naturalhabits, however dissimilar to Terrestrial species, had not the sameair of singularity, or rather of monstrosity. But in the creaturesbred to furnish wool, feathers, or the like, some single feature wasalways exaggerated into disproportionate dimensions. Thus the_elnerve_ is loaded with long plumes, sometimes twice the length ofthe body, and curled upward at the extremity, so that it can neitherfly nor run; and though its plumage is exquisitely beautiful, thecreature itself is simply ludicrous. It bears the same popular reputefor sagacity as the goose of European farmyards. The _angasto_ hashair or wool so long that its limbs are almost hidden, just beforeshearing-time, in the tresses that hang from the body half way to theground. The _calperze_, a bird no larger than a Norfolk turkey, hasthe hinder part developed to an enormous size, so that the gracefulpeacock-like neck and shoulders appear as if lost in the hugeproportions of the body, and the little wings are totally unfit toraise it in the air; while it lays almost daily eggs as large as thoseof the ostrich and of peculiar richness and flavour. Nearly all thedomestic birds kept for the sake of eggs or feathers have wings thatlook as if they had been clipped, and are incapable of flight. Creatures valued for their flesh, such as the _quorno_ (somewhat likethe eland, but with the single horn so common among its congeners inMars, and with a soft white hide), and the _viste_, a bird about thesize of the peacock, with the form of the partridge and the flavour ofgrouse or black game, preserve more natural proportions. Thewing-quills of the latter, however, having been systematically pluckedfor hundreds of generations, are now dwarfed and useless. Theseanimals are not encouraged to make fat on the one hand, or to developpowerful muscles and sinews on the other. They are fed for part of theyear on the higher and thinner pastures of the mountains. When broughtdown to the meadows of the plain, they are allowed to graze only for afew hours before sunset and after sunrise. They thus preserve much ofthe flavour of game or mountain sheep and cattle, which the oxen andpoultry of Europe have lost; flavour, not quantity, being the chiefobject of care with Martial graziers. Sometimes, however, somepeculiarity perfectly useless, or even inconvenient, appears to benaturally associated with that which is artificially developed. Thusthe beak of the _elnerve_ is weak and often splits, so as to renderits rearing troublesome and entail considerable losses; while thehorns of the wool-bearing animals are long and strong enough to beformidable, but so rough and coarsely grained that they are turned tono account for use or ornament. 

We were rapidly approaching the foot of the hills, where the rivermade another and abrupt turn. At this point the produce of the wholeupper valley is generally embarked, and supplies from all otherquarters are here received and distributed. In consequence, a townlarge and important for this planet, where no one who can help itprefers the crowded street to the freedom and expanse of the country, had grown up, with about a hundred and fifty houses, and perhaps athousand inhabitants. It was so much matter of course that voyagersshould disembark to cross the hills or to pursue their journey alongthe upper part of the river by road, that half-a-dozen differentpartnerships made it their business to assist in the transfer ofpassengers and light wares. Ahead of us was a somewhat steephill-slope, in the lower part of which a wall absolutely perpendicularhad been cut by those who pierced the tunnel, the mouth of which wasnow clearly visible immediately before us. It was about twelve feet inheight, and perhaps twenty feet in width. The stream, which, likenearly all Martial rivers, is wide and shallow, had during the lastfifty miles of our course grown narrower, with a depth at the sametime constantly lessening, so that some care was required on the partof the pilot to avoid running aground. A stream of twenty inches indepth, affording room for two boats to pass abreast, is considerednavigable for vessels only carrying passengers; thirty inches arerequired to afford a course which for heavy freight is preferable tothe road. Eveena had taken it for granted that we should disembarkhere, and it was not till we had come within a hundred yards of thelanding-place--where the bank was perpendicular and levelled to aheight above the water, which enabled passengers to step directly fromthe deck of the boat--without slackening our speed, that thepossibility of our intending to accompany the boat on its subterrenecourse occurred to her. As she did not speak, but merely drew closerto me, and held fast my hand, I had no idea of her real distress tillwe were actually at the mouth of the black and very frightful-lookingpassage, and the pilot had lighted the electric lamp. As the boat shotunder the arch she could not repress a cry of terror. Naturallyputting my arm round her at this sign of alarm, I felt that she wastrembling violently, and a single look, despite her veil, convinced methat she was crying, though in silence and doing her utmost to concealher tears. 

"Are you so frightened, child?" I asked. "I have been through manysubterranean passages, though none so long and dark as this. But yousee our lamp lights up not only the boat but the whole vault aroundand before us, and there can be no danger whatever. "

"I am frightened, though, " she said, "I cannot help it. I never sawanything of the kind before; and the darkness behind and before us, and the black water on either side, do make me shiver. "

"Stop!" I called to the boatman. 

"Now, Eveena, " I said, "I do not care to persist in this journey if itreally distresses you. I wished to see so wonderful a work ofengineering; but, after all, I have been in a much uglier and morewonderful place, and I can see nothing here stranger than when I wasrowed for three-quarters of a mile on the river in the Mammoth Cave. In any case I shall see little but a continuation of what I seealready; so if you cannot bear it, we will go back. "

By this time Esmo, who had been in the bows, had joined us, wishing toknow why I had stopped the boat. 

"This child, " I said, "is not used to travelling, and the tunnelfrightens her; so that I think, after all, we had better take theusual course across the mountains. "

"Nonsense!" he answered. "There is no danger here; less probably thanin an ordinary drive, certainly less than in a balloon. Don't spoilher, my friend. If you begin by yielding to so silly a caprice asthis, you will end by breaking her heart before the two years areout. "

"Do go on, " whispered Eveena. "I was very silly; I am not sofrightened now, and if you will hold me fast, I will not misbehaveagain. "

Esmo had taken the matter out of my hands, desiring the boatman toproceed; and though I sympathised with my bride's feminine terror muchmore than her father appeared to do, I was selfishly anxious, in spiteof my declaration that there could be no novelty in this tunnel, tosee one thing certainly original--the means by which so narrow and solong a passage could be efficiently ventilated. The least I could do, however, was to appease Eveena's fear before turning my attention tothe objects of my own curiosity. The presence of physical strength, which seemed to her superhuman, produced upon her nerves the quietingeffect which, however irrationally, great bodily force alwaysexercises over women; partly, perhaps, from the awe it seems toinspire, partly from a yet more unreasonable but instinctive relianceon its protection even in dangers against which it is obviouslyunavailing. 

Presently a current of air, distinctly warmer than that of the tunnel, which had been gradually increasing in force for some minutes, becameso powerful that I could no longer suppose it accidental. Kevimâ beingnear us, I asked him what it meant. 

"Ventilation, " he answered. "The air in these tunnels would be fouland stagnant, perhaps unbreathable, if we did not drive a constantcurrent of air through them. You did not notice, a few yards from theentrance, a wheel which drives a large fan. One of these is placed atevery half mile, and drives on the air from one end of the tunnel tothe other. They are reversed twice in a zyda, so that they may createno constant counter-current outside. "

"But is not the power exerted to drive so great a body of airexceedingly costly?"

"No, " he answered. "As you are aware, electricity is almost our onlymotive power, and we calculate that the labour of two men, evenwithout the help of machines, could in their working zydau [eighthours] collect and reduce a sufficient amount of the elements by whichthe current is created to do the work of four hundred men during awhole day and night. "

"And how long, " I inquired, "has electricity had so complete amonopoly of mechanical work?"

"It was first brought into general use, " he replied, "about eightthousand years ago. Before that, heated air supplied our principallocomotive force, as well as the power of stationary machines whereverno waterfall of sufficient energy was at hand. For several centuriesthe old powers were still employed under conditions favourable totheir use. But we have found electricity so much cheaper than thecheapest of other artificial forces, so much more powerful than anysupplied by Nature, that we have long discontinued the employment ofany other. Even when we obtain electricity by means of heat, we findthat the gain in application more than compensates the loss in thetransmutation of one force into another. "

In the course of little more than half an hour we emerged from thetunnel, whose gloom, when once the attraction of novelty was gone, wascertainly unpleasant to myself, if not by any means so frightful asEveena still found it. There was nothing specially attractive ornoticeable in the valley through which our course now ran, except theextreme height of its mountain walls, which, though not by any meansperpendicular, rose to a height of some 3000 feet so suddenly that toclimb their sides would have been absolutely impossible. Only duringabout two hours in the middle of the day is the sun seen from thelevel of the stream; and it is dark in the bottom of this valley longbefore the mist has fallen on the plain outside. We had presently, however, to ascend a slope of some twenty-five feet in the mile, and Iwas much interested in the peculiar method by which the ascent wasmade. A mere ascent, not greater than that of some rapids up whichAmerican boatmen have managed to carry their barques by manual force, presented no great difficulty; but some skill is required atparticular points to avoid being overturned by the rush of the water, and our vessel so careened as to afford much more excuse for Eveena'soutbreak of terror than the tunnel had done. Had I not held her fastshe must certainly have been thrown overboard, the pilot, used to thedanger, having forgotten to warn us. For the rest, in the absence ofrocks, the vessel ascended more easily than a powerful steamer, if shecould find sufficient depth, could make her way up the rapids of theSt. Lawrence or similar streams. We entered the second tunnel withoutany sign of alarm from Eveena perceptible to others; only her clingingto my hand expressed the fear of which she was ashamed but could notrid herself. Emerging from its mouth, we found ourselves within sightof the sea and of the town and harbour of Serocasfe, where we werenext day to embark. Landing from the boat, we were met by the friendwhose hospitality Esmo had requested. At his house, half a mileoutside the town, for the first time since our marriage I had to partfor a short period with Eveena, who was led away by the veiledmistress of the house, while we remained in the entrance chamber orhall. The evening meal was anticipated by two hours, in order that wemight attend the meeting at which my bride and I were to receive ourformal admission into the Zinta. 

CHAPTER XIII - THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT. 

"Probably, " said Esmo, when, apparently at a sign from him, our hostleft us for some minutes alone, "much through which you are about topass will seem to you childish or unmeaning. Ceremonial renderedimpressive to us by immemorial antiquity, and cherished the morebecause so contrary to the absence of form and ceremony in the lifearound us--symbolism which is really the more useful, the morevaluable, because it contains much deeper meaning than is everapparent at first sight--have proved their use by experience; and, asthey are generally witnessed for the first time in early youth, make asharper impression than they are likely to effect upon a mind likeyours. But they may seem strangely inconsistent with a belief which isin itself so limited, and founded so absolutely upon logical proof orpractical evidence. The best testimony to the soundness of our policyin this respect is the fact that our vows, and the rites by which theyare sanctioned, are never broken, that our symbols are regarded withan awe which no threats, no penalties, can attach to the highest ofcivil authorities or the most solemn legal sanctions. The language ofsymbol, moreover, has for us two great advantages--one dependent uponthe depth of thought and knowledge with which the symbols themselveswere selected by our Founder, owing to which each generation finds inthem some new truth of which we never dreamed before; the otherarising from the fact that we are a small select body in the midst ofa hostile and jealous race, from whom it is most important to keep thekey of communications which, without the appearance, have all theeffect of ciphers. "

"I find, " I replied, "in my own world that every religion and everyform of occult mysticism, nay, every science, in its own way andwithin its own range, attaches great importance to symbols inthemselves apparently arbitrary. Experience shows that these, symbolsoften contain a clue to more than they were originally meant toconvey, and can be employed in reasonings far beyond the grasp ofthose who first invented or adopted them. That a body like the _Zinta_could be held together without ceremonial and without formalities, which, if they had no other value, would have the attraction ofsecresy and exclusiveness, seems obviously impossible. "

Here our host rejoined us. We passed into the gallery, where severalpersons were awaiting us; the men for the most part wearing a smallvizor dependent from the turban, which concealed their faces; thewomen all, without exception, closely veiled. As soon as Esmoappeared, the party formed themselves into a sort of procession twoand two. Motioning me to take the last place, Esmo passed himself toits head. If the figure beside me were not at once recognised, I couldnot mistake the touch of the hand that stole into my own. The lightsin the gallery were extinguished, and then I perceived a lamp held atthe end of a wand of crystal, which gleamed above Esmo's head, andsufficed to guide us, giving light enough to direct our footsteps andlittle more. Perhaps this half-darkness, the twilight which gave acertain air of mystery to the scene and of uncertainty to the forms ofobjects encountered on our route, had its own purpose. We reached verysoon the end of the gallery, and then the procession turned and passedsuddenly into another chamber, apparently narrow, but so faintlylighted by the lamp in our leader's hands that its dimensions werematter of mere conjecture. That we were descending a somewhat steepincline I was soon aware; and when we came again on to level ground Ifelt sure that we were passing through a gallery cut in natural rock. The light was far too dim to enable me to distinguish any openings inthe walls; but the procession constantly lengthened, though it wasimpossible to see where and when new members joined. Suddenly thelight disappeared. I stood still for a moment in surprise, and when Iagain went forward I became speedily conscious that all our companionshad vanished, and that we stood alone in utter darkness. Fearing tolead Eveena further where my own steps were absolutely uncertain, Ipaused for some time, and with little difficulty decided to remainwhere I was, until something should afford an indication of thepurpose of those who had brought us so far, and who must know, if theyhad not actual means of observing, that in darkness and solitude Ishould not venture to proceed. 

Presently, as gradually as in Northern climates the night passes intomorning twilight, the darkness became less absolute. Whence the lightcame it was impossible to perceive. Diffused all around and slowlybroadening, it just enabled me to discern a few paces before us theverge of a gulf. This might have been too shallow for inconvenience, it might have been deep enough for danger. I waited till my eyesshould be able to penetrate its interior; but before the light enteredit I perceived, apparently growing across it, really coming graduallyinto view under the brightening gleam, a species of bridge which--whenthe twilight ceased to increase, and remained as dim as that cast bythe crescent moon--assumed the outline of a slender trunk supported bywings, dark for the most part but defined along the edge by a narrowband of brightest green, visible in a gleam too faint to show anyobject of a deeper shade. Somewhat impatient of the obvious symbolism, I hurried Eveena forward. Immediately on the other side of the bridgethe path turned almost at right angles; and here a gleam of lightahead afforded a distinct guidance to our steps. Approaching it, wewere challenged, and I gave the answer with which I had beenpreviously furnished; an answer which may not be, as it never hasbeen, written down. A door parted and admitted us into a smallvestibule, at the other end of which a full and bright light streamedthrough a portal of translucent crystal. A sentinel, armed only withthe antiquated spear which may have been held by his first predecessorin office ten thousand Martial years ago, now demanded our names. Minehe simply repeated, but as I gave that of Eveena, daughter of Esmo, helowered his weapon in the salute still traditional among Martialsentries; and bending his head, touched with his lips the long sleeveof the cloak of _therne_-down in which she was on this occasion againenveloped. This homage appeared to surprise her almost as much asmyself, but we had no leisure for observation or inquiry. From behindthe crystal door another challenge was uttered. To this it was thesentry's part to reply, and as he answered the door parted; that atthe other end of the vestibule having, I observed, closed as weentered, and so closed that its position was undiscoverable. Before usopened a hall of considerable size, consisting of three distinctvaults, defined by two rows of pillars, slender shafts resembling tallbranchless trees, the capital of each being formed by a branching headlike that of the palm. The trunks were covered with golden scales; thefern-like foliage at the summit was of a bright sparkling emerald. Itwas evident to my observation that the entire hall had been excavatedfrom solid rock, and the pillars left in their places. Each of theside aisles, if I may so call them, was occupied by four rows of seatssimilarly carved in the natural stone; but lined after Martialfashion, with cushions embroidered in feathers and metals, and coveredby woven fabrics finer than any known to the looms of Lyons orCashmere. About two-thirds of the seats were occupied; those to theright as we entered (that is, on the left of the dais at the end ofthe hall) by men, those opposite by women. All, I observed, rose for amoment as Eveena's name was announced, from the further end of thehall, by the foremost of three or four persons vested in silver, withbelts of the crimson metal which plays the part of our best-temperedsteel, and bearing in their hands wands of a rose-coloured jewelresembling a clouded onyx in all but the hue. Each of them wore overhis dress a band or sash of gold, fastened on the left shoulder anddescending to the belt on the right, much resembling the ribbons ofEuropean knighthood. These supported on the left breast a silver star, or heraldic mullet, of six points. Throughout the rest of the assemblya similar but smaller star glimmered on every breast, supported, however, by green or silver bands, the former worn by the body of theassembly, the latter by a few persons gathered together for the mostpart at the upper end of the chamber. .. . The chief who had firstaddressed us bade us pass on, and we left the Hall of the Novitiate asaccepted members of the Order. .. . That into which we next entered wasso dark that its form and dimensions were scarcely defined to my eyes. I supposed it, however, to be circular, surmounted by a domeresembling in colour the olive green Martial sky and spangled bystars, among which I discerned one or two familiar constellations, butmost distinctly, brightened far beyond its natural brilliancy, thearch of the _Via Lactea_. Presently, not on any apparent sheet orscreen but as in the air before us, appeared a narrow band of lightcrossing the entire visible space. It resembled a rope twisted ofthree strands, two of a deep dull hue, the one apparently orange, theother brown or crimson, contrasting the far more brilliant emeraldstrand that formed the third portion of the threefold cord. I hadlearnt by this time that metallic cords so twined serve in Mars mostof the uses for which chains are employed on Earth, and I assumed thatthis symbol possessed the significance which poetry or ritual mightattach to the latter. 

This cord or band retained its position throughout, crossing the darkbackground of the scenes now successively presented, each of whichmelted into its successor--rapidly, but so gradually that there wasnever a distinct point of division, a moment at which it was possibleto say that any new feature was first introduced. 

A bright mist of various colours intermixed in inextricable confusion, an image of chaos but for the dim light reflected from all theparticles, filled a great part of the space before us, but the cordwas still discernible in the background. Presently, a brightrose-coloured point of light, taking gradually the form of an Eye, appeared above the cord and beyond the mist; and, emanating from it, aray of similar light entered the motionless vapour. Then a movement, whose character it was not easy to discern, but which constantlybecame more and more evidently rhythmical and regular, commenced inthe mist. Within a few moments the latter had dissolved, leaving inits place the semblance of stars, star-clusters, and golden nebulae, as dim and confused as that in the sword-belt of Orion, or as welldefined as any of those called by astronomers planetary. "What seest thou?" said a voice whose very direction I could notrecognise. 

"Cosmos evolved out of confusion by Law; Law emanating from SupremeWisdom and irresistible Will. "

"And in the triple band?"

"The continuity of Time and Space preserved by the continuity of Law, and controlled by the Will that gave Law. "

While I spoke a single nebula grew larger, brighter, and filled theentire space given throughout to the pictures presented to us; starsand star-clusters gradually fading away into remoter distance. Thisnebula, of spherical shape--formed of coarser particles than theprevious mist, and reflecting or radiating a more brillianteffulgence--was in rapid whirling motion. It flattened into the formof a disc, apparently almost circular, of considerable depth orthickness, visibly denser in the centre and thinner towards therounded edge. Presently it condensed and contracted, leaving at eachof the several intervals a severed ring. Most of these rings broke up, their fragments conglomerated and forming a sphere; one in particularseparating into a multitude of minuter spheres, others assuming ahighly elliptical form, condensing here and thinning out there; whilethe central mass grew brighter and denser as it contracted; till therelay before me a perfect miniature of the solar system, with planets, satellites, asteroids, and meteoric rings. 

"What seest thou?" again I heard. 

"Intelligence directing Will, and Will by Law developing the microcosmof which this world is one of the smallest parts. "

The orb which represented Mars stood still in the centre of the space, and this orb soon occupied the whole area. It assumed at first theform of a vast vaporous globe; then contracted to a comparativelysmall sphere, glowing as if more than red-hot, and leaving as itcontracted two tiny balls revolving round their primary. The lattergradually faded till it gave out no light but that which from someunseen source was cast upon it, one-half consequently contrasting indarkness the reflected brightness of the other. Ere long it presentedthe appearance of sea and land, of cloud, of snow, and ice, and becamea perfect image of the Martial sphere. Then it gave place to a globeof water alone, within which the processes of crystallisation, asexhibited first in its simpler then in its more complicated forms, were beautifully represented. Then there appeared, I knew not how, butseemingly developed by the same agency and in the same manner as thecrystals, a small transparent sphere within the watery globe, containing itself a spherical nucleus. From this were evolvedgradually two distinct forms, one resembling very much some of thesimplest of those transparent creatures which the microscope exhibitsto us in the water drop, active, fierce, destructive in their scale ofsize and life as the most powerful animals of the sea and land. Theother was a tiny fragment of tissue, gradually shaping itself into thesimplest and smallest specimens of vegetable life. The watery globedisappeared, and these two were left alone. From each graduallyemerged, growing in size, complexity, and distinctness, one form afteranother of higher organisation. 

"What seest thou?"

"Life called out of lifelessness by Law. "

Again, so gradually that no step of the process could be separatelydistinguished, formed a panorama of vegetable and animal life; alandscape in which appeared some dozen primal shapes of eitherkingdom. Each of these gradually dissolved, passing by slow degreesinto several higher or more perfect shapes, till there stood beforeour eyes a picture of life as it exists at present; and Man in itsmidst, more obviously even than on Earth, dominating and subduing thefellow-creatures of whom he is lord. From which of the innumerableanimal forms that had been presented to us in the course of thesetransmutations this supreme form had arisen, I did not note or cannotremember. But that no true ape appeared among them, I do distinctlyrecollect, having been on the watch for the representation of such anepoch in the pictured history. 

What was now especially noteworthy was that, solid as they appeared, each form was in some way transparent. From the Emblem beforementioned a rose-coloured light pervaded the scene; scarcelydiscernible in the general atmosphere, faintly but distinctlytraceable in every herb, shrub, and tree, more distinguishable andconcentrated in each animal. But in plant or animal the condensedlight was never separated and individualised, never parted from, though obviously gathered and agglomerated out of, the generallydiffused rosy sheen that tinged the entire landscape. It was as thoughthe rose-coloured light formed an atmosphere which entered and passedfreely through the tissues of each animal and plant, but brightenedand deepened in those portions which at any moment pervaded anyorganised shape, while it flowed freely in and out of all. Theconcentration was most marked, the connection with the diffusedatmosphere least perceptible, in those most intelligent creatures, like the _ambâ_ and _carve_, which in the service of man appear tohave acquired a portion of human intelligence. But turning to the typeof Man himself, the light within his body had assumed the shape of theframe it filled and appeared to animate. In him the rose-colouredimage which exactly corresponded to the body that encased it wasperfectly individualised, and had no other connection with theremainder of the light than that it appeared to emanate and to be fedfrom the original source. As I looked, the outward body dissolved, theimage of rosy light stood alone, as human and far more beautiful thanbefore, rose upward, and passed away. 

"What seest thou?" was uttered in an even more earnest and solemn tonethan heretofore. 

"Life, " I said, "physical and spiritual; the one sustained by theother, the spiritual emanating from the Source of Life, pervading allliving forms, affording to each the degree of individuality and ofintelligence needful to it, but in none forming an individual entityapart from the race, save in Man himself; and in Man forming theindividual being, whereof the flesh is but the clothing and theinstrument. "

The whole scene suddenly vanished in total darkness; only again in onedirection a gleam of light appeared, and guided us to a portal throughwhich we entered another long and narrow passage, terminating in asecond vestibule before a door of emerald crystal, brilliantlyilluminated by a light within. Here, again, our steps were arrested. The door was guarded by two sentries, in whom I recognised Initiatesof the Order, wearers of the silver sash and star. The password andsign, whispered to me as we left the Hall of the Novitiate, havingbeen given, the door parted and exposed to our view the inmostchamber, a scene calculated to strike the eye and impress the mind notmore by its splendour and magnificence than by the unexpectedcharacter it displayed. It represented a garden, but the boundarieswere concealed by the branching trees, the arches of floweringcreepers, the thickets of flowers, shrubs, and tall reeds, which inevery direction imitated so perfectly the natural forms that theclosest scrutiny would have been required to detect theirartificiality. The general form, however, seemed to be that of asquare entered by a very short, narrow passage, and divided by broadpaths, forming a cross of equal arms. At the central point of thiscross was placed on a pedestal of emerald a statue in gold, whichrecalled at once the features of the Founder. The space might haveaccommodated two thousand persons, but on the seats--of a materialresembling ivory, each of them separately formed and gathered inirregular clusters--there were not, I thought, more than four hundredor five hundred men and women intermingled; the former dressed for themost part in green, the latter in pink or white, and all wearing thesilver band and star. At the opposite end, closing the central aisle, was a low narrow platform raised by two steps carved out of thenatural rock, but inlaid with jewellery imitating closely thevariegated turf of a real garden. On this were placed, slantingbackward towards the centre, two rows of six golden seats or thrones, whose occupants wore the golden band over silver robes. That next theinterval, but to the left, was filled by Esmo, who to my surprise worea robe of white completely covering his figure, and contrastingsignally the golden sash to which his star was attached. On his leftarm, bare below the elbow, I noticed a flat thick band of plain gold, with an emerald seal, bearing the same proportion to the bracelet as alarge signet to its finger ring. What struck me at once as mostremarkable was, that the seats on the dais and the forms of theiroccupiers were signally relieved against a background of intensedarkness, whose nature, however, I could not discern. The roof was inform a truncated pyramid; its material a rose-coloured crystal, through which a clear soft light illuminated the whole scene. Acrossthe floor of the entrance, immediately within the portal, was a broadband of the same crystal, marking the formal threshold of the Hall. Immediately inside this stood the same Chief who had received us inthe former Hall; and as we stood at the door, stretching forth hisleft hand, he spoke, or rather chanted, what, by the rhythmicalsequence of the words, by the frequent recurrence of alliteration andirregular rhyme, was evidently a formula committed to the verse of theMartial tongue: a formula, like all those of the Order, never written, but handed down by memory, and therefore, perhaps, cast in a shapewhich rendered accurate remembrance easier and more certain. 

 "Ye who, lost in outer night, Reach at last the Source of Light, Ask ye in that light to dwell? None we urge and none repel; Opens at your touch the door, Bright within the lamp of lore. Yet beware! The threshold passed, Fixed the bond, the ball is cast. Failing heart or faltering feet Find nor pardon nor retreat. Loyal faith hath guerdon given Boundless as the star-sown Heaven; Horror fathomless and gloom Rayless veil the recreant's doom. Warned betimes, in time beware--Freely turn, or frankly swear. "

"What am I to swear?" I asked. 

A voice on my left murmured in a low tone the formula, which Irepeated, Eveena accompanying my words in an almost inaudiblewhisper--

 "Whatsoe'er within the Shrine Eyes may see or soul divine, Swear we secret as the deep, Silent as the Urn to keep. By the Light we claim to share, By the Fount of Light, we swear. "

As these words were uttered, I became aware that some change had takenplace at the further end of the Hall. Looking up, the dark backgroundhad disappeared, and under a species of deep archway, behind the seatsof the Chiefs, was visible a wall diapered in ruby and gold, anddisplaying in various interwoven patterns the several symbols of theZinta. Towards the roof, exactly in the centre, was a large silverstar, emitting a light resembling that which the full moon sheds on atropical scene, but far more brilliant. Around this was a broad goldencircle or band; and beneath, the silver image of a serpent--perfectlyreproducing a typical terrestrial snake, but coiled, as no snake evercoils itself, in a double circle or figure of eight, with the tailwound around the neck. On the left was a crimson shield or what seemedto be such, small, round, and swelling in the centre into a sharppoint; on the right three crossed spears of silver with crimson bladespointed upward. But the most remarkable object--immediately fillingthe interval between the seats of the Chiefs, and carved from a hugecubic block of emerald--was a Throne, ascended on each side by five orsix steps, the upper step or seat extending nearly across the wholesome two feet below the surface, the next forming a footstool thereto. Above this was a canopy, seemingly self-supported, of circular form. Achain formed by interlaced golden circles was upheld by four greatemerald wings. Within the chain, again, was the silver Serpent, coiledas before and resting upon a surface of foliage and flowers. In thecentre of all was repeated the silver Star within the golden band; theemblem from which the Order derives its name, and in which it embodiesits deepest symbolism. Following again the direction of my unseenprompter, I repeated words which may be roughly translated asfollows:--

 "By the outer Night of gloom, By the ray that leads us home, By the Light we claim to share, By the Fount of Light, we swear. Prompt obedience, heart and hand, To the Signet's each command: For the Symbols, reverence mute, In the Sense faith absolute. Link by link to weld the Chain, Link with link to bear the strain; Cherish all the Star who wear, As the Starlight's self--we swear. By the Life the Light to prove, In the Circle's bound to move; Underneath the all-seeing Eye Act, nor speak, nor think the lie; Live, as warned that Life shall last, And the Future reap the Past: Clasp in faith the Serpent's rings, Trust through death the Emerald Wings, Hand and voice we plight the Oath: Fade the life ere fail the troth!"

Rising from his seat and standing immediately before and to the leftof the Throne, Esmo replied. But before he had spoken half-a-dozenwords, a pressure on my arm drew my eyes from him to Eveena. She stoodfixed as if turned to stone, in an attitude which for one fleetinginstant recalled that of the sculptured figures undergoing suddenpetrifaction at the sight of the Gorgon's head. This rememberedresemblance, or an instinctive sympathy, at once conveyed to me theconsciousness that the absolute stillness of her attitude expressed ahorror or an awe too deep for trembling. Looking into her eyes, whichalone were visible, their gaze fixed intently on the Throne, at oncecaught and controlled my own; and raising my eyes again to the samepoint, I stood almost equally petrified by consternation andamazement. I need not say how many marvels of no common character Ihave seen on Earth; how many visions that, if I told them, none whohave not shared them would believe; wonders that the few who have seenthem can never forget, nor--despite all experience and all theoreticalexplanation--recall without renewing the thrill of awe-stricken dismaywith which the sight was first beheld. But no marvel of the MysticSchools, no spectral scene, objective or subjective, ever evoked bythe rarest of occult powers, so startled, so impressed me as what Inow saw, or thought I saw. The Throne, on which but a few momentsbefore my eyes had been steadily fixed, and which had then assuredlybeen vacant, was now occupied; and occupied by a Presence which, though not seen in the flesh for ages, none who had ever looked on theportrait that represented it could forget or mistake. The form, thedress, the long white hair and beard, the grave, dignifiedcountenance, above all the deep, scrutinising, piercing eyes of theFounder--as I had seen them on a single occasion in Esmo's house--werenow as clearly, as forcibly, presented to my sight as any figure inthe flesh I ever beheld. The eyes were turned on me with a calm, searching, steady gaze, whose effect was such as Southey ascribes toIndra's:--

 "The look he gave was solemn, not severe; No hope to Kailyal it conveyed, And yet it struck no fear. "

For a moment they rested on Eveena's veiled and drooping figure with awidely different expression. That look, as I thought, spoke a gravebut passionless regret or pity, as of one who sees a childunconsciously on the verge of peril or sorrow that admits neither ofwarning nor rescue. That look happily she did not read; but we bothsaw the same object and in the same instant; we both stood amazed andappalled long enough to render our hesitation not only apparent, butstriking to all around, many of whom, following the direction of mygaze, turned their eyes upon the Throne. What they saw or did not seeI know not, and did not then care to think. The following formula, pronounced by Esmo, had fallen not unheard, but almost unheeded on myears, though one passage harmonised strangely with the sight beforeme:--

 "Passing sign and fleeting breath Bind the Soul for life and death! Lifted hand and plighted word Eyes have seen and ears have heard; Eyes have seen--nor ours alone; Fell the sound on ears unknown. Age-long labour, strand by strand, Forged the immemorial band; Never thread hath known decay, Never link hath dropped away. "

Here he paused and beckoned us to advance. The sign, twice repeatedbefore I could obey it, at last broke the spell that enthralled me. Under the most astounding or awe-striking circumstances, instinctmoves our limbs almost in our own despite, and leads us to do withparalysed will what has been intended or is expected of us. Thisinstinct, and no conscious resolve to overcome the influence that heldme spell-bound, enabled me to proceed; and I led Eveena forward byactual if gentle force, till we reached the lower step of theplatform. Here, at a sign from her father, we knelt, while, laying hishands on our heads, and stooping to kiss each upon the brow--Eveenaraising her veil for one moment and dropping it again--he continued--

 "So we greet you evermore, Brethren of the deathless Lore; So your vows our own renew, Sworn to all as each to you. Yours at once the secrets won Age by age, from sire to son; Yours the fruit through countless years Grown by thought and toil and tears. He who guards you guards his own, He who fails you fails the Throne. "

The last two lines were repeated, as by a simultaneous impulse, in alow but audible tone by the whole assembly. In the meantime Esmo hadinvested each of us with the symbol of our enrolment in the Zinta, thesilver sash and Star of the Initiates. The ceremonial seemed to me toafford that sort of religious sanction and benediction which had beenso signally wanting to the original form of our union. As we rose Iturned my eyes for a moment upon the Throne, now vacant as at first. Another Chief, followed by the voices of the assembly, repeated, in alow deep tone, which fell on our ears as distinctly as the loudesttrumpet-note in the midst of absolute silence, the solemnimprecation--

 "Who denies a brother's need, Who in will, or word, or deed, Breaks the Circle's bounded line, Rends the Veil that guards the Shrine, Lifts the hand to lips that lie, Fronts the Star with soothless eye:--. Dreams of horror haunt his rest, Storms of madness vex his breast, Snares surround him, Death beset, Man forsake--and God forget!"

It was probably rather the tone of profound conviction and almosttremulous awe with which these words were slowly enunciated by theentire assemblage, than their actual sense, though the latter isgreatly weakened by my translation, that gave them an effect on my ownmind such as no oath and no rite, however solemn, no religiousceremonial, no forms of the most secret mysteries, had ever produced. I was not surprised that Eveena was far more deeply affected. Even theearlier words of the imprecation had caused her to shudder; and ere itclosed she would have sunk to the ground, but for the support of myarm. Disengaging the bracelet, Esmo held out to our lips the signet, which, as I now perceived, reproduced in miniature the symbols thatformed the canopy above the throne. A few moments of deep and solemnsilence had elapsed, when one of the Chiefs, who, except Esmo, had nowresumed their seats, rose, and addressing himself to the latter, said--

"The Initiate has shown in the Hall of the Vision a knowledge of thesense embodied in our symbols, of the creed and thoughts drawn fromthem, which he can hardly have learned in the few hours that haveelapsed since you first spoke to him of their existence. If there benot in his world those who have wrought out for themselves similartruths in not dissimilar forms, he must possess a rare and almostinstinctive power to appreciate the lessons we can teach. I will askyour permission, therefore, to put to him but one question, and thatthe deepest and most difficult of all. "

Esmo merely bent his head in reply. 

"Can you, " said the speaker, turning to me with marked courtesy, "drawmeaning or lesson from the self-entwined coil of the Serpent?"

I need not repeat an answer which, to those familiar with the oldestlanguage of Terrestrial symbolism, would have occurred as readily asto myself; and which, if they could understand it, it would not bewell to explain to others. The three principal elements of thoughtrepresented by the doubly-coiled serpent are the same in Mars as onEarth, confirming in so far the doctrine of the Zinta, that theirsymbolic language is not arbitrary, but natural, formed on principlesinherent in the correspondence between things spiritual and physical. Some similar but trivial query, whose purport I have now forgotten, was addressed by the junior of the Chiefs to Eveena; and I was struckby the patient courtesy with which he waited till, after two or threeefforts, she sufficiently recovered her self-possession to understandand her voice to answer. We then retired, taking our place on seatsremote from the platform, and at some distance from any of ourneighbours. 

On a formal invitation, one after another of the brethren rose andread a brief account of some experiment or discovery in the science ofthe Order. The principles taken for granted as fundamental andnotorious truths far transcend the extremest speculations ofTerrestrial mysticism. The powers claimed as of course so infinitelyexceed anything alleged by the most ardent believers in mesmerism, clairvoyance, or spiritualism, that it would be useless to relate thefew among these experiments which I remember and might be permitted torepeat. I observed that a phonographic apparatus of a peculiarlyelaborate character wrote down every word of these accounts withoutobliging the speakers to approach it; and I was informed that thisautomatic reporting is employed in every Martial assembly, scientific, political, or judicial. 

I listened with extreme interest, and was more than satisfied thatEsmo had even underrated the powers claimed by and for the lowest andleast intelligent of his brethren, when he said that these, and thesealone, could give efficient protection or signal vengeance against allthe tremendous physical forces at command of those State authorities, one of the greatest of whom I had made my personal enemy. Onebattalion of Martial guards or police, accompanied by a single batteryof what I may call their artillery, might, even without the aid of aballoon-squadron, in half-an-hour annihilate or scatter to the windsthe mightiest and bravest army that Europe could send forth. Yet theMartial State had deliberately, and, I think, with only a dueprudence, shrunk during ages from an open conflict of power with thefew thousand members of this secret but inevitably suspectedorganisation. 

Esmo called on me in my turn to give such account as I might choose ofmy own world, and my journey thence. I frankly avowed my indispositionto explain the generation and action of the apergic force. The powerwhich a concurrent knowledge of two separate kinds of science hadgiven to a very few Terrestrials, and which all the science of a farmore enlightened race had failed to attain, was in my conscientiousconviction a Providential trust; withheld from those in whose hands itmight be a fearful temptation and an instrument of unbounded evil. Myreserve was perfectly intelligible to the Children of the Star, andevidently raised me in their estimation. I was much impressed by thesimple and unaffected reliance placed on my statements, as on those ofevery other member of the Order. As a rule, Martialists are both, andnot without reason, to believe any unsupported statement that might beprompted by interest or vanity. But the _Zveltau_ can trust oneanother's word more fully than the followers of Mahomet that of hisstrictest disciples, or the most honest nations of the West the mostsolemn oaths of their citizens; while that bigotry of scientificunbelief, that narrowness of thought which prevails among theircountrymen, has been dispelled by their wider studies and loftierinterests. They have a saying, whose purport might be rendered in theproverbial language of the Aryans by saying that the liar "kills thegoose that lays the golden eggs. " Again, "The liar is like anopiatised tunneller" (miner), i. E. , more likely to blow himself topieces than to effect his purpose. Again, "The liar drives the pointinto a friend's heart, and puts the hilt into a foe's hand. " The maximthat "a lie is a shield in sore need, but the spear of a scoundrel, "affirms the right in extremity to preserve a secret from impertinentinquisitiveness. Rarely, but on some peculiarly important occasions, the Zveltau avouch their sincerity by an appeal to their own symbols;and it is affirmed that an oath attested by the Circle and the Starhas never, in the lapse of ages, been broken or evaded. 

Before midnight Esmo dismissed the assembly by a formula which dimlyrecalled to memory one heard in my boyhood. It is not in the power ofmy translation to preserve the impressive solemnity of the immemorialritual of the Zinta, deepened alike by the earnestness of itsdelivery, and the reverence of the hearers. There was somethingmajestic in the mere antiquity of a liturgy whereof no word has everbeen committed to writing. Five hundred generations have, it isalleged, gathered four times in each year in the Hall of Initiation;and every meeting has been concluded by the utterance from the samespot and in the same words of the solemn but simple _Zulvakalfe_ [wordof peace]:--

 "Peace be with you, near and far, Children of the Silver Star; Lore undoubting, conscience clean, Hope assured, and life serene. By the Light that knows no flaw, By the Circle's perfect law, By the Serpent's life renewed, By the Wings' similitude-- Peace be yours no force can break; Peace not death hath power to shake; Peace from passion, sin, and gloom, Peace of spirit, heart, and home; Peace from peril, fear, and pain; Peace, until we meet again-- Meet--before yon sculptured stone, Or the All-Commander's Throne. "

Before we finally parted, Esmo gave me two or three articles to whichhe attached especial value. The most important of these was a smallcube of translucent stone, in which a multitude of diversely colouredfragments were combined; so set in a tiny swivel or swing of gold thatit might be conveniently attached to the watch-chain, the onlyTerrestrial article that I still wore. "This, " he said, "will testnearly every poison known to our science; each poison discolouring fora time one or another of the various substances of which it iscomposed; and poison is perhaps the weapon least unlikely to beemployed against you when known to be connected with myself, and, Iwill hope, to possess the favour of the Sovereign. If you are curiousto verify its powers, the contents of the tiny medicine-chest I havegiven you will enable you to do so. There is scarcely one of thosemedicines which is not a single or a combined poison of great power. Ineed not warn you to be careful lest you give to any one the means ofreaching them. I have shown you the combination of magnets which willopen each of your cases; that demanded by the chest is the mostcomplicated of all, and one which can hardly be hit upon by accident. Nor can any one force or pick open a case locked by our electricapparatus, save by cutting to pieces the metal of the case itself, andthis only special tools will accomplish; and, unless peculiarlyskilful, the intruder would 'probably be maimed or paralysed, if notkilled by . .. 

 "Thoughts he sends to each planet, Uranus, Venus, and Mars; Soars to the Centre to span it, Numbers the infinite Stars. "

 _Courthope's Paradise of Birds_

CHAPTER XIV - BY SEA. 

An hour after sunrise next morning. Esmo, his son, and our hostaccompanied us to the vessel in which we were to make the principalpart of our journey. We were received by an officer of the royalCourt, who was to accompany us during the rest of our journey, andfrom whom, Esrno assured me, I might obtain the fullest informationregarding the various objects of interest, to visit which we hadadopted an unusual and circuitous course. We embarked on a gulfrunning generally from east to west, about midway between the northerntropic and the arctic circle. As this was the summer of the northernhemisphere, we should thus enjoy a longer day, and should not sufferfrom the change of climate. After taking leave of our friends, we wentdown below to take possession of the fore part of the vessel, whichwas assigned as our exclusive quarters. Immediately in front of themachine-room, which occupied the centre of the vessel, were twocabins, about sixteen feet square, reaching from side to side. Beyondthese, opening out of a passage running along one side, were twosmaller cabins about eight feet long. All these apartments werefurnished and ornamented with the luxury and elegance of chambers inthe best houses on shore. In the foremost of the larger cabins were acouple of desks, and three or four writing or easy chairs. In theouter cabin nearest to the engine-room, and entered immediately by theladder descending from the deck, was fixed a low central table. In allwe found abundance of those soft exquisitely covered and embroideredcushions which in Mars, as in Oriental countries, are the mostessential and most luxurious furniture. The officer had quarters inthe stern of the vessel, which was an exact copy of the fore part. Butthe first of these rooms was considered as public or neutral ground. Leaving Eveena below, I went on deck to examine, before she started, the construction of the vessel. Her entire length was about onehundred and eighty feet, her depth, from the flat deck to the widekeel, about one half of her breadth; the height of the cabins not muchmore than eight feet; her draught, when most completely lightened, notmore than four feet. Her electric machinery drew in and drove out withgreat force currents of water which propelled her with a speed greaterthan that afforded by the most powerful paddles. It also pumped in orout, at whatever depth, the quantity of water required as ballast, notmerely to steady the vessel, but to keep her in position on thesurface or to sink her to the level at which the pilot might choose tosail. At either end was fixed a steering screw, much resembling thetail-fin of a fish, capable of striking sideways, upwards, ordownwards, and directing our course accordingly. 

Ergimo, our escort, had not yet reached middle age, but was a man ofexceptional intellect and unusual knowledge. He had made many voyages, and had occupied for some time an important official post on one ofthose Arctic continents which are inhabited only by the huntersemployed in collecting the furs and skins furnished exclusively bythese lands. The shores of the gulf were lofty, rocky, anduninteresting. It was difficult to see any object on shore from thedeck of the vessel, and I assented, therefore, without demur, afterthe first hour of the voyage, to his proposal that the lights, answering to our hatches, should be closed, and that the vessel shouldpursue her course below the surface. This was the more desirable that, though winds and storms are, as I have said, rare, these long andnarrow seas with their lofty shores are exposed to rough currents, atmospheric and marine, which render a voyage on the surface no moreagreeable than a passage in average weather across the Bay of Biscay. After descending I was occupied for some time in studying, withErgimo's assistance, the arrangement of the machinery, and the simpleprocess by which electric force is generated in quantities adequate toany effort at a marvellously small expenditure of material. In thisform the Martialists assert that they obtain without waste all thepotential energy stored in . .. [About half a score lines, or two pagesof an ordinary octavo volume like this, are here illegible. ] She(Eveena?) was somewhat pale, but rose quickly, and greeted me with asmile of unaffected cheerfulness, and was evidently surprised as wellas pleased that I was content to remain alone with her, ourconversation turning chiefly on the lessons of last night. Our timepassed quickly till, about the middle of the day, we were startled bya shock which, as I thought, must be due to our having run aground orstruck against a rock. But when I passed into the engine-room, Ergimoexplained that the pilot was nowise in fault. We had encountered oneof those inconveniences, hardly to be called perils, which arepeculiar to the waters of Mars. Though animals hostile or dangerous toman have been almost extirpated upon the land, creatures of a typelong since supposed to be extinct on Earth still haunt the depths ofthe Martial seas; and one of these--a real sea-serpent of above ahundred feet in length and perhaps eight feet in circumference--hadattacked our vessel, entangling the steering screw in his folds andtrying to crush it, checking, at the same time, by his tremendousforce the motion of the vessel. 

"We shall soon get rid of him, though, " said Ergimo, as I followed himto the stern, to watch with great interest the method of dealing withthe monster, whose strange form was visible through a thick crystalpane in the stern-plate. The asphyxiator could not have been usedwithout great risk to ourselves. But several tubes, filled with a softmaterial resembling cork, originally the pith of a Martial cane ofgreat size, were inserted in the floor, sides, and deck of the vessel, and through the centre of each of these passed a strong metallic wireof great conducting power. Two or three of those in the stern wereplaced in contact with some of the electric machinery by which therudder was usually turned, and through them were sent rapid andenergetic currents, whose passage rendered the covering of the wires, notwithstanding their great conductivity, too hot to be touched. Weheard immediately a smothered sound of extraordinary character, whichwas, in truth, no other than a scream deadened partly by the water, partly by the thick metal sheet interposed between us and the element. The steering screw was set in rapid motion, and at first revolvingwith some difficulty, afterwards moving faster and more regularly, presently released us. Its rotation was stopped, and we resumed ourcourse. The serpent had relaxed his folds, stunned by the shock, buthad not disentangled himself from the screw, till its blades, nolonger checked by the tremendous force of his original grasp, strikinghim a series of terrific blows, had broken the vertebrae and paralysedif not killed the monstrous enemy. 

At each side of the larger chambers and of the engine-room were fixedsmall thick circular windows, through which we could see from time totime the more remarkable objects in the water. We passed along onecurious submarine bank, built somewhat like our coral rocks, not byinsects, however, but by shellfish, which, fixing themselves as soonas hatched on the shells below or around them, extended slowly upwardand sideways. As each of these creatures perished, the shell, abouthalf the size of an oyster, was filled with the same sort of materialas that of which its hexagonic walls were originally formed, drawn inby the surrounding and still living neighbours; and thus, in thecourse of centuries, were constructed solid reefs of enormous extent. One of these had run right across the gulf, forming a complete bridge, ceasing, however, within some five feet of the surface; but on this aregular roadway had been constructed by human art and mechanicallabour, while underneath, at the usual depth of thirty feet, severaltunnels had been pierced, each large enough to admit the passage of asingle vessel of the largest size. At every fourth hour our vesselrose to the surface to renew her atmosphere, which was thus kept purerthan that of an ordinary Atlantic packet between decks, while thetemperature was maintained at an agreeable point by the warmthdiffused from the electric machinery. 

On the sixth day of our voyage, we reached a point where the Gulf ofSerocasfe divides, a sharp jutting cape or peninsula parting itswaters. We took the northern branch, about fifteen miles in width, andhere, rising to the surface and steering a zigzag course from coast tocoast, I was enabled to see something of the character of this mostextraordinary strait. Its walls at first were no less than 2000 feetin height, so that at all times we were in sight, so to speak, ofland. A road had been cut along the sea-level, and here and theretunnels ascending through the rock rendered this accessible from theplateau above. The strata, as upon Earth, were of various character, none of them very thick, seldom reproducing exactly the geology of ourown planet, but seldom very widely deviating in character from therocks with which we are acquainted. The lowest were evidently of thesame hard, fused, compressed character as those which our terminologycalls plutonic. Above these were masses which, bike the carboniferousstrata of Earth, recalled the previous existence of a richer but lesshighly organised form of vegetation than at present exists anywhereupon the surface. Intermixed with these were beds of the peculiarsubmarine shell-rock whose formation I have just described. Abovethese again come strata of diluvial gravel, and about 400 feet belowthe surface rocks that bore evident traces of a glacial period. As weapproached the lower end of the gulf the shores sloped constantlydownward, and where they were no more than 600 feet in height I wasable to distinguish an upper stratum of some forty yards in depth, preserving through its whole extent traces of human life and even ofcivilisation. This implied, if fairly representative of the rest ofthe planet's crust, an existence of man upon its surface ten, twenty, or even a hundred-fold longer than he is supposed to have enjoyed uponEarth. About noon on the seventh day we entered the canal whichconnects this arm of the gulf with the sea of the northern temperatezone. It varies in height from 400 to 600 feet, in width from 100 to300 yards, its channel never exceeds 20 feet in depth, Ergimoexplained that the length had been thought to render a tunnelunsuitable, as the ordinary method of ventilation could hardly havebeen made to work, and to ventilate such a tunnel through shafts sunkto so great a depth would have been almost as costly as the methodactually adopted. A much smaller breadth might have been thought tosuffice, and was at first intended; but it was found that the currentin a narrow channel, the outer sea being many inches higher than thewater of the gulf, would have been too rapid and violent for safety. The work had occupied fifteen Martial years, and had been opened onlyfor some eight centuries. The water was not more than twenty feet indepth; but the channel was so perfectly scoured by the current that noobstacle had ever arisen and no expense had been incurred to keep it aclear. We entered the Northern sea where a bay ran up some half dozenmiles towards the end of the gulf, shortening the canal by thisdistance. The bay itself was shallow, the only channel being scarcelywider than the canal, and created or preserved by the current settingin to the latter; a current which offered a very perceptibleresistance to our course, and satisfied me that had the canal been nowider than the convenience of navigation would have required in theabsence of such a stream, its force would have rendered the workaltogether useless. We crossed the sea, holding on in the samedirection, and a little before sunset moored our vessel at the wharfof a small harbour, along the sides of which was built the largesttown of this subarctic landbelt, a village of some fifty houses namedAskinta. 

CHAPTER XV - FUR-HUNTING. 

Ergimo landed to make arrangements for the chase, to witness which wasthe principal object of this deviation from what would otherwise havebeen our most convenient course. Not only would it be possible to takepart in the pursuit of the wild fauna of the continent, but I alsohoped to share in a novel sport, not unlike a whale-hunt in Baffin'sBay. A large inland sea, occupying no inconsiderable part of the areaof this belt, lay immediately to the northward, and one wide armthereof extended within a few miles of Askirita, a distance which, notwithstanding the interposition of a mountain range, might becrossed in a couple of hours. One or two days at most would sufficefor both adventures. I had not yet mentioned my intention to Eveena. During the voyage I had been much alone with her, and it was then onlythat our real acquaintance began. Till then, however close ourattachment, we were, in knowledge of each other's character andthought, almost as strangers. While her painful timidity had in somedegree worn off, her anxious and watchful deference was even moremarked than before. True to the strange ideas derived chiefly from hertraining, partly from her own natural character, she was the morecareful to avoid giving the slightest pain or displeasure, as sheceased to fear that either would be immediately and intentionallyvisited upon herself. She evidently thought that on this account therewas the greater danger lest a series of trivial annoyances, unnoticedat the time, might cool the affection she valued so highly. Diffidentof her own charms, she knew how little hold the women of her racegenerally have on the hearts of men after the first fever of passionhas cooled. It was difficult for her to realise that her thoughts orwishes could truly interest me, that compliance with her inclinationscould be an object, or that I could be seriously bent on teaching herto speak frankly and openly. But as this new idea became credible andfamiliar, her unaffected desire to comply with all that was expectedfrom her drew out her hitherto undeveloped powers of conversation, andenabled me day by day to appreciate more thoroughly the realintelligence and soundness of judgment concealed at first by hershyness, and still somewhat obscured by her childlike simplicity andabsolute inexperience. In the latter respect, however, she was, ofcourse, at the less disadvantage with a stranger to the manners andlife of her world. A more perfectly charming companion it would havebeen difficult to desire and impossible to find. If at first I hadbeen secretly inclined to reproach her with exaggerated timidity, itbecame more and more evident that her personal fears were due simplyto that nervous susceptibility which even men of reputed courage haveoften displayed in situations of sudden and wholly unfamiliar peril. Her tendency to overrate all dangers, not merely as they affectedherself, but as they might involve others, and above all her husband, I ascribed to the ideas and habits of thought now for so manycenturies hereditary among a people in whom the fear ofannihilation--and the absence of all the motives that impel men onearth to face danger and death with calmness, or even to enjoy theexcitement of deadly peril--have extinguished manhood itself. 

I could not, however, conceal from Eveena that I was about to leaveher for an adventure which could not but seem to her foolhardy andmotiveless. She was more than terrified when she understood that Ireally intended to join the professional hunters in an enterprisewhich, even on their part, is regarded by their countrymen with amixture of admiration and contempt, as one wherein only the hope oflarge remuneration would induce any sensible man to share; and which, from my utter ignorance of its conditions, must be obviously stillmore dangerous to me. The confidence she was slowly learning from whatseemed to her extravagant indulgence, to me simply the considerationdue to a rational being, wife or comrade, slave or free, first foundexpression in the freedom of her loving though provokingexpostulations. 

"You must be tired of me, " she said at last, "if you are so ready torun the risk of parting out of mere curiosity. "

"Sheer petulance!" I answered. "You know well that you are dearer tome every day as I learn to understand you better; but a man cannotafford to play the coward because marriage has given new value tolife. And you might remember that I have threefold the strength whichemboldens your hunters to incur all the dangers that seem to yourfancy so terrible. "

That no shade of mere cowardice or feminine affectation influenced herremonstrance was evident from her next words. 

"Well, then, if you will go, however improper and outrageous the thingmay be, let me go with you. I cannot bear to wait alone, fancying atevery moment what may be happening to you, and fearing to see themcarry you back wounded or killed. "

Touched by the unselfishness of her terror, and feeling that there wassome truth in her representation of the state of mind in which shewould spend the hours of my absence, I tried to quiet her by caressesand soft words. But these she received as symptoms of yielding on mypart; and her persistence brought upon her at last the resolute andsomewhat sharp rebuke with which men think it natural and right torepress the excesses of feminine fear. 

"This is nonsense, Eveena. You cannot accompany me; and, if you could, your presence would multiply tenfold the danger to me, and utterlyunnerve me if any real difficulty should call for presence of mind. You must be content to leave me in the hands of Providence, and allowme to judge what becomes a man, and what results are worth the risksthey may involve. I hear Ergimo's step on deck, and I must go andlearn from him what arrangements he has been able to make forto-morrow. "

My escort had found no difficulty in providing for the fulfilment ofboth my wishes. We were to beat the forests which covered the southernseabord in the neighbourhood, driving our game out upon the openground, where alone we should have a chance of securing it. By noon wemight hope to have seen enough of this sport, and to find ourselves atno great distance from that part of the inland sea where a yet moreexciting chase was to employ the rest of the day. Failing to bringboth adventures within the sixteen hours of light which at this seasonand in this latitude we should enjoy, we were to bivouac for the nighton the northern sea-coast and pursue our aquatic game in the morningof the morrow, returning before dark to our vessel. 

Ergimo, however, was more of Eveena's mind than of mine. "I havecomplied, " he said, "with your wishes, as the Camptâ ordered me to do. But I am equally bound, by his orders and by my duty, to tell you thatin my opinion you are running risks altogether out of proportion toany object our adventure can serve. Scarcely any of the creatures weshall hunt are other than very formidable. Eyen the therne, with thespikes on its fore-limbs, can inflict painful if not dangerous wounds, and its bite is said to be not unfrequently venomous. You are not usedto our methods of hunting, to the management of the _caldecta_, or tothe use of our weapons. I can conceive no reason why you should incurwhat is at any rate a considerable chance, not merely of death, but ofdefeating the whole purpose of your extraordinary journey, simply todo or to see the work on which we peril only the least valuable livesamong us. "

I was about to answer him even more decidedly than I had replied toEveena, when a pressure on my arm drew my eyes in the other direction;and, to my extreme mortification, I perceived that Eveena herself, inall-absorbing eagerness to learn the opinion of an intelligent andexperienced hunter, had stolen on deck and had heard all that hadpassed. I was too much vexed to make any other reply to Ergimo'sargument than the single word, "I shall go. " Really angry with her forthe first and last time, but not choosing to express my displeasure inthe presence of a third person, I hurried Eveena down the ladder intoour cabin. 

"Tell me, " I said, "what, according to your own rules of femininereserve and obedience, you deserve? What would one of your people sayto a wife who followed him without leave into the company of astranger, to listen to that which she knew she was not meant to hear?"

She answered by throwing off her veil and head-dress, and standing upsilent before me. 

"Answer me, child, " I repeated, more than half appeased by the muteappeal of her half-raised eyes and submissive attitude. "I know youwill not tell me that you have not broken all the restraints of yourown laws and customs. What would your father, for instance, say tosuch an escapade?"

She was silent, till the touch of my hand, contradicting perhaps theharshness of my words, encouraged her to lift her eyes, full of tears, to mine. 

"Nothing, " was her very unexpected reply. 

"Nothing?" I rejoined. "If you can tell me that you have not donewrong, I shall be sorry to have reproved you so sharply. "

"I shall tell you no such lie!" she answered almost indignantly. "Youasked what would be _said_. "

I was fairly at a loss. The figure which Martial grammarians call "thesuppressed alternative" is a great favourite, and derives peculiarforce from the varied emphasis their syntax allows. But, resolved notto understand a meaning much more distinctly conveyed in her wordsthan in my translation, I replied, "_I_ shall say nothing then, except--don't do it again;" and I extricated myself promptly ifignominiously from the dilemma, by leaving the cabin and closing thedoor, so sharply and decidedly as to convey a distinct intimation thatit was not again to be opened. 

We breakfasted earlier than usual. My gentle bride had been subduedinto a silence, not sullen, but so sad that when her wistful eyesfollowed my every movement as I prepared to start, I could willingly, to bring back their brightness, have renounced the promise of the day. But this must not be; and turning to take leave on the threshold, Isaid--

"Be sure I shall come to no harm; and if I did, the worst pang ofdeath would be the memory of the first sharp words I have spoken toyou, and which, I confess, were an ill return for the inconvenientexpression of your affectionate anxiety. "

"Do not speak so, " she half whispered. "I deserved any mark of yourdispleasure; I only wish I could persuade you that the sharpest stinglies in the lips we love. Do remember, since you would not let me runthe slightest risk of harm, that if you come to hurt you will havekilled me. "

"Rest assured I shall come to no serious ill. I hope this evening tolaugh with you at your alarms; and so long as you do not see me eitherin the flesh or in the spirit, you may know that I am safe. I _couldnot_ leave you for ever without meeting you again. "

This speech, which I should have ventured in no other presence, wouldhardly have established my lunacy more decisively in Martial eyes thanin those of Terrestrial common sense. It conveyed, however, a real ifnot sufficient consolation to Eveena; the idea it implied being notwholly unfamiliar to a daughter of the Star. I was surprised that, almost shrinking from my last embrace, Eveena suddenly dropped herveil around her; till, turning, I saw that Ergimo was standing at thetop of the ladder leading to the deck, and just in sight. 

"I will send word, " he said, addressing himself to me, but speakingfor her ears, "of your safety at noon and at night. So far as myutmost efforts can ensure it you will be safe; an obligation higher, and enforced by sanctions graver, than even the Camptâ's commandforbids me to lead a _brother_ into peril, and fail to bring him outof it. "

The significant word was spoken in so low a tone that it could notpossibly reach the ears of our companions of the chase, who hadmustered on shore within a few feet of the vessel. But Eveenaevidently caught both the sound and the meaning, and I was glad thatthey should convey to her a confidence which seemed to myself nobetter founded than her alarms. To me its only value lay in thefriendly relation it established with one I had begun greatly to like. I relied on my own strength and nerve for all that human exertioncould do in such peril as we might encounter; and, in a case in whichthese might fail me, I doubted whether even the one tie that hasbinding force on Mars would avail me much. 

Immediately outside the town were waiting, saddled but not bridled, some score of the extraordinary riding-birds Eveena had described. Theseat of the rider is on the back, between the wings; but the saddleconsists only of a sort of girth immediately in front, to which a pairof stirrups, resembling that of a lady's side-saddle, were attached. The creature that was to carry my unusual weight was the most powerfulof all, but I felt some doubt whether even his strength might notbreak down. One of the hunters had charge of a carriage on which wasfixed a cage containing two dozen birds of a dark greenish grey, aboutthe size of a crow, and with the slender form, piercing eyes, andpowerful beak of the falcon. They were not intended, however, tostrike the prey, but simply to do the part of dogs in tracing out thegame, and driving it from the woods into the open ground. Our birds, rising at once into the air, carried us some fifty feet above the topsof the trees. Here the chief huntsman took the guidance of the party, keeping in front of the line in which we were ranged, and watchingthrough a pair of what might be called spectacles, save that a veryshort tube with double lenses was substituted for the single glass, the movement of the hawks, which had been released in the wood belowus. These at first dispersed in every direction, extending atintervals from end to end of a line some three miles in length, andmoving slowly forwards, followed by the hunters. A sharp call from onebird on the left gathered the rest around him, and in a few momentsthe rustling and rushing of an invisible flock through the glades ofthe forest apprised us that we had started, though we could not see, the prey. Ergimo, who kept close beside me, and who had oftenwitnessed the sport before, kept me informed of what was proceedingunderneath us, of which I could see but little. Glimpses here andthere showed that we were pursuing a numerous flock of largewhite-plumed or white-haired creatures, standing at most some fourfeet in height; but what they were, even whether birds or quadrupeds, their movements left me in absolute uncertainty. Worried andfrightened by the falcons, which, however, never ventured to closeupon them, they were gradually driven in the direction intended by thehuntsman towards the open plain, which bordered the forest at adistance of about six miles to the northward. In half-an-hour afterthe "find, " the leader of the flock broke out of the wood two or threehundred yards ahead of us, and was closely followed by his companions. I then recognised in the objects of the chase the strange _thernee_described by Eveena, whose long soft down furnished the cloak she woreon our visit to the Astronaut. Their general form, and especially thelength and graceful curve of the neck, led one instinctively to regardthem as birds; but the fore-limbs, drawn up as they ran, but now andthen outstretched with a sweep to strike at a falcon that venturedimprudently near, had, in the distance, much more resemblance to thearm of a baboon than to the limb of any other creature, and bore nolikeness whatever to the wing even of the bat. The object of thehunters was not to strike these creatures from a distance, but to runthem down and capture them by sheer exhaustion. This the greatwing-power of the _caldectaa_ enabled us to do, though by the time wehad driven the thernee to bay my own Pegasus was fairly tired. Thehunters, separating and spreading out in the form of a semicircle, assisted the movements of the hawks, driving the prey gradually into anarrow defile among the hills bordering the plain to thenorth-eastward, whose steep upward slope greatly hindered and fatiguedcreatures whose natural habitat consists of level plains or seabordforests. At last, under a steep half-precipitous rock which defendedthem in rear, and between clumps of trees which guarded eitherflank--protected by both overhead--the flock, at the call of theirleader, took up a position which displayed an instinctive strategy, whereof an Indian or African chief might have been proud. The_caldectaa_, however, well knew the vast superiority of their ownstrength and of their formidable beaks, and did not hesitate to carryus close to but somewhat above the thernee, as these stood ranged inline with extended fore-limbs and snouts; the latter armed with teethabout an inch and a half in length tapering singly to a sharp point, the former with spikes stronger, longer, and sharper than those of theporcupine; but, as I satisfied myself by a subsequent inspection, formed by rudimentary, or, more properly speaking, transformed ordegenerated quills. The bite was easily avoided. It was not so easy tokeep out of reach of the powerful fore-limb while endeavouring tostrike a fatal blow at the neck with the long rapier-like cuttingweapons carried by the hunters. My own shorter and sharp sword, towhich I had trusted, preferring a familiar weapon to one, howeversuitable, to which I was not accustomed, left me no choice but toabandon the hope of active participation in the slaughter, or toventure dangerously near. Choosing the latter alternative, I receivedfrom the arm of the thernee I had singled out a blow which, caughtupon my sword, very nearly smote it from my hand, and certainly wouldhave disarmed at once any of my weaker companions. As it was, thestroke maimed the limb that delivered it; but with its remaining armthe creature maintained a fight so stubborn that, had both beenavailable, the issue could not have been in my favour. This conflictreminded me singularly of an encounter with the mounted swordsmen ofScindiah and the Peishwah; all my experience of sword-play beingcalled into use, and my brute opponent using its natural weapon withan instinctive skill not unworthy of comparison with that of a trainedhorse-soldier; at the same time that it constantly endeavoured toseize with its formidable snout either my own arm or the wing or bodyof the caldecta, which, however, was very well able to take care ofitself. In fact, the prey was secured at last not by my sword but by ablow from the caldecta's beak, which pierced and paralysed the slenderneck of our antagonist. Some twenty thernee formed the booty of achase certainly novel, and possessing perhaps as many elements ofperil and excitement as that finest of Earthly sports which theaffected cynicism of Anglo-Indian speech degrades by the name of"pig-sticking. "

When the falcons had been collected and recaged, and the bodies of thethernee consigned to a carriage brought up for the purpose by asubordinate who had watched the hunters' course, our birds, from whichwe had dismounted, were somewhat rested; and Ergimo informed me thatanother and more formidable, as well as more valuable, prey wasthought to be in sight a few miles off. Mounted on a fresh bird, andresolutely closing my ears to his urgent and reasonable dissuasion, Ijoined the smaller party which was detached for this purpose. As wewere carried slowly at no great distance from the ground, managing ourbirds with ease by a touch on either side of the neck--they arespurred at need by a slight electric shock communicated from the hiltof the sword, and are checked by a forcible pressure on the wings--Iasked Ergimo why the thernee were not rather shot than hunted, sinceutility, not sport, governs the method of capturing the wild beasts ofMars. 

"We have, " he replied, "two weapons adapted to strike at a distance. The asphyxiator is too heavy to be carried far or fast, and pieces ofthe shell inflict such injuries upon everything in the immediateneighbourhood of the explosion, as to render it useless where thevalue of the prey depends upon the condition of its skin. Our otherand much more convenient, if less powerful, projective weapon has alsoits own disadvantage. It can be used only at short distances; and atthese it is apt to burn and tear a skin so soft and delicate as thatof the thernee. Moreover, it so terrifies the caldecta as to render itunmanageable; and we are compelled to dismount before using it, as youmay presently see. Four or five of our party are now armed with it, and I wish you had allowed me to furnish you with one. "

"I prefer, " I answered, "my own weapon, an air-gun which I can firesixteen times without reloading, and which will kill at a hundredyards' distance. With a weapon unknown to me I might not only failaltogether, but I might not improbably do serious injury, by myclumsiness and inexperience, to my companions. "

"I wish, nevertheless, " he said, "that you carried the _mordyta_. Youwill have need of an efficient weapon if you dismount to share theattack we are just about to make. But I entreat you not to do so. Youcan see it all in perfect safety, if only you will keep far enoughaway to avoid danger from the fright of your bird. "

As he spoke, we had come into proximity to our new game, a large andvery powerful animal, about four feet high at the shoulders, and aboutsix feet from the head to the root of the tail. The latter carries, asthat of the lion was fabled to do, a final claw, not to lash thecreature into rage, but for the more practical purpose of strikingdown an enemy endeavouring to approach it in flank or rear. Its hide, covered with a long beautifully soft fur, is striped alternately withbrown and yellow, the ground being a sort of silver-grey. The headresembles that of the lion, but without the mane, and is prolongedinto a face and snout more like those of the wild boar. Its limbs areless unlike those of the feline genus than any other Earthly type, buthave three claws and a hard pad in lieu of the soft cushion. The upperjaw is armed with two formidable tusks about twelve inches in length, and projecting directly forwards. A blow from the claw-furnished tailwould plough up the thigh or rip open the abdomen of a man. A strokefrom one of the paws would fracture his skull, while a wound from thetusk in almost any part of the body must prove certainly fatal. Fortunately, the _kargynda_ has not the swiftness of movementbelonging to nearly all our feline races, otherwise its skins, themost valuable prize of the Martial hunter, would yearly be taken at aterrible cost of life. Two of these creatures were said to be reposingin a thick jungle of reeds bordering a narrow stream immediately inour front. The hunters, with Ergimo, now dismounted and advanced sometwo hundred yards in front of their birds, directing the latter toturn their heads in the opposite direction. I found some difficulty inmaking my wish to descend intelligible to the docile creature whichcarried me, and was still in the air when one of the enormouscreatures we were hunting rushed out of its hiding-place. The nearesthunter, raising a shining metal staff about three and a half feet inlength (having a crystal cylinder at the hinder end, about six inchesin circumference, and occupying about one-third the entire length ofthe weapon), levelled it at the beast. A flash as of lightning dartedthrough the air, and the creature rolled over. Another flash from asimilar weapon in the hands of another hunter followed. By this time, however, my bird was entirely unmanageable, and what happened Ilearned afterwards from Ergimo. Neither of the two shots had woundedthe creature, though the near passage of the first had for a momentstunned and overthrown him. His rush among the party dispersed themall, but each being able to send forth from his piece a second flashof lightning, the monster was mortally wounded before they fairlystarted in pursuit of their scared birds, which--their attention beingcalled by the roar of the animal, by the crash accompanying eachflash, and probably above all by the restlessness of my own _caldecta_in their midst--had flown off to some distance. My bird, flounderingforwards, flung me to the ground about two hundred yards from thejungle, fortunately at a greater distance from the dying but not yetutterly disabled prey. Its companion now came forth and stood over thetortured creature, licking its sores till it expired. By this time Ihad recovered the consciousness I had lost with the shock of my fall, and had ascertained that my gun was safe. I had but time to prepareand level it when, leaving its dead companion, the brute turned andcharged me almost as rapidly as an infuriated elephant. I firedseveral times and assured, if only from my skill as a marksman, thatsome of the shots had hit it, was surprised to see that at each it wasonly checked for a moment and then resumed its charge. It was so nearnow that I could aim with some confidence at the eye; and if, as Isuspected, the previous shots had failed to pierce the hide, no otheraim was likely to avail. I levelled, therefore, as steadily as I couldat its blazing eyeballs and fired three or four shots, still withoutdoing more than arrest or rather slacken its charge, each shotprovoking a fearful roar of rage and pain. I fired my last withinabout twenty yards, and then, before I could draw my sword, was dashedto the ground with a violence that utterly stunned me. When Irecovered my senses Ergimo was kneeling beside me pouring down mythroat the contents of a small phial; and as I lifted my head andlooked around, I saw the enormous carcass from under which I had beendragged lying dead almost within reach of my hand. One eye was piercedthrough the very centre, the other seriously injured. But such is thecreature's tenacity of life, that, though three balls were actually inits brain, it had driven home its charge, though far too unconsciousto make more than convulsive and feeble use of any of its formidableweapons. When I fell it stood for perhaps a second, and then droppedsenseless upon my lower limbs, which were not a little bruised by itsweight. That no bone was broken or dislocated by the shock, deadenedthough it must have been by the repeated pauses in the kargynda'scharge and by its final exhaustion, was more than I expected or couldunderstand. Before I rose to my feet, Ergimo had peremptorily insistedon the abandonment of the further excursion we had intended, declaringthat he could not answer to his Sovereign, after so severe a lesson, for my exposure to any future peril. The Camptâ had sent him to bringme into his presence for purposes which would not be fulfilled byproducing a lifeless carcass, or a maimed and helpless invalid; andthe discipline of the Court and central Administration allowed noexcuse for disobedience to orders or failure in duty. My protest wasvery quickly silenced. On attempting to stand, I found myself soshaken, torn, and shattered that I could not again mount a _caldecta_or wield a weapon; and was carried back to Askinta on a sort ofinclined litter placed upon the carriage which had conveyed our booty. 

I was mortified, as we approached the place where our vessel lay, toobserve a veiled female figure on the deck. Eveena's quick eye hadnoted our return some minutes before, and inferred from the earlyabandonment of the chase some serious accident. Happily our party wereso disposed that I had time to assume the usual position before shecaught sight of me. I could not, however, deceive her by a desperateeffort to walk steadily and unaided. She stood by quietly and calmlywhile the surgeon of the hunters dressed my hurts, observing exactlyhow the bandages and lotions were applied. Only when we were leftalone did she in any degree give way to an agitation by which shefeared to increase my evident pain and feverishness. It was impossibleto satisfy her that black bruises and broad gashes meant no danger, and would be healed by a few days' rest. But when she saw that I couldtalk and smile as usual, she was unsparing in her attempts to coaxfrom me a pledge that I would never again peril life or limb togratify my curiosity regarding the very few pursuits in which, for thehighest remuneration, Martialists can be induced to incur theprobability of injury and the chance of that death they so abjectlydread. Scarcely less reluctant to repeat the scolding she felt soacutely than to employ the methods of rebuke she deemed less severe, Ihad no little difficulty in evading her entreaties. Only a verydecided request to drop the subject at once and for ever, enforced onher conscience by reminding her that it would be enforced nootherwise, at last obtained me peace without the sacrifice of liberty. 

CHAPTER XVI - TROUBLED WATERS. 

We were now in Martial N. Latitude 57°, in a comparatively open partof the narrow sea which encloses the northern land-belt, and to thesouth-eastward lay the only channel by which this sea communicateswith the main ocean of the southern hemisphere. Along this we took ourcourse. Bather against Ergimo's advice, I insisted on remaining on thesurface, as the sea was tolerably calm. Eveena, with her usualself-suppression, professed to prefer the free air, the light of thelong day, and such amusement as the sight of an occasional sea-monsteror shoal of fishes afforded, to the fainter light and comparativemonotony of submarine travelling. Ergimo, who had in his timecommanded the hunters of the Arctic Sea, was almost as completelyexempt as myself from sea-sickness; but I was surprised to find thatthe crew disliked, and, had they ventured, would have grumbled at, thechange, being so little accustomed to any long superficial voyage asto suffer like landsmen from rough weather. The difference betweensailing on and below the surface is so great, both in comfort and inthe kind of skill and knowledge required, that the seamen of passengerand of mercantile vessels are classes much more distinct than those ofthe mercantile and national marine of England, or any other maritimePower on Earth. I consented readily that, except on the rare occasionswhen the heavens were visible, the short night, from the fall of theevening to the dissipation of the morning mists, should he passedunder water. I have said that gales are comparatively rare and thetides insignificant; but the narrow and exceedingly long channels ofthe Martial seas, with the influence of a Solar movement from north tosouth more extensive though slower than that which takes place betweenour Winter and Summer Solstices, produce currents, atmospheric andoceanic, and sudden squalls that often give rise to that worst of alldisturbances of the surface, known as a "chopping sea. " When wecrossed the tropic and came fairly into the channel separating thewestern coast of the continent on which the Astronaut had landed fromthe eastern seabord of that upon whose southern coast I was presentlyto disembark, this disturbance was even worse than, except onpeculiarly disagreeable occasions, in the Straits of Dover. Afterenduring this for two or three hours, I observed that Eveena hadstolen from her seat beside me on the deck. Since we left Askinta herspirits had been unusually variable. She had been sometimes lively andalmost excitable; more generally quiet, depressed, and silent evenbeyond her wont. Still, her manner and bearing were always so equable, gentle, and docile that, accustomed to the caprices of the sex onEarth, I had hardly noticed the change. I thought, however, that shewas to-day nervous and somewhat pale; and as she did not return, afterpermitting the pilot to seek a calmer stratum at some five fathomsdepth, I followed Eveena into our cabin or chamber. Standing with herback to the entrance and with a goblet to her lips, she did not hearme till I had approached within arm's length. She then startedviolently, so agitated that the colour faded at once from hercountenance, leaving it white as in a swoon, then as suddenlyreturning, flushed her neck and face, from the emerald shoulder claspsto the silver snood, with a pink deeper than that of her robe. 

"I am very sorry I startled you, " I said. "You are certainly ill, oryou would not be so easily upset. "

I laid my hand as I spoke on her soft tresses, but she withdrew fromthe touch, sinking down among the cushions. Leaving her to recover hercomposure, I took up the half-empty cup she had dropped on the centraltable. Thirsty myself, I had almost drained without tasting it, when alittle half-stifled cry of dismay checked me. The moment I removed thecup from my mouth I perceived its flavour--the unmistakable taste ofthe _dravadoné_ ("courage cup"), so disagreeable to us both, which wehad shared on our bridal evening. Wetting with one drop the test-stoneattached to my watch-chain, it presented the local discolorationindicating the narcotic poison which is the chief ingredient of thiscompound. 

"I don't think this is wise, child, " I said, turning once more toEveena. To my amazement, far from having recovered the effect of hersurprise, she was yet more overcome than at first; crouching among thecushions with her head bent down over her knees, and covering her facewith her hands. Reclining in the soft pile, I held her in my arms, overcoming perforce what seemed hysterical reluctance; but when Iwould have withdrawn the little hands, she threw herself on my knee, burying her face in the cushions. 

"It is very wicked, " she sobbed; "I cannot ask you to forgive me. "

"Forgive what, my child? Eveena, you are certainly ill. Calm yourself, and don't try to talk just now. "

"I am not ill, I assure you, " she faltered, resisting the arm thatsought to raise her; "but . .. "

In my hands, however, she was powerless as an infant; and I would hearnothing till I held her gathered within my arm and her two hands fastin my right. Now that I could look into the face she strove to avert, it was clear that she was neither hysterical nor simply ill; heragitation, however unreasonable and extravagant, was real. 

"What troubles you, my own? I promise you not to say one word ofreproach; I only want to understand with what you so bitterly reproachyourself. "

"But you cannot help being angry, " she urged, "if you understand whatI have done. It is the _charny_, which I never tasted till that night, and never ought to have tasted again. I know you cannot forgive me;only take my fault for granted, and don't question me. "

These incoherent words threw the first glimpse of light on the meaningof her distress and penitence. I doubt if the best woman inChristendom would so reproach and abase herself, if convicted of evena worse sin than the secret use of those stimulants for which the_charny_ is a Martial equivalent. No Martialist would dream ofpoisoning his blood and besotting his brain with alcohol in any form. But their opiates affect a race addicted to physical repose, tosensuous enjoyment rather than to sensual excitement, and to lucidintellectual contemplation, with a sense of serene delight assupremely delicious to their temperament as the dreamy illusions ofhaschisch to the Turk, the fierce frenzy of bhang to the Malay, or thewild excitement of brandy or Geneva to the races of Northern Europe. But as with the luxury of intoxication in Europe, so in Marsindulgence in these drugs, freely permitted to the one sex, isstrictly forbidden by opinion and domestic rule to the other. A ladydiscovered in the use of _charny_ is as deeply disgraced as anEuropean matron detected in the secret enjoyment of spirits andcigars; and her lord and master takes care to render her sufficientlyconscious of her fault. 

And there was something stranger here than a violation of theartificial restraint of sex. Slightly and seldom as the Golden Circletouches the lines defining personal or social morality--carefully asthe Founder has abstained from imposing an ethical code of his own, orattaching to his precepts any rule not directly derived from thefundamental tenets or necessary to the cohesion of the Order--he hadexpressed in strong terms his dread and horror of narcotism; the usefor pleasure's sake, not to relieve pain or nervous excitement, ofdrugs which act, as he said, through the brain upon the soul. Hisjudgment, expressed with unusual directness and severity and enforcedby experience, has become with his followers a tradition not lessimperative than the most binding of their laws. It was so held, aboveall, in that household in which Eveena and I had first learnt the"lore of the Starlight. " Esmo, indeed, regarded not merely as anunscientific superstition, but as blasphemous folly, the rejection ofany means of restoring health or relieving pain which Providence hasplaced within human reach. But he abhorred the use for pleasure's sakeof poisons affirmed to reduce the activity and in the long-run toimpair the energies of the mind, and weaken the moral sense and thewill, more intensely than the strictest follower of the ArabianProphet abhors the draughts which deprive man of the full use of thesenses, intelligence, and conscience which Allah has bestowed, anddegrade him below the brute, Esmo's children, moreover, were not morestrictly compelled to respect the letter than carefully instructed inthe principle of every command for which he claimed their obedience. 

But in such measure as Eveena's distress became intelligible, thefault of which she accused herself became incredible. I could notbelieve that she could be wilfully disloyal to me--still less that shecould have suddenly broken through the fixed ideas of her whole life, the principles engraved on her mind by education more stringently thanthe maxims of the Koran or the Levitical Law on the children ofIshmael or of Israel; and this while the impressive rites ofInitiation, the imprecation at which I myself had shuddered, werefresh in her memory--their impression infinitely deepened, moreover, by the awful mystery of that Vision of which even yet we were halfafraid to speak to one another. While I hesitated to reply, gatheringup as well as I could the thread of these thoughts as they passed in afew seconds through my mind, my left hand touched an object hidden inmy bride's zone. I drew out a tiny crystal phial three parts full, taken, as I saw, from the medicine-chest Esmo had carefully stockedand as carefully fastened. As, holding this, I turned again to her, Eveena repeated: "Punish, but don't question me!"

"My own, " I said, "you are far more punished already than you deserveor I can bear to see. How did you get this?"

Releasing her hands, she drew from the folds of her robe the electrickeys, which, by a separate combination, would unlock each of mycases;--without which it was impossible to open or force them. 

"Yes, I remember; and you were surprised that I trusted them to you. And now you expect me to believe that you have abused that trust, deceived me, broken a rule which in your father's house and by all ourOrder is held sacred as the rings of the Signet, for a drug whichtwelve days ago you disliked as much as I?"

"It is true. "

The words were spoken with downcast eyes, in the low faltering tonenatural to a confession of disgrace. 

"It is not true, Eveena; or if true in form, false in matter. If itwere possible that you could wish to deceive me, you knew it could notbe for long. "

"I meant to be found out, " she interrupted, "only not yet. "

She had betrayed herself, stung by words that seemed to express theone doubt she could not nerve herself to endure--doubt of her loyaltyto me. Before I could speak, she looked up hastily, and began toretract. I stopped her. 

"I see--when you had done with it. But, Eveena, why conceal it? Do youthink I would not have given this or all the contents of the chestinto your hands, and asked no question?"

"Do you mean it? Could you have so trusted me?"

"My child! is it difficult to trust where I know there is notemptation to wrong? Do you think that to-day I have doubted orsuspected you, even while you have accused yourself? I cannot guess atyour motive, but I am as sure as ever of your loyalty. Take thesethings, "--forcing back upon her the phial and the magnets, --"yes, andthe test-stone. " . .. She burst into passionate tears. 

"I cannot endure this. If I had dreamed your patience would have bornewith me half so far, I would never have tried it so, even for your ownsake. I meant to be found out and accept the consequences in silence. But you trust me so, that I must tell you what I wanted to conceal. When you kept on the surface it made me so ill"---

"But, Eveena, if the remedy be not worse than the sickness, why notask for it openly?"

"It was not that. Don't you understand? Of course, I would bear anysuffering rather than have done this; but then you would have found meout at once. I wanted to conceal my suffering, not to escape it. "

"My child! my child! how could you put us both to all this pain?"

"You know you would not have given me the draught; you would have leftthe surface at once; and I cannot bear to be always in the way, alwayshindering your pleasures, and even your discoveries. You came across adistance that makes a bigger world than this look less than thatlight, through solitude and dangers and horrors I cannot bear to thinkof, to see and examine this world of ours. And then you leave thingsunseen or half-seen, you spoil your work, because a girl is seasick!You ran great risk of death and got badly hurt to see what our huntingwas like, and you will not let my head ache that you may find out whatour sea-storms and currents are! How can I bear to be such a burdenupon you? You trust me, and, I believe, " (she added, colouring), "youlove me, twelvefold more than I deserve; yet you think me unwilling orunworthy to take ever so small an interest in your work, to bear a fewhours' discomfort for it and for you. And yet, " she went onpassionately, "I may sit trembling and heart-sick for a whole dayalone that you may carry out your purpose. I may receive the only realsting your lips have given, because I could not bear that pain withoutcrying. And so with everything. It is not that I must not suffer pain, but that the pain must not come from without. Your lips would punish afault with words that shame and sting for a day, a summer, a year;your hand must never inflict a sting that may smart for ten minutes. And it is not only that you do this, but you pride yourself on it. Why? It is not that you think the pain of the body so much worse thanthat of the spirit:--you that smiled at me when you were too badlybruised and torn to stand, yet could scarcely keep back your tearsjust now, when you thought that I had suffered half an hour of sorrowI did not quite deserve. Why then? Do you think that women feel sodifferently? Have the women of your Earth hearts so much harder andskins so much softer than ours?"

She spoke with most unusual impetuosity, and with that absolutesimplicity and sincerity which marked her every look and word, whichgave them, for me at least, an unspeakable charm, and for all whoheard her a characteristic individuality unlike the speech or mannerof any other woman. As soon suspect an infant of elaborate sarcasm asEveena of affectation, irony, or conscious paradox. Nay, while hervoice was in my ears, I never could feel that her views _were_paradoxical. The direct straightforwardness and simple structure ofthe Martial language enhanced this peculiar effect of her speech; andmuch that seems infantine in translation was all but eloquent as shespoke it. Often, as on this occasion, I felt guilty of insincerity, ofa verbal fencing unworthy of her unalloyed good faith and earnestness, as I endeavoured to parry thrusts that went to the very heart of allthose instinctive doctrines which I could the less defend on themoment, because I had never before dreamed that they could be doubted. 

"At any rate, " I said at last, "your sex gain by my heresy, since theyare as richly gifted in stinging words as we in physical force. "

"So much the worse for them, surely, " she answered simply, "if it beright that men should rule and women obey?"

"That is the received doctrine on Earth, " I answered. "In practice, men command and women disobey them; men bully and women lie. But intruth, Eveena, having a wife only too loyal and too loving, I don'tcare to canvass the deserts of ordinary women or the discipline ofother households. I own that it was wrong to scold you. Do not insiston making me say that it would have been a little less wrong to beatyou!"

She laughed--her low, sweet, silvery laugh, the like of which I havehardly heard among Earthly women, even of the simpler, more child-likeraces of the East and South; a laugh still stranger in a world wherechildhood is seldom bright and womanhood mostly sad and fretful. Ofthe very few satisfactory memories I bore away from that world, thesweetest is the recollection of that laugh, which I heard for thefirst time on the morrow of our bridals, and for the last time on theday before we parted. I cherish it as evidence that, despite many andbitter troubles, my bride's short married life was not wholly unhappy. By this time she had found out that we had left the surface, and beganto remonstrate. 

"Nay, I have seen all I care to see, my own. I confess the justice ofyour claim, as the partner of my life, to be the partner of itsparamount purpose. You are more precious to me than all thediscoveries of which I ever dreamed, and I will not for any purposewhatsoever expose you to real peril or serious pain. But henceforth Iwill ask you to bear discomfort and inconvenience when the object isworth it, and to help me wherever your help can avail. "

"I can help you?"

"Much, and in many ways, my Eveena. You will soon learn to understandwhat I wish to examine and the use of the instruments I employ; andthen you will be the most useful of assistants, as you are the bestand most welcome of companions. "

As I spoke a soft colour suffused her face, and her eyes brightenedwith a joy and contentment such as no promise of pleasure orindulgence could have inspired. To be the partner of adventure andhardship, the drudge in toil and sentinel in peril, was the boon sheclaimed, the best guerdon I could promise. If but the promise mighthave been better fulfilled!

It was not till in latitude 9° S. We emerged into the open ocean, andpresently found ourselves free from the currents of the narrow waters, that, in order to see the remarkable island of which I had caughtsight in my descent, I requested Ergimo to remain for some hours abovethe surface. The island rises directly out of the sea, and isabsolutely unascendible. Balloons, however, render access possible, both to its summit and to its cave-pierced sides. It is the home ofenormous flocks of white birds, which resemble in form the heronrather than the eider duck, but which, like the latter, line with downdrawn from their own breasts the nests which, counted by millions, occupy every nook and cranny of the crystalline walls, about ten milesin circumference. Each of the nests is nearly as large as that of thestork. They are made of a jelly digested from the bones of the fishupon which the birds prey, and are almost as white in colour as thebirds themselves. Freshly formed nest dissolved in hot water makesdishes as much to the taste of Martialists as the famous bird-nestsoup to that of the Chinese. Both down and nests, therefore, arelargely plundered; but the birds are never injured, and care is takenin robbing them to leave enough of the outer portion of the nest toconstitute a bed for the eggs, and encourage the creatures to rebuildand reline it. 

One harvest only is permitted, the second stripping of feathers andthe rebuilt nest being left undisturbed. The caverns are lined with awhite guano, now some feet thick, since it has ceased to be sought formanure; the Martialists having discovered means of saturating the soilwith ammonia procured from the nitrogen of the atmosphere, which withthe sewage and other similar materials enables them to dispense withthis valuable bird manure. Whether the white colour of the island, perceptible even in a large Terrestrial telescope, is in any degreedue to the whiteness of the birds, their nests, and leavings, orwholly to reflection from the bright spar-like surface of the rockitself, and especially of the flat table-like summit, I will notpretend to say. 

From this point we held our course south-westward, and entered thenorthernmost of two extraordinary gulfs of exactly similar shape, separated by an isthmus and peninsula which assume on a map the formof a gigantic hammer. The strait by which each gulf is entered isabout a hundred miles in length and ten in breadth. The gulf itself, if it should not rather be called an inland sea, occupies a total areaof about 100, 000 square miles. The isthmus, 500 miles in length by 50in breadth, ends in a roughly square peninsula of about 10, 000 squaremiles in extent, nearly the whole of which is a plateau 2000 feetabove the sea-level. On the narrowest point of the isthmus, just whereit joins the mainland, and where a sheltered bay runs up from eithersea, is situated the great city of Amâkasfe, the natural centre ofMartial life and commerce. At this point we found awaiting us theballoon which was to convey us to the Court of the Suzerain. A verylight but strong metallic framework maintained the form of the"fish-shaped" or spindle-shaped balloon itself, which closelyresembled that of our vessel, its dimensions being of necessitygreater. Attached to this framework was the car of similar form, abouttwelve feet in length and six in depth, the upper third of the sides, however, being of open-work, so as not to interfere with the survey ofthe traveller. Eveena could not help shivering at the sight of theslight vehicle and the enormous machine of thin, bladder-like materialby which it was to be upheld. She embarked, indeed, without a word, her alarm betraying itself by no voluntary sign, unless it were thetight clasp of my hand, resembling that of a child frightened, butashamed to confess its fear. I noticed, however, that she so arrangedher veil as to cover her eyes when the signal for the start was given. She was, therefore, wholly unconscious of the sudden spring, unattended by the slightest jolt or shake, which raised us at once 500feet above the coast, and under whose influence, to my eyes, theground appeared suddenly to fall from us. When I drew out the folds ofher veil, it was with no little amazement that she saw the sky aroundher, the sea and the city far below. An aerial current to thenorth-westward at our present level, which had been selected on thataccount, carried us at a rate of some twelve miles an hour; a ratemuch increased, however, by the sails at the stern of the car, sailsof thin metal fixed on strong frames, and striking with a screw-likemotion. Their lack of expanse was compensated by a rapidity of motionsuch that they seemed to the eye not to move at all, presenting theappearance of an uniform disc reflecting the rays of the Sun, whichwas now almost immediately above us. Towards evening the Residence ofthe Camptâ became visible on the north-western horizon. It was builton a plateau about 400 feet above the sea-level, towards which theground from all sides sloped up almost imperceptibly. Around it was agarden of great extent with a number of trees of every sort, some ofthem masses of the darkest green, others of bright yellow, contrastingsimilarly shaped masses of almost equal size clothed from base to topin a continuous sheet of pink, emerald, white or crimson flowers. Theturf presented almost as great a variety of colours, arranged in. Every conceivable pattern, above which rose innumerable flower-beds, uniform or varied, the smallest perhaps two, the largest more than 200feet in diameter; each circle of bloom higher than that outside it, till in some cases the centre rose even ten feet above the generallevel. The building itself was low, having nowhere more than twostories. One wing, pointed out to me by Ergimo, was appropriated tothe household of the Prince; the centre standing out in front andrear, divided by a court almost as wide as the wings; the further wingaccommodating the attendants and officials of the Court. We landed, just before the evening mist began to gather, at the foot of aninclined way of a concrete resembling jasper, leading up to the mainentrance of the Palace. 

CHAPTER XVII - PRESENTED AT COURT. 

Leading Eveena by the hand--for to hold my arm after the Europeanfashion was always an inconvenience and fatigue to her--and precededby Ergimo, I walked unnoticed to the closed gate of pink crystal, contrasting the emerald green of the outer walls. Along the front ofthis central portion of the residence was a species of verandah, supported by pillars overlaid with a bright red metal, and wrought inthe form of smooth tree trunks closely clasped by creepers, the silverflowers of the latter contrasting the dense golden foliage andruby-like stems. Under this, and in front of the gate itself, were twosentries armed with a spear, the shaft of which was about six feet inlength, hollow, and almost as light as the cane or reed handle of anAfrican assegai. The blade more resembled the triangular bayonet. Beside each, however, was the terrible asphyxiator, fixed on itsstand, with a bore about as great as that of a nine-pounder, butincomparably lighter. These two weapons might at one discharge haveannihilated a huge mob of insurgents threatening to storm the palace, were insurrections known in Mars, These men saluted us by dropping thepoints of their weapons and inclining the handle towards us; gazingupon me with surprise, and with something of soldierly admiration forphysical superiority. The doors, wide enough to admit a dozenMartialists abreast, parted, and we entered a vaulted hall whosearched roof was supported not by pillars but by gigantic statues, eachpresenting the lustre of a different jewel, and all wrought withsingular perfection of proportion and of beauty. Here we were met bytwo officers wearing the same dress as the sentries outside--a diaperof crimson and silver. The rank of those who now received us, however, was indicated by a silver ribbon passing over the left shoulder, andsupporting what I should have called a staff, save that it was ofmetal and had a sharp point, rendering it almost as formidable aweapon as the rapier. Exchanging a word or two with Ergimo, thesegentlemen ushered us into a small room on the right, whererefreshments were placed before us. Eveena whispered me that she mustnot share our meal in presence of these strangers; an intimation whichsomewhat blunted the keen appetite I always derived from a journeythrough the Martial atmosphere. Checked as it was, however, thatappetite seemed a new astonishment to our attendants; the need of foodamong their race being proportionate to their inferior size andstrength. When we rose, I asked Ergimo what was to become of Eveena, as the officers were evidently waiting to conduct me into the presenceof their Sovereign, where it would not be appropriate for her toappear. He repeated my question to the principal official, and thelatter, walking to a door in the farther corner of the room, soundedan electric signal; a few seconds after which the door opened, showingtwo veiled figures, the pink ground of whose robes indicated theirmatronhood, if I may apply such a term to the relation of his hundredtemporary wives to the Camptâ. But this ground colour was almosthidden in the embroidery of crimson, gold, and white, which, as I soonfound, were the favourite colours of the reigning Prince. To theseladies I resigned Eveena, the officer saying, as I somewhatreluctantly parted from her, "What you entrust to the Camptâ'shousehold you will find again in your own when your audience is over. "Whether this avoidance of all direct mention of women were matter ofdelicacy or contempt I hardly knew, though I had observed it on formeroccasions. 

When the door closed, I noticed that Ergimo had left us, and theofficers indicated by gesture rather than by words that they were tolead me immediately into the presence. I had considered with some carehow I was, on so critical an occasion, to conduct myself, and hadresolved that the most politic course would probably be an assumptionof courteous but absolute independence; to treat the Autocrat of thisplanet much as an English envoy would treat an Indian Prince. It wasin accordance with this intention that I had assumed a dress somewhatmore elaborate than is usually worn here, a white suit of a substanceresembling velvet in texture, and moire in lustre, with collar andbelt of silver. On my breast I wore my order of [illegible], and in mybelt my one cherished Terrestrial possession--the sword, reputed thebest in Asia, that had twice driven its point home within a finger'sbreadth of my life; and that clove the turban on my brow but a minutebefore it was surrendered--just in time to save its gallant owner andhis score of surviving comrades. In its hilt I had set the emeraldwith which alone the Commander of the Faithful rewarded my services. The turban is not so unlike the masculine head-dress of Mars as toattract any special attention. Re-entering the hall, I was conductedalong a gallery and through another crystal door into the immediatepresence of the Autocrat. The audience chamber was of no extraordinarysize, perhaps one-quarter as large as the peristyle of Esmo'sdwelling. Along the emerald walls ran a series of friezes wrought ingold, representing various scenes of peace and war, agricultural, judicial, and political; as well as incidents which, I afterwardslearnt, preserved the memory of the long struggles wherein theCommunists were finally overthrown. The lower half of the room wasempty, the upper was occupied by a semicircle of seats forming part ofthe building itself and directly facing the entrance. These took upabout one-third of the space, the central floor being divided from theupper portion of the room by a low wall of metal surmounted by archessupporting the roof and hung with drapery, which might be so loweredas to conceal the whole occupied part of the chamber. The seats rosein five tiers, one above the other. The semicircle, however, wasbroken exactly in the middle, that is, at the point farthest from theentrance, by a broad flight of steps, at the summit of which, andraised a very little above the seats of the highest tier, was thethrone, supported by two of the royal brutes whose attack had been sonearly fatal to myself, wrought in silver, their erect heads formingthe arms and front. About fifty persons were present, occupying onlythe seats nearest to the throne. On the upper tier were nine or tenwho wore a scarlet sash, among whom I recognised a face I had not seensince the day of my memorable visit to the Astronaut; not preciselythe face of a friend--Endo Zamptâ. Behind the throne were ranged adozen guards, armed with the spear and with the lightning gun used inhunting. That a single Martial battalion with its appropriateartillery could annihilate the best army of the Earth I could not butbe aware; yet the first thought that occurred to me, as I looked onthese formidably armed but diminutive soldiers, was that a score of myArab horsemen would have cut a regiment of them to pieces. But by thetime I had reached the foot of the steps my attention was concentratedon a single figure and face--the form and countenance of the Prince, who rose from his throne as I approached. Those who remember thatLouis XIV. , a prince reputed to have possessed the most majestic andawe-inspiring presence of his age, was actually beneath the ordinaryheight of Frenchmen, may be able to believe me when I say that theAutocrat of Mars, though scarcely five feet tall, was in outwardappearance and bearing the most truly royal and imposing prince I haveever seen. His stature, rising nearly two inches over the tallest ofthose around him, perhaps added to the effect of a mien remarkable fordignity, composure, and self-confidence. The predominant and mostimmediately observable expression of his face was one of serene calmand command. A closer inspection and a longer experience explainedwhy, notwithstanding, my first conception of his character (and it wasa true one) ascribed to him quite as much of fire and spirit as ofimpassive grandeur. His voice, though its tone was gentle and almoststrikingly quiet, had in it something of the ring peculiar to thosewhich have sent the word of command along a line of battle. I felt asI heard it more impressed with the personal greatness, and even withthe rank and power, of the Prince before me, than when I knelt to kissthe hand of the Most Christian King, or stood barefooted before thegreatest modern successor of the conqueror of Stamboul. 

"I am glad to receive you, " he said. "It will be among the mostmemorable incidents of my reign that I welcome to my Court the firstvisitor from another world, or, " he added, after a sudden pause, andwith an inflection of unmistakable irony in his tone, "the first whohas descended to our world from a height to which no balloon couldreach and at which no balloonist could live. "

"I am honoured, Prince, " I replied, "in the notice of a greaterpotentate than the greatest of my own world. "

These compliments exchanged, the Prince at once proceeded to morepractical matters, aptly, however, connecting his next sentence withthe formal phrases preceding it. 

"Nevertheless, you have not shown excessive respect for my power inthe person of one of my greatest officers. If you treated the princesof Earth as unceremoniously as the Regent of Elcavoo, I can understandthat you found it convenient to place yourself beyond their reach. "

I thought that this speech afforded me an opportunity of repairing myoffence with the least possible loss of dignity. 

"The proudest of Earthly princes, " I replied, "would, I think, havepardoned the roughness which forgot the duty of a subject in the firstobligations of humanity. No Sovereign whom I have served, but wouldhave forgiven me more readily for rough words spoken at such a moment, than for any delay or slackness in saving the life of a woman indanger under his own eyes. Permit me to take this opportunity ofapologizing to the Regent in your presence, and assuring him that Iwas influenced by no disrespect to him, but only by overpoweringterror for another. "

"The lives of a dozen women, " said the Camptâ, still with that covertirony or sarcasm in his tone, "would seem of less moment than threatsand actual violence offered to the ruler of our largest and wealthiestdominion. The excuse which Endo Zamptâ must accept" (with a slight butperceptible emphasis on the imperative) "is the utter differencebetween our laws and ideas and your own. "

The Regent, at this speech from his Sovereign, rose and made the usualgesture of assent, inclining his head and lifting his left hand to hismouth. But the look on his face as he turned it on me, thus partlyconcealing it from the camptâ, boded no good should I ever fall intohis power. The Prince then desired me to give an account of themotives which had induced my voyage and the adventures I hadencountered. In reply, I gave him, as briefly and clearly as I could, a summary of all that is recorded in the earlier part of thisnarrative, carefully forbearing to afford any explanation of themanner in which the apergic force was generated. This omission thePrince noticed at once with remarkable quickness. 

"You do not choose, " he said, "to tell us your secret, and of courseit is your property. Hereafter, however, I shall hope to purchase itfrom you. "

"Prince, " I answered, "if one of your subjects-found himself in thepower of a race capable of conquering this world and destroying itsinhabitants, would you forgive him if he furnished them with the meansof reaching you?"

"I think, " he replied, "my forgiveness would be of little consequencein that case. But go on with your story. "

I finished my narration among looks of surprise and incredulity fromno inconsiderable part of the audience, which, however, I noticed theless because the Prince himself listened with profound interest;putting in now and then a question which indicated his perfectcomprehension of my account, of the conditions of such a journey andof the means I had employed to meet them. 

"Before you were admitted, " he said, "Endo Zamptâ had read to us hisreport upon your vessel and her machinery, an account which in everyrespect consists with and supports the truth of your relation. Indeed, were your story untrue, you have run a greater risk in telling it herethan in the most daring adventure I have ever known or imagined. TheCourt is dismissed. Reclamomortâ will please me by remaining with mefor the present. "

When the assembly dispersed, I followed their Autocrat at his desireinto his private apartments, where, resting among a pile of cushionsand motioning me to take a place in immediate proximity to himself, hecontinued the conversation in a tone and manner so exactly the same asthat he had employed in public as to show that the latter was notassumed for purposes of monarchical stage-play, but was the naturalexpression of his own character as developed under the influence ofunlimited and uncontradicted power. He only exchanged, for unaffectedinterest and implied confidence, the tone of ironical doubt by whichhe had rendered it out of the question for his courtiers to charge himwith a belief in that which public opinion might pronounce impossible, while making it apparent to me that he regarded the bigotry ofscepticism with scarcely veiled contempt. 

"I wish, " he said, "I had half-a-dozen subjects capable of imaginingsuch an enterprise and hardy enough to undertake it. But though we allprofess to consider knowledge, and especially scientific knowledge, the one object for which it is worth while to live, none of us wouldrisk his life in such an adventure for all the rewards that scienceand fame could give. "

"I think, Prince, " I replied, "that I am in presence of one inhabitantof this planet who would have dared at least as much as I have done. "

"Possibly, " he said. "Because, weary as most of us profess to be ofexistence, the weariest life in this world is that of him who rulesit; living for ever under the silent criticism which he cannot answer, and bound to devote his time and thoughts to the welfare of a racewhose utter extermination would be, on their own showing, the greatestboon he could confer upon them. Certainly I would rather be thediscoverer of a world than its Sovereign. "

He asked me numerous questions about the Earth, the races that inhabitit, their several systems of government, and their relations to oneanother; manifesting a keener interest, I thought, in the great warswhich ended while I was yet a youth, than in any other subject. Atlast he permitted me to take leave. "You are, " he said, "the mostwelcome guest I ever have or could have received; a guestdistinguished above all others by a power independent of my own. Butwhat honour I can pay to courage and enterprise, what welcome I cangive such a guest, shall not be unworthy of him or of myself. Retirenow to the home you will find prepared for you. I will only ask you toremember that I have chosen one near my own in order that I may seeyou often, and learn in private all that you can tell me. "

At the entrance of the apartment I was met by the officer who hadintroduced me into the presence, and conducted at once to a dooropening on the interior court or peristyle of the central portion ofthe Palace. This was itself a garden, but, unlike those of privatehouses, a garden open to the sky and traversed by roads in lieu ofmere paths; not serving, as in private dwellings, the purposes of acommon living room. Here a carriage awaited us, and my escortrequested me to mount. I had some misgivings on Eveena's account, butfelt it necessary to imitate the reserve and affected indifference onsuch subjects of those among whom I had been thrown, at least until Isomewhat better understood their ways, and had established my ownposition. Traversing a vaulted passage underneath the rearward portionof the Palace, we emerged into the outer garden, and through this intoa road lighted with a brilliancy almost equal to that of day. Ourjourney occupied nearly half an hour, when we entered an enclosureapparently of great size, the avenue of which was so wide that, without dismounting, our carriage passed directly up to the door of alarger house than I had yet seen. 

CHAPTER XVIII - A PRINCE'S PRESENT. 

"This, " said my escort, as we dismounted, "is the residence assignedto you by the Camptâ. Besides the grounds here enclosed, he hasawarded you, by a deed which will presently be placed in your hands, an estate of some ten _stoltau_, which you can inspect at yourleisure, and which will afford you a revenue as large as is enjoyed byany save by the twelve Regents. He has endeavoured to add to thistestimony of his regard by rendering your household as complete aswealth and forethought could make it. What may be wanting to your owntastes and habits you will find no difficulty in adding. "

We now entered that first and principal chamber of the mansion whereinit is customary to receive all visitors and transact all business. Thehall was one of unusual size and magnificence. Here, at a table notfar from the entrance, stood another official, not wearing the uniformof the Court, with several documents in his hand. As he turned tosalute me, his face wore an expression of annoyance and discomfiturewhich not a little surprised me, till, by following his sidelong, uncomfortable glances, I perceived a veiled feminine figure, whichcould be no other than Eveena's. Misreading my surprise, the officialsaid--

"It is no fault of mine, and I have not spoken except to remonstrate, as far as might be allowed, against so unusual a proceeding. "

He must have been astonished and annoyed indeed to take such notice ofa stranger's wife; and, above all, to take upon himself to comment onher conduct for good or ill. I thought it best to make no reply, andsimply saluted him in form as I received the first paper handed to me, to which, by the absence of any blank space, I perceived that mysignature was not required. This was indeed the document whichbestowed on me the house and estate presented by the Sovereign. Thenext paper handed to me appeared to resemble the marriage-contract Ihad already signed, save that but one blank was left therein. Unableto decipher it, I was about to ask the official to read it aloud, whenEveena, who had stolen up to me unperceived, caught my arm and drew mea little way aside, indifferent to the wondering glances of theofficials; who had probably never seen a woman venture uncalled intothe public apartments of her husband's house, still less interpose inany matter of business, and no doubt thought that she was takingoutrageous advantage of my ignorance and inexperience. 

"I will scold you presently, child, " I said quickly and low. "What isit?"

"Sign at once, " she whispered, "and ask no questions. Deal with me asyou will afterwards. You must take what is given you now, withoutcomment or objection, simply expressing your thanks. "

"_Must_! Eveena?"

"It is not safe to refuse or slight gifts from such a quarter, " sheanswered, in the same low tone. "Trust me so far; please do what Ientreat of you now. I must bear your displeasure if I fail to satisfyyou when we are alone. "

Her manner was so agitated and so anxious that it recalled to me atonce the advice of Esmo upon the same point, though the fears whichhad prompted so strange an intervention were wholly incomprehensibleto me. I knew her, however, by this time too well to refuse the trustshe now for the first time claimed, and taking the documents one byone as if I had perfectly understood them, I wrote my name in thespace left blank for it, and allowed the official to stamp the slipswithout a word. I then expressed briefly but earnestly my thanks bothto the Autocrat and to the officials who had been the agents of hiskindness. They retired, and I looked round for Eveena; but as soon asshe saw that I was about to comply with her request, she had quittedthe room. Alone in my own house, knowing nothing of its geography, having no notion how to summon the brute domestics--if, indeed, thedwelling were furnished with those useful creatures, without whom aMartial household would be signally incomplete--I could only look forthe spring that opened the principal door. This should lead into thegallery which, as I judged, must divide the hall and the frontapartments from those looking into the peristyle. Having found andpressed this spring, the door opened on a gallery longer, wider, andmore elaborately ornamented than that of the only Martial mansionsinto which I had been hitherto admitted. Looking round in no littleperplexity, I observed a niche in which stood a statue of whiterelieved by a scarlet background; and beside this statue, crouchingand half hidden, a slight pink object, looking at first like a bundleof drapery, but which in a moment sprang up, and, catching my hand, made me aware that Eveena had been waiting for me. 

"I beg you, " she said with an earnestness I could not understand, "Ibeg you to come _this_ way, " leading me to the right, for I had turnedinstinctively to the left in entering the gallery, perhaps because myroom in Esmo's house had lain in that direction. Reaching the end ofthe gallery, she turned into one of the inner apartments; and as thedoor closed behind us, I felt that she was sinking to the ground, asif the agitation she had manifested in the hall, controlled till herobject was accomplished, had now overpowered her. I caught and carriedher to the usual pile of cushions in the corner. The room, accordingto universal custom in Martial houses after sunset, was brilliantlylighted by the electric lamp in the peristyle, and throwing back herveil, I saw that she was pale to ghastliness and almost fainting. Inmy ignorance of my own house, I could call for no help, and employ noother restoratives than fond words and caresses. Under this treatment, nevertheless, she recovered perhaps as quickly as under any which thefaculty might have prescribed. She was, still, however, much moredistressed than mere consciousness of the grave solecism she hadcommitted could explain. But I had no other clue to her trouble, andcould only hope that in repudiating this she would explain its realcause. 

"Come, bambina!" I expostulated, "we understand one another too wellby this time for you to wrong me by all this alarm. I know that youwould not have broken through the customs of your people without goodreason; and you know that, even if your reason were not sufficient, Ishould not be hard upon the error. "

"I am sure you would not, " she said. "But this time you have toconsider others, and you cannot let it be supposed that you do notknow a wife's duty, or will allow your authority to be set at naughtin your own household. "

"What matter? Do you suppose I listen in the roads?" [care forgossip], I rejoined. "Household rule is a matter of the veil, and noone--not even your autocratic Prince--will venture to lift it. "

"You have not lifted it yourself yet, " she answered. "You willunderstand me, when you have looked at the slips you were about tomake them read aloud, had I not interrupted you. "

"Bead them yourself, " I said, handing to her the papers I still held, and which, after her interposition, I had not attempted to decipher. She took them, but with a visible shudder of reluctance--not strongerthan came over me before she had read three lines aloud. Had I knowntheir purport, I doubt whether even Eveena's persuasion and theAutocrat's power together could have induced me to sign them. Theywere in very truth contracts of marriage--if marriage it can becalled. The Sovereign had done me the unusual, but not whollyunprecedented, favour of selecting half a dozen of the fairest maidensof those waiting their fate in the Nurseries of his empire; hadproffered on my behoof terms which satisfied their ambition, gratifiedtheir vanity, and would have induced them to accept any suitor sorecommended, without the insignificant formality of a personalcourtship. It had seemed to him only a gracious attention to completemy household; and he had furnished me with a bevy of wives, as Ipresently found he had selected a complete set of the most intelligent_amlau, carvee, _ and _tyree_ which he could procure. Without eitherthe one or the other, the dwelling he had given me would have seemedequally empty or incomplete. 

This mark of royal favour astounded and dismayed me more than Eveenaherself. If she had entertained the wish, she would hardly haveacknowledged to herself the hope, that she might remain permanentlythe sole partner of my home. But so sudden, speedy, and wholesale anintrusion thereon she certainly had not expected. Even in Mars, afirst bride generally enjoys for some time a monopoly of her husband'ssociety, if she cannot be said to enchain his affection. It was hard, indeed, before the thirtieth day after her marriage, to find herselfbut one in a numerous family--the harder that our union had from thefirst been close, intimate, unrestrainedly confidential, as it canhardly be where neither expects that the tie can remain exclusive; andbecause she had learned to realise and rest upon such love as belongsto a life in which woman, never affecting the independence of coequalpartnership, has never yet sunk by reaction into a mere slave and toy. It was hard, cruelly hard, on one who had given in the first hour ofmarriage, and never failed to give, a love whose devotion had nolimit, no reserve or qualification; a submission that was lessself-sacrifice or self-suppression than the absolute surrender ofself--of will, feeling, and self-interest--to the judgment andpleasure of him she loved: hard on her who had neither thought norcare for herself as apart from me. 

When I understood to what I had actually committed myself, I snatchedthe papers from her, and might have torn them to pieces but for thegentle restraining hand she laid upon mine. 

"You cannot help it, " she said, the tears falling from her eyes, butwith a self-command of which I could not have supposed her capable. "It seems hard on me; but it is better so. It is not that you are notcontent with me, not that you love me less. I can bear it better whenit comes from a stranger, and is forced upon you without, and even, Ithink, against your will. "

The pressure of the arm that clasped her waist, and the hand that heldher own, was a sufficient answer to any doubt that might be implied inher last words; and, lifting her eyes to mine, she said--

"I shall always remember this. I shall always think that you weresorry not to have at least a little while longer alone with me. It isselfish to feel glad that you are pained; but your sympathy, yoursharing my own feeling, comforts me as I never could have beencomforted when, as must have happened sooner or later, you had foundfor yourself another companion. "

"Child, do you mean to say there is 'no portal to this passage;' andthat, however much against my will, I am bound to women I have neverseen, and never wish to see?"

"You have signed, " replied Eveena gently. "The contracts are stamped, and are in the official's hands; and you could not attempt to breakthem without giving mortal offence to the Prince, who has intended youa signal favour. Besides, these girls themselves have done no wrong, and deserve no affront or unkindness from you. "

I was silent for some minutes; at first simply astounded at the calmmagnanimity which was mingled with her perfect simplicity, then, pondering the possibilities of the situation--

"Can we not escape?" I said at last, rather to myself than to her. 

"Escape!" she repeated with surprise. "And from what? The favour shownyou by our Sovereign, the wealth he has bestowed, the personalinterest he has taken in perfecting every detail of one of the mostsplendid homes ever given save to a prince--every incident of yourposition--make you the most envied man in this world; and you wouldescape from them?"

Gazing for a few moments in my face, she added--

"These maidens were chosen as the loveliest in all the Nurseries oftwo continents; every one of them far more beautiful than I can be, even in your eyes. Pray do not, for my sake, be unkind to them or tryto dislike them. What is it you would escape?"

"Being false to you, " I answered, "if nothing else. "

"False!" she echoed, in unaffected wonder. "What did you promise me?"

Again I was silenced by the loyal simplicity with which she followedout ideas so strange to me that their consequences, however logical, Icould never anticipate; and could hardly admit to be sound, even whenso directly and distinctly deduced as now from the intolerableconsistency of the premises. 

"But, " I answered at last, "how much did _you_ promise, Eveena? andhow much more have you given?"

"Nothing, " she replied, "that I did not owe. You won your right to allthe love I could give before you asked for it, and since. "

"We 'drive along opposite lines, ' Madonna; but we would both give andrisk much to avoid what is before us. Let me ask your father whetherit be not yet possible to return to my vessel, and leave a world souncongenial to both of us. "

"You cannot!" she answered. "Try to escape--you insult the Prince; youput yourself and me, for whom you fear more, in the power of amalignant enemy. You cannot guide a balloon or a vessel, if you couldget possession of one; and within a few hours after your departure wasknown, every road and every port would be closed to you. "

"Can I not send to your father?" I said. 

"Probably, " she replied. "I think we shall find a telegraph in youroffice, if you will allow me to enter there, now there is no one tosee; and it must be morning in Ecasfe. "

Familiar with the construction and arrangement of a Martial house, Eveena immediately crossed the gallery to what she called theoffice--the front room on the right, where the head of the housecarries on his work or study. Here, above a desk attached to the wall, was one of those instruments whose manipulation was simple enough fora novice like myself. 

"But, " I said, "I cannot write your stylic characters; and if I usedthe phonic letters, a message from me would be very likely to excitethe curiosity of officials who would care about no other. "

"May I, " she suggested, "write your message for you, and put yourpurport in words that will be understood by my father alone?"

"Do, " I rejoined, "but do it in my name, and I will sign it. "

Under her direction, I took the stylus or pencil and the slip of_tafroo_ she offered me, and wrote my name at the head. Aftereliciting the exact purport of the message I desired to send, andmeditating for some moments, she wrote and read out to me wordsliterally translated as follows:--

"The rich aviary my flower-bird thought over full. I would breathehome [air]. Health-speak. " The sense of which, as I could alreadyunderstand, was--

"A splendid mansion has been given us, but my flower-bird has found ittoo full. I wish for my native air. Prescribe. "

The brevity of the message was very characteristic of the language. Equally characteristic of the stylography was the fact that the wordsoccupied about an inch beyond the address. Following her pencil as shepointed to the ciphers, I said--

"Is not _asny caré_ a false concord? And why have you used the pasttense?"

This ill-timed pedantry, applying to Martial grammar the rules of thatwith which my boyhood had been painfully familiarised, provoked, amidall our trouble, Eveena's low silver-toned laugh. 

"I meant it, " she answered. "My father will look at his pupil'swriting with both eyes. "

"Well, you are out of reach even of the leveloo. "

She laughed again. 

"Asnyca-re, " she said; the changed accentuation turning the formerwords into the well-remembered name of my landing-place, with theinterrogative syllable annexed. 

This message despatched, we could only await the reply. Nestling amongthe cushions at my knee, her head resting on my breast, Eveena said--

"And now, forgive my presumption in counselling you, and my remindingyou of what is painful to both. But what to us is as the course of theclock, is strange as the stars to you. You must see--_them_, and mustorder all household arrangements; and" (glancing at a dial fixed inthe wall) "the black is driving down the green. "

"So much the better, " I said. "I shall have less time to speak tothem, and less chance of speaking or looking my mind. And as toarrangements, those, of course, you must make. "

"I! forgive me, " she answered, "that is impossible. It is for you toassign to each of us her part in the household, her chamber, her rankand duties. You forget that I hold exactly the same position with theyoungest among them, and cannot presume even to suggest, much less todirect. "

I was silent, and after a pause she went on--

"It is not for me to advise you; but"--

"Speak your thought, now and always, Eveena. Even if I did not standin so much need of your guidance in a new world, I never yet refusedto hear counsel; and it is a wife's right to offer it. "

"Is it? We are not so taught, " she answered. "I am afraid you haverougher ground to steer over than you are aware. Alone with you, Ihope I should have done nay best, remembering the lesson of theleveloo, never to give you the pain of teaching a different one. Butwe shall no longer be alone; and you cannot hope to manage seven asyou might manage one. Moreover, these girls have neither had thatfirst experience of your nature which made that lesson so impressiveto me, nor the kindly and gentle training, under a mother's care and afather's mild authority, that I had enjoyed. They would not understandthe control that is not enforced. They will obey when they must; andwill feel that they must obey when they cannot deceive, and dare notrebel. Do not think hardly of them for this. They have known no lifebut that of the strict clockwork routine of a great Nursery, where nopersonal affection and no rule but that of force is possible. "

"I understand, Madonna. Your Prince's gift puts a man in charge ofyoung ladies, hitherto brought up among women only, and, of course, petty, petulant, frivolous, as women left to themselves ever are! Iwish you could see the ridiculous side of the matter which occurs tome, as I see the painful aspect which alone is plain to you. I canscarcely help laughing at the chance which has assigned to me thedaily personal management of half-a-dozen school-girls; andschool-girls who must also be wives! I don't think you need fear thatI shall deal with them as with you: as a man of sense and feeling mustdeal with a woman whose own instincts, affection, and judgment aresufficient for her guidance. I never saw much of girls or children. Iremember no home but the Western school and the Oriental camp. Inever, as soldier or envoy, was acquainted with other men's homes. While still beardless, I have ruled bearded soldiers by a disciplinewhose sanctions were the death-shot and the bastinado; and when I leftthe camp and court, it was for colleges where a beardless face isnever seen. I must look to you to teach me how discipline may besoftened to suit feminine softness, and what milder sanction mayreplace the noose and the stick of the _ferash_" (Persianexecutioner). 

"I cannot believe, " Eveena answered, taking me, as usual, to theletter, "that you will ever draw the zone too tight. We say that'anarchy is the worst tyranny. ' Laxity which leaves us to quarrel andtorment each other, tenderness which encourages disorder anddisobedience till they must be put down perforce, is ultimateunkindness. I will not tell you that such indulgence will give youendless trouble, win you neither love nor respect, and probably teachits objects to laugh at you under the veil. You will care more forthis--that you would find yourself forced at last to change 'velvethand for leathern band. ' Believe me, my--our comfort and happinessmust depend on your grasping the helm at once and firmly; ruling us, and ruling with a strong hand. Otherwise your home will resemble themost miserable of all scenes of discomfort--an ungoverned school; andthe most severe and arbitrary household rule is better by far thanthat. And--forgive me once more--but do not speak as if you would dealone measure with the left hand and another with the right. Surely youdo not so misunderstand me as to think I counselled you to treatmyself differently from others? 'Just rule only can be gentle. ' If youshow favouritism at first, you will find yourself driven step by stepto do what you will feel to be cruel; what will pain yourself perhapsmore than any one else. You may make envy and dislike bite (hold)their tongues, but you cannot prevent their stinging under the veil. Therefore, once more, you cannot let my interference pass as if nonebut you knew of it. "

"Madonna, if I _am_ to rule such a household, I will rule asabsolutely as your autocratic Prince. I will tolerate no criticism andno questions. "

"You surely forget, " she urged, "that they know my offence, and do notknow--must not know--what in your judgment excuses it. Let them oncelearn that it is possible so to force the springs [bolts] without asting, it will take a salt-fountain [of tears] to blot the lesson fromtheir memory. "

"What would you have, Eveena? Am I to deal unjustly that I may seemjust? That course steers straight to disaster. And, had you been infault, could, I humble you in other eyes?"

"If I feel hurt by any mark of your displeasure, or humbled that itshould be known to my equals in your own household, " she replied, "itis time I were deprived of the privileges that have rendered me sooverweening. "

My answer was intercepted by the sound of an electric bell orminiature gong, and a slip of tafroo fell upon the desk. The firstwords were in that vocal character which I had mastered, and came fromEsmo. 

"Hysterical folly, " he had said. "Mountain air might be fatal; andclear nights are dangerously cold for more than yourselves. "

"What does he mean?" I asked, as I read out a formula more studiouslyoccult than those of the Pharmacopoeia. 

"That I am unpardonably silly, and that you must not dream of goingback to your vessel. The last words, I suppose, warn you how carefullyin such a household you need to guard the secrets of the Starlight. "

"Well, and what is this in the stylic writing?"

Eveena glanced over it and coloured painfully, the tears gathering inher eyes. 

"That, " she said, pointing to the first cipher, "is my mother'ssignature. "

"Then, " I said, "it is meant for you, not for me. "

"Nay, " she answered. "Do you think I could take advantage of your notknowing the character?"--and she read words quite as incomprehensibleto me as the writing itself. 

"Can a star mislead the blind? I should veil myself in crimson if Ihave trained a bird to snatch sugar from full hands. Must even yourwomanhood reverse the clasps of your childhood?"

"It chimes midnight twice, " I said--a Martial phrase meaning, 'I am asmuch in the dark as ever. ' "Do not translate it, carissima. I can readin your face that it is unjust--reproachful where you deserve noreproach. "

"Nay, when you so wrong my mother I must tell you exactly what shemeans:--'Can a child of the Star take advantage of one who relies onher to explain the customs of a world unknown to him? I blush to thinkthat my child can abuse the tenderness of one who is too eager toindulge her fancies. '

"You see she is quite right. You do trust me so absolutely, you are sostrangely over-kind to me, it is shameful I should vex you by frettingbecause you are forced to do what you might well have done at your ownpleasure. "

"My own, I was more than vexed; chiefly perhaps for your sake, but notby you. Where any other woman would have stung the sore by sendingfresh sparks along the wire, you thought only to spare me the pain ofseeing you pained. But what do the last words mean? No"--for I saw thecolour deepen on her half-averted face--"better leave unread what weknow to be written in error. "

But the less agreeable a supposed duty, the more resolute was Eveenato fulfil it. 

"They were meant to recall a saying familiar in every school andhousehold, " she said:--

 "'Sandal loosed and well-clasped zone-- Childhood spares the woman grown. Change the clasps, and woman yet Pays with interest childhood's debt. '"

"This"--tightening and relaxing the clasp of her zone--"is the symbolof stricter or more indulgent household rule. " Then bending so as toavert her face, she unclasped her embroidered sandal and gave it intomy hand;--"and this is what, I suppose, you would call its sanction. "

"There is more to be said for the sandal than I supposed, bambina, ifit have helped to make you what you are. But you may tell Zulve thatits work and hers are done. "

Kneeling before her, I kissed, with more studied reverence than thesacred stone of the Caaba, the tiny foot on which I replaced itscovering. 

"Baby as she thinks and I call you, Eveena, you are fast unteaching methe lesson which, before you were born and ever since, the women ofthe Earth have done their utmost to impress indelibly upon mymind--the lesson that woman is but a less lovable, more petulant, moredeeply and incurably spoilt child. Your mother's reproach is an exactinversion of the truth. No one could have acted with more utterunselfishness, more devoted kindness, more exquisite delicacy than youhave shown in this miserable matter. I could not have believed thateven you could have put aside your own feelings so completely, couldhave recognised so promptly that I was not in fault, have thought soexclusively of what was best and safe for me in the first place, andnext of what was kind and just and generous to your rivals. I neverthought such reasonableness and justice possible to feminine nature;and if I cannot love you more dearly, you have taught me how deeply toadmire and honour you. I accept the situation, since you will have itso; be as just and considerate henceforward as you have been to-night, and trust me that it shall bring no shadow between us--shall nevermake you less to me than you are now. "

"But it must, " she insisted. "I cannot now be other than one wifeamong many; and what place I hold among them is, remember, for you andyou alone to fix. No rule, no custom, obliges you to give anypreference in form or fact to one, merely because you chanced to marryher first. "

"Such, nevertheless, did not seem to be the practice in your father'shouse. Your mother was as distinctly wife and mistress as if his solecompanion. "

"My father, " she replied, "did not marry a second time till within myown memory; and it was natural and usual to give the first place toone so much older and more experienced. I have no such claim, and whenyou see my companions you may find good reason to think that I am theleast fit of all to take the first place. Nor, " she added, drawing mefrom the room, "do I wish it. If only you will keep in your mind onelittle place for the memory of our visit to your vessel and yourpromise respecting it, I shall be more than content. "

Eveena's humble, unconscious self-abnegation was rendering theconversation intolerably painful, and even the embarrassing situationnow at hand was a welcome interruption. Eveena paused before a dooropening from the gallery into one of the rooms looking on theperistyle. 

"You will find them there, " she said, drawing back. 

"Come with me, then, " I answered; and as she shrank away, I tightenedmy clasp of her waist and drew her forward. The door opened, and wefound ourselves in presence of six veiled ladies in pink and silver, all of them, with one exception, a little taller and less slight thanmy bride. Eveena, with the kindness which never failed under the mostpainful trial or the most powerful impulses of natural feeling, extricated herself gently from my hold, took the hand of the first, and brought her up to me. The girl was evidently startled at the firstsight of her new possessor, and alarmed by a figure so much larger andmore powerful than any she had ever seen, exceeding probably thepicture drawn by her imagination. 

"This, " said Eveena gently and gravely, "is Eunané, the prettiest andmost accomplished scholar in her Nursery. "

As I was about to acknowledge the introduction with the same coldpoliteness with which I should have bowed to a strange guest on Earth, Eveena took my left hand in her own and laid it on the maiden's veil, recalling to me at once the proprieties of the occasion and thejustice she had claimed for her unoffending and unintentional rivals;but at the same time bringing back in full force a remembrance shecould not have forgotten, but whose effect upon myself the ideas towhich she was habituated rendered her unable to anticipate. To acceptin her presence a second bride, by the same ceremonial act which hadso lately asserted my claim to herself, was intensely repugnant to myfeelings, and only her own self-sacrificing influence could haveovercome my reluctance. My hesitation was, I fear, perceptible toEunané; for, as I removed her veil and head-dress, her expression anda colour somewhat brighter than that of mere maiden shyness indicateddisappointment or mortified pride. She was certainly very beautiful, and perhaps, had I now seen them both for the first time, I might haveacquiesced in the truth of Eveena's self-depreciation. As it was, nothing could associate with the bright intelligent face, the cleargrey eyes and light brown hair, the lithe active form instinct withnervous energy, that charm which from our first acquaintance theirexpression of gentle kindness, and, later, the devoted affectionvisible in every look, had given to Eveena's features. 

It is, I suppose, hardly natural to man to feel actual unkindnesstowards a young and beautiful girl who has given no personal offence. Having once admitted, the justice of Eveena's plea, and feeling thatshe would be more pained by the omission than by the fulfilment of theforms which courtesy and common kindness imperatively demanded, Ikissed Eunané's brow and spoke a few words to her, with as much oftenderness as I could feel or affect for Eveena's rival, after whathad passed to endear Eveena more than ever. The latter waited alittle, to allow me spontaneously to perform the same ceremony withthe other girls; but seeing my hesitation, she came forward again andpresented severally four others--Enva ("Snow" = Blanche), Leenoo("Rose"), Eiralé, Elfé, all more or less of the usual type of femalebeauty in Mars, with long full tresses varying in tinge from flax todeep gold or the lightest brown; each with features almost faultless, and with all the attraction (to me unfailing) possessed for men whohave passed their youth by _la beauté du Diable_--the bloom of puregraceful girlhood. Eivé, the sixth of the party, standing on the rightof the others, and therefore last in place according to Martial usage, was smaller and slighter than Eveena herself, and made an individualimpression on my attention by a manifest timidity and agitationgreater than any of the rest had evinced. As I removed her veil I wasstruck by the total unlikeness which her face and form presented tothose I had just saluted. Her hair was so dark as by contrast to seemblack; her complexion less fair than those of her companions, thoughas fair as that of an average Greek beauty; her eyes of deepest brown;her limbs, and especially the hands and feet, marvellously perfect inshape and colour, but in the delicacy and minuteness of their formsuggesting, as did all the proportions of her tiny figure, thepeculiar grace of childhood; an image in miniature of faultlessphysical beauty. In Eivé alone of the bevy I felt a real interest; butthe interest called forth by a singularly pretty child, in whoseexpression the first glance discerns a character it will take long toread, rather than that commanded by the charms of earliest womanhood. 

When I had completed the ceremonial round, there was a somewhatawkward silence, which Eveena at last broke by suggesting that Eunanéshould show us through the house, with which she had made the earliestacquaintance. This young girl readily took the lead thus assigned toher, and by some delicate manoeuvre, whose authorship I could notdoubt, I found her hand in mine as we made our tour. The number ofchambers was much greater than in Esmo's dwelling, the garden of theperistyle larger and more elaborately arranged, if not more beautiful. The ambau were more numerous than even the domestic service of solarge a mansion appeared to require. The birds, whose duties layoutside, were by this time asleep on their perches, and we forbore todisturb them. The central chamber of the seraglio, if I may so callit, the largest and midmost of those in the rear of the garden, devoted as of course to the ladies of the household, was especiallymagnificent. 

When we stood in its midst, shy looks askance from all the sixbetrayed their secret ambition; though Eivé's was but momentary, andso slight that I felt I might have unfairly suspected her ofpresumption. I left this room, however, in silence, and assigned toeach, of my maiden brides, in order as they had been presented to me, the rooms on the left; and then, as we stood once more in theperistyle, having postponed all further arrangements, all distributionof household duties, to the morrow (assigning, however, to Eunané, whose native energy and forwardness had made early acquaintance withthe dwelling and its dumb inhabitants, the charge of providing andpreparing with their assistance our morning meal), I said, "I have letthe business of the evening zyda actually encroach on midnight, andmust detain you from your rest no longer. Eveena, you know, I stillhave need of you. "

She was standing at a little distance, next to Eunané; and the latter, with a smile half malicious, half triumphant, whispered something inher ear. There was a suppressed annoyance in Eveena's look whichprovoked me to interpose. On Earth I should never have been foolenough to meddle in a woman's quarrel. The weakest can take her ownpart in the warfare of taunt and innuendo, better and more venomouslythan could dervish, priest, or politician. But Eveena could no morelower herself to the ordinary level of feminine malice than I couldhave borne to hear her do so; and it was intolerable that one whosesweet humility commanded respect from myself should submit to slightor sneer from the lips and eyes of petulant girls. Eunané started as Ispoke, using that accent which gives its most peremptory force to theMartial imperative. "Repeat aloud what you have chosen to say toEveena in my presence. "

If the first to express the ill-will excited by Eveena's evidentinfluence, though exerted in their own behalf, it was less that Eunanésurpassed her companions in malice than that they fell short of her inaudacity. Her school-mates had found her their most daring leader inmischief, the least reluctant scapegoat when mischief was to beatoned. But she was cowed, partly perhaps by her first collision withmasculine authority, partly, I fear, by sheer dread of physical forcevisibly greater than she had ever known by repute. Perhaps she was toomuch frightened to obey. At any rate, it was from Eveena, despite herpleading looks, that I extorted an answer. She yielded at last only tothat formal imperative which her conscience would not permit her todisobey, and which for the first time I now employed in addressingher. 

"Eunané only repeated, " Eveena said, with a reluctance so manifestthat one might have supposed her to be the offender, "a school-girl'sproverb:--

 "'Ware the wrath that stands to cool: Then the sandal shows the rule. '"

The smile that had accompanied the whisper--though not so muchsuggestive of a woman's malignity as of a child's exultation in acompanion's disgrace--gave point and sting to the taunt. It is onchance, I suppose, that the effect of such things depends. Had thesaying been thrown at any of Eunané's equals, I should probably havebeen inclined to laugh, even if I felt it necessary to reprimand. But, angered at a hint which placed Eveena on their own level, I forgot howfar the speaker's experience and inexperience alike palliated theimpertinence. That the insinuation shocked none of those around me wasevident. Theirs were not the looks of women, however young andthoughtless, startled by an affront to their sex; but of childrenamazed at a child's folly in provoking capricious and irresponsiblepower. The angry quickness with which I turned to Eunané received adouble, though doubly unintentional, rebuke, equally illustrative ofMartial ideas and usages. The culprit cowered like a child expecting abrutal blow. A gentle pressure on my left arm evinced the same fear ina quarter from which its expression wounded me deeply. That pressurearrested not, as was intended, my hand, but my voice; and when I spokethe frightened girl looked up in surprise at its measured tones. 

"Wrong, and wrong thrice over, Eunané. It is for me to teach you thebad taste of bringing into your new home the ideas and language ofschool. Meanwhile, in no case would you learn more of my rule thanconcerned your own fault. Take in exchange for your proverb thekindliest I have learned in your language:--

 "'Whispered warnings reach the heart; Veil the blush and spare the smart. '

"But, happily for you, your taunt had not truth enough to sting; and Ican tell the story about which you are unduly curious as frankly asyou please. --Let me speak now, Eveena, that I may spare the need tospeak again and in another tone. --That Eveena seemed to have put usboth in a false position only convinced me that she had a motive sheknew would satisfy me as fully as herself. When I learned what thatmotive was, I was greatly surprised at her unselfishness and courage. If you threw me your veil to save me from drowning, how would you feelif my first words to you were:--'No one must think I could not swim, therefore even the household must believe you, in unveiling, guilty ofan unpardonable fault'?. .. Answer me, Eunané. "

"I should let you sink next time, " she replied, with a prettyhalf-dubious sauciness, showing that her worst fears at least wererelieved. 

"Quite right; but you are less generous than Eveena. To hide how I hadacted on her advice, she would have had you suppose her guilty. Thatyou might not laugh at my authority, and 'find a dragon in the esve'snest, ' she would have had me treat her as guilty. "

"But I deserved it. A girl has no right to break the seal in themaster's absence, " interposed Eveena, much more distressed thangratified by the vindication to which she was so well entitled. 

"Let your tongue sleep, Eveena. So [with a kiss] I blot your firstmiscalculation, Eunané. Earth [the Evening Star of Mars] light yourdreams. "

It was with visible reluctance that Eveena followed me into thechamber we had last left; and she expostulated as earnestly as herobedience would permit against the fiat that assigned it to her. 

"Choose what room you please, then, " I said; "but understand that, sofar as my will and my trust can make you, you are the mistress here. "

"Well, then, " she answered, "give me the little octagon beside yourown:"--the smallest and simplest, but to my taste the prettiest, roomin the house. "I should like to be near you still, if I may; but, believe me, I shall not be frozen (hurt) because you think anotherhand better able to steer the carriage, if mine may sometimes rest inyours. "

Leading her into the room she had chosen, and having installed heramong the cushions that were to form her couch, I silenced decisivelyher renewed protest. 

"Let me answer you on this point, once and for ever, Eveena. To methis seems matter of right, not of favour or fitness. But favour andfitness here go with right. I could no more endure to place anotherbefore or beside you than I could break the special bond between us, and deny the hope of which the Serpent" (laying my hand on hershoulder-clasp, which, by mere accident, was shaped into a faintresemblance to the mystic coil) "is the emblem; the hope that alonecan make such love as ours endurable, or even possible, to creaturesthat must die. She who knelt with me before the Emerald Throne, whotook with me the vows so awfully sanctioned, shall hold the firstplace in my home as in my heart till the Serpent's promise befulfilled. "

Both were silent for some time, for never could we refer to thatVision--whether an objective fact, or an impression communicated fromone spirit to the other by the occult force of intense sympathy--saveby such allusion; and the remembrance never failed to affect us bothwith a feeling too deep for words. Eveena spoke again--

"I am sorry you have so bound yourself; perhaps only because you knewme first. And it shames me to receive fresh proof of your kindnessto-night. "

"And why, my own?"

"Do not make me feel, " she said, "that--though the measured sentencesyou have taught me to call scolding seemed the sharpest of allpenances--there is a heavier yet in the silence which withholdsforgiveness. "

"What have I yet to forgive, Madonna?"

But Eveena could read my feelings in spite of my words, and knew thatthe pain she had given was too recent to allow me to misconceive herpenitence. 

"I _ought_ to say, my interference. It was your right to rule as youchose, and my meddling was a far worse offence than Eunané's malice. But it was not _that_ you felt too deeply to reprove. "

"True! Eunané hurt me a little; but I expected no such misjudgmentfrom you. By the touch that proved your alarm I know that I gave nocause for it. "

"How so?" she asked in surprise. 

"You laid your hand instinctively on my _left_ arm, the one yourpeople use. Had I made the slightest angry gesture, you would haveheld back my _right_. Had I deserved that Eveena should think so illof me--think me capable of doing such dishonour to her presence and tomy own roof, which should have protected an equal enemy from thatwhich you feared for a helpless girl? For what you would have checkedwas such a blow as men deal to men who can strike back; and the handthat had given it would have been unfit to clasp man's in friendshipor woman's in love. You yourself must have shrunk from its touch. "

She caught and held it fast to her lips. 

"Can I forget that it saved my life? I don't understand you at all, but I see that I have frozen your heart. I did fancy for one momentyou would strike, as passionate men and women often do strikeprovoking girls, perhaps forgetting your own strength; and I knew youwould be miserable if you did hurt her--in that way. The next moment Iwas ashamed, more than you will believe, to have wronged you so. Likeevery man, from the head of a household to the Arch-Judge or theCamptâ, you must rule by fear. But your wrath _will_ 'stand to cool;'and you will hate to make a girl cry as you would hate to send acriminal to the electric-rack, the lightning-stroke, or thevivisection-table. And, whatever you had done, do you fancy that Icould shrink from you? I said, 'If you weary of your flower-bird youmust strike with the hammer;' and if you could do so, do you think Ishould not feel for your hand to hold it to the last?"

"Hush, Eveena! how can I bear such words? You might forgive me for anyoutrage to you: I doubt your easily forgetting cruelty to another. Ihave not a heart like yours. As I never failed a friend, so I neveryet forgave a foe. Yet even I might pardon one of those girls anattempt to poison myself, and in some circumstances I might even learnto like her better afterwards. But I doubt if I could ever touch againthe hand that had mixed the poison for another, though that other weremy mortal enemy. "

CHAPTER XIX - A COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT. 

Before I slept Eveena had convinced me, much to my own discomfiture, how very limited must be any authority that could be delegated to her. In such a household there could be no second head or deputy, and anattempt to devolve any effective charge on her would only involve herin trouble and odium. Even at the breakfast, spread as usual in thecentre of the peristyle, she entreated that we should presentourselves separately. Eunané appeared to have performed verydexterously the novel duty assigned to her. The _ambau_ had obeyed herorders with well-trained promptitude, and the _carvee_, in bringingfruit, leaves, and roots from the outer garden, had more than verifiedall that on a former occasion Eveena had told me of their clevernessand quick comprehension of instructions. Eunané's face brightenedvisibly as I acknowledged the neatness and the tempting appearance ofthe meal she had set forth. She was yet more gratified by receivingcharge for the future of the same duty, and authority to send, as isusual, by an ambâ the order for that principal part of each day's foodwhich is supplied by the confectioner. By reserving for Eveena theplace among the cushions immediately on my left, I made to theassembled household the expected announcement that she was to beregarded as mistress of the house; feminine punctiliousness on pointsof domestic precedence strikingly contrasting the unceremoniouscharacter of intercourse among men out of doors. The very ambaurecognise the mistress or the favourite, as dogs the master of theirEarthly home. 

The ladies were at first shy and silent, Eunané only giving me morethan a monosyllabic answer to my remarks, and even Eunané neverspeaking save in reply to me. A trivial incident, however, brokethrough this reserve, and afforded me a first taste of the pettydomestic vexations in store for me. The beverage most to my liking wasalways the _carcarâ_--juice flavoured with roasted kernels, somethingresembling coffee in taste. On this occasion the _carcarâ_ and anotherfavourite dish had a taste so peculiar that I pushed both aside almostuntouched. On observing this, the rest--Enva, Leenoo, Elfé, andEiralé--took occasion to criticise the articles in question with suchremarks and grimaces as ill-bred children might venture for theannoyance of an inexperienced sister. I hesitated to repress thisoutbreak as it deserved, till Eunané's bitter mortification wasevident in her brightening colour and the doubtful, half-appealingglance of tearful eyes. Then a rebuke, such as might have beenappropriately addressed yesterday to these rude school-girls by theirgoverness, at once silenced them. As we rose, I asked Eveena, who, with more courtesy than the rest of us, had finished her portion--

"Is there any justice in these reproaches? I certainly don't like thecarcarâ to-day, but it does not follow that Eunané is in fault. "

The rest, Eunané included, looked their annoyance at this appeal; butEveena's temper and kindness were proof against petulance. 

"The carcarâ is in fault, " she said; "but I don't think Eunané is. Inlearning cookery at school she had her materials supplied to her; thistime the _carve_ has probably given her an unripe or overripe fruitwhich has spoiled the whole. "

"And do you not know ripe from unripe fruit?" I inquired, turning toEunané. 

"How should she?" interposed Eveena. "I doubt if she ever saw themgrowing. "

"How so?" I asked of Eunané. 

"It is true, " she answered. "I never went beyond the walls of ourplayground till I came here; and though there were a few flower-bedsin the inner gardens, there were none but shade trees among the turfand concrete yards to which we were confined. "

"I should have known no better, " observed Eveena; "but being broughtup at home, I learned to know all the plants in my father's grounds, which were more various, I believe, than usual. "

"Then, " I said, "Eunané has a new life and a multitude of newpleasures before her. Has this peristyle given you your first sight offlowers beyond those in the beds of your Nursery? And have you neverseen anything of the world about you?"

"Never, " she said. "And Eveena's excuse for me is, I believe, perfectly true. The carve must have been stupid, but I knew nobetter. "

"Well, " I rejoined, "you must forgive the bird, as we must excuse youfor spoiling our breakfast. I will contrive that you shall know moreof fruits and flowers before long. In the meantime, you will probablyhave a different if not a wider view from this roof than from that ofyour Nursery. "

After all, Eunané's girlhood, typical of the whole life of manyMartial women, had not, I suppose, been more dreary or confined thanthat of children in London, Canton, or Calcutta. But this incident, reminding me how dreary and limited that life was, served to excuse inmy eyes the pettiness and poverty of the characters it had produced. AMartial woman's whole experience may well be confined within a fewacres, and from the cradle to the grave she may see no more of theworld than can be discerned from the roof of her school or herhusband's home. 

Eunané, with the assistance of the ambau, busied herself in removingthe remains of the meal. The other five, putting on their veils, scampered up the inclined plane to the roof, much like childrenreleased from table or from tasks. Turning to Eveena, who stillremained beside me, I said--

"Get your veil, and come out with me; I have not yet an idea where weare, and scarcely a notion what the grounds are like. "

She followed me to my apartment, out of which, opened the one she hadchosen, and as the window closed behind us she spoke in a tone ofappeal--

"Do not insist on my accompanying you. As you bade me always speak mythought, I had much rather you would take one of the others. "

"You professed, " I said, "to take especial pleasure in a walk with me, and this time I will be careful that you are not overtired. "

"Of course I should like it, " she answered; "but it would not be just. Please let me this time remain to take my part of the householdduties, and make myself acquainted with the house. Choose yourcompanion among the others, whom you have scarcely noticed yet. "

Preferring not only Eveena's company, but even my own, to that of anyof the six, and feeling myself not a little dependent on her guidanceand explanations, I remonstrated. But finding that her sense ofjustice and kindness would yield to nothing short of direct command, Igave way. 

"You forget _my_ pleasure, " I said at last. "But if you will not go, you must at least tell me which I am to take. I will not pretend tohave a choice in the matter. "

"Well, then, " she answered, "I should be glad to see you take Eunané. She is, I think, the eldest, apparently the most intelligent andcompanionable, and she has had one mortification already she hardlydeserved. "

"And is much the prettiest, " I added maliciously. But Eveena wasincapable of even understanding so direct an appeal to femininejealousy. 

"I think so, " she said; "much the prettiest among us. But that willmake no difference under her veil. "

"And must she keep down her veil, " I asked, "in our own grounds?"

Eveena laughed. "Wherever she might be seen by any man but yourself. "

"Call her then, " I answered. 

Eveena hesitated. But having successfully carried her own way on themain question, she would not renew her remonstrances on a minor point;and finding her about to join the rest, she drew Eunané apart. Eunanécame up to me alone, Eveena having busied herself in some other partof the house. She approached slowly as if reluctant, and stood silentbefore me, her manner by no means expressive of satisfaction. 

"Eveena thought, " I said, "that you would like to accompany me; but ifnot, you may tell her so; and tell her in that case that she _must_come. "

"But I shall be glad to go wherever you please, " replied Eunané. "Eveena did not tell me why you sent for me, and"----

"And you were afraid to be scolded for spoiling the breakfast? Youhave heard quite enough of that. "

"You dropped a word last night, " she answered, "which made me thinkyou would keep your displeasure till you had me alone. "

"Quite true, " I said, "if I had any displeasure to keep. But you mightspoil a dozen meals, and not vex me half as much as the others did. "

"Why?" she asked in surprise. "Girls and women always spite oneanother if they have a chance, especially one who is in disfavour ordisgrace with authority. "

"So much the worse, " I answered. "And now--you know as much or aslittle of the house as any of us; find the way into the grounds. "

A narrow door, not of crystal as usual, but of metal painted toresemble the walls, led directly from one corner of the peristyle intothe grounds outside. I had inferred on my arrival, by the distancefrom the road to the house, that their extent was considerable, but Iwas surprised alike by their size and arrangement. On two sides theywere bounded by a wall about four hundred yards in length--thatparting them from the road was about twice as long. They were laid outwith few of the usual orchard plots and beds of different fruits andvegetables, but rather in the form of a small park, with trees ofvarious sorts, among which the fruit trees were a minority. Thesurface was broken by natural rising grounds and artificial terraces;the soil was turfed in the manner I have previously described, withminute plants of different colours arranged in bands and patterns. Here and there was a garden consisting of a variety of flower-beds andflowering shrubs; broad concrete paths winding throughout, and abeautiful silver stream meandering hither and thither, and fillingseveral small ponds and fountains. That the grounds immediatelyappertaining to the house were not intended as usual for the purposesof a farm or kitchen-garden was evident. The reason became equallyapparent when, looking towards the north, where no wall bounded them, I saw--over a gate in the middle of a dense hedge of flowering shrubs, which, with a ditch beyond it, formed the limit of the park in thatdirection--an extensive farm divided by the usual ditches into sometwenty-five or thirty distinct fields, and more than a square mile inextent. This, as Eunané's native inquisitiveness and quickness hadalready learnt, formed part of the estate attached to the mansion andbestowed upon me by the Camptâ. It was admirably cultivated, containing orchards, fields rich with various thriving crops, andpastures grazed by the Unicorn and other of the domestic birds andbeasts kept to supply Martial tables with milk, eggs, and meat;producing nearly every commodity to which the climate was suited, and, as a very short observation assured me, capable of yielding a fargreater income than would suffice to sustain in luxury and splendour ahousehold larger than that enforced upon me. We walked in thisdirection, my companion talking fluently enough when once I had sether at ease, and seemingly free from the shyness and timidity whichEveena had at first displayed. She paused when we reached a bridgethat spanned the ditch dividing the grounds from the farm, aware that, save on special invitation, she might not, even in my company, gobeyond the former. I led her on, however, till soon after we hadcrossed the ditch I saw a man approaching us. On this, I desiredEunané to remain where she was, seating her at the foot of a fruittree in one of the orchard plots, and proceeded to meet the stranger. After exchanging the usual salute, he came immediately to the point. 

"I thought, " he said, "that you would not care yourself to undertakethe cultivation of so extensive an estate. Indeed, the meresuperintendence would occupy the whole of one man's attention, and itsproper cultivation would be the work of six or eight. I have had somelittle experience in agriculture, and determined to ask for thischarge. "

"And who has recommended you?" I said. "Or have you any sort ofintroduction or credentials to me?"

He made a sign which I immediately recognised. Caution, however, wasimposed by the law to which that sign appealed. 

"You can read, " I said, "by starlight?"

"Better than by any other, " he rejoined with a smile. 

One or two more tokens interchanged left me no doubt that the claimwas genuine, and, of course, irresistible. 

"Enough, " I replied. "You may take entire charge on the usual terms, which, doubtless, you know better than I. "

"You trust me then, absolutely?" he said, in a tone of some littlesurprise. 

"In trusting you, " I replied, "I trust the Zinta. I am tolerably sureto be safe in hands recommended by them. "

"You are right, " he said, "and how right this will prove to you, " andhe placed in my hand a small cake upon which was stamped an impressionof the signet that I had seen on Esmo's wrist. When he saw that Irecognised it, he took it back, and, breaking it into fragments, chewed and swallowed it. 

"This, " he said, "was given me to avouch the following message:--OurChiefs are informed that the Order is threatened with a novel danger. Systematic persecution by open force or by law has been attempted anddefeated ages ago, and will hardly be tried again. What seems to beintended now is the destruction of our Chiefs, individually, by secretmeans--means which it is supposed we shall not be able to trace to theinstigators, even if we should detect their instruments. "

"But, " I remarked, "those who have warned you of the danger must knowfrom whom it proceeds, and those who are employed in such an attackmust run not only the ordinary risk of assassins, but the further riskentailed by the peculiar powers of those they assail. "

"Those powers, " he answered, "they do not understand or recognise. Theinstruments, I presume, will be encouraged by an assurance that theCourts are in their favour, and by a pledge in the last resort thatthey shall be protected. The exceptional customs of our Order, especially their refusal to send their children into the publicNurseries, mark out and identify them; and though our places ofmeeting are concealed and have never been invaded, the fact that we domeet and the persons of those who attend can hardly be concealed. "

"But, " I asked, "if a charge of assassination is once made and proved, how can the Courts refuse to do justice? Can the instigators protectthe culprit without committing themselves?"

"They would appeal, I do not doubt, to a law, passed many ages agowith a special regard to ourselves, but which has not been applied fora score of centuries, putting the members of a secret religioussociety beyond the pale of legal protection. That we shall ultimatelyfind them out and avenge ourselves, you need not doubt. But in themeantime every known dissentient from the customs of the majority isin danger, and persons of note or prominence especially so. Next toEsmo and his son, the husband of his daughter is, perhaps, in as muchperil as any one. No open attempt on your life will be adventured atpresent, while you retain the favour of the Camptâ. But you have madeat least one mortal and powerful enemy, and you may possibly be theobject of well-considered and persistent schemes of assassination. Onthe other hand, next to our Chief and his son, you have a paramountclaim on the protection of the Order; and those who with me will takecharge of your affairs have also charge to watch vigilantly over yourlife. If you will trust me beforehand with knowledge of all yourmovements, I think your chief peril will lie in the one sphere uponwhich we cannot intrude--your own household; and Clavelta directs yourown special attention to this quarter. Immediate danger can scarcelythreaten you as yet, save from a woman's hand. "

"Poison?"

"Probably, " he returned coolly. "But of the details of the plot ourCouncil are, I believe, as absolutely ignorant as of the quarter fromwhich it proceeds. "

"And how, " I inquired, "can it be that the witness who has informedyou of the plot has withheld the names, without which his informationis so imperfect, and serves rather to alarm than to protect us?"

"You know, " he replied, "the kind of mysterious perception to which wecan resort, and are probably aware how strangely lucid in some points, how strangely darkened in others, is the vision that does not dependon ordinary human senses?"

As we spoke we had passed Eunané once or twice, walking backwards andforwards along the path near which she sat. As my companion was aboutto continue, we were so certainly within her hearing that I checkedhim. 

"Take care, " I said; "I know nothing of her except the Camptâ'schoice, and that she is not of us. "

He visibly started. 

"I thought, " he said, "that the witness of our conversation was one atleast as reliable as yourself. I forgot how it happened that you havediverged from the prudence which forbids our brethren to admit totheir households aliens from the Order and possible spies on itssecrets. "

"Of whom do you speak as Clavelta?" I asked. "I was not even awarethat the Order had a single head. "

"The Signet, " replied my friend in evident surprise, "should havedistinguished the Arch-Enlightener to duller sight than yours. "

We had not spoken, of course, till we were again beyond hearing; butmy companion looked round carefully before he proceeded--

"You will understand the better, then, how strong is your own claimupon the care of your brethren, and how confidently you may rely upontheir vigilance and fidelity. "

"I should regret, " I answered, "that their lives should be risked formine. In dangers like those against which you could protect me, I havebeen accustomed from boyhood to trust my own right hand. But the fearof secret assassination has often unnerved the bravest men, and I willnot say that it may not disturb me. "

"For you, " he answered, "personally we should care as for one of ourbrethren exposed to especial danger, For him who saved the descendantof our Founder, and who in her right, after her father and brother, would be the guardian, if not the head, of the only remaining familyof his lineage, one and all of us are at need bound to die. "

After a few more words we parted, and I rejoined Eunané, and led herback towards the house. I had learnt to consider taciturnity a matterof course, except where there was actual occasion for speech; butEunané had chattered so fluently and frankly just before, that herabsolute silence might have suggested to me the possibility that shehad heard and was pondering things not intended for her knowledge, hadI been less preoccupied. Enured to the perils of war, of the chase, ofEastern diplomacy, and of travel in the wildest parts of the Earth, Ido not pretend indifference to the fear of assassination, andespecially of poison. Cromwell, and other soldiers of equal nerve andclearer conscience, have found their iron courage sorely shaken by aperil against which no precautions were effective and from which theycould not enjoy an hour's security. The incessant continuous strain onthe nerves is, I suppose, the chief element in the peculiar dread withwhich brave men have regarded this kind of peril; as the best troopscannot endure to be under fire in their camp. Weighing, however, theprobability that girls who had been selected by the Sovereign, and hadleft their Nursery only to pass directly into my house, could havebeen already bribed or seduced to become the instruments of murderoustreachery, I found it but slight; and before we reached the house Ihad made up my mind to discard the apprehensions or precautionsrecommended to me on their account. Far better, if need be, to die bypoison than to live in hourly terror of it. Better to be murdered thanto suspect of secret treason those with whom I must maintain the mostintimate relations, and whose sex and years made it intolerable tobelieve them criminal. I dismissed the thought, then; and believingthat I had probably wronged them in allowing it to dwell for a momentin my mind, I felt perhaps more tenderly than before towards them, andcertainly indisposed to name to Eveena a suspicion of which I wasmyself ashamed. Perhaps, too, youth and beauty weighed in myconclusion more than cool reason would have allowed. A Martial proverbsays--

 "Trust a foe, and you may rue it; Trust a friend, and perish through it. Trust a woman if you will;-- Thrice betrayed, you'll trust her still. "

As to the general warning, I was wishful to consult Eveena, andunwilling to withhold from her any secret of my thoughts; but equallyaverse to disturb her with alarms that were trying even to nervesseasoned by the varied experience of twenty years against every openperil. 

CHAPTER XX - LIFE, SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC. 

As we approached the house I caught sight of Eveena's figure among theparty gathered on the roof. She had witnessed the interview, but herhabitual and conscientious deference forbade her to ask a confidencenot volunteered; and she seemed fully satisfied when, on the firstoccasion on which we were alone, I told her simply that the strangerbelonged to the Zinta and had been recommended by her father himselfto the charge of my estate. Though reluctant to disturb her mind withfears she could not shake off as I could, and which would make myevery absence at least a season of terror, the sense of insecuritydoubtless rendered me more anxious to enjoy whenever possible the onlysociety in which it was permissible to be frank and off my guard. Noman in his senses would voluntarily have accepted the position whichhad been forced upon me. The Zveltau never introduce aliens into theirhouseholds. Their leading ideas and fundamental principles so deeplyaffect the conduct of existence, the motives of action, the bases ofall moral reasoning--so completely do the inferences drawn from themand the habits of thought to which they lead pervade and tinge themind, conscience, and even language--that though it may be easy to"live in the light at home and walk with the blind abroad, " yet in thefamiliar intercourse of household life even a cautious and reservedman (and I was neither) must betray to the keen instinctiveperceptions of women whether he thought and felt like those aroundhim, or was translating different thoughts into an alien language. This difficulty is little felt between unbelievers and Christians. Thesimple creed of the Zinta, however, like that of the Prophet, affectsthe thought and life as the complicated and subtle mysteries of moreelaborate theologies, more refined philosophic systems rarely do. 

One of Eveena's favourite quotations bore the unmistakable stamp ofZveltic mysticism:--

 "Symbols that invert the sense Form the Seal of Providence; Contradiction gives the key, Time unlocks the mystery. "

The danger in which my relation to the Zinta and its chief involvedme, and the presence of half a dozen rivals to Eveena--rivals also tothat regard for the Star which at first I felt chiefly for hersake--likely as they seemed to impair the strength and sweetness ofthe tie between us, actually worked to consolidate and endear it. Toenjoy, except on set occasions, without constant liability tointerruption, Eveena's sole society was no easy matter. To conceal ourreal secret, and the fact that there was a secret, was imperative. Avowedly exclusive confidence, conferences from which the rest of thehousehold were directly shut out, would have suggested to theirenvious tempers that Eveena played the spy on them, or influenced andadvised the exercise of my authority. To be alone with her, therefore, as naturally and necessarily I must often wish to be, requiredmanoeuvres and arrangements as delicate and difficult, though asinnocent, as those employed by engaged couples under the strictconventions of European household usage; and the comparative rarity ofsuch interviews, and the manner in which they had often to becontrived beforehand, kept alive in its earliest freshness the lovewhich, if not really diminished, generally loses somewhat of its firstbloom and delicacy in the unrestrained intercourse of marriage. Absolutely and solely trusted, assured that her company was eagerlysought, and at least as deeply valued as ever--compelled by the ideasof her race to accept the situation as natural and right, and whollyincapable of the pettier and meaner forms of jealousy--Eveena wasfully content and happy in her relations with me. That, on the whole, she was not comfortable, or at least much less so than during oursuddenly abbreviated honeymoon, was apparent; but her loss ofbrightness and cheerfulness was visible chiefly in her weary anddowncast looks on any occasion when, after being absent for some hoursfrom the house, I came upon her unawares. In my presence she wasalways calm and peaceful, kind, and seemingly at ease; and if she sawor heard me on my return, though she carefully avoided any appearanceof eagerness to greet me sooner than others, or to claim especialattention, she ever met me with a smile of welcome as frank and brightas a young bride on Earth could give to a husband returning to hersole society from a long day of labour for her sake. 

In so far as compliance was possible I was compelled to admit thewisdom of Eveena's plea that no open distinction should be made in herfavour. Except in the simple fact of our affection, there was noassignable reason for making her my companion more frequently thanEunané or Eivé. Except that I could trust her completely, there was nodistinction of age, social rank, or domestic relation to afford apretext for exempting her from restraints which, if at first I thoughtthem senseless and severe, were soon justified by experience of thekind of domestic control which just emancipated school-girls expectedand required. Nor would she accept the immunity tacitly allowed her. It was not that any established custom or right bounded the arbitrarypower of domestic autocracy. The right of all but unbounded wrong, theliberty of limitless caprice, is unquestionably vested in the head ofthe household. But the very completeness of the despotism rendered itsexercise impossible. Force cannot act where there is no resistance. The sword of the Plantagenet could cleave the helmet but not the quiltof down. I could do as I pleased without infringing any understandingor giving any right to complain. 

"But, " said Eveena, "you have a sense of justice which has nothing todo with law or usage. Even your language is not ours. You think ofright and wrong, where we should speak only of what is or is notpunishable. You can make a favourite if you will pay the price. Couldyou endure to be hated in your own home, or I to know that youdeserved it? Or, if you could, could you bear to see me hated and mylife made miserable?"

"They dare not!" I returned angrily fearing that they had dared, andthat she had already felt the spite she was so careful not to provoke. 

"Do you think that feminine malice cannot contrive to envenom a dozenstings that I could not explain if I would, and you could not dealwith if I did?"

"But, " I replied, "it seems admitted that there is no such thing asright or custom. As Enva said, I have bought and paid for them, andmay do what I please within the contract; and you agree that is justwhat any other man in this world would do. "

"Yes, " returned Eveena, "and I watched your face while Enva spoke. Howdid you like her doctrine? Of course you may do as you please--if youcan please. You may silence discontent, you may suppress spitefulinnuendos and even sulky looks, you may put down mutiny, by sheerterror. Can you? You may command me to go with you whenever you goout; you may take the same means to make me complain of unkindness asto make them conceal it; you may act like one of our own people, ifyou can stoop to the level of their minds. But we both know that youcan do nothing of the kind. How could you bear to be driven intounsparing and undeserved severity, who can hardly bring yourself toenforce the discipline necessary to peace and comfort on those whowill only be ruled by fear and would like you better if they fearedyou more? Did you hear the proverb Leenoo muttered, very unjustly, when she left your room yesterday, 'A favourite wears out manysandals'? No! You see the very phrase wounds and disgusts you. But youwould find it a true one. Can you take vengeance for a fault you haveyourself provoked? Can you decide without inquiry, condemn withoutevidence, punish without hearing? Men do these things, of course, andwomen expect them. But you--I do not say you would be ashamed so toact--you cannot do it, any more than you can breathe the air of oursnow-mountains. "

"At all events, Eveena, I no more dare do it in your presence than Idare forswear the Faith we hold in common. "

But whatever Eveena might exact or I concede, the distinction betweenthe wife who commanded as much respect as affection, and the girls whocould at best be pets or playthings, was apparent against our will inevery detail of daily life and domestic intercourse. It was alikeimpossible to treat Eveena as a child and to rule Enva or Eiralé asother than children. It was as unnatural to use the tone of command orrebuke to one for whom my unexpressed wishes were absolute law, as toobserve the form of request or advice in directing or reproving thosewhose obedience depended on the consequences of rebellion. It onlymade matters worse that the distinction corresponded but tooaccurately to their several deserts. No faults could have been soirritating to Eveena's companions as her undeniable faultlessness. 

The ludicrous aspect of my relation to the rest of the household waseven more striking than I had expected. That I should find myself inthe absurd position of a man entrusted with the direct personalgovernment of half-a-dozen young ladies was even "more truly spokethan meant. " One at least among them might singly have made in time anot unlovable wife, and all, perhaps, might severally and separatelyhave been reduced to conjugal complaisance. Collectively, they were, as Eveena had said, a set of school-girls, and school-girls used tostricter restraint and much sharper discipline than those of a Frenchor Italian convent. They would have made life a burden to a vigorousEnglish schoolmistress, and imperilled the soul of any Lady-Abbesswhose list of permissible penances excluded the dark cell and thescourge. Fortunately for both parties, I had the advantage ofgoverness and Superior in the natural awe which girls feel for theauthority of manhood--till they have found out of what soft fibre menare made--and in the artificial fear inspired by domestic usage andtradition. For I was soon aware that even on its ridiculous side therelation was not to be trifled with. The simple indifference a manfeels towards the escapades of girlhood was not applicable to womenand wives, who yet lacked womanly sense and the feeling of conjugalduty. This serious aspect of their position soon contracted theindulgence naturally conceded to youth's heedlessness and animalspirits. These, displayed at first only in the energy and eagerness oftheir every movement within the narrow limits of conventional usage, broke all bounds when, after one or two half-timid, half-venturousexperiments on my patience, they felt that they had, at least for themoment, exchanged the monotony, the mechanical routine, the sternrepression of their life in the great Nurseries, not for the harshhousehold discipline to which they naturally looked forward, but forthe "loosened zone" which to them seemed to promise absolute liberty. When not immediately in my presence or Eveena's, their keen enjoymentof a life so new, the sudden development of the brighter side of theirnature under circumstances that gave play to the vigorous vitality ofyouth, gave as much pleasure to me as to themselves. But in contactwith myself or Eveena they were women, and showed only the wrong sideof the varied texture of womanhood. To the master they were slaves, each anxious to attract his notice, win his preference; before thefavourite, spiteful, envious of her and of each other, bitter, malicious, and false. For Eveena's sake, it was impossible to look onwith indolent indifference on freaks of temper which, childish in theform they assumed, were envenomed by the deliberate dislike andunscrupulous cunning of jealous women. 

But even on the childish side of their character and conduct, theysoon displayed a determination to test by actual experiment the utmostextent of the liberty allowed, and the nature and sufficiency of itslimits. Eunané was always the most audacious trespasser andrepresentative rebel. Fortunately for her, the daring which hadbewildered and exasperated feminine guardians rather amused andinterested me, giving some variety and relief to the monotonousabsurdity of the situation. Nothing in her conduct was more remarkableor more characteristic than the simplicity and good temper with whichshe generally accepted as of course the less agreeable consequences ofher outbreaks; unless it were the sort of natural dignity with which, when she so pleased, the game played out and its forfeit paid, thenaughty child subsided into the lively but rational companion, and thewoman simply ignored the scrapes of the school-girl. 

As her character seemed to unfold, Eivé's individuality became asdistinctly parted from the rest as Eunané's, though in an oppositedirection. Comparatively timid and indolent, without their fulness oflife, she seemed to me little more than a child; and she fell withapparent willingness into that position, accepting naturally itsprivileges and exemptions. She alone was never in the way, nevervexatious or exacting. Content with the notice that naturally fell toher share, she obtained the more. Never intruding between Eveena andmyself, she alone was not wholly unwelcome to share our accidentalprivacy when, in the peristyle or the grounds, the others left ustemporarily alone. On such occasions she would often draw near andcrouch at my feet or by Eveena's side, curling herself like a kittenupon the turf or among the cushions, often resting her little headupon Eveena's knee or mine; generally silent, but never so silent asto seem to be a spy upon our conversation, rather as a favourite childprivileged, in consideration of her quietude and her supposedharmlessness and inattention, to remain when others are excluded, andto hear much to which she is supposed not to listen. Having no specialduties of her own in the household, she would wait upon and assistEveena whenever the latter would accept her attendance. When the wholeparty were assembled, it was her wont to choose her place not in thecircle, still less at my side--Eveena's title to the post of honour onthe left being uncontested, and Eunané generally occupying thecushions on my right. But Eivé, lying at our feet, would supportherself on her arm between my knee and Eunané's, content to attract myhand to play with her curls or stroke her head. Under suchencouragement she would creep on to my lap and rest there, but seldomtook any part in conversation, satisfied with the attention one payshalf-consciously to a child. A word that dropped from Enva, however, on one occasion, obliged me to observe that it was in Eveena's absencethat Eivé always seemed most fully aware of her privileges and mostlavish of her childlike caresses. The kind of notice and affection sheobtained did not provoke the envy even of Leenoo or Eiralé. She nomore affected to imitate Eveena's absolute devotion than she venturedon Eunané's reckless petulance. She kept my interest alive by thefaults of a spoiled child. Her freaks were always such as to demandimmediate repression without provoking serious displeasure, so thatthe temporary disgrace cost her little, and the subsequentreconciliation strengthened her hold on my heart. But with Eveena, orin her presence, Eivé's waywardness was so suppressed or controlledthat Eveena's perceptible coolness towards her--it was never coldnessor unkindness--somewhat surprised me. 

Few Martialists, when wealthy enough to hand over the management oftheir property to others, care to interfere, or even to watch itscultivation. This, however, to me was a subject of as much interest asany other of the many peculiarities of Martial society, commerce, andindustry, which it concerned me to investigate and understand; andwhen not otherwise employed, I spent great part of my day in watching, and now and then directing, the work that went on during the whole ofthe sunlight, and not unfrequently during the night, upon my farm. Davilo, the superintendent, had engaged no fewer than eightsubordinates, who, with the assistance of the ambau, the carvee, andthe electric machines, kept every portion of the ground in the mostperfect state of culture. The most valuable part of the produceconsisted of those farinaceous fruits, growing on trees from twenty toeighty feet in height, which form the principal element of Martialfood. Between the tropics these trees yield ripe fruit twice a year, during a total period of about three of our months--perhaps for ahundred days. Various gourds, growing chiefly on canes, hanging fromlong flexile stalks that spring from the top of the stem at a heightof from three to eight feet, yield juice which is employed partly inflavouring the various loaves and cakes into which the flour is made, partly in the numerous beverages (never allowed to ferment, andconsequently requiring to be made fresh every day), of which thesmallest Martial household has a greater variety than the mostluxurious palace of the East. The best are made from hard-skinnedfruits, whose whole pulp is liquified by piercing the rind before thefruit is fully ripe, and closing the orifice with a wax-likesubstance, almost exactly according to a practice common in differentparts of Asia. The drinks are made, of course, at home. Thefarinaceous fruits are sold to the confectioners, who take also aportion of the milk and all the meat supplied by the pastures. Manychoice fruits grow on shrubs, ranging from the size of a large blackcurrant tree to that of the smallest gooseberry bush. Vines growingalong the ground bear clustering nuts, whose kernels are sometimes ashard as that of a cocoa-nut, sometimes almost as soft as butter. Thelatter with the juicy fruits, are preserved if necessary for a wholeyear in storehouses dug in the ground and lined with concrete, inwhich, by chemical means, a temperature a little above thefreezing-point is steadily maintained at very trivial cost. The numberof dishes producible by the mixture of these various materials, withthe occasional addition of meat, fish, and eggs, is enormous; and itis only when some particular compound is in special favour with themaster of the house that it makes its appearance more than perhapsonce in ten days upon the same table. The invention of theconfectioners is exquisite and inexhaustible; and every table issupplied with a variety of dainties sufficient for a feast in the mosthospitable and wealthy household of Europe. Many of the smallerfruit-trees and shrubs yield two crops in the year. The vegetables, crisper, and of much more varied taste than the best Terrestrialsalads, sometimes possessing a flavour as _piquant_ as that ofcinnamon or nutmeg, are gathered continuously from one end of the yearto the other. 

The vines, tough and fibrous, supply the best and strongest cordageused in Mars. For this purpose they are dried, stripped, combed, andput through an elaborate process of manufacture, which, withoutweakening the fibres, renders them smooth, and removes the, knots inwhich they naturally abound. The twisted cord of the nut-vine isalmost as strong as a metallic wire rope of half its measurement. There is another purpose for which these fibres in their natural stateare employed. Simply dried and twisted, they form a scourge asterrible as the Russian knout or African cowhide, though of adifferent character--a scourge which, even in its lightest form, reduces the wildest herd to instant order; and which, as employed oncriminals, is hardly less dreaded than that electric rack wherebyMartial science inflicts on every nerve a graduated torture such aseven ecclesiastical malignity has not invented on Earth--such as Icertainly will not place in the hands of Terrestrial rulers. 

All these crops are raised with marvellously little human labour, thewhole work of ploughing and sowing being done by machinery, that ofweeding and harvesting chiefly by the carvee. The ambau climb thetrees and pick the fruit from the ends of the branches, which they arealso taught to pinch in, so that none grow so long as to break withthe weight of these creatures, as clever and agile as the smallermonkeys, but almost as large as an ordinary baboon. It must always beremembered that, size for size, and _cæteris paribus, _ all bodies, animate and inanimate, on Mars weigh less than half as much as theywould on Earth. Eunané's blunder about the _carcarâ_ was not explainedby any subsequent errors of the ambau or carvee, which always selectedthe ripe fruit with faultless skill, leaving the immature untouched, and throwing aside in small heaps to manure the ground the few thathad been allowed to grow too ripe for use. The sums paid from time totime into my hands, received from the sales of produce, were fargreater than I could possibly spend in gratifying any taste of my own;and, as I presently found, the idea that the surplus might indulgethose of the ladies never entered their minds. 

Before we had been settled in our home for three days Eveena had madetwo requests which I was well pleased to grant. First, she entreatedthat I would teach her one at least of the languages with which I wasfamiliar--a task of whose extreme difficulty she had little idea. Compared with her native tongue, the complication and irregularitiesof the simplest language spoken on Earth are far more arbitrary andprovoking than seems the most difficult of ancient or Oriental tonguesto a Frenchman or Italian. In order to fulfil my promise that sheshould assist me in recording my observations and writing out mynotes, I chose Latin. Unhappily for her, I found myself as impatientand unsuccessful as I was inexperienced in teaching; and nothing buther exquisite gentleness and forbearance could have made the lessonsotherwise than painful to us both. Well for me that the "right togovern wrong" was to her a simple truth--an inalienable maritalprivilege, to be met with that unqualified submission which must haveshamed the worst temper into self-control. Eivé on one occasion made asimilar request; but besides that I realised the convenience of amedium of communication understood by ourselves alone, I had noinclination to expose either my own temper or Eivé's to the trial. Eveena's second request came naturally from one whose favouriteamusement had been the raising and modification of flowers. She askedto be entrusted with the charge of the seeds I had brought from Earth, and to be permitted to form a bed in the peristyle for the purpose ofthe experiment. Though this disfigured the perfect arrangement of thegarden, I was delighted to have so important and interesting a problemworked out by hands so skilful and so careful. I should probably havefailed to rear a single plant, even had I been familiar with thoseapplications of electricity to the purpose which are so extensivelyemployed in Mars. Eveena managed to produce specimens strangelyaltered, sometimes stunted, sometimes greatly improved, from aboutone-fourth of the seeds entrusted to her; and among those with whichshe was most brilliantly successful were some specimens of Turkishroses, the roses of the attar, which I had obtained at Stamboul. Myadmiration of her patience and pleasure in her success deeplygratified her; and it was a full reward for all her trouble when Isuggested that she should send to her sister Zevle a small packet ofeach of the seeds with which she had succeeded. It happened, however, that the few rose seeds had all been planted; and the flowers, thoughapparently perfect, produced no seed of their own, probably becausethey were not suited to the taste of the flower-birds, and Eveenasomehow forgot or failed to employ the process of artificialfertilisation. 

If anything could have fully reconciled my conscience to the householdrelations in which I was rather by weakness than by will inextricablyentangled, it would have been the certainty that by the sacrificeEveena had herself enforced on me, and which she persistently refusedto recognise as such, she alone had suffered. True that I could notgive, and could hardly affect for the wives bestowed on me byanother's choice, even such love as the head of a Moslem household maydistribute among as many inmates. But to what I could call love theyhad never looked forward. But for the example daily presented beforetheir own eyes they would no more have missed than they comprehendedit. That they were happier than they had expected, far happier thanthey would have been in an ordinary home, happier certainly than inthe schools they had quitted, I could not doubt, and they did notaffect to deny. If my patience were not proof against vexations themore exasperating from their pettiness, and the sense of ridiculewhich constantly attached to them, I could read in the manner of mostand understand from the words of Eunané, who seldom hesitated to speakher mind, whether its utterances, were flattering or wounding, thatshe and her companions found me not only far more indulgent, butincomparably more just than they had been taught to hope a man couldbe. Of justice, indeed, as consisting in restraint on one's own temperand consideration for the temper of others, Martial manhood isincapable, or, at any rate, Martial womanhood never suspects itsmasters. 

Moreover, though no longer blest with the spirits of youth, andfinding little pleasure in what youth calls pleasure, I had escapedthe kind of satiety that seems to attend lives more softly spent thanmine had been; and found a very real and unfading enjoyment inwitnessing the keen enjoyment of these youthful natures in suchliberty as could be accorded and such amusements as the life of thisdull and practical world affords. 

Among these, two at least are closely similar to the two favouritepleasures of European society. Music appears to have been carried, like most arts and sciences, to a point of mechanical perfectionwhich, I should suppose, like much of the artificial accuracy and easewhich civilisation has introduced, mars rather than enhances thenatural gratification enjoyed by simpler ages and races. Almost deafto music as distinguished from noise, I did not attempt to comprehendthe construction of Martial instruments or the nature of the concordsthey emitted. One only struck me with especial surprise by apeculiarity which, if I could not understand, I could not mistake. Anumber of variously coloured flames are made to synchronise with oractually emit a number of corresponding notes, dancing to, or, moreproperly, weaving a series of strangely combined movements in accordwith the music, whose vibrations were directly and inseparablyconnected with their motion. But all music is the work of professionalmusicians, never the occupation of woman's leisure, never made morecharming to the ear by its association with the movement of belovedhands or the tones of a cherished voice. Electric wires, connectedwith the vast buildings wherein instruments produce what sounds likefine choral singing as well as musical notes, enable the householderto turn on at pleasure music equal, I suppose, to the finest operaticperformances or the grandest oratorio, and listen to it at leisurefrom the cushions of his own peristyle. This was a great though notwholly new delight to Eunané and most of her companions. For theirsake only would Eveena ever have resorted to it, for though herselfappreciating music not less highly, and educated to understand it muchmore thoroughly, than they, she could derive little gratification fromthat which was clearly incomprehensible if not disagreeable tome--could hardly enjoy a pleasure I could not share. 

The theatre was a more prized and less common indulgence. It is littlefrequented by the elder Martialists; and not enjoying it themselves, they seldom sacrifice their hours to the enjoyment of their women. Butit forms so important an aid to education, and tends so much to keepalive in the public memory impressions which policy will not permit tofade, that both from the State and from the younger portion of thecommunity it receives an encouragement quite sufficient to reward thefew who bestow their time and talent upon it. Great buildings, squareor oblong in form, the stage placed at one end, the arched boxes orgalleries from which the spectators look down thereon rising tierabove and behind tier to the further extremity, are constantly filled. There are no actors, and Martial feeling would hardly allow theappearance of women as actresses. But an art, somewhat analogous to, but infinitely surpassing, that displayed in the manipulation of themost skilfully constructed and most complicated magic lanterns, enables the conductors of the theatre to present upon the stage atruly living and moving picture of any scene they desire to exhibit. The figures appear perfectly real, move with perfect, freedom, andseem to speak the sounds which, in fact, are given out by a gigantichidden phonograph, into which the several parts have long ago beencarefully spoken by male and female voices, the best suited to eachcharacter; and which, by the reversal of its motion, can repeat theoriginal words almost for ever, with the original tone, accent, andexpression. The illusion is far more perfect than that obtained by allthe resources of stage management and all the skill of the actor's artin the best theatres of France. After the first novelty, the firstsurprise and wonder were exhausted, I must confess that theserepresentations simply bored me, the more from their length andcharacter. But even Eveena enjoyed them thoroughly, and my othercompanions prized an evening or afternoon thus spent above all otherindulgences. A passage running along at the back of each tier admitsthe spectator to boxes so completely private as to satisfy thestrictest requirements of Martial seclusion. 

The favourite scenes represent the most striking incidents of Martialhistory, or realise the life, usages, and manners of ages long goneby, before science and invention had created the perfect butmonotonous civilisation that now prevails. One of the most interestingperformances I witnessed commenced with the exhibition of a strikingscene, in which the union of all the various States that had up tothat time divided the planet's surface, and occasionally waged war onone another, in the first Congress of the World, was realised in theexact reproduction of every detail which historic records havepreserved. Afterwards was depicted the confusion, declining intobarbarism and rapid degradation, of the Communistic revolution, thesecession of the Zveltau and their merely political adherents, theconstruction of their cities, fleets, and artillery, the terriblebattles, in which the numbers of the Communists were hurled back orannihilated by the asphyxiator and the lightning gun; and finally, themost remarkable scene in all Martial history, when the lastrepresentatives of the great Anarchy, squalid, miserable, degraded, and debased in form and features, as well as indicating by their dressand appearance the utter ruin of art and industry under their rule, came into the presence of the chief ruler of the risingState--surrounded by all the splendour which the "magic of property, "stimulating invention and fostering science, had created--to entreatadmission into the realm of restored civilisation, and a share in theblessings they had so deliberately forfeited and so long striven todeny to others. 

CHAPTER XXI - PRIVATE AUDIENCES. 

I spent my days between mist and mist, according to the Martialsaying, not infrequently in excursions more or less extensive andadventurous, in which I could but seldom ask Eveena's company, and didnot care for any other. Comparatively courageous as she had learned tobe, and free from all affectation of pretty feminine fear, Eveenacould never realise the practical immunity from ordinary danger whicha strength virtually double that I had enjoyed on Earth, and thoroughfamiliarity with the dangers of travel, of mountaineering, and of thechase, afforded me. When, therefore, I ventured among the hills alone, followed the fishermen and watched their operations, sometimes interribly rough weather, from the little open surface-boat which Icould manage myself, I preferred to give her no definite idea of myintentions. Davilo, however, protested against my exposure to a perilof which Eveena was happily as yet unaware. 

"If your intentions are never known beforehand, " he said, "still yourhabit of going forth alone in places to which your steps might easilybe dogged, where you might be shot from an ambush or drowned by asudden attack from a submarine vessel, will soon be pretty generallyunderstood, if, as I fear, a regular watch is set upon your life. Atleast let me know what your intentions are before starting, and makeyour absences as irregular and sudden as possible. The less they areknown beforehand, even in your own household, the better. "

"Is it midnight still in the Council Chamber?" I asked. 

"Very nearly so. She who has told so much can tell us no more. Theclue that placed her in mental relations with the danger did notextend to its authorship. We have striven hard to find in everyconceivable direction some material key to the plot, some objectwhich, having been in contact with the persons of those we suspect, probably at the time when their plans were arranged, might serve as alink between her thoughts and theirs; but as yet unsuccessfully. Either her vision is darkened, or the connection we have sought toestablish is wanting. But you know who is your unsparing personalenemy; and, after the Sovereign himself, no man in this world is sopowerful; while the Sovereign himself is, owing to the restraints ofhis position, less active, less familiar with others, less acquaintedwith what goes on out of his own sight. Again I say we can avenge; butagainst secret murder our powers only avail to deter. If we wouldsave, it must be by the use of natural precautions. "

What he said made me desirous of some conversation with Eveena beforeI started on a meditated visit to the Palace. If I could not tell herthe whole truth, she knew something; and I thought it possible on thisoccasion so far to enlighten her as to consult with her how the secretof my intended journeys should in future be kept. But I found nochance of speaking to her until, shortly before my departure, I wascalled upon to decide one of the childish disputes which constantlydisturbed my temper and comfort. Mere fleabites they were; but fleashave often kept me awake a whole night in a Turkish caravanserai, andhalf-a-dozen mosquitos inside an Indian tent have broken up the sleepearned on a long day's march or a sharply contested battlefield. Ineed only say that I extorted at last from Eveena a clear statement ofthe trifle at issue, which flatly contradicted those of the fourparticipants in the squabble. She began to suggest a means of provingthe truth, and they broke into angry clamour. Silencing them allperemptorily, I drew Eveena into my own chamber, and, when assuredthat we were unheard, reproved her for proposing to support her ownword by evidence. 

"Do you think, " I said, "that any possible proof would induce me todoubt you, or add anything to the assurance I derive from your word?"

"But, " she urged, "that cannot be just to others. They must feel itvery hard that your love for me makes you take all I say for truth. ""Not my love, but my knowledge. 'Be not righteous overmuch. ' Don'tforget that they _know_ the truth as well as you. "

I would hear no more, and passed to the matter I had at heart. .. . 

Earnestly, and in a sense sincerely, as upon my second audience I hadthanked the Camptâ for his munificent gifts, no day passed that Iwould not thankfully have renounced the wealth he had bestowed if Icould at the same time have renounced what was, in intention andaccording to Martial ideas, the most gracious and most remarkable ofhis favours. On the present occasion I thought for a moment that suchrenunciation might have been possible. 

The Prince had, after our first interview, observed with regard toevery point of my story on which I had been carefully silent adelicacy of reserve very unusual among Martialists, and quiteunintelligible to his Court and officers. To-day the conversation inpublic turned again upon my voyage. Endo and another studiouslydirected it to the method of steering, and the intentional diminutionof speed in my descent, corresponding to its gradual increase at thecommencement of the journey--points at which they hoped to find someopening to the mystery of the motive force. The Prince relieved mefrom some embarrassment by requesting me as usual to attend him to hisprivate cabinet. 

He said:--"I have not, as you must be aware, pressed you to disclose asecret which, for some reason or other, you are evidently anxious topreserve. Of course the exclusive possession of a motive power somarvellous as that employed in your voyage is of almost incalculablepecuniary value, and it is perfectly right that you should use yourown discretion with regard to the time and the terms of itscommunication. "

"Pardon me, " I interposed, "if I interrupt you, Prince, to prevent anymisconception. It is not with a view to profit that I have carefullyavoided giving any clue whatever to my secret. Tour munificence wouldrender it most ungrateful and unjust in me to haggle over the price ofany service I could render you; and I should be greedy indeed if Idesired greater wealth than you have bestowed. If I may say so withoutoffending, I earnestly wish that you would permit me, by resigningyour gifts, to retain in my own eyes the right to keep my secretwithout seeming undutiful or unthankful. "

"I have said, " he replied, "that on that point you misconceive ourrespective positions. No one supposes that you are indebted to us foranything more than it was the duty of the Sovereign to give, as a markof the universal admiration and respect, to our guest from anotherworld; still less could any imagine that on such a trifle could befounded any claim to a secret so invaluable. You will offend me muchand only if you ever again speak of yourself as bound by personalobligation to me or mine. But as we are wishful to buy, so I cannotunderstand any reluctance on your part to sell your secret on your ownterms. "

"I think, Prince, " I replied, "that I have already asked you what youwould think of a subject of your own, who should put such a power intothe hands of enemies as formidable to you as you would be to the racesof the Earth. "

"And _I_ think, " he rejoined with a smile, "that I reminded you howlittle my judgment would matter to one possessed of such a power. Ihave gathered from your conversation how easily we might conquer aworld as far behind us in destructive powers as in generalcivilisation. But why should you object? You can make your own termsboth for yourself and for any of your race for whom you feel anespecial interest. "

"A traitor is none the less a despicable and loathsome wretch becausehis Prince cannot punish him. I am bound by no direct tie of loyaltyto any Terrestrial sovereign. I was born the subject of one of thegreatest monarchs of the Earth; I left his country at an early age, and my youth was passed in the service of less powerful rulers, to oneat least of whom I long owed the same military allegiance that bindsyour guards and officers to yourself. But that obligation also is atan end. Nevertheless, I cannot but recognise that I owe a certainfealty to the race to which I belong, a duty to right and justice. Even if I thought, which I do not think, that the Earth would bebetter governed and its inhabitants happier under your rule, I shouldhave no right to give them up to a conquest I know they would fiercelyand righteously resist. If--pardon me for saying it--you, Prince, would commit no common crime in assailing and slaughtering those whoneither have wronged nor can wrong you, one of themselves would betenfold more guilty in sharing your enterprise. "

"You shall ensure, " he replied, "the good government of your own worldas you will. You shall rule it with all the authority possessed by theRegents under me, and by the laws which you think best suited to racesvery different from our own. You shall be there as great and absoluteas I am here, paying only an obedience to me and my successors which, at so immense a distance, can be little more than formal. "

"Is it to acquire a merely formal power that a Prince like yourselfwould risk the lives of your own people, and sacrifice those ofmillions of another race?"

"To tell you the truth, " he replied, "I count on commanding theexpedition myself; and perhaps I care more for the adventure than forits fruits. You will not expect me to be more chary of the lives ofothers than of my own?"

"I understand, and as a soldier could share, perhaps, a feelingnatural to a great, a capable, and an ambitious Prince. But alike assoldier and subject it is my duty to resist, not to aid, such anambition. My life is at your disposal, but even to save my life Icould not betray the lives of hundreds of millions and the future of awhole world. "

"I fail to understand you fully, " he said, abandoning with a sigh ahope that had evidently been the object of long and eager day-dreams. "But in no case would I try to force from you what you will not giveor sell; and if you speak sincerely--and I suppose you must do so, since I can see no motive but those you assign that could induce youto refuse my offer--I must believe in the existence of what I haveheard of now and then but deemed incredible--men who are governed bycare for other things than their own interests, who believe in rightand wrong, and would rather suffer injustice than commit it. "

"You may be sure, Prince, " I replied, perhaps imprudently, "that thereare such men in your own world, though they are perhaps among thosewho are least known and least likely to be seen at your Court. "

"If you know them, " he said, "you will render me no little service inbringing them to my knowledge. "

"It is possible, " I ventured to observe, "that their distinguishingexcellences are connected with other distinctions which might renderit a disservice to them to indicate their peculiar character, I willnot say to yourself, but to those around you. "

"I hardly understand you, " he rejoined. "Take, however, my assurancethat nothing you say here shall, without your own consent, be usedelsewhere. It is no light gratification, no trifling advantage to me, to find one man who has neither fear nor interest that can induce himto lie to me; to whom I can speak, not as sovereign to subject, but asman to man, and of whose private conversation my courtiers andofficials are not yet suspicious or jealous. You shall never repentany confidence you give to me. "

My interest in and respect for the strange character so manifestlysuited for, so intensely weary of, the grandest position that mancould fill, increased with each successive interview. I never enviedthat greatness which seems to most men so enviable. The servitude of aconstitutional King, so often a puppet in the hands of the worst andmeanest of men--those who prostitute their powers as rulers of a Stateto their interests as chiefs of a faction--must seem pitiable to anyrational manhood. But even the autocracy of the Sultan or the Czarseems ill to compensate the utter isolation of the throne; the lonelygrandeur of one who can hardly have a friend, since he can never havean equal, among those around him. I do not wonder that a tinge ofmelancholo-mania is so often perceptible in the chiefs of that greatHouse whose Oriental absolutism is only "tempered by assassination. "But an Earthly sovereign may now and then meet his fellow-sovereigns, whether as friends or foes, on terms of frank hatred or loyalopenness. His domestic relations, though never secure and simple asthose of other men, may relieve him at times from the oppressive senseof his sublime solitude; and to his wife, at any rate, he may for afew minutes or hours be the husband and not the king. But the absoluteRuler of this lesser world had neither equal friends nor open foes, neither wife nor child. How natural then his weariness of his ownlife; how inevitable his impatient scorn of those to whom that lifewas devoted! A despot not even accountable to God--a Prince who, tillhe conversed with me, never knew that the universe contained his equalor his like--it spoke much, both for the natural strength andsoundness of his intellect and for the excellence of his education, that he was so sane a man, so earnest, active, and just a ruler. Hisreign was signalised by a better police, a more even administration ofjustice, a greater efficiency, judgment, and energy in the executionof great works of public utility, than his realm had known for athousand years; and his duty was done as diligently andconscientiously as if he had known that conscience was the voice of asupreme Sovereign, and duty the law of an unerring and unescapableLawgiver. Alone among a race of utterly egotistical cowards, he hadthe courage of a soldier, and the principles, or at least theinstincts, worthy of a Child of the Star. With him alone could I havefelt a moment's security from savage attempts to extort by terror orby torture the secret I refused to sell; and I believe that hisgenerous abstinence from such an attempt was as exasperating as it wasincomprehensible to his advisers, and chiefly contributed to involvehim in the vengeance which baffled greed and humbled personal pridehad leagued to wreak upon myself, as on those with whose welfare andsafety my own were inextricably intertwined. It was a fortunate, ifnot a providential, combination of circumstances that compelled theenemies of the Star, primarily on my account, to interweave with theirscheme of murderous persecution and private revenge an equallyruthless and atrocious treason against the throne and person of theirMonarch. 

My audience had detained me longer than I had expected, and theevening mist had fairly closed in before I returned. Entering, not asusual through the grounds and the peristyle, but by the vestibule andmy own chamber, and hidden by my half-open window, I overheard anexceedingly characteristic discussion on the incident of the morning. 

"Serve her right!" Leenoo was saying. "That she should for once getthe worst of it, and be disbelieved to sharpen the sting!"

"How do you know?" asked Enva. "I don't feel so sure we have heard thelast of it. "

"Eveena did not seem to have liked her half-hour, " answered Leenoospitefully. "Besides, if he did not disbelieve her story, he wouldhave let her prove it. "

"Is that your reliance?" broke in Eunané. "Then you are swinging on arotten branch. I would not believe my ears if, for all that all of uscould invent against her, I heard him so much as ask Eveena, 'Are youspeaking the truth?'"

"It is very uneven measure, " muttered Enva. 

"Uneven!" cried Eunané. "Now, I think _I_ have the best right to bejealous of her place; and it does sting me that, when he takes me forhis companion out of doors, or makes most of me at home, it is soplain that he is taking trouble, as if he grudged a soft word or akiss to another as something stolen from her. But he deals evenly, after all. If he were less tender of her we should have to draw ourzones tighter. But he won't give us the chance to say, 'Teach the_ambâ_ with stick and the _esve_ with sugar. '"

"I do say it. She is never snubbed or silenced; and if she has hadworse than what he calls 'advice' to-day, I believe it is the firsttime. She has never 'had cause to wear the veil before the household'[to hide blushes or tears], or found that his 'lips can give sharpersting than their kiss can heal, ' like the rest of us. "

"What for? If he wished to find her in fault he would have to watchher dreams. Do you expect him to be harder to her than to us? He don't'look for stains with a microscope. ' None of us can say that he'drinks tears for taste. ' None of us ever 'smarted because the sunscorched _him_. ' Would you have him 'tie her hands for being white'?"[punish her for perfection]. 

"She is never at fault because he never believes us against her, "returned Leenoo. 

"How often would he have been right? I saw nothing of to-day'squarrel, but I know beforehand where the truth lay. I tell you this:he hates the sandal more than the sin, but, strange as it seems, hehates a falsehood worse still; and a falsehood against Eveena--If youwant to feel 'how the spear-grass cuts when the sheath bursts, ' lethim find you out in an experiment like this! You congratulateyourself, Leenoo, that you have got her into trouble. _Elnerve_ thatyou are!--if you have, you had better have poisoned his cup before hiseyes. For every tear he sees her shed he will reckon with us at twelveyears' usury. "

"_You_ have made her shed some, " retorted Enva. 

"Yes, " said Eunané, "and if he knew it, I should like half a year'spenance in the black sash" [as the black sheep or scapegoat of herNursery] "better than my next half-hour alone with him. When I wassilly enough to tie the veil over her mouth" [take the lead in sendingher to Coventry] "the day after we came here, I expected to pay forit, and thought the fruit worth the scratches. But when he came inthat evening, nodded and spoke kindly to us, but with his eyes seekingfor her; when he saw her at last sitting yonder with her head down, Isaw how his face darkened at the very idea that she was vexed, and Ithought the flash was in the cloud. When she sprang up as he calledher, and forced a smile before he looked into her face, I wished I hadbeen as ugly as Minn oo, that I might have belonged to the miseries, worst-tempered man living, rather than have so provoked the giant. "

"But what did he do?"

"Well that he don't hear you!" returned Eunané. "But I cananswer;--nothing. I shivered like a _leveloo_ in the wind when he cameinto my room, but I heard nothing about Eveena. I told Eivé so nextday--you remember Eivé would have no part with us? 'And you werecalled the cleverest girl in your Nursery!' she said; 'you have justtied your own hands and given your sandal into Eveena's. Whenever shetells him, you will drink the cup she chooses to mix for you, and verysalt you will find it. '"

"Crach!" (tush or stuff), said Eiralé contemptuously. "We have 'filledher robe with pins' for half a year since then, and she has never beenable to make him count them. "

"Able!" returned Eunané sharply, "do you know no better? Well, I choseto fancy she was holding this over me to keep me in her power. One dayshe spoke--choosing her words so carefully--to warn me how I was sureto anger Clasfempta" (the master of the household) "by pushing mypranks so often to the verge of safety and no farther. I answered herwith a taunt, and, of course, that evening I was more perverse thanever, till even he could stand it no longer. When he quoted--

 "'More lightly treat whom haste or heat to headlong trespass urge; The heaviest sandals fit the feet that ever tread the verge'--

"I was well frightened. I saw that the bough had broken short of theend, and that for once Clasfempta could mean to hurt. But Eveena kepthim awhile, and when he came to me, she had persuaded him that I wasonly mischievous, not malicious, teasing rather than trespassing. Buthis last words showed that he was not so sure of that. 'I have treatedyou this time as a child whose petulance is half play; but if youwould not have your teasing returned with interest, keep it clipped;and--keep it for _me_. ' I have often tormented her since then, but Icould not for shame help you to spite her. "

"Crach!" said Enva. "Eveena might think it wise to make friends withyou; but would she bear to be slighted and persecuted a whole summerif she could help herself? You know that--

 "Man's control in woman's hand Sorest tries the household band. Closer favourite's kisses cling, Favourite's fingers sharper sting. '"

"Very likely, " replied Eunané. "I cannot understand any more than youcan why Eveena screens instead of punishing us; why she endures what aword to him would put down under her sandal; but she does. Does shecast no shadow because it never darkens his presence to us? And afterall, her mind is not a deeper darkness to me than his. He enjoys lifeas no man here does; but what he enjoys most is a good chance oflosing it; while those who find it so tedious guard it likewatch-dragons. When the number of accidents made it difficult to fillup the Southern hunt at any price, the Camptâ's refusal to let him goso vexed him that Eveena was half afraid to show her sense of relief. You would think he liked pain--the scars of the _kargynda_ are not hisonly or his deepest ones--if he did not catch at every excuse to spareit. And, again, why does he speak to Eveena as to the Camptâ, and tous as to children--'child' is his softest word for us? Then, he ispatient where you expect no mercy, and severe where others wouldlaugh. When Enva let the electric stove overheat the water, so that hewas scalded horribly in his bath, we all counted that he would atleast have paid her back the pain twice over. But as soon as Eveenaand Eivé had arranged the bandages, he sent for her. We could scarcelybring you to him, Enva; but he put out the only hand he could move tostroke your hair as he does Eivé's, and spoke for once with realtenderness, as if you were the person to be pitied! Any one else wouldhave laughed heartily at the figure her _esve_ made with half her tailpulled out. But not all Eveena's pleading could obtain pardon for me. "

"That was caprice, not even dealing, " said Leenoo. "You were not halfso bad as Enva. "

"He made me own that I was, " replied Eunané. "It never occurred to himto suppose or say that she did it on purpose. But I was cruel onpurpose to the bird, if I were not spiteful to its mistress. 'Don'tyou feel, ' he said, 'that intentional cruelty is what no ruler, whether of a household or of a kingdom, has a right to pass over? Ifnot, you can hardly be fit for a charge that gives animals into yourpower. ' I never liked him half so well; and I am sure I deserved aseverer lesson. Since then, I cannot help liking them both; though it_is_ mortifying to feel that one is nothing before her. "

"It is intolerable, " said Enva bitterly; "I detest her. "

"Is it her fault?" asked Eunané with some warmth. "They are so likeeach other and so unlike us, that I could fancy she came from his ownworld. I went to her next day in her own room. "

"Ay, " interjected Leenoo with childish spite, "'kiss the foot and'scape the sandal. '"

"Think so, " returned Eunané quietly, "if you like. I thought I owedher some amends. Well, she had her bird in her lap, and I think shewas crying over it. But as soon as she saw me she put it out of sight. I began to tell her how sorry I was about it, but she would not let mego on. She kissed me as no one ever kissed me since my school friendErnie died three years ago; and she cried more over the trouble I hadbrought on myself than over her pet. And since then, " Eunané went onwith a softened voice, "she has showed me how pretty its ways are, howclever it is, how fond of her, and she tries to make it friends withme. .. . Sometimes I don't wonder she is so much to him and he to her. She was brought up in the home where she was born. Her father is oneof those strange people; and I fancy there is something between herand Clasfempta more than. .. . "

I could not let this go on; and stepping back from the window as if Ihad but just returned, I called Eunané by name. She came at once, alittle surprised at the summons, but suspecting nothing. But the firstsight of my face startled her; and when, on the impulse of the moment, I took her hands and looked straight into her eyes, her quickintelligence perceived at once that I had heard at least part of theconversation. 

"Ah, " she said, flushing and hanging her head, "I am caught now, but"--in a tone half of relief--"I deserve it, and I won't pretend tothink that you are angry only because Eveena is your favourite. Youwould not allow any of us to be spited if you could help it, and it ismuch worse to have spited her. "

I led her by the hand across the peristyle into her own chamber, andwhen the window closed behind us, drew her to my side. 

"So you would rather belong to the worst master of your own race thanto me?"

"Not now, " she answered. "That was my first thought when I saw how youfelt for Eveena, and knew how angry you would be when you found howwe--I mean how I--had used her, and I remembered how terribly strongyou were. I know you better now. It is for women to strike with fivefingers" (in unmeasured passion); "only, don't tell Eveena. Besides, "she murmured, colouring, with drooping eyelids, "I had rather bebeaten by you than caressed by another. "

"Eunané, child, you might well say you don't understand me. I couldnot have listened to your talk if I had meant to use it against you;and with _you_ I have no cause to be displeased. Nay" (as she lookedup in surprise), "I know you have not used Eveena kindly, but I heardfrom yourself that you had repented. That she, who could never becoaxed or compelled to say what made her unhappy, or even to own thatI had guessed it truly, has fully forgiven you, you don't need to betold. "

"Indeed, I don't understand, " the girl sobbed. "Eveena is always sostrangely soft and gentle--she would rather suffer without reason thanlet us suffer who deserve it. But just because she is so kind, youmust feel the more bitterly for her. Besides, " she went on, "I was sojealous--as if you could compare me with her--even after I had felther kindness. No! you cannot forgive _for her_, and you ought not. "

"Child, " I answered, sadly enough, for my conscience was as ill atease as hers, with deeper cause, "I don't tell you that your jealousywas not foolish and your petulance culpable; but I do say that neitherEveena nor I have the heart--perhaps I have not even the right--toblame you. It is true that I love Eveena as I can love no other inthis world or my own. How well she deserves that love none but I canknow. So loving her, I would not willingly have brought any otherwoman into a relation which could make her dependent upon or desirousof such love as I cannot give. You know how this relation to you andthe others was forced upon me. When I accepted it, I thought I couldgive you as much affection as you would find elsewhere. How far andwhy I wronged Eveena is between her and myself. I did not think that Icould be wronging you. "

Very little of this was intelligible to Eunané. She felt a tendernessshe had never before received; but she could not understand my doubt, and she replied only to my last words. 

"Wrong us! How could you? Did we ask whether you had another wife, orwho would be your favourite? Did you promise to like us, or even to bekind to us? You might have neglected us altogether, made one girl yoursole companion, kept all indulgences, all favours, for her; and howwould you have wronged us? If you had turned on us when she vexed you, humbled us to gratify her caprice, ill-used us to vent your temper, other men would have done the same. Who else would have treated us asyou have done? Who would have been careful to give each of us hershare in every pleasure, her turn in every holiday, her employment athome, her place in your company abroad? Who would have inquired intothe truth of our complaints and the merits of our quarrels; would havemade so many excuses for our faults, given us so many patientwarnings?. .. Wronged us! There may be some of us who don't like you;there is not one who could bear to be sent away, not one who wouldexchange this house for the palace of the camptâ though you pronouncehim kingly in nature as in power. "

She spoke as she believed, if she spoke in error. "If so, my child, why have you all been so bitter against Eveena? Why have you yourselfbeen jealous of one who, as you admit, has been a favourite only in alove you did not expect?"

"But we saw it, and we envied her so much love, so much respect, " shereplied frankly. "And for myself, "--she coloured, faltered, and wassilent. "For yourself, my child?"

"I was a vain fool, " she broke out impetuously. "They told me that Iwas beautiful, and clever, and companionable. I fancied I should beyour favourite, and hold the first place; and when I saw her, I wouldnot see her grace and gentleness, or observe her soft sweet voice, andthe charms that put my figure and complexion to shame, and the quietsense and truth that were worth twelvefold my quickness, my memory, and my handiness. I was disappointed and mortified that she should bepreferred. Oh, how you must hate me, Clasfempta; for I hate myselfwhile I tell you what I have been!"

According to European doctrine, my fealty to Eveena must then havebeen in peril. And yet, warmly as I felt for Eunané, the element inher passionate confession that touched me most was her recognition ofEveena's superiority; and as I soothed and comforted the half-childishpenitent, I thought how much it would please Eveena that I had at lastcome to an understanding with the companion she avowedly liked thebest. 

"But, Eunané, " I said at last, "do you remember what you were sayingwhen I called you--called you on purpose to stop you? You said thatthere was something between Eveena and myself more than---more thanwhat? What did you mean? Speak frankly, child; I know that this timeyou were not going to scald me on purpose. "

"I don't know quite what I meant, " she replied simply. "But the firsttime you took me out, I heard the superintendent say some strangethings; and then he checked himself when he found your companion wasnot Eveena. Then Eivé--I mean--you use expressions sometimes intalking to Eveena that we never heard before. I think there is somesecret between you. "

"And if there be, Eunané, were _you_ going to betray it--to set Envaand Leenoo on to find it out?"

"I did not think, " she said. "I never do think before I get intotrouble. I don't say, forgive me this time; but I _will_ hold mytongue for the future. "

By this time our evening meal was ready. As I led Eunané to her place, Eveena looked up with some little surprise. It was rarely that, especially on returning from absence, I had sought any other companythan hers. But there was no tinge of jealousy or doubt in her look. Onthe contrary, as, with her entire comprehension of every expression ofmy face, and her quickness to read the looks of others, she saw inboth countenances that we were on better terms than ever before, herown brightened at the thought. As I placed myself beside her, shestole her hand unobserved into mine, and pressed it as she whispered--

"You have found her out at last. She is half a child as yet; but shehas a heart--and perhaps the only one among them. "

"The four, " as I called them, looked up as we approached with eagermalice:--bitterly disappointed, when they saw that Eunané had wonsomething more than pardon. Whatever penance they had dreaded, theirown escape ill compensated the loss of their expected pleasure in thepain and humiliation of a finer nature. Eunané's look, timidlyappealing to her to ratify our full reconciliation, answered byEveena's smile of tender, sisterly sympathy, enhanced and completedtheir discomfiture. 

CHAPTER XXII - PECULIAR INSTITUTIONS. 

A chief luxury and expense in which, when aware what my income was, Iindulged myself freely was the purchase of Martial literature. Onlyephemeral works are as a rule printed in the phonographic character, which alone I could read with ease. The Martialists have nonewspapers. It does not seem to them worth while to record daily theaccidents, the business incidents, the prices, the amusements, and thefollies of the day; and politics they have none. In no case would apeople so coldly wise, so thoroughly impressed by experience with asense of the extreme folly of political agitation, legislative change, and democratic violence, have cursed themselves with anything like thepress of Europe or America. But as it is, all they have to record isgathered each twelfth day at the telegraph offices, and from thesecommunicated on a single sheet about four inches square to all whocare to receive it. But each profession or occupation that boasts, asdo most, an organisation and a centre of discussion and council, issues at intervals books containing collected facts, essays, reportsof experiments, and lectures. Every man who cares to communicate hispassing ideas to the public does so by means of the phonograph. Whenhe has a graver work, which is, in his view at least, of permanentimportance to publish, it is written in the stylographic character, and sold at the telegraphic centres. The extreme complication andcompression employed in this character had, as I have already said, rendered it very difficult to me; and though I had learnt to decipherit as a child spells out the words which a few years later it willread unconsciously by the eye, the only manner in which I couldquickly gather the sense of such books was by desiring one or other ofthe ladies to read them aloud. Strangely enough, next to Eveena, Eivéwas by far the best reader. Eunané understood infinitely better whatshe was perusing; but the art of reading aloud is useless, andtherefore never taught, in schools whose every pupil learns to readwith the usual facility a character which the practised eye caninterpret incomparably faster than the voice could possibly utter it. This reading might have afforded many opportunities of privateconverse with Eveena, but that Eivé, whose knowledge was by no meansproportionate to her intelligence, entreated permission to listen tothe books I selected; and Eveena, though not partial to her childishcompanion and admirer, persuaded me not to refuse. 

The story of my voyage and reports of my first audience at Court were, of course, widely circulated and extensively canvassed. Thoughregarded with no favour, especially by the professed philosophers andscientists, my adventures and myself were naturally an object of greatcuriosity; and I was not surprised when a civil if cold request waspreferred, on behalf of what I may call the Martial Academy, that Iwould deliver in their hall a series of lectures, or rather aconnected oral account of the world from which I professed to havecome, and of the manner in which my voyage had been accomplished. After consulting Eveena and Davilo, I accepted the invitation, andintended to take the former with me. She objected, however, that whileshe had heard much in her father's house and during our travels ofwhat I had to tell, her companions, scarcely less interested, werecomparatively ignorant. Indiscreetly, because somewhat provoked bythese repeated sacrifices, as much of my inclination as her own, Imentioned my purpose at our evening meal, and bade her name those whoshould accompany me. I was a little surprised when, carefully evadingthe dictation to which she was invited, she suggested that Eunané andEivé would probably most enjoy the opportunity. That she should bewilling to get rid of the most wilful and petulant of the party seemednatural. The other selection confirmed the impression I had formed, but dared not express to one whom I had never blamed without findingmyself in the wrong, that Eveena regarded Eivé with a feeling morenearly approaching to jealousy than her nature seemed capable ofentertaining. I obeyed, however, without comment; and both thecompanions selected for me were delighted at the prospect. 

The Academy is situated about half-way between Amacasfe and theResidence; the facilities of Martial travelling, and above all oftelegraphic and telephonic communication, dispensing with all reasonfor placing great institutions in or near important cities. Wetraveller by balloon, as I was anxious to improve myself in themanagement of these machines. After frightening my companions so faras to provoke some, outcry from Eivé, and from Eunané some saucyremarks on my clumsiness, on which no one else would have ventured, Idescended safely, if not very creditably, in front of the buildingwhich serves as a local centre of Martial philosophy. The residencesof some sixty of the most eminent professors of varioussciences--elected by their colleagues as seats fall vacant, with theapproval of the highest Court of Judicature and of the camptâ--clusteraround a huge building in the form of a hexagon made up of a multitudeof smaller hexagons, in the centre whereof is the great hall of thesame shape. In the smaller chambers which surround it are telephonesthrough which addresses delivered in a hundred different quarters aremechanically repeated; so that the residents or temporary visitors canhere gather at once all the knowledge that is communicated by any manof note to any audience throughout the planet. On this account numbersof young men just emancipated from the colleges come here to completetheir education; and above each of the auditory chambers is anotherdivided into six small rooms, wherein these visitors are accommodated. A small house belonging to one of the members who happened to beabsent was appropriated to me during my stay, and in its hall thephilosophers gathered in the morning to converse with or to questionme in detail respecting the world whose existence they would notformally admit, but whose life, physical, social, and political, andwhose scientific and human history, they regarded with as muchcuriosity as if its reality were ascertained. Courtesy forbids eveningvisits unless on distinct and pressing invitation, it being supposedthat the head of a household may care to spend that part of his time, and that alone, with his own family. 

The Academists are provided by the State with incomes, of an amountvery much larger than the modest allowances which the richest nationsof the Earth almost grudge to the men whose names in future historywill probably be remembered longer than those of eminent statesmen andwarriors. Some of them have made considerable fortunes by turning toaccount in practical invention this or that scientific discovery. Butas a rule, in Mars as on Earth, the gifts and the career of thediscoverer, and the inventor are distinct. It is, however, from thepurely theoretical labours of the men of science that the inventionsuseful in manufactures, in communication, in every department of lifeand business, are generally derived; and the prejudice or judgment ofthis strange people has laid it down that those who devote their livesto work in itself unremunerative, but indirectly most valuable to thepublic, should be at least as well off as the subordinate servants ofthe State. In society they are perhaps more honoured than any but thehighest public authorities; and my audience was the mostdistinguished, according to the ideas of that world, that it couldfurnish. 

At noon each day I entered the hall, which was crowded with benchesrising on five sides from the centre to the walls, the sixth beingoccupied by a platform where the lecturer and the members of theAcademy sat. After each lecture, which occupied some two hours, questions more or less perplexing were put by the latter. Only, however, on the first occasion, when I reserved, as before the Zintaand the Court, all information that could enable my hearers to divinethe nature of the apergic force, was incredulity so plainly insinuatedas to amount to absolute insult. 

"If, " I said, "you choose to disbelieve what I tell you, you arewelcome to do so. But you are not at liberty to express your disbeliefto me. To do so is to charge me with lying; and to that charge, whatever may be the customs of this world, there is in mine but oneanswer, " and I laid my hand on the hilt of the sword I wore indeference to Davilo's warnings, but which he and others considered aTerrestrial ornament rather than a weapon. 

The President of the Academy quietly replied--"Of all the strangethings we have heard, this seems the strangest. I waive theprobability of your statements, or the reasonableness of the doubtssuggested. But I fail to understand how, here or in any other world, if the imputation of falsehood be considered so gross an offence--andhere it is too common to be so regarded--it can be repelled by provingyourself more skilled in the use of weapons, or stronger or moredaring than the person who has challenged your assertion. "

The moral courage and self-possession of the President were as markedas his logic was irrefragable; but my outbreak, however illogical, served its purpose. No one was disposed to give mortal offence to onewho showed himself so ready to resent it, though probably theapprehension related less to my swordsmanship than the favour I wassupposed to enjoy with the Suzerain. 

Seriously impressed by the growing earnestness of Davilo's warnings, and feeling that I could no longer conceal the pressure of someanxiety on my mind, gradually, cautiously, and tenderly I broke toEveena what I had learned, with but two reserves. I would not renderher life miserable by the suggestion of possible treason in our ownhousehold. That she might not infer this for herself, I led her tobelieve that the existence and discovery of the conspiracy was of adate long subsequent to my acceptance of the Sovereign's unwelcomegift. She was deeply affected, and, as I had feared, exceedinglydisturbed. But, very characteristically, the keenest impression madeupon her mind concerned less the urgency of the peril than its origin, the fact that it was incurred through and for her. On this sheinsisted much more than seemed just or reasonable. It was for hersake, no doubt, that I had made the Regent of Elcavoo my bitter, irreconcilable foe. It was my marriage with her, the daughter of themost eminent among the chiefs of the Zinta, that had marked me out asone of the first and principal victims, and set on my head a value ashigh as on that of any of the Order save the Arch-Enlightener himself, whose personal character and social distinction would have indicatedhim as especially dangerous, even had his secret rank been altogetherunsuspected. It was impossible to soothe Eveena's first outbreak offeeling, or reason with her illogical self-reproach. Compelled at lastto admit that the peril had been unconsciously incurred when sheneither knew nor could have known it, she pleaded eagerly andearnestly for permission to repair by the sacrifice of herself theinjury she had brought upon me. It was useless to tell her that theacceptance of such a sacrifice would be a thousand-fold worse thandeath. Even the depth and devotion of her own love could not persuadeher to realise the passionate earnestness of mine. It was still morein vain to remind her that such a concession must entail the dishonourthat man fears above all perils; would brand me with that indeliblestain of abject personal cowardice which for ever degrades and ruinsnot only the fame but the nature of manhood, as the stain of wilfulunchastity debases and ruins woman. 

"Rescind our contract, " she insisted, pleading, with the overpoweringvehemence of a love absolutely unselfish, against love's deepestinstincts and that egotism which is almost inseparable from it; givingpassionate utterance to an affection such as men rarely feel forwomen, women perhaps never for men. "Divorce me; force the enemy tobelieve that you have broken with my father and with his Order; and, favoured as you are by the Sovereign, you will be safe. Give whatreason you will; say that I have deserved it, that I have forced youto it. I know that contracts _are_ revoked with the full approval ofthe Courts and of the public, though I hardly know why. I will agree;and if we are agreed, you can give or withhold reasons as you please. Nay, there can be no wrong to me in doing what I entreat you to do. Ishall not suffer long--no, no, I _will_ live, I will be happy"--herface white to the lips, her streaming tears were not needed to beliethe words! "By your love for me, do not let me feel that you are todie--do not keep me in dread to hear that you have died--for me andthrough me. "

If it had been in her power to leave me, if one-half of the promisedperiod had not been yet to run, she might have enforced her purpose indespite of all that I could urge;--of reason, of entreaty, of thepleadings of a love in this at least as earnest as her own. Nay, shewould probably have left me, in the hope of exhibiting to the worldthe appearance of an open quarrel, but for a peculiarity of Martiallaw. That law enforces, on the plea of either party, "specificperformance" of the marriage contract. I could reclaim her, and callthe force of the State to recover her. When even this warning at firstfailed to enforce her submission, I swore by all I held sacred in myown world and all she revered in hers--by the symbols never lightlyinvoked, and never, in the course of ages that cover thrice the spanof Terrestrial history and tradition, invoked to sanction a lie;symbols more sacred in her eyes than, in those of mediævalChristendom, the gathered relics that appalled the heroic soul ofHarold Godwinsson--that she should only defeat her own purpose; that Iwould reclaim my wife before the Order and before the law, thusasserting more clearly than ever the strength of the tie that bound meto her and to her house. The oath which it was impossible to break, perhaps yet more the cold and measured tone with which I spoke, instriving to control the white heat of a passion as much stronger as itwas more selfish than hers--a tone which sounded to myself unnaturaland alien--at last compelled her to yield; and silenced her in theonly moment in which the depths of that nature, so sweet and soft andgentle, were stirred by the violence of a moral tempest. .. . A marvellously perfect example of Martial art and science is furnishedby the Observatory of the Astronomic Academy, on a mountain abouttwenty miles from the Residence. The hill selected stands about 4000feet above the sea-level, and almost half that height above anyneighbouring ground. It commands, therefore, a most perfect view ofthe horizon all around, even below the technical or theoretic horizonof its latitude. A volcano, like all Martial volcanoes very feeble, and never bursting into eruptions seriously dangerous to the dwellersin the neighbouring plains, existed at some miles' distance, andcaused earthquakes, or perhaps I should more properly say disturbancesof the surface, which threatened occasionally to perturb theobservations. But the Martialists grudge no cost to render theirscientific instruments, from the Observatory itself to the smallestlens or wheel it contains, as perfect as possible. Having decided thatEanelca was very superior to any other available site, they were notto be baffled or diverted by such a trifle as the opposition ofNature. Still less would they allow that the observers should be putout by a perceptible disturbance, or their observations falsified byone too slight to be realised by their senses. If Nature wereimpertinent enough to interfere with the arrangements of science, science must put down the mutiny of Nature. As seas had been bridgedand continents cut through, so a volcano might and must be suppressedor extinguished. A tunnel thirty miles in length was cut from a greatlake nearly a thousand feet higher than the base of the volcano; andthrough this for a quarter of a year, say some six Terrestrial months, water was steadily poured into the subterrene cavities wherein theeruptive forces were generated--the plutonic laboratory of therebellious agency. Of course previous to the adoption of this measure, the crust in the neighbourhood had been carefully explored and testedby various wonderfully elaborate and perfect boring instruments, and amap or rather model of the strata for a mile below the surface, andfor a distance around the volcano which I dare not state on the faithof my recollection alone, had been constructed on a scale, as weshould say, of twelve inches to the mile. Except for minor purposes, for convenience of pocket carriage and the like, Martialists disdainso poor a representation as a flat map can give of a broken surface. On the small scale, they employ globes of spherical sections torepresent extensive portions of their world; on the large scale (fromtwo to twenty-four inches per mile), models of wonderfully accurateconstruction. Consequently, children understand and enjoy thegeographical lesson which in European schools costs so many tears toso little purpose. A girl of six years knows more perfectly the wholearea of the Martial globe than a German Professor that of the ancientPeloponnesus. Eivé, the dunce of our housed hold, won a Terrestrialpicture-book on which she had set her fancy by tracing on a forty-inchglobe, the first time she saw it, every detail of my journey fromEcasfe as she had heard me relate it; and Eunané, who had never lefther Nursery, could describe beforehand any route I wished to takebetween the northern and southern ice-belts. Under the guidanceafforded by the elaborate model abovementioned, all the hollowswherein the materials of eruption were stored, and wherein thechemical forces of Nature had been at work for ages, were thoroughlyflooded. Of course convulsion after convulsion of the most violentnature followed. But in the course of about two hundred days, theinternal combustion was overmastered for lack of fuel; the chemicalcombinations, which might have gone on for ages causing weak butincessant outbreaks, were completed and their power exhausted. 

This source of disturbance extinguished in the reign of thetwenty-fifth predecessor of my royal patron, the construction of thegreat Observatory on Eanelca was commenced. A very elaborate road, winding round and round the mountain at such an incline as to beeasily ascended by the electric carriages, was built. But this wasintended only as a subsidiary means of ascent. Eight into the bowelsof the mountain a vast tunnel fifty feet in height was driven. At itsinner extremity was excavated a chamber whose dimensions areimperfectly recorded in my notes, but which was certainly much largerthan the central cavern from which radiate the principal galleries ofthe Mammoth Cave. Around this were pierced a dozen shafts, emerging atdifferent heights, but all near the summit, and all so far outside thecentral plateau as to leave the solid foundation on which theObservatory was to rest, down to the very centre of the planet, whollyundisturbed. Through each of these, ascending and descendingalternately, pass two cars, or rather movable chambers, worked byelectricity, conveying passengers, instruments, or supplies to andfrom the most convenient points in the vast structure of theObservatory itself. The highest part of Ranelca was a rocky mass ofsome 1600 feet in circumference and about 200 in height. This wascarved into a perfect octagon, in the sides of which were arranged anumber of minor chambers--among them those wherein transit and othersecondary observations were to be taken, and in which minor magnifyinginstruments were placed to scan their several portions of the heavens. Within these was excavated a circular central chamber, the dome ofwhich was constructed of a crystal so clear that I verily believe themost exacting of Terrestrial astronomers would have been satisfied tomake his observations through it. But an opening was made in thisdome, as for the mounting of one of our equatorial telescopes, andmachinery was provided which caused the roof to revolve with a touch, bringing the opening to bear on any desired part of the celestialvault. In the centre of the solid floor, levelled to the utmostperfection, was left a circular pillar supporting the polar axis of aninstrument widely differing from our telescopes, especially in thefact that it had no opaque tube connecting the essential lenses whichwe call the eye-piece and the object-glass, names not applicable totheir Martial substitutes. On my visit to the Observatory, however, Ihad not leisure to examine minutely the means by which the images ofstars and planets were produced. I reserved this examination for asecond opportunity, which, as it happened, never occurred. 

On this occasion Eveena and Eunané were with me, and the astronomicpictures which were to be presented to us, and which they could enjoyand understand almost as fully as myself, sufficiently occupied ourtime. Warned to stand at such a distance from the central machinerythat in a whole revolution no part of it could by any possibilitytouch us, we were placed near an opening looking into a dark chamber, with our backs to the objects of observation. In this chamber, notupon a screen but suspended in the air, presently appeared an imageseveral thousand times larger than that of the crescent Moon as seenthrough a tube small enough to correct the exaggeration of visualinstinct. It appeared, however, not flat, as does the Moon to thenaked eye, but evidently as part of a sphere. At some distance wasshown another crescent, belonging to a sphere whose diameter was alittle more than one-fourth that of the former. The light reflectedfrom their surfaces was of silver radiance, rather than the golden hueof the Moon or of Venus as seen through a small telescope. The smallercrescent I could recognise at once as belonging to our own satellite;the larger was, of course, the world I had quitted. So exactly is theclockwork or its substitute adapted to counteract both the rotationand revolution of Mars, that the two images underwent no other changeof place than that caused by their own proper motion in space; amovement which, notwithstanding the immense magnifying power employed, was of course scarcely perceptible. But the rotation of the largersphere was visible as we watched it. It so happened that the partwhich was at once lighted by the rays of the Sun and exposed to ourobservation was but little clouded. The atmosphere, of course, prevented its presenting the clear, sharply-defined outlines of lunarlandscapes; but sea and land, ice and snow, were so clearly definedand easily distinguishable that my companions exclaimed witheagerness, as they observed features unmistakably resembling on thegrand scale those with which they were themselves familiar. The Arcticice was scarcely visible in the North. The vast steppes of Russia, theboundary line of the Ural mountains, the greyish-blue of the Euxine, Western Asia, Arabia, and the Red Sea joining the long water-line ofthe Southern Ocean, were defined by the slanting rays. The Antarcticice-continent was almost equally clear, with its stupendous glaciermasses radiating apparently from an elevated extensive land, chieflyconsisting of a deeply scooped and scored plateau of rock, around thePole itself. The terminator, or boundary between light and shade, wasnot, as in the Moon, pretty sharply defined, and broken only by themountainous masses, rings, and sea-beds, if such they are, socharacteristic of the latter. On the image of the Moon thereintervened between bright light and utter darkness but the narrow beltto which only part of the Sun was as yet visible, and which, therefore, received comparatively few rays. The twilight to north andsouth extended on the image of the Earth deep into that part on whichas yet the Sun was below the horizon, and consequently daylight fadedinto darkness all but imperceptibly, save between the tropics. Wewatched long and intently as league by league new portions of Europeand Africa, the Mediterranean, and even the Baltic, came into view;and I was able to point out to Eveena lands in which I had traveller, seas I had crossed, and even the isles of the Aegean, and bays inwhich my vessel had lain at anchor. This personal introduction to eachpart of the image, now presented to her for the first time, enabledher to realise more forcibly than a lengthened experience ofastronomical observation might have done the likeness to her own worldof that which was passing under her eyes; and at once intensified herwonder, heightened her pleasure, and sharpened her intellectualapprehension of the scene. When we had satiated our eyes with thisspectacle, or rather when I remembered that we could spare no moretime to this, the most interesting exhibition of the evening, a turnof the machinery brought Venus under view. Here, however, the cloudenvelope baffled us altogether, and her close approach to the horizonsoon obliged the director to turn his apparatus in another direction. Two or three of the Asteroids were in view. Pallas especiallypresented a very interesting spectacle. Not that the difference ofdistance would have rendered the definition much more perfect thanfrom a Terrestrial standpoint, but that the marvellous perfection ofMartial instruments, and in some measure also the rarity of theatmosphere at such a height, rendered possible the use of far highermagnifying powers than our astronomers can employ. I am inclined toagree, from what I saw on this occasion, with those who imagine theAsteroids to be--if not fragments of a broken planet which onceexisted as a whole--yet in another sense fragmentary spheres, lessperfect and with surfaces of much greater proportionate irregularitythan those of the larger planets. Next was presented to our view on asomewhat smaller scale, because the area of the chamber employed wouldnot otherwise have given room for the system, the enormous disc andthe four satellites of Jupiter. The difference between 400 and 360millions of miles' distance is, of course, wholly unimportant; but thedefinition and enlargement were such that the image was perfect, andthe details minute and distinct, beyond anything that Earthlyobservation had led me to conceive as possible. The satellites were nolonger mere points or tiny discs, but distinct moons, with surfacesmarked like that of our own satellite, though far less mountainous andbroken, and, as it seemed to me, possessing a distinct atmosphere. Iam not sure that there is not a visible difference of brightness amongthem, not due to their size but to some difference in the reflectingpower of their surfaces, since the distance of all from the Sun ispractically equal That Jupiter gives out some light of his own, aportion of which they may possibly reflect in differing amountaccording to their varying distance, is believed by Martialastronomers; and I thought it not improbable. The brilliant andvarious colouring of the bands which, cross the face of the giantplanet was wonderfully brought out; the bluish-grey around the poles, the clear yellowish-white light of the light bands, probably belts ofwhite cloud, contrasted signally the hues--varying from deeporange-brown to what was almost crimson or rose-pink on the one handand bright yellow on the other--of different zones of the so-calleddark belts. On the latter, markings and streaks of strange varietysuggested, if they failed-to prove, the existence of frequent spiralstorms, disturbing, probably at an immense height above the surface, clouds which must be utterly unlike the clouds of Mars or the Earth inmaterial as well as in form and mass. These markings enabled us tofollow with clear ocular appreciation the rapid rotation of thisplanet. In the course of half-an-hour several distinct spots ondifferent belts had moved in a direct line across a tenth of the facepresented to us--a distance, upon the scale of the gigantic image, sogreat that the motion required no painstaking observation, but forceditself upon the notice of the least attentive spectator. The belief ofMartial astronomers is that Jupiter is not by any means so much lessdense than the minor planets as his proportionately lesser weightwould imply. They hold that his visible surface is that of anenormously deep atmosphere, within which lies, they suppose, a centralball, not merely hot but more than white hot, and probably, from itstemperature, not yet possessing a solid crust. One writer argues that, since all worlds must by analogy be supposed to be inhabited, andsince the satellites of Jupiter more resemble worlds than the planetitself, which may be regarded as a kind of secondary sun, it is notimprobable that the former are the scenes of life as varied as that ofMars itself; and that infinite ages hence, when these have become toocold for habitation, their giant primary may have gone through thoseprocesses which, according to the received theory, have fitted theinterior planets to be the home of plants, animals, and, in two casesat least, of human beings. 

It was near midnight before the manifest fatigue of the ladiesovercame my selfish desire to prolong as much as possible this mostinteresting visit. Meteorological science in Mars has been carried tohigh perfection; and the director warned me that but three or fourequally favourable opportunities might offer in the course of the nexthalf year. 

CHAPTER XXIII - CHARACTERISTICS. 

Time passed on, marked by no very important incident, while I madeacquaintance with manners and with men around me, neither one nor theother worth further description. Nothing occurred to confirm thealarms Davilo constantly repeated. 

I called the ladies one day into the outer grounds to see a newcarriage, capable, according to its arrangement, of containing fromtwo to eight persons, and a balloon of great size and new constructionwhich Davilo had urgently counselled me to procure, as capable ofsudden use in some of those daily thickening perils, of which I couldsee no other sign than occasional evidence that my steps were watchedand dogged. Both vehicles enlisted the interest and curiosity ofEunané and her companions. Eveena, after examining with as muchattention as was due to the trouble I took to explain it, theconstruction of the carriage, concentrated her interest andobservation upon the balloon, the sight of which evidently impressedher. When we had returned to the peristyle, and the rest haddispersed, I said--

"I see you apprehend some part of my reasons for purchasing theballoon. The carriage will take us to-morrow to Altasfe (a town someten miles distant). 'Shopping' is an amusement so gratifying to allwomen on Earth, from the veiled favourites of an Eastern seraglio tothe very unveiled dames of Western ballrooms, that I suppose theinstinct must be native to the sex wherever women and trade co-exist. If you have a single feminine folly, you will enjoy this more than youwill own. If you are, as they complain, absolutely faultless, you willenjoy with me the pleasure of the girls in plaguing one after anotherall the traders of Altasfe:" and with these words I placed in herhands a packet of the thin metallic plates constituting theircurrency. Her extreme and unaffected surprise was amusing to witness. 

"What am I to do with this?" she inquired, counting carefully theuncounted pile, in a manner which at once dispelled my impression thather surprise was due to childish ignorance of its value. 

"Whatever you please, Madonna; whatever can please you and theothers. "

"But, " she remonstrated, "this is more than all our dowries foranother year to come; and--forgive me for repeating what you seempurposely to forget--I cannot cast the shadow between my equals andthe master. Would you so mortify _me_ as to make me take from Eunané'shand, for example, what should come from yours?"

"You are right, Madonna, now as always, " I owned; wincing at the nameshe used, invariably employed by the others, but one I never enduredfrom her. Her looks entreated pardon for the form of the impliedreproof, as I resumed the larger part of the money she held out to me, forcing back the smaller into her reluctant hands. "But what has theamount of your dowries to do with the matter? The contracts are meant, I suppose, to secure the least to which a wife has a right, not to fixher natural share in her husband's wealth. You need not fear, Eveena;the Prince has made us rich enough to spend more than we shall carefor. "

"I don't understand you, " she replied with her usual gentle franknessand simple logical consistency. "It pleases you to say 'we' and 'ours'whenever you can so seem to make me part of yourself; and I love tohear you, for it assures me each time that you still hold me tightlyas I cling to you. But you know those are only words of kindness. Since you returned my father's gift, the dowry you then doubled is myonly share of what is yours, and it is more than enough. "

"Do you mean that women expect and receive no more: that they do notnaturally share in a man's surplus wealth?"

While I spoke Enva had joined us, and, resting on the cushions at myfeet, looked curiously at the metallic notes in Eveena's hand. 

"You do not, " returned the latter, "pay more foe what you havepurchased because you have grown richer. You do not share your wealtheven with those on whose care it chiefly depends. "

"Yes, I do, Eveena. But I know what you mean. Their share is settledand is not increased. But you will not tell me that this affords anystandard for household dealings; that a wife's share in her husband'sfortune is really bounded by the terms of the marriage contract?"

"Will you let Enva answer you?" asked Eveena. "She looks more readythan I feel to reply. "

This little incident was characteristic in more ways than one. Eveena's feelings, growing out of the realities of our relation, wereat issue with and perplexed her convictions founded on the theory andpractice of her world. Not yet doubting the justice of the latter, sheinstinctively shrank from their application to ourselves. She wasglad, therefore, to let Enva state plainly and directly a doctrinewhich, from her own lips, would have pained as well as startled me. Onher side, Enva, though encouraged to bear her part in conversation, was too thoroughly imbued with the same ideas to interpose unbidden. As she would have said, a wife deserved the sandal for speakingwithout leave; nor--experience notwithstanding--would she think itsafe to interrupt in my presence a favourite so pointedly honoured asEveena. 'She waited, therefore, till my eyes gave the permission whichhers had asked. 

"Why should you buy anything twice over, Clasfempta, whether it be awife or an ambâ? A girl sells her society for the best price herattractions will command. These attractions seldom increase. Youcannot give her less because you care less for them; but how can sheexpect more?"

"I know, Enva, that the marriage contract here is an open bargain andsale, as among my race it is generally a veiled one. But, the bargainmade, does it really govern the after relation? Do men really spendtheir wealth wholly on themselves, and take no pleasure in thepleasure of women?"

"Generally, I believe, " Enva replied, "they fancy they have paid toomuch for their toy before they have possessed it long, and had ratherbuy a new one than make much of those they have. Wives seldom look onthe increase of a man's wealth as a gain to themselves. Of course youlike to see us prettily dressed, while you think us worth looking atin ourselves. But as a rule our own income provides for that; and _we_at any rate are better off than almost any women outside the Palace. The Prince did not care, and knew it would not matter to you, what hegave to make his gift worthy of him and agreeable to you. Perhaps, "she added, "he wished to make it secure by offering terms too good tobe thrown away by any foolish rebellion against a heavier hand or aworse temper than usual. You hardly understand yet half the advantagesyou possess. "

The latent sarcasm of the last remark did not need the look ofpretended fear that pointed it. If Enva professed to resent myinadequate appreciation of the splendid beauty bestowed on me by theroyal favour more than any possible ill-usage for which she supposedherself compensated in advance, it was not for me to put her sincerityto proof. 

"Once bought, then, wives are not worth pleasing? It is not worthwhile to purchase happy faces, bright smiles, and willing kisses nowand then at a cost the giver can scarcely feel?"

Enva's look now was half malicious, half kindly, and wholly comical;but she answered gravely, with a slight imitation of my own tone--

"Can you not imagine, or make Eveena tell you, Clasfempta, why womenonce purchased think it best to give smiles and kisses freely to onewho can command their tears? Or do you fancy that their smiles aremore loyal and sincere when won by kindness than. .. . "

"By fear? Sweeter, Enva, at any rate. Well, if I do not offend yourfeelings, I need not hesitate to disregard another of your customs. "

She received her share willingly and gratefully enough, but her smileand kiss were so evidently given to order, that they only testified tothe thorough literality of her statement. Leenoo, Eiralé, and Elféfollowed her example with characteristic exactness. Equallycharacteristic was the conduct of the others. Eunané kept aloof tillcalled, and then approached with an air of sullen reluctance, as ifsummoned to receive a reprimand rather than a favour. Not a littleamused, I affected displeasure in my turn, till the window of herchamber closed behind us, and her ill-humour was forgotten inwondering alarm. Offered in private, the kiss and smile given and notdemanded, the present was accepted with frank affectionate gratitude. Eivé took her share in pettish shyness, waiting the moment when shemight mingle unobserved with her childlike caresses the childishreproach--

"If you can buy kisses, Clasfempta, you don't want mine. And if youfancy I sell them, you shall have no more. "

I saw Davilo in the morning before we started. After some conversationon business, he said--

"And pardon a suggestion which I make, not as in charge of youraffairs, but as responsible to our supreme authority for your safety. No correspondence should pass from your household unscrutinised; andif there be such correspondence, I must ask you to place in my hand, for the purpose of our quest, not any message, but some of the slipson which messages have been written. This may probably furnishprecisely that tangible means of relation with some one acquaintedwith the conspiracy for which we have sought in vain. "

My unwillingness to meddle with feminine correspondence was the lessintelligible to him that, as the master alone commands the householdtelegraph, he knew that it must have passed through my hands. Iyielded at last to his repeated urgency that a life more precious thanmine was involved in any danger to myself, so far as to promise theslips required, to furnish a possible means of _rapport_ between the_clairvoyante_ and the enemy. 

I returned to the house in grave thought. Eunané. Corresponded by thetelegraph with some schoolmates; Eivé, I fancied, with three or fourof those ladies with whom, accompanying me on my visits, she had madeacquaintance. But I hated the very thought of domestic suspicion, and, adhering to my original resolve, refused to entertain a distrust thatseemed ill-founded and far-fetched. If there had been treachery, itwould be impossible to obtain any letters that might have beenpreserved without resorting to a compulsion which, since both Eunanéand Eivé had written in the knowledge that their letters passedunread, would seem like a breach of faith. I asked, however, simply, and giving no reason, for the production of any papers received andpreserved by either. Eivé, with her usual air of simplicity, broughtme the two or three which, she said, were all she had kept. Eunanéreplied with a petulance almost amounting to refusal, which to somemight have suggested suspicion; but which to me seemed the very lastcourse that a culprit would have pursued. To give needless offencewhile conscious of guilt would have been the very wantonness ofreckless temper. 

"Bite your tongue, and keep your letters, " I said sharply. 

Turning to Eivé and looking at the addresses of hers, none of whichbore the name of any one who could be suspected of the remotestconnection with a political plot--

"Give me which of these you please, " I said, taking from her hand thatwhich she selected and marking it. "Now erase the writing yourself andgive me the paper. "

This incident gave Eunané leisure to recover her temper. She stood fora few moments ashamed perhaps, but, as usual, resolute to abide by theconsequences of a fault. When she found that my last word was spoken, her mood changed at once. 

"I did not quite like to give you Velna's letters. They are foolish, like mine; and besides----But I never supposed you would let merefuse. What you won't make me do, I must do of my own accord. "

Womanly reasoning, most unlike "woman's reasons!" She brought, withunaffected alacrity, a collection of tafroo-slips whose addresses boreout her account of their character. Taking the last from the bundle, Ibade her erase its contents. 

"No, " she said, "that is the one I least liked to show. If you willnot read it, please follow my hand as I read, and see for yourself howfar I have misused your trust. "

"I never doubted your good faith, Eunané"--But she had begun to read, pointing with her finger as she went on. At one sentence hand andvoice wavered a little without apparent reason. "I shall, " wrote herschool-friend, some half year her junior, "make my appearance at thenext inspection. I wish the Camptâ, had left you here till now; wemight perhaps have contrived to pass into the same household. "

"A very innocent wish, and very natural, " I said, in answer to thelook, half inquiring, half shy, with which Eunané watched the effectof her words. I could not now use the precaution in her case, which ithad somehow seemed natural to adopt with Eivé, of marking the paperreturned for erasure. On her part, Eunané thrust into my hand thewhole bundle as they were, and I was forced myself to erase, by anelectro-chemical process which leaves no trace of writing, the wordsof that selected. The absence of any mark on the second paper servedsufficiently to distinguish the two when, of course without statingfrom whom I received them, I placed, them in Davilo's hands. 

When we were ready to leave the peristyle for the carriage, I observedthat Eunané alone was still unveiled, while the others wore theircloaks of down and the thick veils, without which no lady may presentherself to the public eye. 

"'Thieving time is woman's crime, '" I said, quoting a domesticproverb. "In another household you would; be left behind. "

"Of course, " she replied, such summary discipline seeming to her asappropriate as to an European child. "I don't like always to deservethe vine and receive the nuts. "

"You must take which _I_ like, " I retorted, laughing. Satisfied orsilenced, she hastened to dress, and enjoyed with unalloyed delightthe unusual pleasure of inspecting dresses and jewellery, and makingmore purchases in a day than she had expected to be able to do in twoyears. But she and her companions acted with more consideration thanladies permitted to visit the shops of Europe show for their masculineescort. Eivé alone, on this as on other occasions, availed herselfthoroughly of those privileges of childhood which I had alwaysextended to her. 

So quick are the proceedings and so excellent the arrangements ofMartial commerce, even where ladies are concerned, that a couple ofhours saw us on our way homeward, after having passed through theapartments of half the merchants in Altasfe. Purposely for my ownpleasure, as well as for that of my companions, I took a circuitousroute homeward, and in so doing came within sight of a principalfeminine Nursery or girls' school. Recognising it, Eunané spoke withsome eagerness--

"Ah! I spent nine years there, and not always unhappily. "

Eveena, who sat beside me, pressed my hand, with an intention easilyunderstood. 

"And you would like to see it again?" I inquired in compliance withher silent hint. 

"Not to go back, " said Eunané. "But I should like to pay it a visit, if it were possible. "

"Can we?" I asked Eveena. 

"I think so, " she answered. "I observe half a dozen people have gonein since we came in sight, and I fancy it is inspection day there. "

"Inspection?" I asked. 

"Yes, " she replied in a tone of some little annoyance and discomfort. "The girls who have completed their tenth year, and who are thought tohave as good a chance now as they would have later, are dressed forthe first time in the white robe and veil of maidenhood, and presentedin the public chamber to attract the choice of those who are lookingfor brides. "

"Not a pleasant spectacle, " I said, "to you or to myself; but it willhardly annoy the others, and Eunané shall have her wish. "

We descended from our carriage at the gate, and entered the grounds ofthe Nursery. Studiously as the health, the diet, and the exercise ofthe inmates are cared for, nothing is done to render the appearance ofthe home where they pass so large and critical a portion of theirlives cheerful or attractive in appearance. Utility alone is studied;how much beauty conduces to utility where the happiness and health ofchildren are concerned, Martial science has yet to learn. The groundscontained no flowers and but few trees; the latter ruined in point ofform and natural grace to render them convenient supports forgymnastic apparatus. A number of the younger girls, unveiled, butdressed in a dark plain garment reaching from the throat to the knees, with trousers giving free play to the limbs, were exercising on thedifferent swings and bars, flinging the light weights and balls, orhandling the substitutes for dumb-bells, the use of which forms animportant branch of their education. Others, relieved from thisessential part of their tasks, were engaged in various sports. One ofthese I noticed especially. Perhaps a hundred young ladies on eitherside formed a sort of battalion, contending for the ground theyoccupied with light shields of closely woven wire and masks of thesame material, and with spears consisting of a reed or grass aboutfive feet in length, and exceedingly light. When perfectly ripened, these spears are exceeding formidable, their points being sharp enoughto pierce the skin of any but a pachydermatous animal. Those employedin these games, however, are gathered while yet covered by a sheath, which, as they ripen, bursts and leaves the keen, hard point exposed. Considerable care is taken in their selection, since, if nearly ripe, or if they should ripen prematurely under the heat of the sun whensevered from the stem, the sheath bursting in the middle of a game, very grave accidents might occur. The movements of the girls were soordered that the game appeared almost as much a dance as a conflict;but though there was nothing of unseemly violence, the victory wasevidently contested with real earnestness, and with a skill superiorto that displayed in the movements of the actual soldiers who havelong since exchanged the tasks of warfare for the duties of policemen, escorts, and sentries. I held Eveena's hand, the others followed usclosely, venturing neither to break from our party without leave norto ask permission, till, at Eveena's suggestion, it was spontaneouslygiven. They then quitted us, hastening, Eunané to seek out herfavourite companions of a former season, the others to mingle with theyounger girls and share in their play. We walked on slowly, stoppingfrom time to time to watch the exercises and sports of the youngerportion of a community numbering some fifteen hundred girls. When weentered the hall we were rejoined by Eunané, with one of her friendswho still wore the ordinary school costume. Conversation with ornotice of a young lady so dressed was not only not expected butdisallowed, and the pair seated themselves behind us and studiouslyout of hearing of any conversation conducted in a low tone. 

The spectacle, as I had anticipated, was to me anything but pleasant. It reminded me of a slave-market of the East, however, rather than ofthe more revolting features of a slave auction in the United States. The maidens, most of them very graceful and more than pretty, theirrobes arranged and ornamented with an evident care to set off theirpersons to the best advantage, and with a skill much greater than theythemselves could yet have acquired, were seated alone or by twos andthrees in different parts of the hall, grouped so as to produce themost attractive general as well as individual effect. The picture, therefore, was a pretty one; and since the intending purchasersaddressed the objects of their curiosity or admiration with courtesyand fairly decorous reserve, it was the known character rather thanany visible incident of the scene that rendered it repugnant orrevolting in my eyes. I need not say that, except Eveena, there was noone of either sex in the hall who shared my feeling. After all, thepurpose was but frankly avowed, and certainly carried out more safelyand decorously than in the ball-rooms and drawing-rooms of London orParis. Of the maidens, some seemed shy and backward, and most weresilent save when addressed. But the majority received their suitorswith a thoroughly business-like air, and listened to the terms offeredthem, or endeavoured to exact a higher price or a briefer period ofassured slavery, with a self-possession more reasonable than agreeableto witness. One maiden seated in our immediate vicinity was, Iperceived, the object of Eveena's especial interest, and, at first onthis account alone, attracted my observation. Dressed with somewhatless ostentatious care and elegance than her companions, her veil andthe skirt of her robe were so arranged as to show less of her personalattractions than they generally displayed. A first glance hardly didjustice to a countenance which, if not signally pretty, and certainlymarked by a beauty less striking than that of most of the others, wasmodest and pleasing; a figure slight and graceful, with hands and feetyet smaller than usual, even among a race the shape of whose limbs is, with few exceptions, admirable. Very few had addressed her, or evenlooked at her; and a certain resigned mortification was visible in hercountenance. 

"You are sorry for that child?" I said to Eveena. 

"Yes, " she answered. "It must be distressing to feel herself the leastattractive, the least noticed among her companions, and on such anoccasion. I cannot conceive how I could bear to form part of such aspectacle; but if I were in her place, I suppose I should be hurt andhumbled at finding that nobody cared to look at me in the presence ofothers prettier and better dressed than myself. "

"Well, " I said, "of all the faces I see I like that the best. Isuppose I must not speak to her?"

"Why not?" said Eveena in surprise. "You are not bound to purchaseher, any more than we bought all we looked at to-day. "

"It did not occur to me, " I replied, "that I could be regarded as apossible suitor, nor do I think I could find courage to present myselfto that young lady in a manner which must cause her to look upon me inthat light. Ask Eunané if she knows her. "

Here Eivé and the others joined us and took their places on my right. Eveena, leaving her seat for a moment, spoke apart with Eunané. 

"Will you speak to her?" she said, returning. "She is Eunané's friendand correspondent, Velna; and I think they are really fond of eachother. It is a pity that if she is to undergo the mortification ofremaining unchosen and going back to her tasks, at least till the nextinspection, she will also be separated finally from the only personfor whom she seems to have had anything like home affection. "

"Well, if I am to talk to her, " I replied, "you must be good enough toaccompany me. I do not feel that I could venture on such an enterpriseby myself. "

Eveena's eyes, even through her veil, expressed at once amusement andsurprise; but as she rose to accompany me this expression faded and alook of graver interest replaced it. Many turned to observe us as wecrossed the short space that separated us from the isolated andneglected maiden. I had seen, if I had not noticed, that in no casewere the men, as they made the tour of the room or went up to any ladywho might have attracted their special notice, accompanied by thewomen of their households. A few of these, however, sat watching thescene, their mortification, curiosity, jealousy, or whatever feelingit might excite, being of course concealed by the veils that hid everyfeature but the eyes, which now and then followed very closely thefootsteps of their lords. The object of our attention showed markedsurprise as we approached her, and yet more when, seeing that I was ata loss for words, Eveena herself spoke a kindly and gracious sentence. The girl's voice was soft and low, and her tone and words, as wegradually fell into a hesitating and broken conversation, confirmedthe impression made by her appearance. When, after a few minutes, Imoved to depart, there was in Eveena's reluctant steps and expressiveupturned eyes a meaning I could not understand. As soon as we were outof hearing, moving so as partly to hide my countenance and entirely toconceal her own gesture from the object of her compassion, she checkedmy steps by a gentle pressure on my arm and looked up earnestly intomy face. 

"What is it?" I asked. "You seem to have some wish that I cannotconjecture; and you can trust by this time my anxiety to gratify everydesire of yours, reasonable or not--if indeed you ever wereunreasonable. "

"She is so sad, so lonely, " Eveena answered, "and she is so fond ofEunané. "

"You don't mean that you want me to make her an offer!" I exclaimed inextreme amazement. 

"Do not be angry, " pleaded Eveena. "She would be glad to accept anyoffer you would be likely to make; and the money you gave me yesterdaywould have paid all she would cost you for many years. Besides, itwould please Eunané, and it would make Velna so happy. "

"You must know far better than I can what is likely to make herhappy, " I replied. "Strange to the ideas and customs of your world, Icannot conceive that a woman can wish to take the last place in ahousehold like ours rather than the first or only one with the poorestof her people. "

"She will hardly have the choice, " Eveena answered. "Those whom youcan call poor mostly wait till they can have their choice before theymarry; and if taken by some one who could not afford a more expensivechoice, she would only be neglected, or dismissed ill provided for, assoon as he could purchase one more to his taste. "

"If, " I rejoined at last, "you think it a kindness to her, and aresure she will so think it; if you wish it, and will avouch hercontentment with a place in the household of one who does not desireher, I will comply with this as with any wish of yours. But it is notto my: mind to take a wife out of mere compassion, as I might readilyadopt a child. "

Once more, with all our mutual affection and appreciation of eachother's character, Eveena and I were fat as the Poles apart in thoughtif not in feeling. It was as impossible for her to emancipate herselfutterly from the ideas and habits of her own world, as for me toreconcile myself to them. I led her back at last to her seat, andbeckoned Eunané to my side. 

"Eveena, " I said, "has been urging me to offer your friend yonder aplace in our household. "

Though I could not see her face, the instant change in her attitude, the eager movement of her hands, and the elastic spring that suddenlybraced her form, expressed her feeling plainly enough. 

"It must be done, I suppose, " I murmured rather to myself than tothem, as Eunané timidly put out her hand and gratefully claspedEveena's. "Well, it is to be done for you, and you must do it. "

"How can I?" exclaimed Eunané in astonishment; and Eveena added, "Itis for you; you only can name your terms, and it would be a strangeslight to her to do so through us. "

"I cannot help that. I will not 'act the lie' by affecting anypersonal desire to win her, and I could not tell her the truth. Offerher the same terms that contented the rest; nay, if she enters myhousehold, she shall not feel herself in a secondary or inferiorposition. "

This condition surprised even Eveena as much as my resolve to make herthe bearer of the proposal that was in truth her own. But, howeverreluctant, she would as soon have refused obedience to my request ashave withheld a kindness because it cost her an unexpected trial. Taking Eunané with her, she approached and addressed the girl. Whatever my own doubt as to her probable reception, however absurd inmy own estimation the thing I was induced to do, there was nocorresponding consciousness, no feeling but one of surprise andgratification, in the face on which I turned my eyes. There was ashort and earnest debate; but, as I afterwards learned, it arosesimply from the girl's astonishment at terms which, extravagant evenfor the beauties of the day, were thrice as liberal as she hadventured to dream of. Eveena and Eunané were as well aware of this asherself; the right of beauty to a special price seemed to them asobvious as in Western Europe seems the right of rank to exorbitantsettlements; but they felt it as impossible to argue the point as asolicitor would find it unsafe to expound to a _gentleman_ thedifferent cost of honouring Mademoiselle with his hand and beinghonoured with that of Milady. Velna's remonstrances were suppressed;she rose, and, accompanied by Eveena and Eunané, approached a desk inone corner of the room, occupied by a lady past middle life. Thelatter, like all those of her sex who have adopted masculineindependence and a professional career, wore no veil over her face, and in lieu of the feminine head-dress a band of metal around thehead, depending from which a short fall of silken texture drawn backbehind the ears covered the neck and upper edge of the dark robe. Thislady took from a heap by her side a slip containing the usual form ofmarriage contract, and filled in the blanks. At a sign from Eveena, Ihad by this time approached close enough to hear the language ofhalf-envious, half-supercilious wonder in which the schoolmistresscongratulated her pupil on her signal conquest, and the terms she hadobtained, as well as the maiden's unaffected acknowledgment of her ownsurprise and conscious unworthiness. I could _feel_, despite theconcealment of her form and face, Eveena's silent expression of paineddisgust with the one, and earnest womanly sympathy with the other. Thedocument was executed in the usual triplicate. 

The girl retired for a few minutes, and reappeared in a cloak and veillike those of her new companions, but of comparatively cheapmaterials. As we passed the threshold, Eveena gently and tacitly butdecisively assigned to her _protégée_ her own place beside me, and puther right hand in my left. The agitation with which it manifestlytrembled, though neither strange nor unpleasing, added to the extremeembarrassment I felt; and I had placed her next to Eunané in thecarriage and taken my seat beside Eveena, whom I never permitted toresign her own, before a single spoken word had passed in thisextraordinary courtship, or sanctioned the brief and practicalceremony of marriage. 

I was alone in my own room that evening when a gentle scratching onthe window-crystal entreated admission. I answered without looking up, assuming that Eveena alone would seek me there. But hers were not thelips that were earnestly pressed on my hand, nor hers the voice thatspoke, trembling and hesitating with stronger feeling than it couldutter in words--

"I do thank you from my heart. I little thought you would wish to makeme so happy. I shrank from showing you the letter lest you shouldthink I dared to hope. .. . It is not only Velna; it is such strange joyand comfort to be held fast by one who cares--to feel safe in hands askind as they are strong. You said you could love none save Eveena;but, Clasfempta, your way of not loving is something better, gentler, more considerate than any love I ever hoped or heard of. "

I could read only profound sincerity and passionate gratitude in theclear bright eyes, softened by half-suppressed tears, that looked upfrom where she knelt beside me. But the exaggeration was painfullysuggestive, confirming the ugly view Enva had given yesterday of thelife that seemed natural and reasonable to her race, and made ordinaryhuman kindness appear something strange and romantic by contrast. 

"Surely, Eunané, every man wishes those around him happy, if it do notcost too much to make them so?"

"No, indeed! Oftener the master finds pleasure in punishing andhumiliating, the favourite in witnessing her companions' tears andterror. They like to see the household grateful for an hour'samusement, crouching to caprice, incredulously thankful for barestjustice. One book much read in our schools says that 'cruelty is astronger, earlier, and more tenacious human instinct than sympathy;'and another that 'half the pleasure of power lies in giving pain, andhalf the remainder in being praised for sparing it. ' . .. But that wasnot all: Eveena was as eager to be kind as you were. "

"Much more so, Eunané. "

"Perhaps. What seemed natural to her was strange to you. But it was_your_ thought to put Velna on equal terms with us; taking her out ofmere kindness, to give her the dowry of a Prince's favourite. _That_surprised Eveena, and it puzzled me. But I think I half understand younow, and if I do. .. . When Eveena told us how you saved her and defiedthe Regent, and Eivé asked you about it, you said so quietly, 'Thereare some things a man cannot do. ' Is buying a girl cheap, because sheis not a beauty, one of those things?"

"To take any advantage of her misfortune--to make her feel it in myconduct--to give her a place in my household on other terms than herequals--to show her less consideration or courtesy than one would giveto a girl as beautiful as yourself--yes, Eunané! To my eyes, yourfriend is pleasant and pretty; but if not, would you have liked tofeel that she was of less account here than yourself, because she hasnot such splendid beauty as yours?"

Eunané was too frank to conceal her gratification in this firstacknowledgment of her charms, as she had shown her mortification whileit was withheld--not, certainly, because undeserved. Her eyesbrightened and her colour deepened in manifest pleasure. But she wasequally frank in her answer to the implied compliment to hergenerosity, of whose justice she was not so well assured. 

"I am afraid I should half have liked it, a year ago. Now, after Ihave lived so long with you and Eveena, I should be shamed by it! But, Clasfempta, the things 'a man cannot do' are the things men do everyday;--and women every hour!"

CHAPTER XXIV - WINTER. 

Hitherto I had experienced only the tropical climate of Mars, with theexception of the short time spent in the northern temperate zone aboutthe height of its summer. I was anxious, of course, to see somethingalso of its winter, and an opportunity presented itself. Noinstitution was more obviously worth a visit than the great Universityor principal place of highest education in this world, and I wasinvited thither in the middle of the local winter. To this Universitymany of the most promising youths, especially those intended for anyof the Martial professions--architects, artists, rulers, lawyers, physicians, and so forth--are often sent directly from the schools, orafter a short period of training in the higher colleges. It is situatefar within the north temperate zone on the shore of one of the longestand narrowest of the great Martial gulfs, which extends fromnorth-eastward to south-west, and stretches from 43° N. To 10° S. Latitude. The University in question is situate nearly at theextremity of the northern branch of this gulf, which splits into twoabout 300 miles from its end, a canal of course connecting it with thenearest sea-belt. I chose to perform this journey by land, followingthe line of the great road from Amacasfe to Qualveskinta for about 800miles, and then turning directly northward. I did not suppose that Ishould find a willing companion on this journey, and was myselfwishful to be alone, since I dared not, in her present state ofhealth, expose Eveena to the fatigue and hardship of prolonged wintertravelling by land. To my surprise, however, all the rest, when awarethat I had declined to take her, were eager to accompany me. Chieflyto take her out of the way, and certainly with no idea of findingpleasure in her society, I selected Enva; next to Leenoo the mostmalicious of the party, and gifted with sufficient intelligence torender her malice more effective than Leenoo's stupidity could be. Enva, moreover, with the vigorous youthful vitality-so often found onEarth in women of her light Northern complexion, seemed less likely tosuffer from the severity of the weather or the fatigue of a landjourney than most of her companions. When I spoke of my intention toDavilo, I was surprised to find that he considered even femininecompany a protection. 

"Any attempt upon you, " he said, "must either involve your companion, for which there can be no legal excuse preferred, or else expose theassailant to the risk of being identified through her evidence. "

I started accordingly a few days before the winter solstice of theNorth, reaching the great road a few miles from the point at which itcrosses another of the great gulfs running due north and south, at itsnarrowest point in latitude 3° S. At this point the inlet is no morethan twenty miles wide, and its banks about a hundred feet in height. At this level and across this vast space was carried a bridge, supported by arches, and resting on pillars deeply imbedded in thesubmarine rock at a depth about equal to the height of the land oneither side. The Martial seas are for the most part shallow, thelandlocked gulfs being seldom 100 fathoms, and the deepest oceansoundings giving less than 1000. The vast and solid structure lookedas light and airy as any suspension bridge across an Alpine ravine. This gigantic viaduct, about 500 Martial years old, is still the mostmagnificent achievement of engineering in this department. The mainroads, connecting important cities or forming the principal routes ofcommerce in the absence of convenient river or sea carriage, arecarried over gulfs, streams, ravines, and valleys, and through hills, as Terrestrial engineers have recently promised to carry railways overthe minor inequalities of ground. That which we were following is anespecially magnificent road, and signalised by several grandexhibitions of engineering daring and genius. It runs from Amacasfefor a thousand miles in one straight line direct as that of a Romanroad, and with but half-a-dozen changes of level in the wholedistance. It crossed in the space of a few miles a valley, or ratherdell, 200 feet in depth, and with semi-perpendicular sides, and astream wider than the Mississippi above the junction of the Ohio. Nextit traversed the precipitous side of a hill for a distance of three orfour miles, where Nature had not afforded foothold for a rabbit or asquirrel. The stupendous bridges and the magnificent open road cut inthe side of the rock, its roof supported on the inside by the hillitself, on the outside by pillars left at regular intervals when thestone was cut, formed from one point a single splendid view. Pointingit out to Enva, I was a little surprised to find her capable, underthe guidance of a few remarks from myself, of appreciating and takingpride in the marvellous work of her race. In another place, a tunnelpierced directly an intervening range of hills for about eight miles, interrupted only in two points by short deep open cuttings. Thispassage, unlike those on the river previously mentioned, wasconstantly and brilliantly lighted. The whole road indeed was lit upfrom the fall of the evening to the dispersion of the morning mistwith a brilliancy nearly equal to that of daylight. As I dared nottravel at a greater rate than twenty-five miles per hour--myexperience, though it enabled me to manage the carriage withsufficient skill, not giving me confidence to push it to its greatestspeed--the journey must occupy several days. We had, therefore, torest at the stations provided by public authority for travellersundertaking such long land journeys. These are built like ordinaryMartial houses, save that in lieu of peristyle or interior garden isan open square planted with shrubs and merely large enough to affordlight to the inner rooms. The chambers also are very much smaller thanthose of good private houses. As these stations are nearly alwaysplaced in towns or villages, or in well-peopled countryneighbourhoods, food is supplied by the nearest confectioner to eachtraveller individually, and a single person, assisted by the ambau, isable to manage the largest of them. 

The last two or three days of our journey were bitterly cold, and nota little trying. My own undergarment of thick soft leather kept mewarmer than the warmest greatcoat or cloak could have done, though Iwore a large cloak of the kargynda's fur in addition--the prize of thehunt that had so nearly cost me dear, a personal and very graciouspresent from the Camptâ. My companion, who had not the formeradvantage, though wrapped in as many outer garments and quilts as Ihad thought necessary, felt the cold severely, and felt still more thedense chill mist which both by night and day covered the greater partof the country. This was not infrequently so thick as to rendertravelling almost perilous; and but that an electric light, requiredby law, was placed at each end of the carriage, collisions would havebeen inevitable. These hardships afforded another illustration of thesubjection of the sex resulting from the rule of theoretical equality. More than a year's experience of natural kindness and considerationhad not given Enva courage to make a single complaint; and at firstshe did her best to conceal the weeping which was the only, but almostcontinuous, expression of her suffering. She was almost as muchsurprised as gratified by my expressions of sympathy, and the troubleI took to obtain, at the first considerable town we reached, anapparatus by which the heat generated by motion itself was made tosupply a certain warmth through the tubular open-work of the carriageto the persons of its occupants. The cold was as severe as that of aSwedish winter, though we never approached within seventeen degrees ofthe Arctic circle, a distance from the Pole equivalent to that ofNorthern France. The Martial thermometer, in form more like awatch-barometer, which I carried in my belt, marked a cold equivalentto 12° below zero C. In the middle of the day; and when left in thecarriage for the night it had registered no less than 22° below zero. 

One of the Professors of the University received us as his guests, assigning to us, as is usual when a lady is of the party, roomslooking on the peristyle, but whose windows remained closed. Enva, ofcourse, spent her time chiefly with the ladies of the family. Whenalone with me she talked freely, though needing some encouragement toexpress her own ideas, or report what she had heard; but she had nointention of concealment, perhaps no notion that I was interested inher accounts of the prevalent feeling respecting the heretics of whomshe heard much, except of course that Eveena's father was among them. Through her I learned that much pains had been taken to intensify andexcite into active hostility the dislike and distrust with which theyhad always been regarded by the public at large, and especially by thescientific guilds, whose members control all educationalestablishments. That some attempt against them was meditated appearedto be generally reported. Its nature and the movers in the matter werenot known, so far as I could gather, even to men so influential as thechief Professors of the University. It was not merely that the womenhad heard nothing on this point, but that their lords had droppedexpressions of surprise at the strictness with which the secret waskept. 

As their parents pay, when first the children are admitted to thepublic Nurseries, the price of an average education, this specialinstruction is given in the first instance at the cost of the State tothose who, on account of their taste and talent, are selected by theteachers of the Colleges. But before they leave the University a bondis taken for the amount of this outlay, which has to be repaid withinthree years. It is fair to say that the tax is trivial in comparisonwith the ordinary gains of their professions; the more so that no suchpreference as, in our world, is almost universally given to areputation which can only be acquired by age, excludes the youth ofMars from full and profitable employment. 

The youths were delighted to receive a lecture on the forms ofTerrestrial government, and the outlines of their history; a topic Iselected because they were already acquainted with the substance ofthe addresses elsewhere delivered. This afforded me an opportunity ofmaking the personal acquaintance of some of the more distinguishedpupils. The clearness of their intellect, the thoroughness of theirknowledge in their several studies, and the distinctness of theiracquaintance with the outlines and principles of Martial learninggenerally, --an acquaintance as free from smattering and superficialityas necessarily unembarrassed by detail, --testified emphatically to theexcellence of the training they had received, as well as to thehereditary development of their brains. What was, however, not lessstriking was the utter absence at once of what I was accustomed toregard as moral principle, and of the generous impulses which in youthsometimes supply the place of principle. They avowed the most absoluteselfishness, the most abject fear of death and pain, with a franknessthat would have amazed the Cynics and disgusted the felons of almostany Earthly nation. There were partial exceptions, but these were tobe found exclusively among those in training for what we should callpublic life, for administrative or judicial duties. These, thoughprofessing no devotion to the interest of others, and little thatcould be called public spirit, did nevertheless understand that inreturn for the high rank, the great power, and the liberalremuneration they would enjoy, they were bound to consider primarilythe public interest in the performance of their functions--the rightof society to just or at least to carefully legal judgment, anddiligent efficient administration. Their feeling, however, was ratherprofessional than personal, the pride of students in the perfection oftheir art rather than the earnestness of men conscious of grave humanresponsibilities. 

In conversing with the chief of this Faculty, I learned somepeculiarities of the system of government with which I was not yetacquainted. Promotion never depends on those with whom a publicservant comes into personal contact, but on those one or two stepsabove the latter. The judges, for instance, of the lower rank areselected by the principal judge of each dominion; these and theirimmediate assistants, by the Chief of the highest Court. The officersaround and under the Governor of a province are named by the Regent ofthe dominion; those surrounding the Regent, as the Regent himself, bythe Sovereign. Every officer, however, can be removed by his immediatesuperior; but it depends on the chief with whom his appointment rests, whether he shall be transferred to a similar post elsewhere or simplydismissed. Thus, while no man can be compelled to work withinstruments he dislikes, no subordinate is at the mercy of personalcaprice or antipathy. 

Promotion, judicial and administrative, ends below the highest point. The judges of the Supreme Court are named by the Sovereign--with theadvice of a Council, including the Regents, the judges of that Court, and the heads of the Philosophic and Educational Institutes--fromamong the advocates and students of law, or from among the ablestadministrators who seem to possess judicial faculties. The code iswritten and simple. Every dubious point that arises in the course oflitigation is referred, by appeal or directly by the judge who decidesit, to the Chief Court, and all points of interpretation thusreferred, are finally settled by an addition to the code at itsperiodical revision. The Sovereign can erase or add at pleasure tothis code. But he can do so only in full Council, and must hear, though he need not regard, the opinions of his advisers. He can, however, suspend immediately till the next meeting of the Council theenforcement of any article. 

The Regents are never named from among subordinate officials, nor is aRegent ever promoted to the throne. It is held that the qualitiesrequired in an absolute Sovereign are not such as are demanded from orlikely to be developed in the subordinate ruler of a dominion howeverimportant, and that functions like those of a Regent, at least asimportant as those of the Viceroy of India, ought not to be entrustedto men trained in subaltern administrative duties. Among the youths ofgreatest promise, in their eighth year, a certain small number areselected by the chiefs of the University, who visit for this purposeall the Nurseries of the kingdom. With what purpose these youths areseparated from their fellows is not explained to them. They arecarefully educated for the highest public duties. Year by year thosedeemed fitter for less important offices are drafted off. There remainat last the very few who are thought competent to the functions ofRegent or Camptâ, and from among these the Sovereign himself selectsat pleasure his own successor and the occupant of any vacant Regency. The latter, however, holds his post at first on probation, and can, ofcourse, be removed at any time by the Sovereign. If the latter shouldnot before his death have named his own successor, the Council by aprocess of elimination is reduced to three, and these cast lots whichshall name the new Autocrat from among the youths deemed worthy of thethrone, of whom six are seldom living at the same time. No Prince isever appointed under the age of fourteen (twenty-seven) or over thatof sixteen (thirty). No Camptâ, has ever abdicated; but they seldomlive to fall into that sort of inert indolence which may be called thedotage of their race. The nature of their functions seems to preservetheir mental activity longer than that of others; and probably theyare not permitted to live when they have become manifestly unfit orincapable to reign. 

When first invited to visit the University, I had hoped to make itonly a stage and stepping-stone to something yet more interesting--tovisit the Arctic hunters once more, and join them in the most excitingof their pursuits; a chase by the electric light of the great Amphibiaof the frozen sea-belt immediately surrounding the permanent ice-capof the Northern Pole. For this, however, the royal licence wasrequired; and, as when I made a similar request during the fur-chaseof the Southern season, I met with a peremptory refusal. "There aretwo men in this world, " said the Prince, "who would entertain such awish. _I_ dare not avow it; and if there were a third, he wouldassuredly be convicted of incurable lunacy, though on all other pointshe were as cold-blooded as the President of the Academy or theVivisector-General. " I did not tell Eveena of my request till it hadbeen refused; and if anything could have lessened my vexation at theloss of this third opportunity, it would have been the expression ofher countenance at that moment. Indeed, I was then satisfied that Icould not have left her in the fever of alarm and anxiety that anysuspicion of my purpose would have caused. 

I seized, however, the opportunity of a winter voyage in a smallvessel, manned by four or five ocean-hunters, less timid andsusceptible to surface disturbances than ordinary seamen. On such anexcursion, Enva, though a far less pleasant companion, was a lessanxious charge than Eveena. We made for the Northern coast, and ranfor some hundred miles, along a sea-bord not unlike that of Norway, but on a miniature scale. Though in some former age this hemisphere, like Europe, has been subject to glacial action much more general andintense than at present, its ice-seas and ice-rivers must always havebeen comparatively shallow and feeble. Beaching at last a break in thelong line of cliff-guarded capes and fiords, where the sea, halfcovered with low islands, eats a broad and deep ingress into theland-belt, I disembarked, and made a day's land journey to thenorthward. 

The ground was covered with a sheet of hard-frozen snow about eighteeninches deep, with an upper surface of pure ice. For the ordinarycarriage, here useless, was substituted a sledge, driven from behindby an instrument something between a paddle-wheel and a screw, worked, of course, by the usual electric machinery. The cold was far moreintense than I had ever before known it; and the mist that fell at theclose of the very short zyda of daylight rendered it all butintolerable. The Arctic circular thermometer fell to within a fewpoints from its minimum of--50° Centigrade [?]. No flesh could endureexposure to such an atmosphere; and were not the inner mask andclothing of soft leather pervaded by a constant feeble current ofelectricity. .. . 

As we made our way back to the open sea, the temptation to disobey theroyal order was all but irresistible. No fewer than three kargyndauwere within shot at one and the same time; plunging from the shore ofan icy island to emerge with their prey--a fish somewhat resemblingthe salmon in form and flavour. My companions, however, were terrifiedat the thought of disobedience to the law; and as we had but onemordyta (lightning-gun) among the party, and the uncertainty of theair-gun had been before proven to my cost, there was some force intheir supplementary argument that, if I did not kill the kargynda, itwas probable that the kargynda might board us; in which event our casewould be summarily disposed of, without troubling the Courts orallowing time to apply, even by telegraph, for the royal pardon. I wassuggesting, more to the alarm than amusement of the crew, that wemight close the hatches, and either carry the regal beast awaycaptive, or, at worst, dive and drown him--for he cannot swim veryfar--when their objections were enforced in an unexpected manner. Wewere drifting beyond shot of the nearest brute, when the threesuddenly plunged at once, and as if by concert, and when they rose, were all evidently making for the vessel, and within some eightyyards. I then learnt a new advantage of the electric machinery, ascompared with the most powerful steam-engine. A pressure upon abutton, and a few seconds sufficed to exchange a speed of four for oneof twenty miles an hour; while, instead of sinking the vessel belowthe surface, the master directed the engine to pump out all the liquidballast she contained. The waterspout thus sent forth half-drowned theenemy which had already come within a few yards of our starboardquarter, and effectually-scared the others. It was just as well thatEnva, who heartily hated the bitter cold, was snugly ensconced in thewarm cushions of the cabin, and had not, therefore, the opportunity ofgiving to Eveena, on our return, her version of an adventure whosealarming aspect would have impressed them both more than its ludicrousside, For half a minute I thought that I had, in sheer folly, exposedhalf a dozen lives to a peril none the less real and none the moresatisfactory that, if five had been killed, the survivor could nothave so told the story as to avoid laughing--or being laughed at. 

Sweet and serene as was Eveena's smile of welcome, it could notconceal the traces of more than mere depression on her countenance. Heartily willing to administer an effective lesson to her tormentors, I seized the occasion of the sunset meal to notice the weary andharassed look she had failed wholly to banish. 

"You look worse each time I return, Madonna. This time it is notmerely my absence, if it ever were so. I will know who or what hasdriven and hunted you so. "

Taken thus by surprise, every face but one bore witness to the truth:Eveena's distress, Eunané's mixed relief and dismay, shared in yetgreater degree by Velna, who knew less of me, the sheer terror andconfusion of the rest, were equally significant. The Martial judge whosaid that "the best evidence was lost because colour could not betested or blushes analysed, " would have passed sentence at once. Butif Eivé's air of innocent unconsciousness and childish indifferencewere not sincere, it merited the proverbial praise of consummateaffectation, "more golden than the sun and whiter than snow. " Eveena'smomentary glance at once drew mine upon this "pet child, " but neitherdisturbed her. Nor did she overact her part. "Eivé, " said Enva oneday, "never salts her tears or paints her blushes. " As soon as shecaught my look of doubt--

"Have _I_ done wrong?" she said, in a tone half of confidence, half ofreproach. "Punish me, then, Clasfempta, as you please--with Eveena'ssandal. "

The repartee delighted those who had reason to desire any diversion. The appeal to Eveena disarmed my unwilling and momentary distrust. Eveena, however, answered by neither word nor look, and the partypresently broke up. Eivé crept close to claim some silent atonementfor unspoken suspicion, and a few minutes had elapsed before, to theevident alarm of several conscious culprits, I sought Eveena in herown chamber. 

In spite of all deprecation, I insisted on the explanation she hadevaded in public. "I guess, " I said, "as much as you can tell me about'the four. ' I have borne too long with those who have made your lifethat of a hunted therne, and rendered myself anxious and restlessevery day and hour that I have left you alone. Unless you will denythat they have done so---- Well, then, I will have peace for you andfor myself. I cannot leave you to their mercy, nor can I remain athome for the next twelve dozen days, like a chained watch-dragon. Passthem over!" (as she strove to remonstrate); "there is something newthis time. You have been harassed and frightened as well as unhappy. "

"Yes, " she admitted, "but I can give nothing like a reason. I dare notentreat you not to ask, and yet I am only like a child, that wakesscreaming by night, and cannot say of what she is afraid. Ought shenot to be whipped?"

"I can't say, bambina; but I should not advise Eivé to startle _you_in that way! But, seriously, I suppose fear is most painful when ithas no cause that can be removed. I have seen brave soldierspanic-stricken in the dark, without well knowing why. "

I watched her face as I spoke, and noted that while the pet name I hadused in the first days of our marriage, now recalled by her image, elicited a faint smile, the mention of Eivé clouded it again. She wasso unwilling to speak, that I caught at the clue afforded by hersilence. 

"It _is_ Eivé then? The little hypocrite! She shall find your sandalheavier than mine. "

"No, no!" she pleaded eagerly. "You have seen what Eivé is in yourpresence; and to me she is always the same. If she were not, could Icomplain of her?"

"And why not, Eveena? Do you think I should hesitate between you?"

"No!" she answered, with unusual decision of tone. "I will tell youexactly what you would do. You would take my word implicitly; youwould have made up your mind before you heard her; you would dealharder measure to Eivé than to any one, _because_ she is your pet; youwould think for once not of sparing the culprit, but of satisfying me;and afterwards"----

She paused, and I saw that she would not conclude in words a sentenceI could perhaps have finished for myself. 

"I see, " I replied, "that Eivé is the source of your trouble, but notwhat the trouble is. For her sake, do not force me to extort the truthfrom her. "

"I doubt whether she has guessed my misgiving, " Eveena answered. "Itmay be that you are right--that it is because she was so long the onlyone you were fond of, that I cannot like and trust her as you do. But . .. You leave the telegraph in my charge, understanding, of course, that it will be used as when you are at home. So, after Davilo'swarning, I have written their messages for Eunané and the others, butI could not refuse Eivé's request to write her own, and, like you, Ihave never read them. "

"Why?" I asked. "Surely it is strange to give her, of all, a specialprivilege and confidence?"

Eveena was silent. She could in no case have reproached me in words, and even the reproach of silence was so unusual that I could not butfeel it keenly. I saw at that moment that for whatever had happened ormight happen I might thank myself; might thank the doubt I would notavow to my own mind, but could not conceal from her, that Eveena hadcondescended to something like jealousy of one whose childishsimplicity, real or affected, had strangely won my heart, as childrendo win hearts hardened by experience of life's roughness and evil. 

"I know nothing, " Eveena said at last: "yet somehow, and whollywithout any reason I can explain, I fear. Eivé, you may remember, has, as your companion, made acquaintance with many households whose headsyou do not believe friends to you or the Zinta. She is a diligentcorrespondent. She never affects to conceal anything, and yet no oneof us has lately seen the contents of a note sent or received by her. "

There was nothing tangible in Eveena's suspicion. It was mostrepugnant to my own feelings, and yet it implanted, whether by forceof sympathy or of instinct, a misgiving that never left me again. 

"My own, " I answered, "I would trust your judgment, your observationor feminine instinct and insight into character, far sooner than myown conclusions upon solid facts. But instincts and presentiments, though we are not scientifically ignorant enough to disregard them, are not evidence on which we can act or even inquire. "

"No, " she said. "And yet it is hard to feel, as I cannot help feeling, that the thunder-cloud is forming, that the bolt is almost ready tostrike, and that you are risking life, and perhaps more than life, outof a delicacy no other man would show towards a child--since child youwill have her--who, I feel sure, deserves all she might receive fromthe hands of one who would have the truth at any cost. "

"You feel, " I answered, "for me as I should feel for you. But is deathso terrible to _us_? It means leaving you--I wish we knew that it doesnot mean losing for ever, after so brief an enjoyment, all that isperishable in love like ours--or it would not be worth fearing. Idon't think I ever did fear it till you made my life so sweet. Butlife is not worth an unkindness or injustice. Better die trusting tothe last than live in the misery and shame of suspecting one I love, or dreading treacherous malice from any hand under my own roof. "

When I met Davilo the next morning, the grave and anxious expressionof his face--usually calm and serene even in deepest thought, as arethose of the experienced members of an Order confident in theconsciousness of irresistible secret power--not a little disturbed me. As Eveena had said, the thunder-cloud was forming; and a chill went tomy heart which in facing measurable and open peril it had never felt. 

"I bring you, " he said; "a message that will not, I am afraid, bewelcome. He whose guest you were at Serocasfe invites you to pay himan immediate visit; and the invitation must be accepted at once. "

I drew myself up with no little indignation at the imperative tone, but feeling at least equal awe at the stern calmness with which themandate was spoken. 

"And what compels me to such haste, or to compliance withoutconsideration?"

"That power, " he returned, "which none can resist, and to which youmay not demur. "

Seeing that I still hesitated--in truth, the summons had turned myvague misgiving into intense though equally vague alarm and eventerror, which as unmanly and unworthy I strove to repress, but whichasserted its domination in a manner as unwonted as unwelcome--he drewaside a fold of his robe, and showed within the silver Star of theOrder, supported by the golden sash, that marked a rank second only tothat of the wearer of the Signet itself. I understood too well by thistime, through conversations with him and other communications of whichit has been needless to speak, the significance of this revelation. Iknew the impossibility of questioning the authority to which I hadpledged obedience. I realised with great amazement the fact that asecondary position on my own estate, and a personal charge of my ownsafety, had been accepted by a Chief of the Zinta. 

"There is, of course, " I replied at last, "no answer to a mandate soenforced. But, Chief, reluctant as I am to say it, I fear--fear as Ihave never done before; and yet fear I cannot say, I cannot guesswhat. "

"There is no cause for alarm, " he said somewhat contemptuously. "Inthis journey, sudden, speedy, and made under our guard as on oursummons, there is little or none of that peril which has beset you solong. "

"You forget, Chief, " I rejoined, "that you speak to a soldier, whosechosen trade was to risk life at the word of a superior; to one whoseyouth thought no smile so bright as that of naked steel, and had often'kissed the lips of the lightning' ere the down darkened his own. Atany rate, you have told me daily for more than a year that I am livingunder constant peril of assassination; have I seemed to quail thereat?If, then, I am now terrified for the first time, that which I dread, without knowing or dreaming what it is, is assuredly a peril worsethan any I have known, the shadow of a calamity against which I haveneither weapon nor courage. It cannot be for myself that I am thusappalled, " I continued, the thought flashing into my mind as I spokeit, "and there is but one whose life is so closely bound with minethat danger to her should bring such terror as this. I go at yourbidding, but I will not go alone. "

He paused for some time, apparently in perplexity, certainly in deepthought, before he replied. 

"As you will. One thing more. The slips of tafroo with which youfurnished me have been under the eyes of which you have heard. This"(handing me the one that bore no mark) "has passed, so far as thehighest powers of the sense that is not of the body can perceive, through none but innocent hands. The hand from which you receivedthis" (the marked slip) "is spotted with treason, and may to-morrow bered. "

I was less impressed by this declaration than probably would have beenany other member of the Order. I had seen on Earth the most marvellousperceptions of a perfectly lucid vision succeeded, sometimes withinthe space of the same day, by dreams or hallucinations the mostabsolutely deceptive. I felt, therefore, more satisfaction in theacquittal of Eunané, whom I had never doubted, than trouble at thegrave suspicion suggested against Eivé--a suspicion I still refused toentertain. 

"You should enter your balloon as soon as the sunset mist will concealit, " said Davilo. "By mid-day you may reach the deep bay on the midsea-belt of the North, where a swift vessel will meet you and conveyyou in two or three days by a direct course through the canal and gulfyou have traversed already, to the port from which you commenced yourfirst submarine voyage. "

"You had better, " I said, "make your instruction a little moreparticular, or I shall hardly know how to direct my course. "

"Do not dream, " he answered, "that you will be permitted to undertakesuch a journey but under the safest guidance. At the time I have namedall will be ready for your departure, and you have simply to sleep orread or meditate as you will, till you reach your destination. "

Eveena was not a little startled when I informed her of the suddenjourney before me, and my determination that she should be mycompanion. It was unquestionably a trying effort for her, especiallythe balloon voyage, which would expose her to the cold of the mistsand of the night, and I feared to the intenser cold of the upper air. But I dared not leave her, and she was pleased by a peremptorydecision which made her the companion of my absence, without leavingroom for discussion or question. The time for our departure wasdrawing near when, followed by Eunané, she came into my chamber. 

"If we are to be long away, " she said, "you must say on whom mycharges are to devolve. "

"As you please, " I answered, sure of her choice, and well content tosee her hand over her cares to Eunané, who, if she lacked the wisdomand forbearance of Eveena, could certainly hold the reins with astronger hand. 

"Eivé, " she said, "has asked the charge of my flowerbed; but I hadpromised it, and"----

"And you would rather give it, " I answered, "to Eunané? Naturally; andI should not care to allow Eivé the chance of spoiling your work. Ithink we may now trust whatever is yours in those once troublesomehands, " looking at Eunané, "with perfect assurance that they will dotheir best. "

I had never before parted even from Eunané with any feeling of regret;but on this occasion an impulse I could not account for, but have eversince been glad to remember, made me turn at the last moment and addto Eveena's earnest embrace a few words of affection and confidence, which evidently cheered and encouraged her deputy. The car thatawaited us was of the light tubular construction common here, formedof the silvery metal _zorinta_. About eighteen feet in length and halfthat breadth, it was divided into two compartments; each, with the aidof canopy and curtains, forming at will a closed tent, and securingalmost as much privacy as an Arab family enjoys, or opening to thesky. In that with which the sails and machinery were connected wereDavilo and two of his attendants. The other had been carefully linedand covered with furs and wrappings, indicating an attention to mycompanion which indeed is rarely shown to women by their own lords, and which none but the daughter of Esmo would have received even amongthe brethren of the Order. Ere we departed I had arranged her cushionsand wrapped her closely in the warmest coverings; and flinging overher at last the kargynda skin received from the Camptâ, I bade hersleep if possible during our aerial voyage. There was need to provideas carefully as possible for her comfort. The balloon shot up at onceabove the evening mists to a height at which the cold was intense, butat which our voyage could be guided by the stars, invisible frombelow, and at which we escaped the more dangerously chilling damp. Thewind that blew right in our teeth, caused by no atmospheric currentbut by our own rapid passage, would in a few moments have frozen myface, perhaps fatally, had not thick skins been arranged to screen us. Even through these it blew with intense severity, and I was gladindeed to cover myself from head to foot and lie down beside Eveena. Her hand as she laid it on mine was painfully cold; but the shiveringI could hardly suppress made her anxious to part in my favour withsome at least of the many coverings that could hardly screen herselffrom the searching blast. Not at the greatest height I reached amongthe Himalayas, nor on the Steppes of Tartary, had I experienced a coldseverer than this. The Sun had just turned westward when we reachedthe port at which we were to embark. Despite the cold, Eveena hadslept during the latter part of our voyage, and was still sleepingwhen I placed her on the cushions in our cabin. The sudden and mostwelcome change from bitter cold to comfortable warmth awakened her, asit at last allowed me to sleep. Our journey was continued below thesurface at a rate of more than twelve hundred miles in the day, aspeed which made observation through the thick but perfectlytransparent side windows of our cabin impossible. I was indisposed formeditation, which could have been directed to no other subject thanthe mysterious purpose of our journey, and had not provided myselfwith books. But in Eveena's company it was impossible that the timeshould pass slowly or wearily. 

In this balloon journey I had a specially advantageous opportunity ofobserving the two moons--velnaa, as they are called. _Cavelna_, orCaulna, the nearer, in diameter about 8' or a little more thanone-fourth that of our Moon, is a tolerably brilliant object, about5000 miles from the surface. Moving, like all planets and satellites, from west to east, it completes its stellar revolution and its phasesin less than seven and a half hours; the contrary revolution of theskies prolongs its circuit around the planet to a period of ten hours. Zeelna (_Zevelna_) returns to the same celestial meridian in thirtyhours; but as in this time the starry vault has completed about arotation and a quarter in the opposite direction, it takes nearly fivedays to reappear on the same horizon. It is about 3' in diameter, andabout 12, 000 miles from the surface. The result of the combinedmotions is that the two moons, to the eye, seem to move in oppositedirections. When we rose above the mists, Caulna was visible as a veryfine crescent in the west; Zeelna was rising in the east, and almostfull; but hardly a more brilliant object than Venus when seen to mostadvantage from Earth. Both moved so rapidly among the stars that theircelestial change of place was apparent from minute to minute. But, asregarded our own position, the appearance was as opposite as theirdirection. Zeelna, traversing in twelve hours only one-fifth of thevisible hemisphere, while crossing in the same time 144° on thezodiac--twelve degrees per hour, or our Moon's diameter in two minutesand a half--was left behind by the stars; and fixing what I may callthe ocular attention on her, she seemed to stand still while theyslowly passed her; thus making their revolution perceptible to senseas it never is on Earth, for lack of a similar standard. Caulna, rising in the west and moving eastwards, crossed the visible sky infive hours, and passed through the stars at the rate of 48° per hour, so that she seemed to sail past them like a golden cloudlet orcelestial vessel driven by a slow wind. It happened this night thatshe passed over the star Fomalhaut--an occultation which I watchedwith great interest through an excellent field-glass, but which lastedonly for about half a minute. About an hour before midnight the twomoons passed each other in the Eastern sky; both gibbous at themoment, like our Moon in her last quarter. The difference in size andmotion was then most striking; Caulna seeming to rush past hercompanion, and the latter looking like a stationary star in the slowlymoving sky. 

CHAPTER XXV - APOSTACY. 

We were received on landing by our former host and conducted to hishouse. On this occasion, however, I was not detained in the hall, butpermitted at once to enter the chamber allotted to us. Eveena, who hadexacted from me all that I knew, and much that I meant to conceal, respecting the occasion of our journey, was much agitated and not alittle alarmed. My own humble rank in the Zinta rendered so sudden andimperative a summons the more difficult to understand, and though bythis time well versed in the learning, neither of us was familiar withthe administration of the Brotherhood. I was glad therefore on heraccount, even more than on my own, when, a scratch at the door havingobtained admission for an ambâ, it placed before me a message fromEsmo requesting a private conference. Her father's presence setEveena's mind at rest; since she had learned, strangely enough frommyself, what she had never known before, the rank he held among thebrethren. 

"I have summoned you, " he said as soon as I joined him, "for more thanone reason. There is but one, however, that I need now explain. Important questions, are as a rule either settled by the Chiefs alonein Council, or submitted to a general meeting of the Order. In thiscase neither course can be adopted. It would not have occurred tomyself that, under present circumstances, you could render materialservice in either of the two directions in which it may be required. But those by whom the cause has been prepared have asked that youshould be one of the Convent, and such a request is never refused. Indeed, its refusal would imply either such injustice as would renderthe whole proceeding utterly incompatible with the first principles ofour cohesion, or such distrust of the person summoned as is never feltfor a member of the Brotherhood. I would rather say no more on thesubject now. Your nerve and judgment will be sufficiently triedto-night; and it is a valuable maxim of our science that, in the hoursimmediately preceding either an important decision or a severe trial, the spirit should be left as far as possible calm and unvexed by vagueshadows of that which is to come. "

The maxim thus expressed, if rendered into the language of materialmedicine, is among those which every man of experience holds andpractically acts upon. I turned the conversation, then, by invitingEsmo into my own apartment; and I was touched indeed by the eagerdelight, even stronger than I had expected, with which Eveena welcomedher father, and inquired into the minutest details of the home lifefrom which she had been, as it seemed to her, so long separated. Whatwas, however, specially characteristic was the delicate care withwhich, even in this first meeting with one of her own family, shecontrived still to give the paramount place in her attention to herhusband, and never for a moment to let him feel excluded from aconversation with whose topics he was imperfectly acquainted, and inwhich he might have been supposed uninterested. The hours thus passedpleasantly away; and, except when Kevimâ, joined us at the eveningmeal, adding a new and unexpected pleasure to Eveena's natural delightin this sudden reunion, we remained undisturbed until a very lowelectric signal, sounding apparently through several chambers at once, recalled Esmo's mind to the duties before him. 

"You will not, " he said, "return till late, and I wish you wouldinduce Eveena to ensure, by composing herself to sleep before yourreturn, that you shall not be asked to converse until the morning. "

He withdrew with Kevimâ, and, as instructed, I proceeded to change mydress for one of pure white adapted to the occasion, with only a bandof crimson around the waist and throat, and to invest myself in thebadge of the Order. The turban which I wore, without attractingattention, in the Asiatic rather than in the Martial form, was ofwhite mingled with red; a novelty which seemed to Eveena's eyespainfully ominous. In Martial language, as in Zveltic symbolism, crimson generally takes the place of black as the emblem of guilt andperil. When Esmo re-entered our chamber for a moment to summon me, hewas invested, as in the Shrine itself, in the full attire of hisoffice, and I was recalled to a recollection of the reverence due tothe head of the Brotherhood by the sudden change in Eveena's manner. To her father, though a most respectful, she was a fearlesslyaffectionate child. For Clavelta she had only the reverence, deeplyintermingled with awe, with which a devout Catholic convert from theEast may approach for the first time some more than usually imposingoccupant of the Chair of St. Peter. Before the arm that bore theSignet, and the sash of gold, we bent knee and head in the deferenceprescribed by our rules--a homage which the youngest child in thepublic Nurseries would not dream of offering to the Camptâ himself. Ata sign from his hand I followed Esmo, hoping rather than expectingthat Eveena would obey the counsel indirectly addressed to her. Traversing the same passages as before, save that a slight turnavoided the symbolic bridge, and formally challenged at each point asusual by the sentries, who saluted with profoundest reverence theSignet of the Order, we passed at last into the Hall of Initiation. 

But on this occasion its aspect was completely changed. A spaceimmediately in front of what I may call the veil of the Shrine wasclosed in by drapery of white bordered with crimson. The Chiefsoccupied, as before, their seats on the platform. Some fifty membersof the Order sat to right and left immediately below; but Esmo, onthis occasion, seated himself on the second leftward step of theThrone, which, with the silver light and the other mystic emblems, wasunveiled in the same strange manner as before at his approach. Nearthe lower end of the small chamber thus formed, crossing the passagebetween the seats on either hand, was a barrier of the bright redmetal I have more than once mentioned, and behind it a seat of somesable material. Behind this, to right and left, stood silent and erecttwo sentries robed in green, and armed with the usual spear. A deepintense absolute silence prevailed, from the moment when the last ofthe party had taken his place, for the space of some ten minutes. Inthe faces of the Chiefs and of some of the elder Initiates, who wereprobably aware of the nature of the scene to follow, was an expressionof calm but deep pain and regret; crossed now and then by a shade ofanxiety, such as rarely appeared in that abode of assured peace andprofound security. On no countenance was visible the slightest shadowof restlessness or curiosity. In the changed aspect of the place, thechanged tone of its associations and of the feelings habitual to itsfrequenters, there was something which impressed and overawed thepetulance of youth, and even the indifference of an experience like myown. At last, stretching forth the ivory-like staff of mingled whiteand red, which on this occasion each of the Chiefs had substituted fortheir usual crystal wand, Esmo spoke, not raising his voice a singlesemitone above its usual pitch, but with even unwonted gravity--

"Come forward, Asco Zvelta!" he said. 

The sight I now witnessed, no description could represent to one whohad not seen the same. Parting the drapery at the lower end, therecame forward a figure in which the most absolutely inexperienced eyecould not fail to recognise a culprit called to trial. "Came forward, "I have said, because I can use no other words. But such was not theterm which would have occurred to any one who witnessed the movement. "Was dragged forward, " I should say, did I attempt to convey theimpression produced;--save that no compulsion, no physical force wasused, nor were there any to use it. And yet the miserable manapproached slowly, reluctantly, shrinking back as one who strives withsuperior corporeal power exerted to force him onward, as if physicallydragged on step by step by invisible bonds held by hands unseen. Sowith white face and shaking form he reached the barrier, and knelt asEsmo rose from his place, honouring instinctively, though his eyesseemed incapable of discerning them, the symbols of supreme authority. Then, at a silent gesture, he rose and fell back into the chair placedfor him, apparently unable to stand and scarcely able to sustainhimself on his seat. 

"Brother, " said the junior of the Chiefs, or he who occupied the placefarthest to the right;--and now I noticed that eleven were present, the last seat on the right of him who spoke being vacant--"you haveunveiled to strangers the secrets of the Shrine. "

He paused for an answer; and, in a tone strangely unnatural andexpressionless, came from the scarcely parted lips of the culprit thereply--"

"It is true. "

"You have, " said the next of the Chiefs, "accepted reward to place thelives of your brethren at the mercy of their enemies. "

"It is true. "

"You have, " said he who occupied the lowest seat upon the left, "forsworn in heart and deed, if not in word, the vows by which youwillingly bound yourself, and the law whose boons you had accepted. "

Again the same confession, forced evidently by some overwhelming powerfrom one who would, if he could, have denied or remained silent. 

"And to whom, " said Esmo, interposing for the first time, "have youthus betrayed us?"

"I know not, " was the reply. 

"Explain, " said the Chief immediately to the left of the Throne, who, if there were a difference in the expression of the calm sad faces, seemed to entertain more of compassion and less of disgust andrepulsion towards the offender than any other. 

"Those with whom I spoke, " replied the culprit, in the same strangetone, "were not known to me, but gave token of authority next to thatof the Camptâ. They told me that the existence of the Order had longbeen known, that many of its members were clearly indicated by theirhousehold practices, that their destruction was determined; that I wasknown as a member of the Order, and might choose between perishingfirst of their victims and receiving reward such as I should namemyself for the information I could give. "

"What have you told?" asked another of the Chiefs. 

"I have not named one of the symbols. I have not betrayed the Shrineor the passwords. I have told that the Zinta _is_. I have told themeaning of the Serpent, the Circle, and the Star, though I have notnamed them. "

"And, " said he on the left of the Throne, "naming the hope that ismore than all hope, recalling the power that is above all power, couldyou dare to renounce the one and draw on your own head the justice ofthe other? What reward could induce a child of the Light to turn backinto darkness? What authority could protect the traitor from the fatehe imprecated and accepted when he first knelt before the Throne?""The hope was distant and the light was dim, " the offender answered. "I was threatened and I was tempted. I knew that death, speedy andpainless, was the penalty of treason to the Order, that a death ofprolonged torture might be the vengeance of the power that menaced me. I hoped little in the far and dim future of the Serpent's promise, andI hoped and feared much in the life on this side of death. "

"Do you know, " asked the last inquirer again, "no name, and nothingthat can enable us to trace those with whom you spoke or those whoemployed them?"

"Only this, " was the answer, "that one of them has an especial hatredto one Initiate present, " pointing to myself; "and seeks his life, notonly as a child of the Star, not only as husband of the daughter ofClavelta, but for a reason that is not known to me. "

"And, " asked another Chief, "do you know what instrument that enemyseeks to use?"

"One who has over her intended victim such influence as few of her sexever have over their lords; one of whom his love will learn nodistrust, against whom his heart has no guard and his manhood nowisdom. "

A shiver of horror passed over the forms of the Chiefs and of many whosat near them, incomprehensible to me till a sudden light was affordedby the indignant interruption of Kevimâ, who sat not far from myself. 

"It cannot be, " he cried, "or you can name her whom you accuse. "

"Be silent!" Esmo said, in the cold, grave tone of a presidentrebuking disorder, mingled with the deeper displeasure of a priestrepressing irreverence in the midst of the most solemn religious rite. "None may speak here till the Chiefs have ceased to speak. "

None of the latter, however, seemed disposed to ask another question. The guilt of the accused was confessed. All that he could tell toguide their further inquiries had been told. To doubt that what wasforced from him was to the best of his knowledge true, was to them, who understood the mysterious power that had compelled the spirit andthe lips to an unwilling confession, impossible. And if it had seemedthat further information might have been extracted relative to my ownpersonal danger, a stronger tie, a deeper obligation, bound them tothe supposed object of the last obscure imputation, and none waswilling to elicit further charges or clearer evidence. Probably alsothey anticipated that, when the word was extended to the Initiates, Ishould take up my own cause. 

"Would any brother speak?" asked Esmo, when the silence of the Chiefshad lasted for a few moments. 

But his rebuke had silenced Kevimâ, and no one else cared tointerpose. The eyes of the assembly turned upon me so generally and sopointedly, that at last I felt myself forced, though against my ownjudgment, to rise. 

"I have no question to ask the accused, " I said. 

"Then, " replied Esmo calmly, "you have nothing now to say. Give to thebrother accused before us the cup of rest. "

A small goblet was handed by one of the sentries to the miserablecreature, now half-insensible, who awaited our judgment. In a very fewmoments he had sunk into a slumber in which his face was comparativelycalm, and his limbs had ceased to tremble. His fate was to be debatedin the presence indeed of his body, but in the absence ofconsciousness and knowledge. 

"Has any elder brother, " inquired Esmo, "counsel to afford?"

No word was spoken. 

"Has any brother counsel to afford?"

Again all were silent, till the glance which the Chief cast in orderalong the ranks of the assembly fell upon myself. 

"One word, " I said. "I claim permission to speak, because the mattertouches closely and cruelly my own honour. "

There was that inaudible, invisible, motionless "movement, " as someFrench reporters call it, of surprise throughout the assembly whichcommunicates itself instinctively to a speaker. 

"My own honour, " I continued, "in the honour dearer and nearer to meeven than my own. What the accused has spoken may or may not be true. "

"It is true, " interposed a Chief, probably pitying my ignorance. 

"May be true, " I continued, "though I will not believe it, towhomsoever his words may apply. That no such treason as they havesuggested ever for one moment entered, or could enter, the heart ofher who knelt with me, in presence of many now here, before thatThrone, I will vouch by all the symbols we revere in common, and withthe life which it seems is alone threatened by the feminine domestictreason alleged, from whomsoever that treason may proceed. I willaccuse none, as I suspect none; but I will say that the charge mightbe true to the letter, and yet not touch, as I know it does not justlytouch, the daughter of our Chief. "

A deep relief was visible in the faces which had so lately beenclouded by a suspicion terrible to all. Esmo's alone remainedimpassive throughout my vindication, as throughout the apparentaccusation and silent condemnation of his daughter. 

"Has any brother, " he said, "counsel to speak respecting the questionactually before us?"

One and all were silent, till Esmo again put the formal question:--

"Has he who was our brother betrayed the brotherhood?"

From every member of the assembly came a clear unmistakable assent. 

"Is he outcast?"

Silence rather than any distinct sign answered in the affirmative. 

"Is it needful that his lips be sealed for ever?"

One or two of the Chiefs expressed in a single sentence an affirmativeconviction, which was evidently shared by all present except myself. Appealing by a look to Esmo, and encouraged by his eye, I spoke--

"The outcast has confessed treason worthy of death. That I cannotdeny. But he has sinned from fear rather than from greed or malice;and to fear, courage should be indulgent. The coward is but what Allahhas made him, and to punish cowardice is to punish the child for theheritage his parents have inflicted. Moreover, no example ofpunishment will make cowards brave. It seems to me, then, that thereis neither justice nor wisdom in taking vengeance upon the crime ofweakness. "

In but two faces, those of Esmo and of his next colleague on the left, could I see the slightest sign of approval. One of the other chiefsanswered briefly and decisively my plea for mercy. 

"If, " he said, "treason proceed from fear, the more cause that agreater fear should prevent the treason of cowardice for the future. The same motives that have led the offender to betray so much wouldassuredly lead him to betray more were he released; and to attemptlifelong confinement is to make the lives of all dependent on a chancein order to spare one unworthy life. The excuse which our brother haspleaded may, we hope, avail with a tribunal which can regard theconscience apart from the consequences. It ought not to avail withus. "

But the law of the Zinta, as I now learned, will not allow sentence ofdeath to be passed save by an absolutely unanimous vote. It is heldthat if one judge educated in the ideas of the Order, appreciating tothe full the priceless importance of its teaching and the guilt oftreason against it, is unpersuaded that there exists sufficient causefor the supreme penalty, the doubt is such as should preclude theinfliction of that penalty. It is, however, permitted and expectedthat the dissentients, if few in number, much more a singledissentient, shall listen attentively and give the most respectful andimpartial consideration to the arguments of brethren, and especiallyof seniors. If a single mind remains unmoved, its dissent is decisive. But it would be the gravest dereliction of duty to persist fromwilfulness, obstinacy, or pride, in adhesion to a view perhaps hastilyexpressed in opposition to authority and argument. The debate to whichmy speech gave rise lasted for two hours. Each speaker spoke but a fewterse expressive sentences; and after each speech came a pauseallowing full time for the consideration of its reasoning. Two pointswere very soon made clear to all. The offender had justly forfeitedhis life; and if his death were necessary or greatly conducive to thesafety of the rest, the mercy which for his sake imperilled worthiermen and sacred truths would have been no less than a crime. Thethought, however, that weighed most with me against my natural feelingwas an experience to which none present could appeal. I had sat onmany courts-martial where cowardice was the only charge imputed; andin every case in which that charge was proved, sentence of death hadbeen passed and carried out on a ground I could not refuse to considersufficient:--namely, that the infection of terror can best berepressed by an example inspiring deeper terror than that to which theprisoner has yielded. Compelled by these precedents, though withintense reluctance, I submitted at last to the universal judgment. Esmo having collected the will, I cannot say the voices, of theassembly, paused for a minute in silence. 

"The Present has pronounced, " he said at last. "Are the voices of thePast assentient?"

He looked around as if to see whether, under real or supposedinspiration, any of those before him would give in another name ajudgment opposite to that in which all had concurred. Instinctively Iglanced towards the Throne, but it remained vacant as ever. Then, fixing his eyes for a few moments upon the culprit, who started andwoke to full consciousness under his gaze--and receiving from theChief nearest to him on the left a chain of small golden circlessimilar to that of the canopy, represented also on the Signet, whilehe on the right held a small roll, on the golden surface of which along list of names was inscribed--our Superior pronounced, amiddeepest stillness, in a low clear tone, the form of excommunication;breaking at the appropriate moment one link from the chain, and, at alater point, drawing a broad crimson bar through one cipher on theroll:--

 "Conscience-convict, tried in truth, Judged in justice, doomed in ruth; Ours no more--once ours in vain-- Falls the Veil and snaps the Chain, Drops the link and lies alone:-- Traitor to the Emerald Throne, Alien from the troth we plight, Kature native to the night; Trained in Light the Light to scorn, Soul apostate and forsworn, False to symbol, sense, and sign, To the Serpent's pledge divine, To the Wings that reach afar, To the Circle and the Star; Recreant to the mystic rule, Outlaw from the sacred school-- Backward is the Threshold crossed; Lost the Light, the Life is lost. Go; the golden page we blot: Go; forgetting and forgot! Go--by final sentence shriven, Be thy crime absolved in Heaven!"

Once more the Throne and the Emblems behind and above it had beenveiled in impenetrable darkness. Instinctively, as it seemed, everyone present had risen to his feet, and stood with bent head anddowncast eyes as the Condemned, rising mechanically, turned without aword and passed away. 

CHAPTER XXVI - TWILIGHT. 

I was, perhaps, the only member of the assembly to whom the doomed manwas not personally known, and to all of us the tie which had beensevered was one at least as close as that of natural brotherhood onEarth. 

How long the pause lasted--how, or why, or when we resumed our seats, even I knew not. The Shrine was unveiled, and Esmo's next colleaguespoke again--

"A seat among the elders has been three days vacant by the departureof one well known and dear to all. His colleagues have considered howbest it may be filled. The member they have selected is of theyoungest in experience here; but from the first moment of hisinitiation it was evident to us that more than half the learning ofthe Starlight had been his before. Nothing could so deeply confirm ourjoy and confidence in that lore, as to find that in another world thetruths we hold dearest are held with equal faith, that many of ourdeepest secrets have there been sought and discovered by societies notunlike our own. For that reason, and because of that House, whereofnow but two members are left us, he is by wedlock and adoption thethird, the elder brethren have unanimously resolved to recommend toClavelta, and to the Children of the Star, that this seat, " and hepointed to the vacant place, "shall be filled by him who has but nowexpressed, with a warmth seldom shown in this place, his love andtrust for the daughter of our Chief, the descendant of our Founder. "

Certainly not on my own account, but from the earnest attachment anddevotion they felt for Esmo, both personally as a long-tried anddeservedly revered Chief, and as almost the last representative of alineage so profoundly loved and honoured, the approval of all presentwas expressed with a sudden and eager warmth which deeply affected me;the more that it expressed an hereditary regard and esteem, not formyself but for Eveena, rarely or never, even among the Zveltau, paidto a woman. Esmo bent his head in assent, and then, addressing me byname, called me to the foot of the platform. 

He held in his hand the golden sash and rose-coloured wand whichmarked the rank about to be bestowed on me. I felt very deeply my ownincompetence and ignorance; and even had I valued more the profferedhonour, I should have been bound to decline it. But at the third wordI spoke, I was silenced with a stern though perfectly calm severity. Flinging back the fold of his robe that covered his left arm, with agesture that placed the Signet full before my eyes, he said--

"You have sworn obedience. "

A soldier's instinct or habit, the mesmeric command of Esmo's glance, and the awe, due less to my own feeling than to the infectiousreverence of others, which the symbols and the oaths of the Orderextorted, left me no further will to resist. At the foot of the ThroneI received the investiture of my new rank; and as I rose and faced mybrethren, every hand was lifted to the lips, every head bent insalutation of their new leader. Then, as I passed to the extreme placeon the right, they came forward to grasp my hand and utter a few wordsof sympathy and kindness, in which a frank spirit of affectionatecomradeship, that reminded me forcibly of the mess-tent and thebivouac fire, was mingled with the sense of a deeper and more sacredtie. 

Scarcely had we resumed our places than a startling incident gave anew turn to the scene. Approaching the barrier, a woman, veiled, butwearing the sash and star, knelt for a moment to the presence of theArch-Teacher, and then, as the barrier was thrown open by thesentries, came up to the dais. 

"She, " said the new-comer, "has a message for you, Clavelta, for yourCouncil, and particularly for the last of its members. "

"It is well, " he answered. 

The messenger took her seat among the Initiates, and Esmo dismissedthe assembly in the solemn form employed on the former occasion. Then, followed by the twelve, and guided by the messenger (the glovedfingers of whose left hand, as I observed, he very slightly touchedwith his own right), he passed by another door out of the Hall, andalong one of the many passages of the subterrene Temple, into achamber resembling in every respect an apartment in an ordinaryresidence. Here, with her veil, as is permitted only to maidenhood, drawn back from her face, but covering almost entirely her neck andbosom, and clad in the vestal white, reclined with eyes nearly closeda young girl, in whose countenance a beauty almost spiritual wasenhanced rather than marred by signs of physical ill-health painfullyunmistakable. Warning us back with a slight movement of his hand, Esmoapproached her. Our presence had at first seemed to cast her intoalmost convulsive agitation; but under his steady gaze and themovement of his hands, she lapsed almost instantly into what appearedto be profound slumber. 

 * * * * *

The practical information that concerned the present peril menacingthe Order delivered, and when it was plain that no further revelationor counsel was to be expected on this all-important topic, Esmobeckoned to me, taking my hand in his own and placing it very gentlyand carefully in that of the unconscious sybil. The effect, however, was startling. Without unclosing her eyes, she sprang into a sittingposture and clasped my hand almost convulsively with her own long, thin all but transparent fingers. Turning her face to mine, andseeming, though her eyes were closed, as if she looked intently intoit, she murmured words at first unintelligible, but which seemed bydegrees to bear clearer and clearer reference to some of the stormyscenes of my youth in another world. Then--as one looking uponpictures but partially intelligible to her, and commenting on them asa girl who had never seen or known the passions and the mutual enmityof men--she startled me by breaking into the kind of chant in whichthe peculiar verse of her language is commonly delivered. My ownthought of the moment was not her guide. The Moslem battle-cry hadrung too often in my ears ever to be forgotten; but up to that momentI had never recalled to memory the words in which on my last field Iretorted upon my Arab comrades, when flinching from a third chargeagainst those terrible "sons of Eblis, " whose stubborn courage hadalready twice hurled us back in confusion and disgrace with a hundredempty saddles. At first her tone was one of simple amaze and horror. It softened afterwards into wonder and perplexity, and theoft-repeated rebuke or curse was on its last recurrence spoken withmore of pitying tenderness and regret than of severity:--

 "What! those are human bosoms whereon the brute hath trod! What! through the storm of slaughter rings the appeal to God! Through the smoke and flash of battle a single form is shown; O'er clang and crash and rattle peals out one trumpet-tone-- 'Strike, for Allah and the Prophet! let Eblis take his own!'

 "Strange! the soul that, fresh from carnage, quailed not alone to face The unfathomed depths of Darkness, the solitudes of Space! Strange! the smile of scorn, while nerveless dropped the sword-arm from the sting, On the death that scowled at distance, on the closing murder-ring. Strange! no crimson stain on conscience from the hand in gore imbrued! But Death haunts the death-dealer; blood taints the life of blood!

 "Strange! the arm that smote and spared not in the tempest of the strife, Quivers with pitying terror--clings, for a maiden's life! Strange! the heart steel-hard to death-shrieks by girlish tears subdued; The falcon's sheathless talons among the esve's brood! But Death haunts the death-dealer; blood taints the life of blood. 

 "The breast for woman's peril that dared the despot's ire, Shall dauntless front, and scathless, the closing curve of fire. The heart, by household treason stung home, that can forgive, Shall brave a woman's hatred, a woman's wiles, and live. 

 "A woman's well-won fealty shall give the life he gave, Love shall redeem the loving, and Sacrifice shall save. But--God heal the tortured spirit, God calm the maddened mood; For Death haunts the death-dealer; blood taints the life of blood!"

Relaxing but not releasing her grasp of my own hand, she felt aboutwith her left till Esmo gently placed his own therein. Then, in a toneat first of deep and passionate anxiety and eagerness, passing intoone of regretful admiration, and varying with the purport of eachutterance, she broke into another chant, in which were repeated overand again phrases familiar in the traditions and prophetic or symbolicformularies of the Zinta:--

 "Ever on deadliest peril shines the Star with steadiest ray; Ever quail the fiercest hunters when Kargynda turns at bay. Close, Children of the Starlight! close, for the Emerald Throne! Close round the life that closeth your life within the zone! Rests the Golden Circle's glory, rests the silver gleam on her Who shall rein Kargynda's fury with a thread of gossamer. He metes not mortal measure, He pays not human price, Who crowns that life's devotion with the death of sacrifice! Woe worth the moment's panic; woe worth the victory won! But the Night is near the breaking when the Stranger claims his own. 

 "Ever on deadliest peril shines the Star with steadiest ray; Ever quail the fiercest hunters when Kargynda turns at bay. No life is worth the living that counts each fleeting breath; No eyes from God averted can meet the eyes of Death. Vague fear and spectral terrors haunt the soul that dwells in shade, Nor e'er can crimson conscience confront the crimson blade. From a cloud of shame and sorrow breaks the Light that shines afar, And cold and dark the household spark that lit the Silver Star. The triumph is a death-march; the victor's voice a moan:--But the Powers of Night are broken when the Stranger wins his own!

 "Ever in blackest midnight shines the Star with brightest ray; Woe to them that hunt the theme if Kargynda cross the way! In the Home of Peace, Clavelta, can our fears thy spirit move? Look down! whence comes the rescue to the household of thy love? As the All-Commander's lightning falls the Vengeance from above! A shriek from thousand voices; a thunder crash; a groan; A thousand homes in mourning--a thousand deaths in one! Woe to the Sons of Darkness, for the Stranger wields his own! Oh, hide that scene of horror in the deepest shades of night! Look upward to the welkin, where the Vessel fades from sight . .. But the Veil is rent for ever by the Hand that veiled the Shrine; And, on a peace of ages, the Star of Peace shall shine!"

Esmo listened with the anxious attention of one who believed that herevery word had a real and literal meaning; and his face wasoverclouded with a calm but deep sadness, which testified to thenature of the impression made on his mind by language that hardlyconveyed to my own more than a dim and general prediction of victory, won through scenes of trial and trouble. But when she had closed, aquiet satisfaction in what seemed to be the final promise of triumphto the Star, at whatever cost to the noblest of its adherents, was allthat I could trace in his countenance. 

The sibyl fell back as the last word passed her lips, with a sigh ofrelief, into what was evidently a profound and insensible sleep. Thosearound me must have witnessed such scenes at least as often as I; butit was plain that the impression made, even on the experienced Chiefsof the Order, was far deeper than had affected myself. I should hardlyhave been able to remember the words of the prophecy, but forsubsequent conversation thereon with Eveena, when one part had beenfulfilled and the rest was on the eve of a too terribly truthfulfulfilment; but for the events that fixed their prediction in mymind--it may be in terms a little more precise than those actuallyemployed, though I have endeavoured to record these with conscientiousaccuracy. 

Led by Esmo, we passed along another gallery into the small chamberwhere met the secret Council of the Order, and long and anxious werethe debates wherein the revelations of the dreamer were treated asconveying the most certain and unquestionable warning. The first raysof morning were stealing through the mists into the peristyle of ourhost's dwelling before I re-entered Eveena's chamber. She wasslumbering, but restlessly, and so lightly that she sprang up at onceon my entrance. For a few moments all other thought was lost in thedelight of my return after an absence whose very length had alarmedher, despite her father's previous assurance. But as at last she drewback sufficiently to look into my face, its expression seemed tostartle and sadden her. The questions that sprang to her lips diedthere, as she probably saw in my eyes a look not only of weariness andperplexity, but of profound reluctance to speak of what had passed. Expressing her sympathy only by look and touch, she began to unclaspmy robe at the throat, aware that my only wish was for rest, andcontent to postpone her own anxiety and natural curiosity. Then, asthe golden sash which I had not removed met her sight, she looked upfor a moment with a glance of natural pride and fondness, intenselygratified by the highly-prized honour paid to her husband; then bentlow and kissed my hand with the gesture wherewith the presence of asuperior is acknowledged by the members of the Order. "Used as myearlier life was, Eveena, to the Eastern prostrations of my own world, I hate all that recals them; and if I must accept, as I fulfil, theseforms in the Halls of the Zinta, let me never be reminded of them byyou. "

CHAPTER XXVII - THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. 

If I could have endured to describe to Eveena the terrible trialscene, that which occurred before she had the chance to question mewould have certainly sealed my lips. The past night had told upon meas no fatigue, no anxiety, no disaster of my life on Earth had everdone. I awoke faint and exhausted as a nervous valetudinarian, and Isuppose my feeling must have been plainly visible in my face, forEveena would not allow me to rise from the cushions till she hadsummoned an _ambâ_ and procured the material of a morning meal, thoughthe hour was noon. Far too considerate to question me then, she wasperhaps a little disappointed that, almost before I had dressed, amessage from her father summoned me to his presence. 

"It is right, " he said quietly, and with no show of feeling, thoughhis face was somewhat pale, "that you should be acquainted with thefulfilment of the sentence you assisted to pass. The outcast was foundthis morning dead in his own chamber. Nay, you need not start! We needno deathsman; alike by sudden disease, by suicide, by accident, ourdoom executes itself. But enough of this. I accepted the vote whichinvested you with the second rank in our Order, less because I thinkyou will render service to it here than that I desired you to possessthat entire knowledge of its powers and secrets which might enable youto plant a branch or offshoot where none but you could carry it . .. That you will soon leave this world seemed to me probable, before theanticipations of practical prudence were confirmed by the voice ofprophecy. Your Astronaut shall be stored with all of which I know youhave need, and with any materials whose use I do not know that you maypoint out. To remove it from Asnyea would now be too dangerous. If youreceive tidings that shall bring you again into its neighbourhood, donot lose the opportunity of re-entering it. .. . And now let me takeleave of you, as of a dear friend I may not meet again. "

"Do you know, " I said, more touched by the tone than by the words, "that Eveena asked and I gave a promise that when I do re-enter it sheshall be my companion?"

"I did not know it, but I took for granted that she would desire it, and I should have been grieved to doubt that you would assent. Icannot disturb her peace by saying to her what I have just said toyou, and must part from her as on any ordinary occasion. "

That parting, happily, I did not witness. Before evening we re-enteredour vessel, and returned home without any incident worthy of mention. 

To my surprise, my return plunged me at once into the kind of vexationwhich Eveena had so anxiously endeavoured to spare me, and which I hadhoped Eunané's greater decision and less exaggerated tenderness wouldhave avoided. She seemed excited and almost fretful, and before we hadbeen half an hour at home had greeted me with a string of complaintswhich, on her own showing, seemed frivolous, and argued as much temperon her part as customary petulance on that of others. On one point, however, her report confirmed the suggestions of Eveena's previousexperience. She had wrested at once from Eivé's hand the pencil thathad hitherto been used in absolute secrecy, and the consequent quarrelhad been sharp enough to suggest, if not to prove, that the privilegewas of practical as well as sentimental moment. Though aggravated byno rebuke, my tacit depreciation of her grievances irritated Eunané toan extreme of petulance unusual with her of late; which I bore so longas it was directed against myself, but which, turned at last onEveena, wholly exhausted my patience. But no sooner had I dismissedthe offender than Eveena herself interposed, with even more than herusual tenderness for Eunané. 

"Do not blame my presumption, " she said; "do not think that I ammerely soft or weak, if I entreat you to take no further notice ofEunané's mood. I cannot but think that, if you do, you will very soonrepent it. "

She could not or would not give a reason for her intercession; butsome little symptoms I might have seen without observing, someperception of the exceptional character of Eunané's outbreak, or someunacknowledged misgiving accordant with her own, made me more thanwilling to accept Eveena's wish as a sufficient cause for forbearance. When we assembled at the morning meal Eunané appeared to be consciousof error; at all events, her manner and temper were changed. Watchingher closely, I thought that neither shame for an outbreak of unwontedextravagance nor fear of my displeasure would account for her languorand depression. But illness is so rare among a race educated forcountless generations on principles scientifically sound and sanitary, inheriting no seeds of disease from their ancestry, and safe from theinfection of epidemics long extirpated, that no apprehension ofserious physical cause for her changes of temper and complexionentered into my mind. To spare her when she deserved no indulgence wasthe surest way to call forth Eunané's best impulses; and I was notsurprised to find her, soon after the party had dispersed, in Eveena'schamber. That all the amends I could desire had been made and acceptedwas sufficiently evident. But Eunané's agitation was so violent andpersistent, despite all Eveena's soothing, that I was at lastseriously apprehensive of its effect upon the latter. The moment wewere alone Eveena said--

"I have never seen illness, but if Eunané is not ill, and very ill, all I have gathered in my father's household from such books as he hasallowed me, and from his own conversation, deceives me wholly; and yetno illness of which I have ever heard in the slightest degreeresembles this. "

"I take it to be, " I said, "what on Earth women call hysteria and mentemper. "

To this opinion, however, I could not adhere when, watching herclosely, I noticed the evident lack of spirit and strength with whichthe most active and energetic member of the household went about herusual pursuits. A terrible suspicion at first entered my mind, but waswholly discountenanced by Eveena, who insisted that there was noconceivable motive for an attempt to injure Eunané; while the ideathat mischief designed for others had unintentionally fallen on herwas excluded by the certainty that, whatever the nature of herillness, if it were such, it had commenced before our return. Longbefore evening I had communicated with Esmo, and received from him areply which, though exceedingly unsatisfactory, rather confirmedEveena's impression. The latter had taken upon herself the care of theevening meal; but, before we could meet there, my own observation hadsuggested an alarm I dared not communicate to her--one which a widerexperience than hers could neither verify nor dispel. Among symptomswholly alien, there were one or two which sent a thrill of terror tomy heart;--which reminded me of the most awful and destructive of thescourges wherewith my Eastern life had rendered me but too familiar. It was not unnatural that, if carried to a new world, that fearfuldisease should assume a new form; but how could it have been conveyed?how, if conveyed, could its incubation in some unknown vehicle havebeen so long? and how had it reached one, and one only, of myhousehold--one, moreover, who had no access to such few relics of myown world as I had retained, of which Eveena had the exclusive charge?All Esmo's knowledge, even were he within reach, could hardly help mehere. I dared, of course, suggest my apprehension to no one, least ofall to the patient herself. As, towards evening, her languor was againexchanged for the feverish excitement of the previous night, I seizedon some petulant word as an excuse to confine her to her room, and, selfishly enough, resolved to invoke the help of the only member ofthe family who should, and perhaps would, be willing to run personalrisk for the sake of aiding Eunané in need and protecting Eveena. Ihad seen as yet very little of Velna, Eunané's school companion; butnow, calling her apart, I told her frankly that I feared some illnessof my own Earth had by some means been communicated to her friend. 

"You have here, " I said, "for ages had no such diseases as those whichwe on Earth most dread; those which, communicated through water, air, or solid particles, spread from one person to another, endangeringespecially those who come nearest to the sufferers. Whoever approachesEunané risks all that I fear for her, and that 'all' means veryprobably speedy death. To leave her alone is impossible; and if Icannot report that she is fully cared for in other hands, no command, nothing short of actual compulsion, will keep Eveena away from her. "

The girl looked up with a steady frank courage and unaffectedreadiness I had not expected. 

"I owe you much, Clasfempta, and still more perhaps to Eveena. My lifeis not so precious that I should not be ready to give it at need foreither of you; and if I should lose Eunané, I would prefer not to liveto remember my loss. "

The last words reminded me that to her who spoke death meantannihilation; a fact which has deprived the men of her race of nearlyevery vestige of the calm courage now displayed by this young girl, indebted as little as any human being could be to the insensibleinfluences of home affection, or the direct moral teaching which issometimes supposed to be a sufficient substitute. I led her at onceinto her friend's chamber, and a single glance satisfied me that myapprehensions were but too well-founded. Remaining long enough toassure the sufferer that the displeasure I had affected had whollypassed away, and to suggest the only measures of relief rather than ofremedy that occurred to me, I endeavoured for a few moments to collectmy thoughts and recover the control of my nerves in solitude. In myown chamber Eveena would assuredly have sought me, and I chosetherefore one of those as yet unoccupied. It did not take long toconvince me that no ordinary resources at my command, no medicalexperience of my own, no professional science existing among a racewho probably never knew the disease in question, and had not for agesknown anything like it, could avail me. My later studies in the occultscience of Eastern schools had not furnished me with any antidote inwhich I believed on Earth, and if they had, it was not here available. Despair rather than hope suggested an appeal to those which theanalogous secrets of the Starlight might afford. Anxiety, agitation, personal interest so powerful as now disturbed me, are generally fatalto the exercise of the powers recently placed at my command; sorecently that, but for Terrestrial experience, I should hardly haveknown how to use them. But the arts which assist in and facilitatethat tremendous all-absorbing concentration of will on which theexertion of those powers depends, are far more fully developed in theZveltic science than in its Earthly analogues. A desperate effort, aided by those arts, at last controlled my thoughts, and turned themfrom the sick-room to that distant chamber in which I had so latelystood. 

 * * * * *

I seemed to stand beside her, and at once to be aware that my thoughtwas visible to the closed eyes. From lips paler than ever, words--sogenerally resembling those I had previously heard that some readersmay think them the mere recollection thereof--appeared to reach mysense or my mind as from a great distance, spoken in a tone of mingledpity, promise, and reproof:--

 "What is youth or sex or beauty in the All-Commander's sight? For the arm that smote and spared not, shall His wisdom spare to smite? Yet, love redeems the loving; yet in thy need avail The Soul whose light surrounds thee, the faith that will not fail. Thy lips shall soothe the terror, call to yon couch afar The solace of the Serpent, the shadow of the Star! Strength shall sustain the strengthless, nor the soft hand loose its grasp Of the hand it trusts and clings to--till another meet its clasp. .. . --Steel-hard to man's last anguish, wax-soft to woman's mood!-- Death quits not the death-dealer; blood haunts the life of blood!"

 * * * * *

Returning to the peristyle, I encountered Eveena, who had been seekingme anxiously. Much alarmed for her, I bade her return at once to herroom. She obeyed as of course, equally of course surprised and alittle mortified; while I, marvelling by what conceivable means theplague of Cairo or Constantinople could have been conveyed acrossforty million miles of space and some two years of Earthly time, pacedthe peristyle for a few minutes. As I did so, my eye fell on the roseswhich grew just where chance arrested my steps. If they do not affordan explanation which scientific medicine will admit, I can suggest noother. But, if it were so, how fearfully true the warning!--by what amysterious fate did death dog my footsteps, and "blood haunt the lifeof blood!"

The reader may not remember that the central chamber of the women'sapartments, next to which was Eunané's, had been left vacant. This Idetermined to occupy myself, and bade the girls remove at once tothose on its right, as yet unallotted. I closed the room, threw off mydress, and endeavoured by means of the perfumed shower-bath to drivefrom my person what traces of the infection might cling to it; forEveena had the keys of all my cases and of the medicine-chest, and Icould not make up my mind to reclaim them by a simple unexplainedmessage sent by an ambâ, or, still worse, by the hands of Enva orEivé. I laid the clothes I had worn on one of the shelves of the wall, closing over them the crystal doors of the sunken cupboard; and, having obtained through the amban a dress which I had not worn sincemy return, and which therefore could hardly have about it any trace ofinfection, I sought Eveena in her own room. 

That something had gone wrong, and gravely wrong, she could not butknow; and I found her silent and calm, indeed, but weeping bitterly, whether for the apprehension of danger to me, or for what seemed wantof trust in her. I asked her for the keys, and she gave them; but witha mute appeal that made the concealment I desired, however necessary, no longer possible. Gently, cautiously as I could, but softening, nothiding, any part of the truth, I gave her the full confidence to whichshe was entitled, and which, once forced out of the silence preservedfor her sake, it was an infinite relief to give. If I could notobserve equal gentleness of word and manner in absolutely forbiddingher to approach, either Eunané's chamber or my own, it was because, the moment she conceived what I was about to say, her almost indignantrevolt from the command was apparent. For the first and last time shedistinctly and firmly refused compliance, not merely with the kindlythough very decided request at first spoken, but with the formal andperemptory command by which I endeavoured to enforce it. 

"You command me to neglect a sister in peril and suffering, " she said. "It is not kind; it is hardly worthy of you; but my first duty is toyou, and you have the right, if you will, to insist that I shallreserve my life for your sake. But you command me also to forsake youin danger and in sorrow; and nothing but the absolute force you may ofcourse employ shall compel me to obey you in that. "

"I understand you, Eveena; and you, in your turn, must think and feelthat I intend to express neither displeasure nor pain; that I mean noharshness to you, no less respect as well as love than I have alwaysshown you, when I say that obey you shall; that the same sense of dutywhich impels you to refuse obliges me to enforce my command. At notime would I have allowed you to risk your life where others might beavailable. But if you were the only one who could help, I should, under other circumstances, have felt that the same paramount duty thatattaches to me attached in a lighter degree to yourself. Now, as youwell know, the case is different; and even were Eunané not quite safein my hands and in Velna's, you must not run a risk that can beavoided. You will promise me to remain on this side the peristyle orin the further half of it, or I must confine you perforce; and it isnot kind or right in this hour of trouble to impose upon me so painfula task. "

With every tone, look, and caress that could express affection andsympathy, Eveena answered--

"Do what seems your duty, and do not think that I misunderstand yourmotive or feel the shadow of humiliation or unkindness. Make me obeyif you can, punish me if I disobey; but obey you, when you tell me, for my own life's sake or for any other, to desert you in the hour ofneed, of danger, and of sorrow, I neither will nor can. " I cut shortthe scene, bidding her a passionate farewell in view of theprobability that we should not meet again. I closed the door behindme, having called her whom at this moment and in this case I couldbest trust, because her worse as well as her better qualities werealike guarantees for her obedience. 

"Enva, " I said, "you will keep this room till I release you; and youwill answer it to me, as the worst fault you can commit, if Eveenapasses this threshold, under whatever circumstances, until I give herpermission, or until, if it be beyond my power to give it, her fathertakes the responsibilities of my home upon himself. "

I procured the sedatives which might relieve the suffering I could nothope to cure. I wrote to Esmo, stating briefly but fully the positionas I conceived it; and, on a suggestion from Eivé, I despatchedanother message to a female physician of some repute--one of those fewwomen in Mars who lead the life and do the work of men, and for whoseattendance, as I remembered, Eunané had expressed a strong theoreticalpreference. 

From that time I scarcely left her chamber save for a few minutes, andVelna remained constantly at her friend's side, save when, to give herat least a chance of escape, I sent her to her room to bathe, changeher dress, and seek the fresh air for the half hour during which aloneI could persuade her to leave the sufferer. The _daftare_ (man-woman)physician came, but on learning the nature of the disease, expressedintense indignation that she had been summoned to a position of somuch danger to herself. 

I answered by a contemptuous inquiry regarding the price for which shewould run so much risk as to remain in the peristyle so long as Imight have need of her presence; and, for a fee which would ensure hera life-income as large as that secured to Eveena herself, sheconsented to remain within speaking distance for the few hours inwhich the question must be decided. Eunané was seldom insensible oreven delirious, and her quick intelligence caught very speedily themeaning of my close attendance, and of the distress which neitherVelna nor I could wholly conceal. She asked and extracted from me whatI knew of the origin of her illness, and answered, with a far strongerfeeling than I should have expected even from her--

"If I am to die, I am glad it should be through trying to serve andplease Eveena. .. . It may seem strange, Clasfempta, " she went onpresently, "scarcely possible perhaps; but my love for her is not onlygreater than the love I bear you, but is so bound up with it that Ialways think of you together, and love you the better that I love her, and that you love her so much better than me. .. . But, " she resumedlater, "it is hard to die, and die so young. I had never known whathappiness meant till I came here. .. . I have been so happy here, and Iwas happier each day in feeling that I no longer made Eveena or youless happy. Ah! let me thank you and Eveena while I can foreverything, and above all for Velna. .. . But, " after another longpause, "it is terrible and horrible--never to wake, to move, to hearyour voices, to see you, to look upon the sunlight, to think, or evento dream again! Once, to remove a tooth and straighten the rest, theymade me senseless; and that sinking into senselessness, though I knewI should waken in a minute, was horrible; and--to sink intosenselessness from which I shall never waken!"

She was sinking fast indeed, and this terror of death, so seldom seenin the dying, grew apparently deeper and more intense as death drewnear. I could not bear it, and at last took my resolve and dismissedVelna, forbidding her to return till summoned. 

"Ah!" said Eunané, "you send her away that she may not see the last. Is it so near?"

"No, darling!" I replied (she, like Eveena, had learnt the meaning ofone or two expressions of human affection in my own tongue), "but Ihave that to say which I would not willingly say in her presence. Youdread death not as a short terrible pain, and for you it will not beso, not as a short sleep, but as eternal senselessness andnothingness. Has it never seemed to you strange that, loving Eveena asI do, _I_ do not fear to die? Though you did not know it, I have livedalmost since first you knew me under the threat of death; and deathsudden, secret, without warning, menacing me every day and every hour. And yet, though death meant leaving her and leaving her to a fate Icould not foresee, I have been able to look on it steadily. Kneelinghere, I know that I am very probably giving my life to the same end asyours. I do not fear. That may not seem strange to you; but Eveenaknows all I know, and I could scarcely keep Eveena away. So lovingeach other, _we_ do not fear to die, because we believe, we know, thatthat in us which thinks, and feels, and loves will live; that in deathwe lay aside the body as we lay aside our worn-out clothing. If Ithought otherwise, Eunané, I could not bear _this_ parting. "

She clasped my hands, almost as much surprised and touched, I thought, for the moment by the expression of an affection of which till thathour neither of us were fully aware, as by the marvellous andincredible assurance she had heard. 

"Ah!" she said, "I have heard her people are strange, and they dreamsuch things. No, Clasfempta, it is a fancy, or you say it to comfortme, not because it is true. "

The expression of terror that again came over her face was too painfulfor endurance. To calm that terror I would have broken every oath, have risked every penalty. But in truth I could never have paused toask what in such a case oath or law permitted, "Listen, Eunané, " Isaid, "and be calm. Not only Eveena, not only I, but hundreds, thousands, of the best and kindliest men and women of your world holdthis faith as fast as we do. You feel what Eveena is. What she is andwhat others are not, she owes to this trust:--to the assurance of aPower unseen, that rules our lives and fortunes and watches ourconduct, that will exact an account thereof, that holds us as Hischildren, and will never part with us. Do you think it is a lie thathas made Eveena what she is?"

"But you _think_, you do not know. "

"Yes, I know; I have seen. " Here a touch, breaking suddenly upon thatintense concentration of mind and soul on a single thought, violentlystartled me, gentle as it was; and to my horror I saw that Eveena waskneeling with me by the couch. 

"Remember, " she said, in the lowest, saddest whisper, "'the Veil thatguards the Shrine. '"

"No matter, Eveena, " I answered in the same tone, the pain at my heartsuppressing even the impulse of indignation, not with her, but withthe law that could put such a thought into her heart. "Neither penaltynor oath should silence me now. Whether I break our law I know not;but I would forfeit life here--I would forfeit life hereafter, ratherthan fail a soul that rests on mine at such a moment. "

The clasp of her hand showed how thoroughly, despite the momentarydoubt, she felt with me; and I could not now recur to that secondaryselfishness which had so imperiously repelled her from thesick-chamber. 

"I have seen, " I repeated, as Eunané still looked earnestly into myface, "and Eveena has seen at the same moment, one long ages sincedeparted this world--the Teacher of this belief, the Founder of thatSociety which holds it, the ancestor of her own house--in bodily formbefore us. "

"It is true, " said Eveena, in answer to Eunané's appealing look. 

"And I, " I added, "have seen more than once in my own world the formsof those I have known in life recalled, according to promise, to humaneyes. "

The testimony, or the contagion of the strong undoubting confidence wefelt therein, if they did not convince the intellect, changed the toneof thought and feeling of the dying girl. Too weak now to reason, orto resist the impression enforced upon her mind by minds always farmore powerful than her own in its brightest hours, she turnedinstinctively from the thought of blackness, senselessness eternal, tothat of a Father whose hand could uphold, of the wings that can leapthe grave. Her left hand clasped in mine, her right in Eveena's, --looking most in my face, because weakness leant on strength even morethan love appealed to love--Eunané spent the remaining hours of thatnight in calm contentment and peace. Perhaps they were among the mostperfectly peaceful and happy she had known. To strong, warm, sheltering affection she had never been used save in her new home; andin the love she received and returned there was much too strange andself-contradicting to be satisfactory. But no shadow of jealousy, doubt, or contradictory emotion troubled her now: assured of Eveena'ssisterly love as of my own hardly and lately won trust and tenderness. 

The light had been long subdued, and the chamber was dim as dimmesttwilight, when suddenly, with a smile, Eunané cried--

"It is morning already! and there, --why, there is Erme. "

She stretched out her arms as if to greet the one creature she hadloved--perhaps more dearly than she loved those now beside her. Thehands dropped; and Eveena's closed for ever on the sights of thisworld the eyes whose last vision had been of another. 

CHAPTER XXVIII - DARKER YET. 

Leading Eveena from the room, I hastily dictated every precaution thatcould diminish the danger to her and others. Velna had run risks thatcould not well be increased, and on her and on myself must devolvewhat remained to be done. I sent an ambâ to summon Davilo, gatheredthe garments that Eveena had thrown off, and removed them to thedeath-chamber. When the first arrangements were made, and I had paidthe fee of Astona, the woman-physician, I passed out into the garden, and Davilo met me at the door of the peristyle. A few words explainedall that was necessary. It was still almost dark; and as we stoodclose by the door, speaking in the low tone partly of sadness, partlyof precaution, two figures were dimly discernible just inside, and wecaught a few broken words. 

"You have heard, " said a harsh voice, which seemed to be Astona's, "there is no doubt now. You have your part to play, and can do itquickly and safely. "

I paid little attention to words whose dangerous significance would atanother moment have been plain to me. But Davilo, greatly alarmed, laid his hand upon my arm. As he did so, another voice thrilled mewith intensest pain and amazement. 

"Be quick to bear your message, " Eivé said, in rapid guarded tones. "They have means of vengeance certain and prompt, and they neverspare. "

Astona departed without seeing us. Eivé closed the door, and Daviloand I, hastily and unperceived, followed the spy to the gate of theenclosure. Some one waited for her there. What passed we could nothear; but, as we saw Astona and another depart, Davilo spokeimprudently aloud--

"She has the secret, and she must die. ‘Nay’ (as I would haveexpostulated), she is spy, traitress, and assassin, and merits herdoom most richly. "

"Hist!" said I, "your words may have fallen into other ears;" for Ithought that beyond the wall I discerned a crouching figure. If thatof a man, however, it was too far off, and dressed in colours toodark, to be clearly seen; and in another instant it had certainlyvanished. 

"Remember, " he urged, "you have heard that one quite as dangerous isunder your own roof; and, once more, it is not only your life that isat stake. What you call courage, what seems to us sheer folly, maycost you and others what you value far more than your life. An errorof softness now may make your future existence one long and uselessremorse. "

Half-an-hour later, having warned the women to their rooms--ordering avariety of disinfecting measures in which Martial science excelledwhile they were needed there--I opened the door of the death chamberto those who carried in a coffer hollowed out of a dark, exceedinglydense natural stone, and half-filled with a liquid of enormousdestructive power. Then I lifted tenderly the lifeless form, laid iton cushions arranged therein, kissed the lips, and closed the coffer. Two of Davilo's attendants had meantime adjusted the electricmachinery. We carried the coffer into the apartment where this workedto heat the stove, to keep the lights burning, to raise, warm, anddiffuse the water through the house, and perform many other importanthousehold services. Two strong bars of conducting metal were attachedto the apparatus, and fitted into two hollows of the coffer. A flash, a certain hissing sound, followed. After a few moments the coffer wasopened, and Davilo, carefully gathering a few handfuls of solid whitematerial, something resembling pumice stone in appearance, placed themin a golden chest about twelve inches cube, which was then soldereddown by the heat derived from the electric power. Then all infectedclothes and the contents of the death chamber were carried out fordestruction; while, with a tool adjusted to the machinery, one of theattendants engraved a few characters upon the chest. Whatever therisk, I could not part with every relic of her we had lost; and, afterpassing them through such chemical purification as Martial sciencesuggested, I took the three long chestnut locks I had preserved. Velna's quick fingers wove them into plaits, one of which I left withher, one bound around my own neck, and one reserved for Eveena. Assoon as the sun had risen, I had despatched a message to the Prince, explaining the danger of infection to which I had been subjected, andasking permission notwithstanding to wait upon him. The emergency wasso pressing that neither sorrow nor peril would allow me to neglect anembassy on which the lives of hundreds, and perhaps the safety of hiskingdom, might depend. Passing Eivé as I turned towards Eveena's room, and fevered with intense thirst, I bade her bring me thither a cup ofthe carcarâ. I need not dwell on the terribly painful moments in whichI bound round Eveena's arm a bracelet prized above all the choicestornaments she possessed. To calm her agitation and my own by means ofthe charny, I sought the keys. They were not at my belt, and I asked, "Have I returned them to you?"

"Certainly not, " said Eveena, startled. "Can you not find them?"

At this moment Eivé entered the room and presented me with the cup forwhich I had asked. It struck me with surprise, even at that moment, that Eveena took it from my hand and carried it first to her own lips. Eivé had turned to leave the room; but before she had reached thethreshold Eveena had sprung up, placed her foot upon the spring thatclosed the door, and snatching the test-stone from my watch chaindipped it into the cup. Her face turned white as death, while she heldup to my eyes the discoloured disc which proved the presence of thedeadliest Martial poison. 

"Be calm, " she said, as a cry of horror burst from my lips. "Thekeys!"

"_You_ have them, " Eivé said with a gasp, her face still averted. 

"I took them from Eveena myself, " I answered sternly. "Stand back intothat corner, Eivé, " as I opened the door and called sharply the othermembers of the household. When they entered, unable to stand, I hadfallen back upon a chair, and called Eivé to my side. As I laid myhand on her arm she threw herself on the floor, screaming and writhinglike a terrified child rather than a woman detected in a crime, theconception and execution of which must have required an evil courageand determination happily seldom possessed by women. 

"Stand up!" I said. "Lift her, then, Enva and Eiralé. Unfasten theshoulder-clasps and zone. "

As her outer robe dropped, Eivé snatched at an object in its folds, but too late; and the electric keys, which gave access to all mycases, papers, and to the medicine-chest above all, lay glittering onthe ground. 

"That cup Eivé brought to me. Which of you saw her?"

"I did, " said Enva quietly, all feelings of malice and curiosity alikeawed into silence by the evidence of some terrible, though as yet tothem unknown, secret. "She mixed it and brought it hither herself. "

"And, " I said, "it contains a poison against which, had I drunkone-half the draught, no antidote could have availed--a poison towhich these keys only could have given access. "

Again the test-stone was applied, and again the discolorationtestified to the truth of the charge. 

"You have seen?" I said. 

"We have seen, " answered Enva, in the same tone of horror, too deep tobe other than quiet. 

We all left the room, closing the door upon the prisoner. Dismissingthe girls to their own chambers, with strict injunctions not to quitthem unpermitted, I was left alone with Eveena. We were silent forsome minutes, my own heart oppressed with mingled emotions, allintensely painful, but so confused that, while conscious of acutesuffering, I scarcely realised anything that had occurred. Eveena, whoknelt beside me, though deeply horror-struck, was less surprised andwas far less agitated than I. At last, leaning forward with her armson my knee and looking up in my face, she was about to speak. But thetouch and look seemed to break a spell, and, shuddering from head tofoot, I burst into tears like those of an hysterical girl. When, withthe strongest effort that shame and necessity could prompt, aided byher silent soothing, I had somewhat regained my self-command, Eveenaspoke, in the same attitude and with the same look:--

"You said once that you could pardon such an attempt. That you shouldever forgive at heart cannot be. That punishment should not follow soterrible a crime, even I cannot desire. But for _my_ sake, do not giveher up to the doom she has deserved. Do you know" (as I was silent)"what that doom is?"

"Death, I suppose. "

"Yes!" she said, shuddering, "but death with torture--death on thevivisection-table. Will you, whatever the danger--_can_ you, give upto such a fate, to such hands, one whom your hand has caressed, whosehead has rested on your heart?"

"It needs not that, Eveena, " I answered; "enough that she is woman. Iwould face that death myself rather than, for whatever crime, send awoman, above all a young girl, to such an end. I would rather by farslay my worst enemy with my own hand than consign him to a death oftorture. But, more than that, my conscience would not permit me tocall on the law to punish a household treason, where householdauthority is so strong and so arbitrary as here. Assassination is theweapon of the oppressed and helpless; and it is not for me so to bejudge in my own cause as to pronounce that Eivé has had noprovocation. "

"Shame upon her!" said Eveena indignantly. "No one under your roofever had or could have reason to raise a hand, I do not say againstyour life, but to give you a moment's pain. I do not ask, I do notwish you to spare her; only I am glad to think you will deal with heryourself--remember she has herself removed all limit to yourpower--and not by the shameless and merciless hands to which the lawwould give her. "

We returned to Eveena's chamber. The scene that followed I cannot bearto recall. Enough that Eivé knew as well as Eveena the law she hadbroken and the penalty she had incurred; and, petted darling as shehad been, she utterly lacked all faith in the tenderness she had knownso well, or even in the mercy to which Eveena had confidentlyappealed. Understanding at last that she was safe from the law, theexpression of her gratitude was as vehement as her terror had beenintense. But the new phase of passion was not the less repugnant. Notthat there was anything strange in the violent revulsion of feeling. Born and trained among a race who fear to forgive, Eivé was familiarby report at least with the merciless vengeance of cowards. Whateverthey might have done later, few would have promised mercy in the verymoment of escape to an ordinary assassin; and if Eivé understood anyaspect of my character, that she could best appreciate was theoutraged tenderness which forbade me to look on hers as ordinaryguilt. Acutely sensitive to pain and fear, she had both known thebetter to what terror might prompt the injured, and was the moreappalled by the prospect. Her eagerness to accept by anticipationwhatever degradation and pain domestic power could inflict, whenreleased by the terrible alternative of legal prosecution from itsusual limits, breathed more of doubt and terror than of shame orpenitence. But at first it keenly affected me. It was with somethingakin to a bodily pang that I heard this fragile girl, so easilysubdued by such rebuke or menace as her companions would scarcely haveaffected to fear, now pleading for punishment such as would havequelled the pride and courage of the most high-spirited of her sex. Ifelt the deepest pity, not so much for the fear with which she stilltrembled as for the agony of terror she must have previously endured. Eveena averted from her abject supplications a face in which I readmuch pain, but more of what would have been disgust in a lessintensely sympathetic nature. And ere long I saw or felt in Eivé'smanner that which caused me suddenly to dismiss Eveena from the room, as from a presence unfit for her spotless purity and exquisitedelicacy. Finding in me no sign of passionate anger, no readiness, butreluctance to visit treason with physical pain, Eivé's own expressionchanged. Unable to conceive the feeling that rendered the course shehad at first expected simply impossible to me, a nature I had utterlymisconceived caught at an idea few women, not experienced in the worstof life's lessons, would have entertained. The tiny fragile form, theslight limbs whose delicate proportions seemed to me almost those ofinfancy, their irrepressible quivering plainly revealed by the absenceof robe and veil, no man worthy of the name could have beheld withoutintense compassion. But such a feeling she could not realise. As herfeatures lost the sincerity of overwhelming fear, as the drooping lidsfailed for one moment to conceal a look of almost assured exultationin the dark eyes, my soul was suddenly and thoroughly revolted. I hadforgiven the hand aimed at a heart that never throbbed with a pulseunkind to her. I might have forgotten the treason that requitedtenderness and trust by seeking my life; but I could never forget, never recover, that moment's insight into thoughts that so outraged anaffection which, if my conscience belied me not, was absolutelystainless and unselfish. 

It cost a strong persistent effort of self-control to address heragain. But a confession full and complete my duty to others compelledme to enforce. The story of the next hour I never told or can tell. Toone only did I give a confidence that would have rendered explanationnatural; and that one was the last to whom I could have spoken on thissubject. Enough that the charming infantine simplicity had disguisedan elaborate treachery of which I reluctantly learned that humannature is capable. The caressed and caressing child had sold my life, if not her own soul, for the promise of wealth that could purchasenothing I denied her, and of the first place among the women of herworld. That promise I soon found had not been warranted, directly orindirectly, by him who alone could at present fulfil it. Needless torelate the details either of the confession or its extortion. Enoughthat Eivé learnt at last perforce that though I had, as it seemed toher, been fool enough to spare her the vengeance of the law, and tospare her still as far as possible, her power to fool me further wasgone for ever. Needless to speak of the lies repeated and sustained, till truth was wrung from quivering lips and sobbing voice; of thelooks that appealed long and incredulously to a love as utterlyforfeited as misunderstood. To the last Eivé could not comprehend thenature that, having spared her so much, would not spare wholly; themercy felt for the weakness, not for the charms of youth and sex. Shamed, grieved, wounded to the quick, I quitted the presence of onewho, I fear, was as little worth the anguish I then endured for her, as the tenderness she had so long betrayed; and left the late darlingof my house a prisoner under strict guard, necessary for the safety ofothers than ourselves. 

Finding a message awaiting me, I sought at once the interview whichthe Sovereign fearlessly granted. 

"I see, " said the Prince with much feeling, as he received my salute, "that you have gone through deeper pain than such domestic losses canwell cause to us. I am sorry that you are grieved. I can say no more, and perhaps the less I say the less pain I shall give. Only permit methis remark. Since I have known you, it has seemed to me that theutter distinction between our character and yours, showing as it doesat so many points, springs from some single root-difference. We, socareful of our own life and comfort, care little for those of others. We, so afraid of pain, are indifferent to its infliction, unless wehave to witness it, and only some of us flinch from the sight. Thesoftness of heart you show in this trouble seems in some strange wayassociated with the strength of heart which you have proved indangers, the least of which none of us would have encounteredwillingly, and which, forced on us, would have unnerved us all. I amglad to prove to you that to some extent I depart from my nationalcharacter and approach, however, distantly, to yours. I can feel for afriend's sorrow, and I can face what you seem to consider a realdanger. But you had a purpose in asking this audience. My ears areopen--your lips are unsealed. "

"Prince, " I replied, "what you have said opens the way to that Iwished to ask. You say truly that courage and tenderness have a commonroot, as have the unmanly softness and equally unmanly hardness commonamong your subjects. Those for whom death ends all utterly and forever will of necessity, at least as soon as the training of years andof generations has rendered their thought consistent, dread death withintensest fear, and love to brighten and sweeten life with everypossible enjoyment. Animal enjoyment becomes the most precious, sinceit is the keenest. Higher pleasures lose half their value, when thedistinction between the two is reduced to the distinction between thesensations of higher and lower nerve centres. Thus men care too muchfor themselves to care for others; and after all, strong deepaffection, entwined with the heartstrings, can only torture and tearthe hearts for which death is a final parting. Such love as I havefelt for woman--even such love as I felt for her, your gift, whom Ihave lost--would be pain intolerable if the thought were ever presentthat one day we must, and any day we might, part for ever. I put theknife against my breast, my life in your hand, when I say this, and Iask of you no secrecy, no favour for myself; but that, as I trust you, you will guard the life that is dearest to me if you take from me thepower to guard it. .. . There are those among your subjects who are notthe cowards you find around your throne, who are not brutal in theirhouseholds, not incapable of tenderness and sacrifice for others. "

As I spoke I carefully watched the Prince's face, on which no shade ofdispleasure was visible; rather the sentiment of one who is somewhatgratified to hear a perplexing problem solved in a manner agreeable tohis wishes. 

"And the reason is, " I continued, "that these men and women believe orknow that they are answerable to an eternal Sovereign mightier thanyourself, and that they will reap, not perhaps here, but after deathas they shall have sown; that if they do not forfeit the promise bytheir own deed, they shall rejoin hereafter those dearest to themhere. "

"There are such?" he said. "I would they were known to me. I had notdreamed that there were in my realm men who would screen the heart ofanother with their own palm. "

"Prince, " I replied earnestly, "I as their ambassador as one of theirleaders, appeal to you to know and to protect them. They can defendthemselves at need, and, it may be, might prevail though matched oneagainst a thousand. For their weapons are those against which nodistance, no defences, no numbers afford protection. But in such astrife many of their lives must be lost, and infinite suffering andhavoc wrought on foes they would willingly spare. They are threatenedwith extermination by secret spite or open force; but open force willbe the last resort of enemies well aware that those who strike at theStar have ever been smitten by the lightning. "

A slight change in his countenance satisfied me that the Emblem wasnot unknown to him. 

"You say, " he replied, "that there is an organised scheme to destroythese people by force or fraud?"

"The scheme, Prince, was confessed in my own hearing by one of itsinstruments; and in proof thereof, my own life, as a Chief of theOrder, was attempted this morning. "

The Prince sprang to his feet in all the passion of a man who for thefirst time receives a personal insult; of an Autocrat stung to thequick by an unprecedented outrage to his authority and dignity. 

"Who has dared?" he said. "Who has taken on himself to make law, orform plans for carrying out old law, without my leave? Who has daredto strike at the life over which I have cast the shadow of my throne?Give me their names, my guest, and, before the evening mist closes into-morrow, pronounce their doom. "

"I cannot obey your royal command. I have no proof against the onlyman who, to my knowledge, can desire my death. Those who actually andimmediately aimed at my life are shielded by the inviolable weaknessof sex from the revenge and even the justice of manhood. "

"Each man, " returned the Prince, but partially conceiving my meaning, "is master at home. I wish I were satisfied that your heart will letyou deal justly and wisely with the most hateful offspring of the mosthateful of living races--a woman who betrays the life of her lord. Butthose who planned a general scheme of destruction--a purpose of publicpolicy--without my knowledge, must aim also at my life and throne; foreven were their purpose such as I approved, attempted without mypermission, they know I would never pardon the presumption. I do notsit in Council with dull ears, or silent lips, or empty hands; and itis not for the highest more than for the lowest under me to snatch mysceptre for a moment. "

"Guard then your own, " I said. "Without your leave and in yourlifetime, open force will scarcely he used against us; and if againstsecret murder or outrage we appeal to the law, you will see that thelaw does justice?"

"I will, " he replied; "and I pardon your advice to guard my own, because you judge me by my people. But a Prince's life is the chargeof his guards; the lives of his people are his care. "

He was silent for a few minutes, evidently in deep reflection. 

"I thank you, " he said at last, "and I give you one warning in partialreturn for yours. There is a law which can be used against the membersof a secret society with terrible effect. Not only are they exposed todeath if detected, but those who strike them are legally exempt frompunishment. I will care that that law shall not menace you long. Whilst it remains guard yourselves; I am powerless to break it. "

As I quitted the Palace, Ergimo joined me and mounted my carriage. Seizing a moment when none were within sight or hearing, he said--

"Astona was found two hours ago dead, as an enemy or a traitor dies. She was seen to fall from the roof of her house, and none was near herwhen she fell. But Davilo has already been arrested as her murderer, on the ground that he was heard before sunrise this morning to saythat she must die. "

"Who heard that must have heard more. Let this news be quickly knownto whom it concerns. "

I checked the carriage instantly, and turned into a road thatconducted us in ten minutes to a public telegraph office. 

"Come with me, " I said, "quickly. As an officer of the Camptâ yourpresence may ensure the delivery of letters which might otherwise bestopped. "

He seized the hint at once, and as we approached a vacant desk he saidto the nearest officer, "In the Camptâ's name;" a form which ensuredthat the most audacious and curious spy, backed by the highestauthority save that invoked, dared neither stop nor search into amessage so warranted. Before I left the desk every Chief of the Zintaat his several post had received, through that strange symboliclanguage of which I have already given samples, from me advice of whathad occurred and from Esmo warning to meet at an appointed place andtime. 

The day at whose close we should meet was that of Davilo's trial. Imingled with the crowd around the Court doors, a crowd manifestingbitter hostility to the prisoner and to the Order, of whose secrets arevelation was eagerly expected. Easily forcing my way through themass, I felt on a sudden a touch, a sign; and turning my eyes saw aface I had surely never looked on before. Yet the sign could only havebeen given by a colleague. That which followed implied the presence ofthe Signet itself. 

"I told you, " whispered a voice I knew well, "how completely we canchange even countenance at will. "

It was so; but though acquainted with the process, I had neverbelieved that the change could be so absolute. By help of my strengthand height, still more perhaps by the subtle influence of his ownpowerful will acting none the less imperiously on minds unconscious ofits influence, Esmo made his way with me into the Court. 

Around five sides of the hexagon were seats, tier above tier, appropriated to the public who wish to see as well as hear. Thephonograph reported every word uttered to hundreds of distant offices. Against the sixth side were placed the seats of the seven judges; infront, at an equal elevation, the chair of the prisoner, the seats ofthe advocates on right and left, and the place from which each witnessmust deliver his testimony in full view and within easy hearing bothof the bench, the bar, and the audience. Davilo sat in his chairunguarded, but in an attitude strangely constrained and motionless. Only his bright eyes moved freely, and his head turned a little fromside to side. He recognised us instantly, and his look expressed notrace of fear. 

"The _quârry_" whispered Esmo, observing my perplexity. 

"It paralyses the nerves of motion, leaving those of sensation active;and is administered to a prisoner on the instant of his arrest, so asto keep him absolutely helpless till his sentence is executed, or tillon his acquittal an antidote is administered. "

The counsel for the prosecution stated in the briefest possible wordsthe story of Astona, from the moment when she left my house to that atwhich she was found dead, and the method of her death; relatedDavilo's words, and then proceeded to call his witnesses. Of coursethe one vital question was whether by possibility Davilo, who hadnever left my premises since the words were uttered, could havebrought about a death, evidently accidental in its immediate cause, ata distance of many miles. His words were attested by one whom Irecognised as an officer of Endo Zamptâ, and I was called to confirmor contradict them. The presiding judge, as I took my place, read abrief telling terrible menace, expounding the legal penalties ofperjury. 

"You will speak the truth, " he said, "or you know the consequences. "

As he spoke, he encountered Esmo's eyes, and quailed under the gaze, sinking back into his seat motionless as the bird under the allegedfascination of the serpent. I admitted that the words in question hadbeen addressed to me; and I proved that Davilo had been busily engagedwith me from that moment until an hour later than that of the fatalaccident. There being thus no dispute as to the facts, a keen contestof argument proceeded between the advocates on either side. Thedefenders of the prisoner ridiculed with an affectation of scientificcontempt--none the less effective because the chief pleader washimself an experienced member of our Order--the idea that the actionsor fate of a person at a distance could be affected by the mere willof another; and related, as absurd and incredible traditions of old tothis purport, some anecdotes which had been communicated to me asamong the best attested and most striking examples of the historicalexercise of the mystic powers. The able and bigoted sceptics, whoprosecuted this day in the interests of science, insisted, with equalinconsistency and equal skill, on the innumerable recorded andattested instances of some diabolical power possessed by certainsupposed members of a detested and malignant sect. A year ago thejudges would probably have sided unanimously with the former. But thefeeling that animated the conspiracy, if it should be so called, against the Zinta, had penetrated all Martial society; and in order todestroy the votaries of religion, Science, in the persons of her mostdistinguished students, was this day ready to abjure her character, and forswear her most cherished tenets. As has often happened in Mars, and may one day happen on Earth as the new ideas come into greaterforce, proven fact was deliberately set against logical impossibility;and for once--what probably had not happened in Mars for ten thousandyears--proven fact and common sense carried the day against scienceand "universal experience;" but, unhappily, against the prisoner. After retiring separately for about an hour, the Judges returned. Their brief and very confused decisions were read by the Secretary. The reasons were seldom intelligible, each contradicting himself andall his colleagues, and not one among the judgments having even theappearance of cohesion and consistency. But, by six to one, theydoomed the prisoner to the vivisection-table. As he was carried forthhis eyes met ours, and the perfect calm and steadiness of their glanceastounded me not a little. 

My natural thought prompted, of course, an appeal to the mercy of theThrone. In every State a power of giving effect in the law's despiteto public policy, or of commanding that, in certain strange andunforeseen circumstances, common sense and practical justice shalloverride a sentence which no court bound by the letter of the law canwithhold, must rest with the Sovereign. But in Mars the prerogative ofmercy, in the proper sense of the word--judicial rather than politicalmercy--is exercised less by the Prince himself than by a small councilof judges advising him and pronouncing their decision in his name. Even if we could have relied on the Camptâ with absolute confidence, there were many reasons against an appeal which would, in fact, haveasked him to declare himself on our side. While such a declarationmight, in the existing state of public feeling, have caused revolt orriot, it would have put on their guard, perhaps driven to a prematureattempt which he was not prepared to meet, the traitors whose schemeagainst his life the Prince felt confident that he should speedilydetect and punish. 

All these considerations were brought before our Council, whose debatewas brief but not hurried or excited. The supreme calm of Esmo'sdemeanour communicated itself to all the eleven, in not one of whomcould I recognise till they spoke my colleagues of our last Council. The order went forth that a party should attend Esmo's orders at apoint about half a mile distant from the studio in which, for thebenefit of a great medical school, my unhappy friend was to be put totorture indescribable. 

"Happily, " said Esmo, "the first portion of the experiment will bemade by the Vivisector-General alone, and will commence at midnight. Half an hour before that time our party will be assembled. "

I had insisted on being one of the band, and Esmo had very reluctantlyyielded to the unanimous approval of colleagues who thought that onthis occasion physical strength might render essential service at someunforeseen crisis. Moreover, the place lying within my geographicalprovince, several of those engaged looked up to me as their immediatechief, and it was thought well to place me on such an occasion attheir head. 

The night was, as had been predicted, absolutely dark, but the roadswere brilliantly lighted. Suddenly, however, as we drew towards thepoint of meeting, the lights went out, an accident unprecedented inMartial administration. 

"But they will be relighted!" said one of my companions. 

"Can human skill relight the lamps that the power of the Star hasextinguished?" was the reply of another. 

We fell in military order, with perfect discipline and steadiness, under the influence of Esmo's silent will and scarcely discerniblegestures. The wing of the college in which the dissection was to takeplace was guarded by some forty sentinels, armed with the spear andlightning gun. But as we came close to them, I observed that eachstood motionless as a statue, with eyes open, but utterly devoid ofsight. 

"I have been here before you, " murmured Esmo. "To the left. "

The door gave way at once before the touch of some electric instrumentor immaterial power wielded by his hand. We passed in, guided by him, through one or two chambers, and along a passage, at the end of whicha light shone through a crystal door. Here proof of Esmo's superiorjudgment was afforded. He would fain have had the party much smallerthan it was, and composed exclusively of the very few old andexperienced members of the Zinta within reach at the moment. We werenearly a score in number, some even more inexperienced than myself, half the party my own immediate followers; and I remembered far betterthe feelings of a friend and a soldier than the lessons of the collegeor the Shrine. As the door opened, and we caught sight of our friendstretched on the vivisection table, the younger of the company, hurried on by my own example, lost their heads and got, so to speak, out of hand. We rushed tumultuously forward and fell on the Vivisectorand two assistants, who stood motionless and perhaps unconscious, butwith glittering knives just ready for their fiendish work. Before Esmocould interpose, these executioners were cut down with the "crimsonblade" (cold steel); and we bore off our friend with more of eagernessand triumph than at all befitted our own consciousness of power, orsuited the temper of our Chief. 

Never did Esmo speak so sharply or severely as in the brief reprimandhe gave us when we reassembled; the justice of which. I instinctivelyacknowledged, as he ceased, by the salute I had given so often at theclose of less impressive and less richly deserved reprimands on theparade ground or the march. Uninjured, and speedily relieved from theeffects of the _quârry_, Davilo was carried off to a place oftemporary concealment, and we dispersed. 

Eveena heard my story with more annoyance than interest, mortified nota little by the reproof I had drawn upon myself and my followers; and, despite her reluctance to seem to acknowledge a fault in me, apparently afraid that a similar ebullition of feeling might on somefuture occasion lead to serious disaster. 

CHAPTER XXIX - AZRAEL. 

To detain as a captive and a culprit, thus converting my own houseinto a prison, my would-be murderess and former plaything, wasintolerably painful. To leave her at large was to incur danger such asI had no right to bring on others. To dismiss her was less perilousthan the one course, less painful than the other, but combined periland pain in a degree which rendered both Eveena and myself mostreluctant to adopt it. From words of Esmo's, and from other sources, Igathered that the usual course under such circumstances would havebeen to keep the culprit under no other restraint than thatconfinement to the house which is too common to be remarkable, trusting to the terror which punishment inflicted and menaced bydomestic authority would inspire. But Eivé now understood the limitswhich conscience or feeling imposed on the use of an otherwiseunlimited power. She knew very nearly how much she could have to fear;and, timid as she was, would not be cowed or controlled byapprehensions so defined and bounded. Eveena herself naturallyresented the peril, and was revolted by the treason even moreintensely than myself; and was for once hardly content that so heinousa crime should be so lightly visited. In interposing "between theculprit and the horrors of the law, she had taken for granted thestrenuous exertion of a domestic jurisdiction almost as absolute underthe circumstances as that of ancient Rome. 

"What suggested to you, " I asked one day of Eveena, "the suspicionthat so narrowly saved my life?"

"The carefully steadied hand--you have teased her so often forspilling everything it carried--and the unsteady eyes. But, " she addedreluctantly, "I never liked to watch her--no, not lest you shouldnotice it--but because she did not seem true in her ways with you; andI should have missed those signs but for a strange warning. " . .. Shepaused. 

"_I_ would not be warned, " I answered with a bitter sigh. "Tell me, Madonna. "

"It was when you left me in this room alone, " she said, her exquisitedelicacy rendering her averse to recal, not the coercion she hadsuffered, but the pain she knew I felt in so coercing her. "Dearest, "she added with a sudden effort, "let me speak frankly, and dispel thepain you feel while you think over it in silence. "

I kissed the hand that clasped my own, and she went on, speaking withintentional levity. 

"Had a Chief forgotten?" tracing the outline of a star upon her bosom. "Or did you think Clavelta's daughter had no share in the hereditarygifts of her family?"

"But how did you unlock the springs?"

"Ah! those might have baffled me if you had trusted to them. You madea double mistake when you left Enva on guard. .. . You don't think Itempted her to disobey? Eager as I was for release, I could not havebeen so doubly false. She did it unconsciously. It is time to put herout of pain. "

"Does she know me so little as to think I could mean to torture her bysuspense? Besides, even she must have seen that you had secured herpardon. "

"Or my own punishment, " Eveena answered. 

"Spare me such words, Eveena, unless you mean to make me yet moreashamed of the compulsion I did employ. I never spoke, I neverthought"----

"Forgive me, dearest. Will it vex you to find how clearly yourflower-bird has learned to read your will through your eyes? When Irefused to obey, and you felt yourself obliged to compel, your firstmomentary thought was to threaten, your next that I should not believeyou. When you laid your hand upon my shoulder, thus, it was no gestureof anger or menace. You thought of the only promise I must believe, and you dropped the thought as quickly as your hand. You would notspeak the word you might have to keep. Nay, dearest, what pains youso? You gave me no pain, even when you called another to enforce yourcommand. Yet surely you know that _that_ must have tried my spirit farmore than anything else you could do. You did well. Do you think thatI did not appreciate your imperious anxiety for me; that I did notrespect your resolution to do what you thought right, or feel how muchit cost you? If anything in the ways of love like yours could pain me, it would be the sort of reserved tenderness that never treats me asfrankly and simply as" . .. "There was no need to name either of thoseso dearly loved, so lately--and, alas! so differently--lost. Trustingthe loyalty of my love so absolutely in all else, can you not trust itto accept willingly the enforcement of your will . .. As you haveenforced it on all others you have ruled, from the soldiers of yourown world to the rest of your household? Ah! the light breaks throughthe mist. Before you gave Enva her charge you said to me in herpresence, 'Forgive me what you force upon me;' as if I, above all, were not your own to deal with as you will. Dearest, do you so wrongher who loves you, and is honoured by your love, as to fancy that anyexertion of your authority could make her feel humbled in your eyes orher own?"

It was impossible to answer. Nothing would have more deeply woundedher simple humility, so free from self-consciousness, as the plaintruth; that as her character unfolded, the infinite superiority of hernature almost awed me as something--save for the intense andoccasionally passionate tenderness of her love--less like a woman thanan angel. 

"I was absorbed, " she continued, "in the effort that had thrown Envainto the slumber of obedience. I did not know or feel where I was orwhat I had next to do. My thought, still concentrated, had forgottenits accomplished purpose, and was bent on your danger. Somehow on thecushioned pile I seemed to see a figure, strange to me, but which Ishall never forget. It was a young girl, very slight, pale, sickly, with dark circles round the closed eyes, slumbering like Enva, but ineverything else Enva's very opposite. I suppose I was myself entrancedor dreaming, conscious only of my anxiety for you, so that it seemednatural that everything should concern you. I remember nothing of mydream but the words which, when I came to myself in the peristyle, alone, were as clear in my memory as they are now:--

 "'Watch the hand and read the eyes; On his breast the danger lies-- Strength is weak and childhood wise. 

 "'Fail the bowl, and--'ware the knife! Rests on him the Sovereign's life, Rests the husband's on the wife. 

 "'They that would his power command Know who holds his heart in hand: Silken tress is surest band. 

 "'Well they judge Kargynda's mood, Steel to peril, pain, and blood, Surely through his mate subdued. 

 "'Love can make the strong a slave, Fool the wise and quell the brave . .. Love by sacrifice can save. '"

"She again!" I exclaimed involuntarily. 

"You hear, " murmured Eveena. "In kindness to me heed my warning, ifyou have neglected all others. Do not break my heart in your mercy toanother. Eivé"----

"_Eivé_!--The prophetess knows me better than you do! The warningmeans that they now desire my secret before my life, and scheme tomake your safety the price of my dishonour. It is the Devil'sthought--or the Regent's!"

As I could not decide to send Eivé forth without home, protection, orcontrol, and Eveena could suggest no other course, the days wore onunder a domestic thunder-cloud which rendered the least sensitiveamong us uncomfortable and unhappy, and deprived three at least of theparty of appetite, of ease, and almost of sleep, till two alarmingincidents broke the painful stagnation. 

I had just left Eivé's prison one morning when Eveena, who washabitually entrusted with the charge of these communications, put intomy hands two slips of tafroo. The one had been given her by an ambâ, and came from Davilo's substitute on the estate. It said simply: "Youand you alone were recognised among the rescuers of your friend. Before two days have passed an attempt will be made to arrest you. "The other came from Esmo, and Eveena had brought it to me unread, aswas indeed her practice. I could not bear to look at her, though Iheld her closely, as I read aloud the brief message which announcedthe death, by the sting of two dragons (evidently launched by someassassin's hand, but under circumstances that rendered detection byordinary means hopeless for the moment), of her brother and Esmo'sson, Kevimâ; and invited us to a funeral ceremony peculiar to theZinta. I need not speak of the painful minutes that followed, duringwhich Eveena strove to suppress for my sake at once her tears for herloss and her renewed and intensified terror on my own account. It wassuddenly announced by the usual signs of the mute messenger that avisitor awaited me in the hall. Ergimo brought a message from theCamptâ, which ran as follows:--

"Aware that their treachery is suspected, the enemy now seek yoursecret first, and then your life. Guard both for a very short time. Your fate, your friends', and my own are staked on the issue. The sameCouncil that sends the traitors to the rack will see the lawrepealed. "

I questioned Ergimo as to his knowledge of the situation. 

"The enemy, " he said, "must have changed their plan. One among them, at least, is probably aware that his treason is suspected both by hisSovereign and by the Order. This will drive him desperate; and if hecan capture you and extort your secret, he will think he can use it toeffect his purpose, or at least to ensure his escape. He may thinkopen rebellion, desperate as it is, safer than waiting for the firstblow to come from the Zinta or from the Palace. "

My resolve was speedily taken. At the same moment came the necessityfor escape, and the opportunity and excuse. I sought out the writer ofthe first message, who entirely concurred with me in the propriety ofthe step I was about to take; only recommending me to apply personallyfor a passport from the Camptâ, such as would override any attempt todetain me even by legal warrant. He undertook to care for those I leftbehind; to release and provide for Eivé, and to see, in case I shouldnot return, that full justice was done to the interests of the others, as well as to their claim to release from contracts which my departurefrom their world ought, like death itself, to cancel. The royalpassport came ere I was ready to depart, expressed in the fullest, clearest language, and such as none, but an officer prepared instantlyto rebel against the authority which gave it, dared defy. During thelast preparations, Velna and Eveena were closeted together in thechamber of the former; nor did I care to interrupt a parting the mostpainful, save one, of those that had this day to be undergone. I wentmyself to Eivé. 

"I leave you, " I said, "a prisoner, not, I hope, for long. If I returnin safety, I will then consider in what manner the termination of yourconfinement can be reconciled with what is due to myself and others. If not, you will be yet more certainly and more speedily released. Andnow, child whom I once loved, to whom I thought I had been especiallygentle and indulgent, was the miserable reward offered you the solemotive that raised your hand against my life? Poison, I have alwayssaid, is the protection of the household slave against the domestictyrant. If I had ever been harsh or unjust to you, if I had made yourlife unhappy by caprice or by severity, I could understand. But you ofall have had least reason to complain. Not Enva's jealous temper, notLeenoo's spite, ever suggested to them the idea which came so easilyand was so long and deliberately cherished in your breast. "

She rose and faced me, and there was something of contempt in the eyesthat answered mine for this once with the old fearless frankness. 

"I had no reason to hate you? Not certainly for the kind of injurywhich commonly provokes women to risk the lives their masters havemade intolerable. That your discipline was the lightest ever known ina household, I need not tell you. That it fell more lightly, ifsomewhat oftener, on me than on others, you know as well as I. Put allthe correction or reproof I ever received from you into one, andrepeat it daily, and never should I have complained, much less dreamedof revenge. You think Enva or Leenoo might less unnaturally, lessunreasonably, have turned upon you, because your measure to theirfaults was somewhat harder and your heart colder to them! You did notscruple to make a favourite of me after a fashion, as you would neverhave done even of Eunané. You could pet and play with me, check andpunish me, as a child who would not 'sicken at the sweets, or behumbled by the sandal. ' You forbore longer, you dealt more sternlywith them, because, forsooth, they were women and I a baby. I, who wasnot less clever than Eunané, not less capable of love, perhaps ofdevotion to you, than Eveena, _I_ might rest my head on your knee whenshe was by, I might listen to your talk when others were sent away; Iwas too much the child, too little the woman, to excite your distrustor her jealousy. Do you suppose I think better of you, or feel themore kindly towards you, that you have not taken vengeance? No! stillyou have dealt with me as a child; so untaught yet by that lastlesson, that even a woman's revenge cannot make you treat me as awoman! Clasfempta! you bear, I believe, outside, the fame of a wiseand a firm man; but in these little hands you have been as weak a foolas the veriest dotard might have been;--and may be yet. "

"As you will, " I answered, stung into an anger which at any ratequelled the worst pain I had felt when I entered the room. "Fool orsage, Eivé, I was your fellow-creature, your protector, and yourfriend. When bitter trouble befals you in life, or when, alone, youfind yourself face to face with death, you may think of what haspassed to-day. Then remember, for your comfort, my last words--Iforgive you, and I wish you happy. "

To Velna I could not speak. Sure that Eveena had told her all shecould wish to know or all it was safe to tell, a long embrace spoke myfarewell to her who had shared with me the first part of the longwatch of the death-chamber. Enva and her companions had gathered, notfrom words, that this journey was more than an ordinary absence. Someinstinct or presentiment suggested to them that it might, possibly atleast, be a final parting; and I was touched as much as surprised bythe tears and broken words with which they assured me that, greatly asthey had vexed my home life, conscious as they were that they hadcontributed to it no element but bitterness and trouble, they feltthat they had been treated with unfailing justice and almost unfailingkindness. Then, turning to Eveena, Enva spoke for the rest--

"We should have treated you less ill if we could at all haveunderstood you. We understand you just as little now. Clasfempta isman after all, bridling his own temper as a strong man rules a largehousehold of women or a herd of _ambau_. But you are not woman likeother women; and yet, in so far as women are or think they are softeror gentler than men, so far, twelvefold twelve times told, are yousofter, tenderer, gentler than woman. "

Eveena struggled hard so far to suppress her sobs as to give ananswer. But, abandoning the effort, she only kissed warmly the lips, and clasped long and tenderly the hands, that had never spoken a kindword or done a kind act for her. At the very last moment she falteredout a few words which were not for them. 

"Tell Eivé, " she said, "I wish her well; and wishing her well, Icannot wish her happy--_yet_. "

We embarked in the balloon, attended as on our last journey by two ofthe brethren in my employment, both, I noticed, armed with thelightning gun. I myself trusted as usual to the sword, strong, straight, heavy, with two edges sharp as razors, that had enabled myhand so often to guard my head; and the air-gun that reminded me of somany days of sport, the more enjoyed for the peril that attended it. Screened from observation, both reclining in our own compartment ofthe car, Eveena and I spent the long undisturbed hours of the firstthree days and nights of our journey in silent interchange of thoughtand feeling that seldom needed or was interrupted by words. Her familyaffections were very strong. Her brother had deserved and won herlove; but conscious so long of a peril surrounding myself, fearfullyimpressed by the incident which showed how close that peril had come, her thought and feeling were absorbed in me. So, could they have knownthe present and foreseen the future, even those who loved her best andmost prized her love for them would have wished it to be. As wecrossed, at the height of a thousand feet, the river dividing thatcontinent between east and west which marks the frontier of Elcavoo, aslight marked movement of agitation, a few eager whispers ofconsultation, in the other compartment called my attention. As I parted the screen, the elder of the attendant brethren addressedme--

"There is danger, " he said in a low tone, not low enough to escapeEveena's quick ear when my safety was in question. "Another balloon issteering right across our path, and one in it bears, as we see throughthe _pavlo_ (the spectacle-like double field-glass of Mars), the sashof a Regent, while his attendants wear the uniform of scarlet andgrey" (that of Endo Zamptâ). "Take, I beg you, this lightning-piece. Will you take command, or shall we act for you?"

Parting slightly the fold of the mantle I wore, for at that height, save immediately under the rays of the sun, the atmosphere is cold, Ianswered by showing the golden sash of my rank. We went on steadily, taking no note whatever of the hostile vessel till it came withinhailing distance. 

"Keep your guns steadily pointed, " I said, "happen what may. If youhave to fire, fire one at any who is ready to fire at us, the other atthe balloon itself. "

A little below but beside us Endo Zamptâ hailed. "I arrest you, " hesaid, addressing me by name, "on behalf of the Arch-Court and by theirwarrant. Drop your weapons or we fire. "

"And I, " I said, "by virtue of the Camptâ's sign and signet attachedto this, " and Eveena held forth the paper, while my weapon covered theRegent, "forbid you to interrupt or delay my voyage for a moment. "

I allowed the hostile vessel to close so nearly that Endo could readthrough his glass the characters--purposely, I thought, made unusuallylarge--of his Sovereign's peremptory passport. To do so he had droppedhis weapon, and his men, naturally expecting a peaceable terminationto the interview, had laid down theirs. Mine had obeyed my order, andwe were masters of the situation, when, with a sudden turn of thescrew, throwing his vessel into an almost horizontal position, Endobrought his car into collision with ours and endeavoured to seizeEveena's person, as she leaned over with the paper in her hand. Shewas too quick for him, and I called out at once, "Down, or we fire. "His men, about to grasp their pieces, saw that one of ours waslevelled at the balloon, and that before they could fire, a singleshot from us must send them earthwards, to be crushed into oneshapeless mass by the fall. Endo saw that he had no choice but to obeyor affect obedience, and, turning the tap that let out the gas by apipe passing through the car, sent his vessel rapidly downward, aswith a formal salute he affected to accept the command of his Prince. Instantly grasping, not the lightning gun, which, if it struck theirballoon, must destroy their whole party in an instant, but my air-gun, which, by making a small hole in the vast surface, would allow them todescend alive though with unpleasant and perilous rapidity, I fired, and by so doing prevented the use of an asphyxiator concealed in thecar, which the treacherous Regent was rapidly arranging for use. 

The success of these manoeuvres delighted my attendants, and gave thema confidence they had not yet felt in my appreciation of Martialperils and resources. We reached Ecasfe and Esmo's house withoutfurther molestation, and a party of the Zinta watched the balloonwhile Eveena and I passed into the dwelling. 

Preserved from corruption by the cold which Martial chemistry appliesat pleasure, the corpse of Kevimâ looked as the living man looked insleep, but calmer and with features more perfectly composed. Quietly, gravely, with streaming tears, but with self-command which dispelledmy fear of evil consequences to her, Eveena kissed the lips that wereso soon to exist no longer. From the actual process by which the bodyis destroyed, the taste and feeling of the Zinta exclude the immediaterelatives of the dead; and not till the golden chest with itsinscription was placed in Esmo's hands did we take further part in theproceeding. Then the symbolic confession of faith, by which thebrethren attest and proclaim their confidence in the universalall-pervading rule of the Giver of life and in the permanence of Hisgift, was chanted. A Chief of the Order pronounced a brief buttouching eulogy on the deceased. Another expressed on behalf of alltheir sympathy with the bereaved father and family. Consigned to theircare, the case that contained all that now remained to us of the lastmale heir of the Founder's house was removed for conveyance to themortuary chamber of the subterrene Temple. But ere those so chargedhad turned to leave the chamber in which the ceremony had passed, aflash so bright as at noonday to light up the entire peristyle and thechambers opening on it, startled us all; and a sentinel, entering inhaste and consternation, announced the destruction of our balloon by alightning flash from the weapon of some concealed enemy. Esmo, at thisalarming incident, displayed his usual calm resolve. He ordered thatcarriages sufficient to convey some twenty-four of the brethren shouldbe instantly collected, and announced his resolve to escort us at onceto the Astronaut. Before five minutes had elapsed from the destructionof the balloon, Zulve and the rest of the family had taken leave ofEveena and myself. Attended by the party mustered, occupying acarriage in the centre of the procession, we left the gate of theenclosure. I observed, what seemed to escape even Esmo's attention, that angry looks were bent upon us from many a roof, and that here andthere groups were gathered in the enclosures and on the road, amongwhom I saw not a few weapons. I was glad to remember that a party ofthe Zveltau still awaited Esmo's return at his own residence. We droveas fast as the electric speed would carry us along the road I hadtraversed once before in the company of her who was now my wife--tobe, I hoped, for the future my sole wife--and of him who had been eversince our mortal enemy. Where the carriages could proceed no furtherwe dismounted, and Esmo mustered the party in order. All were armedwith the spear and lightning gun. Placing Eveena in the centre of asolid square, Esmo directed me to take my place beside her. Iexpostulated--

"Clavelta, it is impossible for me to take the place of safety, whenothers who owe me nothing may be about to risk life on my behalf. Eveena, as woman and as descendant of the Founder, may well claimtheir protection. It is for me to share in her defence, not in hersafety. "

He raised the arm that bore the Signet, and looked at me with the calmcommanding glance that never failed to enforce his will. "Take yourplace, " he said; and recalled to the instincts of the camp, I raisedmy hand in the military salute so long disused, and obeyed in silence. 

"Strike promptly, strike hard, and strike home, " said Esmo to hislittle party. "The danger that may threaten us is not from the law orfrom the State, but from an attempt at murder through a perversion ofthe law and in the name of the Sovereign. Those who threaten us aimalso at the Camptâ's life, and those we may meet are his foes as wellas ours. Conquered here, they can hardly assail us again. Victorious, they will destroy us, not leave us an appeal to the law or to thethrone. "

Placing himself a little in front of the troop, our Chief gave thesignal to advance, and we moved forward. It seemed to me a fatal errorthat no scout preceded us, no flanking party was thrown out. Thisneglect reminded me that, my comrades and commander were devoid ofmilitary experience, and I was about to remonstrate when, suddenlywheeling on the rocky platform on which I had first paused in mydescent from the summit, and facing towards the latter, we encountereda force outnumbering our own as two to one and wearing the colours ofthe Regent. The front ranks quailed, as men always quailed underEsmo's steady gaze, and lost nerve and order as they fell back toright and left; a movement intended to give play to the asphyxiatorthey had brought with them. Their strategy was no less ridiculous thanour own. Devoid for ages of all experience in conflict, both leadersmight have learned better from the conduct of the theme at bay. Theenemy were drawn up so near the turn that there was no room for theuse of their most destructive engine; and, had we been betterprepared, neither this nor their lightning guns would have been quickenough to anticipate a charge that would have brought us hand to hand. Even had they been steady and prompt, the suffocating shell wouldprobably have annihilated both parties, and the discharge wouldcertainly have been as dangerous to them as to us. In another instanta flash from several of our weapons, simultaneously levelled, shattered the instrument to fragments. We advanced at a run, and theenemy would have given way at once but that their retreat lay up sosteep an incline, and neither to right nor left could they welldisperse, being hemmed in by a rocky wall on one side and aprecipitous descent on the other. From our right rear, however, wherethe ground would have concealed a numerous ambush, I apprehended anattack which must have been fatal; but even so simple and decisive ameasure had never occurred to the Regent's military ignorance. 

At this critical moment a flash from a thicket revealed the weapon ofsome hidden enemy, who thus escaped facing the gaze that none couldencounter; and Esmo fell, struck dead at once by the lightning-shot. The assassin sprang up, and I recognised the features of Endo Zamptâ. Confounded and amazed, the Zveltau broke and fell backward, hurryingEveena away with them. Enabled by size and strength to extricatemyself at once, I stood at bay with my back against the rocks on ourleft, a projection rising as high as my knee assisting to hinder theenemy from entirely and closely surrounding me. I had thrown aside atthe moment of the attack the mantle that concealed my sash and star;and I observed that another Chief had done the same. It was he who, occupying at the trial the seat on Esmo's left, had shown thestrongest disposition to mercy, and now displayed the coolest courageamid confusion and danger. 

"Rally them, " I cried to him, "and trust the crimson blade [coldsteel]. These hounds will never face that. "

The enemy had rushed forward as our men fell back, and I was almost intheir midst, thus protected to a considerable extent from thelightning projectile, against which alone I had no defence. Hand tohand I was a match for more than one or two of my assailants, thoughon this occasion I wore no defensive armour, and they were clad inshirts of woven wire almost absolutely proof against the spear inhands like theirs. 

To die thus, to die for her under her eyes, leaving to her widowedlife a living token of our love--what more could Allah grant, whatbetter could a lover and a soldier desire? There was no honour, andlittle to satisfy even the passion of vengeance, in the sword-strokesthat clove one enemy from the shoulder to the waist, smote halfthrough the neck of a second, and laid two or three more dead or dyingat my feet. If the weight of the sword were lighter here than onEarth, the arm that wielded it had been trained in very differentwarfare, and possessed a strength which made the combat so unequalthat, had no other life hung on my blows, I should have been ashamedto strike. As I paused for a moment under this feeling, I noted that, outside the space half cleared by slaughter and by terror, the bearersof the lightning gun were forming a sort of semicircle, embarrassed bythe comrades driven back upon them, but drawing momentarily nearer, and seeking to enclose before firing the object of their aim. Theywould have shattered my heart and head in another instant butthat--springing on the projecting stone of which I have spoken, whichraised her to my level--Eveena had flung her arms around me, andsheltered my person with her own. This, and the confusion, disconcerted the aim of most of the assailants. The roar and flashhalf stunned me for a moment;--then, as I caught her in my left arm, Ibecame aware that it was but her lifeless form that I clasped to mybreast. Giving her life for mine, she had made mine worse thanworthless. My sword fell for a moment from my hand, retained only bythe wrist-knot, as I placed her gently and tenderly on the ground, resting against the stone which had enabled her to effect thesacrifice I as little desired as deserved. Then, grasping my weaponagain, and shouting instinctively the war-cry of another world, Isprang into the midst of the enemy. At the same moment, "_Ent ânClazinta_" (To me the Zinta), cried the Chief behind; and havingrallied the broken ranks, even before the sight of Eveena's fall hadinspired reckless fury in the place of panic confusion, he led on theZveltau, the spear in hand elevated over their heads, and pointed atthe unprotected faces of the enemy. Exposed to the cold steel or itsMartial equivalent, the latter, as I had predicted, broke at once. Mysword did its part in the fray. They scarcely fought, neither did theyfling down their weapons. But in that moment neither force norsurrender would have availed them. We gave no quarter to wounded orunwounded foe. When, for lack of objects, I dropped the point of mystreaming sword, I saw Endo Zamptâ alive and unwounded in the hands ofthe victors. 

"Coward, scoundrel, murderer!" I cried. "You shall die a more terribledeath than that which your own savage law prescribes for crimes likeyours. Bind him; he shall hang from my vessel in the air till I seefit to let him fall! For the rest, see that none are left alive toboast what they have done this day. "

Struggling and screaming, the Regent was dragged to the summit, andhung by the waist, as I had threatened, from the entrance window ofthe Astronaut. Esmo's body and those of the other slain among theZveltau had been raised, and our comrades were about to carry them tothe carriages and remove them homeward. From the wardrobe of theAstronaut, furnished anew for our voyage, I brought a long softtherne-cloak, intended for Eveena's comfort; and wrapped in it allthat was left to us of the loveliest form and the noblest heart thatin two worlds ever belonged to woman. I shred one long soft tress ofmingled gold and brown from those with which my hand had played; Ikissed for the last time the lips that had so often counselled, pleaded, soothed, and never spoken a word that had better been leftunsaid. Then, veiling face and form in the soft down, I called aroundme again the brethren who had fallen back out of sight of my lastfarewell, and gave the corpse into their charge. Turning with restlesseagerness from the agony, which even the sudden shock that rendered mehalf insensible could not deaden into endurable pain, to the passionof revenge, I led two or three of our party to the foot of the ladderbeneath the entrance window of my vessel, and was about in theirpresence to explain his fate more fully to the struggling, howlingvictim, half mad with protracted terror. But at that moment my purposewas arrested. I had often repeated to Eveena passages from thoseTerrestrial works whose purport most resembled that of the mysticlessons she so deeply prized; and words, on which in life she hadespecially dwelt, seemed now to be whispered in my ear or my heart bythe voice which with bodily sense I could never hear again:--"Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. " The absolute control of my will andconscience, won by her perfect purity and unfailing rectitude, outlasted Eveena's life. Turning to her murderer--

"You shall die, " I said, "but you shall die not by revenge but by thelaw; and not by your own law, but by that which, forbidding thattorture shall add to the sting of death, commands that 'Whoso sheddethman's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. ' Yet I cannot give you asoldier's death, " as my men levelled their weapons. Cutting the cordthat bound him, and grasping him from behind, I flung the wretch forthfrom the summit far into the air; well assured that he would neverfeel the blow that would dismiss his soul to its last account, beforethat Tribunal to whose judgment his victim had appealed. Then Ientered the vessel, waved my hand in farewell to my comrades, and, putting the machinery in action, rose from the surface and prepared toquit a world which now held nothing that could detain or recal me. 

CHAPTER XXX - FAREWELL!

My task was not quite done. It was well for me in the first moments ofthis new solitude, of this maddening agony, that there was instantwork imperatively demanding the attention of the mind as well as theexercise of the body. I had first, by means of the air pump, to fillthe vessel with an atmosphere as dense as that in which I had beenborn and lived so long; then to close the entrance window and seal ithermetically, and then to arrange the steering gear. To complete thefirst task more easily, I arrested the motion of the vessel till sherose only a few feet per minute. Whilst employed on the air pump, Ibecame suddenly aware, by that instinct by which most men have been atone time or another warned of the unexpected proximity of friend orfoe, that I was not alone. Turning and looking in the direction of theentrance, I saw, or thought I saw, once more the Presence beheld inthe Hall of the Zinta. But commanding, enthralling as were those eyes, they could not now retain my attention; for beside that figureappeared one whose presence in life or death left me no thought foraught beside. I sprang forward, seemed to touch her hand, to clasp herform, to reach the lips I bent my head to meet:--and then, in themidst of the bright sunlight, a momentary darkness veiled all from myeyes. Lifting my head, however, my glance fell, through the window towhich the Vision had drawn me, directly upon Ecasfe and upon the homefrom which I had taken her whose remains were now being carried backthither. Snatching up my field-glass, I scanned the scene of which Ihad thus caught a momentary and confused glimpse. The roof wasoccupied by a score of men armed with the lightning weapon, and amongthem glanced the familiar badge--the band and silver star. Clamberingover the walls of the wide enclosure, and threatening to storm thehouse, were a mob perhaps a thousand in number, many of them similarlyarmed, the rest with staves, spears, or such rude weapons as chancemight afford. Two minutes brought me immediately over them. Inanother, I was descending more rapidly than prudence would havesuggested. The strife seemed for a moment to cease, as one of thecrowd pointed, not to the impending destruction overhead, but to someobject apparently at an equal elevation to westward. A shout ofwelcome from the remaining defenders of the house called right upwardthe eyes of their assailants. For an instant they felt the bitternessof death; a cry of agony and terror that pierced even the thick wallsand windows of the Astronaut reached my ears. Then a violent shockthrew me from my feet. Springing up, I knew what wholesale slaughterhad avenged Eveena and her father, preserved her family, and given alast victory to the Symbol she so revered. In another instant I was onthe roof, and my hands clasped in Zulve's. 

"We know, " she said. "Our darling's _esve_ brought us a line that toldall; and what is left of those who were all to me, of her who was somuch to you, will now be returned to us almost at once. "

We were interrupted. A cry drew my eyes to the right, where, springingfrom a balloon to the car of which was attached a huge flag emblazonedwith the crimson and silver colours of the Suzerain, Ergimo stoodbefore us. 

"I am too late, " he said, "to save life; in time only to put an end torebellion and avert murder. The Prince has fulfilled his promise toyou; has repealed the law that was to be a weapon in the hands thataimed at his life and throne, as at the Star and its children. Thetraitors, save one, the worst, have met by this time their just doom. That one I am here to arrest. But where is our Chief? And, " noticingfor the first time the group of women, who in the violence of alarmand agony of sorrow had burst for once unconsciously the restraints ofa lifetime--"where . .. Are you alone?"

"Alone for ever, " I said; and as I spoke the procession that with bareand bent heads carried two veiled forms into the peristyle below toldall he sought to know. I need not dwell on the scene that followed. Iscarcely remember anything, till a chest of gold, bearing the cipherwhich though seldom seen I knew so well, was placed in my hands. Iturned to Zulve, and to Ergimo, who stood beside her. 

"Have you need of me?" I said. "If I can serve her house I will remainwillingly, and as long as I can help or comfort. "

"No, " replied Ergimo; for Zulve could not speak. "The household ofClavelta are safe and honoured henceforth as no other in the land. Something we must ask of him who is, at any rate for the present, thehead of this household, and the representative of the Founder'slineage. It may be, " he whispered, "that another" (and his eyes fellon the veiled forms whose pink robes covered with dark crimson gauzeindicated the younger matrons of the family) "may yet give to theChildren of the Star that natural heir to the Signet we had hoped fromyour own household. But the Order cannot remain headless. "

Here Zulve, approaching, gave into my hand the Signet unclasped fromher husband's arm ere the coffer was closed upon his form. I understoodher meaning; and, as for the time the sole male representative of thehouse, I clasped it on the arm of the Chief who succeeded to Esmo'srank, and to whom I felt the care of Esmo's house might be safelyleft. The due honour paid to his new office, I turned to depart. Thenfor the first time my eyes fell on the unveiled countenance anddrooping form of one unlike, yet so like Eveena--her favourite andnearest sister, Zevle. I held out my hand; but, emotion overcoming thehabits of reserve, she threw herself into my arms, and her tears fellon my bosom, hardly faster than my own as I stooped and kissed herbrow. I had no voice to speak my farewell. But as the Astronaut rosefor the last time from the ground, the voices of my brethren chantedin adieu the last few lines of the familiar formula--

 "Peace be yours no force can break, Peace not Death hath power to shake;"

 * * * * *

 "Peace from peril, fear, and pain; Peace--until we meet again! Not before the sculptured stone, But the All-Commander's Throne. "

[Footnote 1: Qy. [GREEK: apo], from, [GREEK: ergos], work--asen-ergy?]

[Footnote 2: The chemical notation of the MS. Is unfortunatelydifferent from any known to any chemist of my acquaintance, andutterly undecipherable. ]

[Footnote 3: Last figures illegible: the year is probably 183. ]

[Footnote 4: These distances are given in Roman measures and roundnumbers not easy of exact rendering. ]

[Footnote 5: In 1830 or thereabouts. --ED. ]

[Footnote 6: The Martial year is 687 of our days, and eight Martialyears are nearly equivalent to fifteen Terrestrial. Roughly, and inround numbers, the time figures given may be multiplied by two toreduce them to Terrestrial periods. --ED. ]

[Footnote 7: Say fifty-sixth; in effect, fiftieth. --Narrator. ]

[Footnote 8: Equivalent in time to ninety-three and forty-seven withus; in effect corresponding to eighty and forty. ]

[Footnote 9: About ninety; in time, one hundred and six. ]

[Footnote 10: Seventy; in time, eighty-three. --_Narrator_. ]

[Footnote 11: The centuries, hundreds, thousands, etc. , appear torepresent multiples of twelve, not ten. --ED. ]

[Footnote 12: Aluminium?--ED. ]

[Footnote 13: Here, and here only, the name is written in full; butthe first part is blurred. It may be Alius (Ali), Julius (Jules), Elias, or may represent any one of a dozen English surnames. Thesingle cipher, employed elsewhere throws no light on it. --ED. ]

[Transcriber's Notes: A page was torn in our print copy, causinga few lines in Chapter I to be illegible. The missing words havebeen indicated with [***]. Also, "authypnotism" was corrected to"autohypnotism. "]