e, asked if we should go on. I was myself again by this time, so willingly took her hand, and soon came out of the tangle into the open spaces. I must have been under the spel

ne in the morning, and ever and anon turning her gazelle-like eyes upon me with a look I could not understand. As we sauntered forward I noticed all about lesser circles where the yellow-girted ones were drawing delighted laughter from good-tempered crowds by tricks of sleight-of-hand, and posturing, or tossing gilded cups and balls as though they were catering, as indeed they were, for outgrown children. Others fluted or sang so

e vacuous-looking fellow, and throwing down a sheaf of javelins marched off a dozen paces, then, facing round, called

is is the best of fools-no one

uide, "he is a gifted

rget. Whatever else they might be, these Martians were certainly beautiful as the daytime. Never had I seen such a perfect embodiment of grace and elegance as that boy as he stood there for a moment poised to the throw; the afternoon sunshine warm and strong on his bunched brown hair, a girlish flush of shyness on his han

neck and shoulder, but instead of piercing rose high into the air, quivering and flashing, and presently turning over,

ked to me and said, "A strong-w

then asked, "Was it WILL

implicity, "Why, of

e into the bared bosom of the man. And as though it had struck a wall of brass, the shaft leapt back falling quivering at the thrower's feet. Another and another tried unsuccessfully, until

ore magic than he, or is especially befriended by the F

think I

gly see you fail," whispered the gi

y. So I pushed through the spectators and stepped into the ring. I went straight up to the pile of weapons, and having chosen one went over to the mystic. "Good

," said the man, as

the quiet repose of your soul tomorrow if you

," muttered the wil

riend Purple-jerkin, will you take the council with your legs

able in the confiden

ou into the mysteries of a javelin-e

n, faced the magician. Would he run at the last moment? I half hoped so; for a minute I gave him the chance, then, as h

n the centre of his chest, and with a wild wave of arms and a flutter of purple raiment sent him backwards, and down, and over and over in a shapeless heap of limbs an

ly killed him!" but more astounded I had brok

orrow, but dead he is not, for I turned the lance-point b

nce mayhap, come but from over the hills, but now something tells me yo

soft fragrance loaded the air with sleepy pleasure, neither of us saying a word till the dusk deepened and the quick night descended, while we came amongst the gardened houses, the thousand lights of an

I have been brought up on more s

square," persisted my companion. "It affects us a

nd, shrugging my shoulders good-humouredly, I kissed her chin, little real

every hand, I walked on, lost in varying thoughts, until, fairly tired and hungry, I found myself outside a stall where many Martians stood eating and drinking

ry, sir?" ask

, and with all the zest which an e

e the wine smells good, and the fried fruit wou

at his mouth, the poor man must often be content to dine thro

r meaning, sir. Buying and selling, gold and money, all these have no meaning to me. Surely

like the breakfast se

ything is his who will take it, without exception. What else is the good of a coherent s

paying my leaving with a wave of the hand to the yellow-girted one who dispensed the common provender, I sauntered on again, caring little or nothing which way the road went, and soon across the current of my meditations a peal of laught

a drinking spout in spring-time, and away we went, faster and faster each minute, the boys and girls swinging themselves in time to the tune, and capering presently till their tender feet were twinkling over the ground in gay confusion. Faster and faster till, as the infection of the dance spread even to the outside groups, I capered too. My word! if they could hav

s a new playmate, came softly up, and, standing on tiptoe, kissed me on the cheek. It was not unpleasant, so I turned the other, whereon, guessing my meaning, without the smallest hesitation, she reached up again, and

a planet, magnified by the wonderful air, came swinging up, pale but splendid, and mapped by soft colours-green, violet, and red. I knew it on the minute, Heaven only knows how, but I knew it, and a desperate thrill of loneliness swept over me, a spasm of comprehension of the horrible void dividing us. Never did yearning babe stretch arms more wistfully to an unattainable mother than I at that mom

estion, and now asked another, "Will you come to su

se hazel eyes, I went on, "but that stern rule may admit of variance. Only, as it chances, I have just supped at the public expense. If, instead, you would be a sailor's sweetheart for an hour,

nd of radiance like sea phosphorescence beamed from the palace porch. All was in such deathlike silence that the nails in my "ammunition" boots made an unpleasant clanking as they struck on the marble pavement; yet, by the uncertain starlight, I saw, to my surprise, the whole square was thronged with Martians, all facing towards the porch, as still, g

, gazing vaguely round, for none h

en way towards the palace steps left clear by the sitti

w?" I p

this we shall not be placed before she comes,

the twilight, showed another circle, and then a final one in whose inmost middle stood a tall iron tripod and something atop of it covered by a cloth. And all round the outer circle were magic symbols-I started as I recognised the meaning of some of them-within these again the inner circle held what looked like the representations of planets, ending

be the talk of a lifetime, but somehow nothing ever so engrossing, so thrilling, as that ghostly figure in flowing robes stealing across the piazza in starlight and silence-the princess of a broken kingdom, the priestess of a forgotten faith coming to her station to perform a jugglery of which she knew not even the meaning. It was my versatile friend Heru, and with quick, incisive steps, her whole frame ambent for the time with the fervour of her mission, she came swiftly down t

tic, twinkling feet of hers-as the dance became swifter-were performing a measured round amongst the planet signs-spelling out something, I knew not what, with quick, light touch amongst the zodiac figures, dancing out a soundless invocation of some kind as a dumb man might spell a message by touching letters. Quicker and quicker, for minute after minute, grew the dance, swifter and swifter the swing of

I whispered to my fr

he roof-niche of the temple it

d t

e year, and will tell us. The whiter the water stays, the better for us;

w cessation, and then to say she stopped were too gross a description. Motion rather died away from her, and the priestess grounded as smoothly as a ship grounds in fine weather on a sandy

y devoid of sign or colouring. Then, as the distant planet became stronger in the magnifying Martian air, or my eyes better accustomed to that sudden nucleus of brilliancy, a delicate and infinitely lovely network of colours came upon it. They were like the radiant prisms that sometimes flush the surface of a bubble more than aught else for a time. But as I watched that mosaic of yellow and purple creep softly to and fro upon the globe it seemed they

ripod, rose stealthily and passed her hands a few times across the sphere. Colour and pi

whiter the globe stays the better for us-" and then I felt her hand tig

; her frightened hands were clutched in front, and she stood cowering under that great crimson nucleus like one bereft of power and life, and lost to every sense but that of agony. Not a syllable came from her lips, not a movement stirred her body, only that dumb, stupid stare of horror, at the something she saw in the globe. What could I do? I could not sit and see her soul come out at her frightened eyes, and not a Martian moved a finger to her rescue; the red shine gleamed on empty f

ly globe the Martians glimmered like a picture multitude under the red cliff of their ruined palace. I glared round at them with contempt for a minute, then sprang forward and snatched the princess u

t the red fire. But little I cared-the princess was safe! And up the palace steps, amidst a low, wailing hum of consternation from the recovering Martians, I bore that bundle of limp and senseless l