ead is a 'hammer.' But really, John,
I had no thought of meanings at all when I chose that name for him."

"That only makes it all the more strange," John answered. "I have seen
those meanings you mention as attached to the name; but you seem to have
quite missed the most important one of all, for I can tell you,
Professor, that the name 'Mark' means 'Son of Mars!' Now don't you see
the coincidence, when you find that he really has become a son of Mars!"

"Really, John," I answered, "I assure you that I never heard of that
before; the coincidence is, as you say, most singular and extraordinary;
but, taking all things into consideration, I am inclined to think there
must be something more than coincidence when they work out like this.
You know your Shakespeare, John, and he says most truly: 'There's a
divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.' I will not
repeat the hackneyed phrase about 'more things in heaven and earth----'"

Just then Merna (as I suppose I must now call him, though he will always
be "Mark" to me) arrived amongst us, and I at once introduced him to
John and M'Allister.

The meeting between the two old friends was delightful to witness, for
both seemed over-joyed; and they had so much to say to each other--so
many questions to ask.

When the excitement had passed I asked Mark--you see I cannot help
calling him by his old name--if he could now furnish me with the further
information he had promised, for I was longing to hear all he had to
tell.

"Yes," he replied, "I am quite ready, sir;" and then he proceeded to
give us details of his life upon Mars. It is too long a story to tell
exactly as he told it--and sometimes he was at a loss to express himself
appropriately in English--but, shortly, it was as follows:--

His birth upon Mars, as we found from a comparison of dates, must have
followed almost immediately after his passing from the earth; and he
said he thought that his two previous seizures were probably abortive
attempts of his spirit to depart earlier.

His Martian father was the brother of Soranho, the present Chief of the
Council; both his father and mother, however, had died when Merna was
quite a child, and the Chief had since brought him up like his own son,
and was very much attached to him.

When Merna was still very young he was extremely fond of looking at the
stars in the clear Martian skies, being especially attracted by the
earth, which was a very brilliant