have no need to shave, and are spared the work which wastes so much of
the time of terrestrials. If we could only count up the time spent in
shaving, during fifty years or so, we should find that we have devoted
several whole months to that tiresome operation.

Only a few individuals present had light hair and light-coloured eyes,
and Eleeta was one of these. She was a most charming and beautiful
girl--vivacious, and evidently very intellectual; and I thought that she
and Merna would make a most well-matched pair.

The banquet proved an extremely pleasant and sociable function; and,
when it was over, the company adjourned to another hall opening out of
the banqueting-hall, where they split up into separate groups, and
conversation soon became very animated.

On inquiring of Merna, I was informed that music is never performed on
such occasions as these, during conversational periods, as it is
considered a desecration of a high and noble art.

Merna introduced John and M'Allister to one of the chief engineers of
the canal department, who knew a little English, and soon they were
discussing with eager interest a collection of pictures and drawings of
the machinery. Seeing that our friends were thus congenially occupied,
Merna then took me across to where Eleeta and a girl friend of hers,
named Siloni, were sitting.

He told me he had instructed Eleeta in English and she had passed on her
knowledge of the language to Siloni; so we were all able to converse
together with the occasional aid of Merna's interpretation.

Merna had also acquainted his friends with our usual terms of addressing
one another, and it came almost as a surprise to me to be addressed by
the Martians as "Mr. Poynders" and "Sir"; for I had become so accustomed
to being called "Professor" by my two colleagues that my own name
sounded almost strange to me.

We had been chatting together only a short time when John and
M'Allister, with their Martian friend, the engineer, came over to us;
and soon after that we were joined by Soranho and Merna's tutors, named
respectively Corontus and Tellurio, who were followed by a numerous
company of Martians of both sexes.

Soranho, addressing me, then said, "Mr. Poynders, I should very much
like to know something about terrestrial affairs generally, especially
in regard to the methods of government amongst your nations, and the
social conditions of the people; and shall therefore be glad if you will
be good eno