the others represented, the Martians had said to
the people of Earth as plainly as could have been done in written words
of one of our own languages:

Yes, we understand. We know that you are trying to communicate with
us, or with those upon some other world. We reply to you, and we
show to you that we can reason by indicating that the square of the
hypothenuse of a right-angled triangle is equivalent to the sum of
the squares of the other two sides. Hope to hear from you further.

There was the right-angled triangle, its lines reproduced in unbroken
brilliancy, and there were the added lines used in the familiar
demonstration, broken at intervals to indicate their use. The famous
_pons asinorum_ had become the bridge between two worlds.

Corbett could scarcely speak as yet. Telegraph messengers came rushing
in with dispatches from all quarters--from the universities of Michigan
and California, and Yale and Harvard, and from Rochester and all over
the United States. Cablegrams from England, France, Germany and Italy
and other regions of the world but repeated the same wonderful
observation, the same conclusion: "They have answered! We have talked
with them!"

Corbett returned to his home in a semi-delirium. He had the wisdom,
though it was midnight, to send to Nelly the brief message, "Good news,"
to prepare her in a degree for what the morning papers would reveal. He
slept but fitfully. And it was at an early hour when he called upon his
fiancee and found her awaiting him in the library.

She said nothing as he entered, but he had scarcely crossed the
threshold when he found his arms full of something very tangible and
warm, and pulsing with all love. It has been declared by thoughtful and
learned people that there is no sensation in the world more delightful
than may be produced by just this means, and Corbett's demeanor under
the circumstances was such as to indicate the soundness of the
assertion. He was a very happy man.

And she, as soon as she could speak at all, broke out, impulsively:

"Oh, dear, isn't it glorious! I knew you would succeed. And aren't you
glad I imposed the hard condition? It was hard, I know, and I seemed
unloving, but I believed, and I could not have given you up even if you
had failed. I should have told you so very soon. I may confess that now.
And--I will marry you any day you wish."

She blushed magnificently as she concluded, and the face of a pretty
women,