wn-hill to our carriage was too much for her. The vexation I felt
with myself gave, after the manner of men, some sharpness to the tone
of 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, however
strict in theory, reminds me in practice of that promised by women on
Earth in their marriage-vow--and never paid or remembered afterwards."

She did not answer; and finding that her strength was utterly
exhausted, I carried her down the remainder of the hill and placed her
in the carriage. During our return neither of us spoke. Ascribing her
silence to habit or fatigue, perhaps to displeasure, and busied in
recalling what I had seen and heard, I did not care to "make
conversation," as I certainly should have done had I guessed what
impression my taciturnity made on my companion's mind. I was heartily
glad for her sake when we regained the gate of her father's garden.
Committing the carriage to the charge of an amba, I half led, half
carried Eveena along the avenue, overhung with the grand conical
bells--gold, crimson, scarlet, green, white, or striped or variegated
with some or all these colours--of the glorious _leveloo_, the Martial
convolvulus. Its light clinging stems and foliage hid the _astyra's_
arched branches overhead, and formed a screen on either side. From its
bells flew at our approach a whole flock of the tiny and beautiful
caree, which take the chief part in rendering to the flora of Mars
such services as the flowers of Earth receive from bees and
butterflies. They feed on the nectar, farina, syrup, and other
secretions, sweet or bitter, in which the artificial flowers of Mars
are peculiarly abundant, and make their nests in the calyx or among
the petals. These lovely little birds--about the size of a hornet, but
perfect birds in miniature, with wings as large as those of the
largest Levantine _papilio_, and feathery down equally fine and
soft--are perhaps the most shy and timid of all creatures familiar
with the presence of Martial humanity. The varied colours of their
plumage, combined and intermingled in marvellously minute patterns,
are all of those subdued or dead tints agreeable to the taste of
Japanese artists, and perhaps to no other. They signally contrast the
vivid and splendid colouring of objects created or developed by human
genius and patience, from the exquisite decorations and jewel-like