e meal I know not, but thinking mighty well of myself until we
came presently onto the main palace stairs, which led by stately
flights from the upper galleries to the wide square below.

As we passed into the full sunshine--and no sunshine is so crisply
golden as the Martian--amongst twined flowers and shrubs and gay,
quaint birds building in the cornices, a sleek youth rose slowly from
where he had spread his cloak as couch upon a step and approaching
asked--

"You are the stranger of yesterday?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Then I bring a message from Prince Hath, saying it would pleasure him
greatly if you would eat the morning meal with him."

"Why," I answered, "it is very civil indeed, but I have breakfasted
already."

"And so has Hath," said the boy, gently yawning. "You see I came here
early this morning, but knowing you would pass sooner or later I
thought it would save me the trouble if I lay down till you came--those
quaint people who built these places were so prodigal of steps," and
smiling apologetically he sank back on his couch and began toying with
a leaf.

"Sweet fellow," I said, and you will note how I was getting into their
style of conversation, "get back to Hath when you have rested, give him
my most gracious thanks for the intended courtesy, but tell him the
invitation should have started a week earlier; tell him from me, you
nimble-footed messenger, that I will post-date his kindness and come
tomorrow; say that meanwhile I pray him to send any ill news he has for
me by you. Is the message too bulky for your slender shoulders?"

"No," said the boy, rousing himself slowly, "I will take it," and then
he prepared to go. He turned again and said, without a trace of
incivility, "But indeed, stranger, I wish you would take the message
yourself. This is the third flight of stairs I have been up today."

Everywhere it was the same friendly indolence. Half the breakfasters
were lying on coloured shawls in groups about the square; the other
half were strolling off--all in one direction, I noticed--as slowly as
could be towards the open fields beyond; no one was active or had
anything to do save the yellow folk who flitted to and fro fostering
the others, and doing the city work as though it were their only
thought in life. There were no shops in that strange city, for there
were no needs; some booths I saw indeed, and temple-like places, but
hollow, and used for birds and beasts--things these lazy