for we have a
duty to perform, and must not stay here. We must now show ourselves to
the people outside, who have long waited to greet you! You shall hear
more to-night; but, in the meantime, do not make known my identity to my
old friend, John, until after I have left you. You may tell him then and
prepare him for our meeting to-night."

I noticed when he was speaking that sometimes he lapsed into a phrase or
two of the Martian language, and that his English was spoken as it would
be by a foreigner not fully acquainted with our language.

Before we left the pavilion I asked him to tell me what office was held
by the high personage who had occupied the dais on our arrival, and he
explained that "he was Soranho, the present ruler of Mars!"

"Emperor or King?" I inquired.

"We have neither of those dignitaries here," he answered. "He is the
Chief of the General Council of the entire world of Mars, elected to
that office for a certain term by the whole body of the people. But now
we must not keep the Chief waiting any longer."

So we passed out together to join the Chief of the Council on the dais,
and, standing near it, we saw John and M'Allister, who were gazing
around with intense interest upon the assembled multitude.

The Chief advanced to meet us, and greeted me with even more cordiality
than at first, if that were possible; then he said a few words of
congratulation to Merna, and conducted us to the front of the dais.

The people were now all massed together before the dais in long parallel
lines, or ranks, and, as the Chief brought me forward, there came a
tremendous shout of welcome from the multitude.

The Chief made a brief speech in the Martian language (which of course
neither I nor my two companions understood), in which, as Mark
afterwards explained to me, he gave a short account of how I had arrived
there from the earth with my two colleagues--the first inhabitants of
that world to set foot upon Mars! He told them that my coming was all
owing to the devoted love and influence of Merna, who in a former life
upon the earth had been my son.

What Mark did not tell me was that the Chief had spoken in terms of very
high appreciation of the talents Mark had displayed, and of the success
which had attended his great endeavour to exert his influence over that
immense distance of space which separated the two worlds, and
practically compel me to obey his wishes by undertaking a journey to
Mars.

I learnt