s of miles across the dark and
silent Ocean of Space.

Other winged figures, attracted by the sound of her singing, had crossed
the trees, and these, during the silence which came after the singing of
the song, were swiftly followed by others, until there were nearly a
thousand of them gathered about the side of the _Astronef_.

There was no crowding or jostling among them. Each one treated every
other with the most perfect gentleness and courtesy. No such thing as
enmity or ill-feeling seemed to exist among them, and, in perfect
silence, they waited for Zaidie to continue what they thought was her
long speech of greeting. The temper of the throng somehow coincided
exactly with the mood which her own memories had brought to her, and the
next moment she sent the first line of "Home, Sweet Home" soaring up to
the cloud-veiled sky.

As the notes rang up into the still, soft air a deeper hush fell on the
listening throng. Heads were bowed with a gesture almost of adoration,
and many of those standing nearest to her bent their bodies forward, and
expanded their wings, bringing them together over their breasts with a
motion which, as they afterwards learnt, was intended to convey the idea
of wonder and admiration, mingled with something like a sentiment of
worship.

Zaidie sang the sweet old song through from end to end, forgetting for
the time being everything but the home she had left behind her on the
banks of the Hudson. As the last notes left her lips, she turned round
to Redgrave and looked at him with eyes dim with the first tears that
had filled them since her father's death, and said, as he caught hold of
her outstretched hand:

"I believe they've understood every word of it."

"Or, at any rate, every note. You may be quite certain of that," he
replied. "If you had done that on Mars it might have been even more
effective than the Maxims."

"For goodness sake don't talk about things like that in a heaven like
this! Oh, listen! They've got the tune already!"

It was true! The dwellers of the Love-Star, whose speech was song, had
instantly recognised the sweetness of the sweetest of all earthly songs.
They had, of course, no idea of the meaning of the words; but the music
spoke to them and told them that this fair visitant from another world
could speak the same speech as theirs. Every note and cadence was
repeated with absolute fidelity, and so the speech, common to the two
far-distant worlds, became a link c