."

The car had now come close alongside. The standing figure stretched its
hands out, palms upward, smiled a smile which Zaidie thought was very
sweetly solemn, next the head was bowed, and the gloved hands brought
back and crossed over his breast. Zaidie imitated the movements exactly.
Then, as the figure raised its head she raised hers, and she found
herself looking into a pair of large, luminous eyes such as she could
have imagined under the brows of an angel. As they met hers a look of
unmistakable wonder and admiration came into them. Redgrave was standing
just behind her; she took him by the hand and drew him beside her,
saying, with a little laugh:

"Now, please look as pleasant as you can; I am sure they are very
friendly. A man with a face like that couldn't mean any harm."

The figure repeated the motions to Redgrave, who returned them, perhaps
a trifle awkwardly.

Then the car began to descend, and the figure beckoned to them to
follow.

"You'd better go and wrap up, dear. From the gentleman's dress it seems
pretty cold outside; though the air is evidently quite breathable," said
Redgrave, as the _Astronef_ began to drop in company with the car. "At
any rate, I'll try it first, and if it isn't we can put on our
breathing-dresses."

When Zaidie had made her winter toilet, and Redgrave had found the air
to be quite respirable, but of Arctic cold, they went down the gangway
ladder about twenty minutes later. The figure had got out of the car,
which was laying a few yards from them on the sandy plain, and came
forward to meet them with both hands outstretched.

[Illustration: _Came forward to meet them with both hands outstretched._]

Zaidie unhesitatingly held out hers, and a strange thrill ran through
her as she felt them for the first time clasped gently by other than
earthly hands, for the Venus folk had only been able to pat and stroke
with their gentle little paws, somewhat as a kitten might do. The figure
bowed its head again and said something in a low, melodious voice, which
was, of course, quite unintelligible save for the evident friendliness
of its tone. Then, releasing her hands, he took Redgrave's in the same
fashion, and then led the way towards a vast, domed building of
semi-opaque glass, or rather a substance that seemed to be something
like a mixture of glass and mica, which appeared to be one of the
entrance gates of the city.

CHAPTER XV

The wondering visitors from far-o