At sight of the great purple star, a queer emotion swept her face. Dan pleaded: "Zetta, haven't you learned anything of our language? We call that Xenephrene. Your world? You came from there? Speak, Zetta!" She said slowly in English, with an accent quaint and indescribable: "Yes. My worl'--I came from there." * * * * * "But what's the matter with you, Hulda?" "Nothing." "But there is!" "Not at all, Dan. Why do you say that?" "But there is! You're angry, or hurt. At me? What have I done?" "Nonsense. You haven't done--" She stopped; and he saw that her eyes were filled with sudden tears; she tried to protest, but the words would not come. They were sitting alone late one evening in the Cains' living room. Dan had noticed that for some days Hulda was abnormally quiet, and she no longer treated him with her usual comradeship. A reserve had come to her. And now, when he asked her why, she burst into tears! She sobbed openly; he tried to put his arm around her, but she pushed him away. "Hulda!" A light broke on Dan. "It's Zetta--why, you silly little girl--" "You were--were kissing her this morning!" "I was _not_! Nonsense!" "Well, I s-saw you, with her in your arms, l-lifting her up--" "Yes. Lifting her up. But not kissing her. But I'm kissing _you_! Now--like that! And _that_--Hulda, darling--" It is not my part to reconstruct the scene that followed between them, although both have described the wonder of it all to all of the family who would listen--wonder and awe at the voicing of love which all of us knew they had felt for a year or two. They were engaged when ten minutes later they thumped on the elder Cains' door to tell them the wonderful news. Dan maintained that to Zetta he owed a great debt of gratitude; for without Hulda's jealousy of Zetta, Dan says he might have been too stupid ever to propose. The episode with Zetta was simple enough; Dan explained it readily to Hulda's entire satisfaction. He had been alone with Zetta that morning, trying to make her talk more of our language, which now he knew that she was learning. With a mind wholly different from ours--this Dan now realized--she undoubtedly was learning with extraordinary rapidity. But, quite evidently, she had her own method. She would not speak again; but when he began naming objects in the room, trying to aid her by systematic teaching, she showed approval and listened attentively. During the course of this lesson, Dan had touched her. He laid his hand on her arm. Curious sensation! He felt at once, not a lack of solidity, but a seeming lack of weight. She had risen to her feet as though startled by his touch. He stood, from his much greater height looking down at her. Still holding her arm.