"'Ah, for that I have to thank Echri. It appears that he has had a vision in which it was declared that the peoples on the family of planets that circle round the Sun are to be united; and that we having established communication between Earth and Mars, are fulfilling this sacred manifestation. This the King has only lately learned from Echri, and it has done more than anything else to place us high in royal favour, and to win consent to my union with Volinè.' "'Well, now, about this fight to-morrow. Have you no idea of the weapons, conditions of combat, and so on?' "'None; nor do I want any. But if you should chance to drop on Sandy Campbell, tell him that I would see him. I should like him near me to-morrow, just as a sort of henchman like---you understand?' "'I won't fail to send him if I get the chance, but the Doctor keeps him more than busy. Only this very morning he packed him off somewhere or other in search of some insect which, he tells me, is curiously allied to a beetle of Earth.' "'Gracious! Poor old Sandy! I have half a mind to pity him in his search for that illustrious bug.' "Chatting together thus, the morning slipped quickly and pleasantly away, until we were summoned to our mid-day meal. Neither the King nor Volinè was present; and the Doctor, as well, was too absorbed in his studies to make his appearance. I spent the afternoon posting up my journals, from which this portion of our narrative has been written; and in the evening I went unto our trysting-place, there to wait my loved one's coming.