“‘Oh, yes. Haven’t you heard?’ “‘Heard what?’ “‘Tell us—quick!’ They all spoke together; and they should have known better than to let Orion see how eager they were. It gave him a chance to tease. “‘Why—some one. Oh, I’m sure you must have heard. You don’t want me to tell it all over again?’ “‘Yes, we do—’ “‘No, we haven’t—’ “‘Now, don’t be so mean—’ “‘Don’t ask him,’ said Maia. ‘He’s dying to tell.’ “Then they said not another word, but stood in a lovely row, locking arms and balancing on their toes, and looked at him; and Orion looked back at them. Then he pushed his lion’s skin up over his shoulder and spoke to his dogs:— “‘Come, Sirius! We’d better go and get ready before the Stranger comes,’ and he turned to go. But there were seven girls to stop him, and they were around him in a second. “‘No, you shall not—’ “‘Now, Orion—’ “‘Oh, _please_—’ “‘What is it?’ they asked; and he _was_ dying to tell! “‘I can’t tell you so very much,’ he said. ‘But they say we are to have a visitor from the Far-Away Isles.’ “‘Who says so?’ “‘Who is coming?’ “‘When will he be here?’ “‘What is he coming for?’ They were like seven interrogation points! “‘I don’t know,’ said Orion. ‘I don’t remember who told me—and I’m not quite sure what. Everybody but you seems to know about it.’ “‘Did you ever know any one so tiresome?’ asked Maia. And six Pleiades girls said they never had, and ‘We’ll have to ask some one else.’ “So, off they went to try to find out what was going to happen; and how anybody knew about it. “It was a curious thing, but by the time they had talked with the other Star People, they were in the same state as Orion and all the others. No one could tell quite where he had heard it, and no one knew exactly what he had heard; but every one had a perfectly clear impression that a visitor was coming from the Far-Away Isles. “When they tried to talk a little more definitely about him, they did not altogether agree. Still, there was a strong idea that he was young and splendid and handsome, of course; some one very distinguished in his own country.” “A prince, for instance?” asked Phyllisy. “More than likely.— “‘What do you suppose he is coming for?’ asked Maia. “‘Perhapth, becauth he’th going to all the Thtar-Countrieth,’ said Draco. ‘He couldn’t do that unleth he came here.’ “‘That’s so,’ said Hercules. ‘We’re one of ’em.’ “‘You’re mistaken,’ said Cepheus. ‘He’s heard about the prettiest seven sisters in Starland, and he wants to take his choice of them back with him. You’ll have to polish up your stars, girls, and dance your best for him.’ (That was his idea of a joke!) “‘Indeed we _won’t_!’ said Electra, with her nose very high. ‘We care nothing about him.’ “‘No,’ said Alcyone. ‘We won’t do one thing!’