"What! you found one and left him there?"

"It was a woman," said the doctor.

This talk had been so rapid that I had not had a chance to interfere, but
I saw that I must stop it now for the doctor's sake. When I could see him
alone I could tell him his memory was playing him a trick and he must
avoid that subject. So, before Thorwald could speak again, I said:

"Let me suggest, Thorwald, that we let the moon rest till we have heard
more of Mars, which I am sure is of greater importance. We have told you
many things in regard to our planet, and are willing to answer all the
questions you may please to ask from time to time, but now we would like
to listen a while."

"Yes," said the doctor, "we started on this expedition to add to our
scientific knowledge, and we seem in a fair way to accomplish our purpose;
so that, if you will find a way to send us back to the earth some time, I
think our friends will admit that we have been successful. But first we
want to learn all we can about this wonderful world. How long has your
race existed? Our astronomers tell us Mars is too old to be inhabited,
and, considering some of my own recent experiences in finding my science
unreliable, it rather consoles me to discover that they are mistaken."

"They are right," Thorwald answered, "in believing that Mars is very old,
and so our race is nearing its maturity. It is impossible to judge
accurately of the age of the planet itself, but we know it is exceedingly
old from the evidences of changes that have taken place on its surface.
Neither can we tell when our race was born, though we have legends and