overhead, which drew our attention, for the time, from the sea that had
so strangely brought us hither.

"There," said Edmund, pointing to the dome, "is the inside of the shell
of cloud whose exterior, gleaming in the sunshine, baffles our
astronomers in their efforts to see the surface of Venus. I believe that
we shall find the whole of this hemisphere covered by it. It is a shield
for the inhabitants against the fervors of an unsetting sun. Its presence
prevents their real world from being seen from outside."

"Well," said Jack, laughing, "I never heard before that Venus was fond of
a veil."

"Not only can they not be seen," continued Edmund, "but they cannot
themselves see beyond the screen that covers them."

"Worse and worse!" exclaimed Jack. "The astronomers have certainly made a
mistake in naming this bashful planet Venus."

We continued for a long time to gaze at the great dome, admiring the
magnificent play of iridescent colors over its vast surface, until
suddenly Jack, who had gone to the other side of the car, called out to
us:

"Come here and tell me what this is."

We hurried to his side and were astonished to see a number of glittering
objects which appeared to be floating in the atmosphere. They were
arranged in an almost straight row, at an elevation of perhaps two
thousand feet, and were apparently about three miles away. After a few