than fifteen yards apart the personage we had been watching slowly lifted
her arm, revealing a glittering bracelet, and, with an ineffably winning
smile, made a gesture which said plainer than any words could have done:

"Welcome, strangers."



CHAPTER VIII


LANGUAGE WITHOUT SPEECH

"That breaks the ice," said the irrepressible Jack. "We're introduced! Now
for the conquest of Venus."

We had all instinctively returned the smile of our beautiful
interlocutor, with bows and gestures of amity, and it looked as though we
might soon be within touch of her hand, for the vessels continued to
drift nearer, when suddenly Juba clambered out of the window and stood
beside us, his moon eyes blinking in the unaccustomed light. The greatest
agitation was immediately manifest among the crowd on the deck of the air
ship. They seemed to be even more startled than they had been by the
sound of Jack's voice. They interchanged looks, and, apparently, a few
words, spoken in very low voices, and glanced from Juba to us in a way
which plainly showed that they were astonished at our being together.

Edmund, whose perspicacity never deserted him, immediately penetrated
their thoughts.