[Illustration: _Came forward to meet them with both hands outstretched._]
Zaidie unhesitatingly held out hers, and a strange thrill ran through
her as she felt them for the first time clasped gently by other than
earthly hands, for the Venus folk had only been able to pat and stroke
with their gentle little paws, somewhat as a kitten might do. The figure
bowed its head again and said something in a low, melodious voice, which
was, of course, quite unintelligible save for the evident friendliness
of its tone. Then, releasing her hands, he took Redgrave's in the same
fashion, and then led the way towards a vast, domed building of
semi-opaque glass, or rather a substance that seemed to be something
like a mixture of glass and mica, which appeared to be one of the
entrance gates of the city.
CHAPTER XV
The wondering visitors from far-off Terra had hardly halted before the
magnificent portal when a huge sheet of frosted glass rose silently from
the ground. They passed through and it fell behind them. They found
themselves in a great oval ante-chamber along each side of which stood
triple rows of strangely shaped trees whose leaves gave off a subtle and
most agreeable scent. The temperature here was several degrees higher,
in fact about that of an English spring day, and Zaidie immediately
threw open her big fur cloak, saying:
"These good people seem to live in Winter Gardens, don't they? I don't
think I shall want these things much while we're inside.
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