"How shall I give you an idea of my size,let me think,—well, the whole of my surface would not cover a ninth part of your continent of Europe."

Oh, what a tiny planet you are!" I exclaimed. "Are you very far away from the Sun, and does it take you long to go round him?"

"How many more questions?" laughed Vesta. "In the first place, I am not so small as Ceres, and there are numbers of us smaller than she is. My distance from the Sun is two hundred and twenty-three millions of miles, and my year is as long as three years and eight months of yours; indeed, all our years vary from three to six of your years, but why don't you ask my sister Juno, she is far cleverer than I am, besides, it is quite time I disappeared!"

So, indicating in which part of the heavens I ought to look for Juno, Ceres, and Pallas the following evening, she slowly sank out of sight.

CHAPTER X.

THE ASTEROIDS-(continued).

JUNO-CERES-PALLAS.

HE next day was very close and hot, with
HE

drizzling mist, which did not seem at all to cool the air, but made it more gloomy and unpleasant. I was in despair about my prospects for the night, and had well-nigh resigned all hopes, when a light south-east wind sprang up as the Sun went down, and in another hour star after star became visible, and unusually clear, from the air being so damp. I did not expect to find Juno with the naked eye, for Vesta had told me it was impossible, so I pointed the telescope to that quarter of the sky where she was supposed to be seen, and after a little.

searching perceived a planet of a reddish but uncertain light which continually and rapidly changed. I had perceived this changeableness in Vesta, but it was more remarkable in Juno.

I looked long and earnestly at her; waiting and wondering if she would observe me, but no voice came. I began to think she must be too far off to be heard or to hear me,—and still waited.

At last, finding this very dull work, I ventured to address her-" Great and gracious Queen! am I so far away and insignificant as to be beyond the pale of your notice?"

Slowly, word by word, came the answer in distant, haughty tones

"Child-of-earth!

Disturb-not-my-re

pose! I-live-no-longer-in-the-present.

The

ruby-tint-of-my-former-rainbowmagnificence—is—all—that—remains—to—me— of-the-past. I-live-in-the-past!”

Here the voice ceased, leaving me very undecided as to what to do,-whether to speak to her again or not. I wanted to know so many things, and she seemed but a little larger than

Vesta who had been so willing to talk. Doubting much whether to speak or not, I ventured one more question—

"In

your journeys round the Sun, which must, I should think, take some time, O Great Queen of the Past!--do you never observe what takes place on our world and other planets?"

Again I waited long and patiently for the answer, which I thought would never come; but just as I was leaving the glass in despair, I heard the slow tones of Her Majesty

"You-do-well-not-to-compare-myannual-journey-with-your-short-earthly—

year; — mine—takes--four—of—your-years

and-four-months.

I-would-not-travel

faster-if-I—could,—nor-do-I-care-to

look-at-your-Earth :-what-are-its-pre

sent-riches-compared-to-what-mine-were

-in-the-past? I-command-you,-disturb— me-not!'

"

Evidently there was nothing to be got out of Juno, which was a disappointment, though she certainly gave me no encouragement; therefore, as the evening was not far advanced, I went in

quest of Ceres, with rather a qualm I must confess as to what sort of reception I should have. With no little difficulty I at last discovered her as a little reddish point, smaller a good deal than her two predecessors.

"Go away! go away!" cried a sharp, querulous voice, almost before I had focussed her. "What do you want with me, I should like to know? I allow no one to stare, no matter who. After your star-gazing men had once discovered me and my revolution round the Sun, which I beg to state I perform in four of your years, and two hundred and twenty days, I said I would have no more of it! This constant spydom to which I am subjected is a perfect nuisance!"

"Great lady!" I said, "forgive a humble inhabitant of your grandmother Terra; I am but anxious for information, and amongst others would gladly become acquainted with your great ladyship."

"What others, then, have you been to?" sharply queried she.

I enumerated several of the planets I had spoken with, and narrated a little of what they