The Centaurians
This strange, fascinating piece of femininity grieved because realizing she was a woman, an adorable woman, not a saint.
Alpha Centauri is mine!
CHAPTER XIV.
The scorching rays of an afternoon sun roused me from a sleep of hours, yet dreamily I rested till a subdued murmur reached me from the outer room and I knew my friends had returned.
The trio were in deep consultation when I joined them, but all hailed me with evident relief, and Sheldon distinguished himself as usual. He hoped they had not disturbed my "gentle slumbers," as all agreed I needed rest and quiet after the "exhaustive attempt to cipher such a disheartening, complicated, enigmatical, mysterious what?" which made in comparison the most scientific problems diversion. He cautioned me against "invading the climatic disorders of the mighty feminine, as explorers in that realm dazed by rudimental desire, always reached such pitifully befuddled climaxes."
"And, Sally," he continued, "though we have discovered a new portion of the globe, the inhabitants present a very familiar appearance. The feminine species were discovered long ago and are produced in vast numbers on our continent with similar unsatisfactory results; also"
"I passed the evening with our beautiful hostess," I interrupted, cold, dignified.
"And I missed the preliminaries," he wailed;
225
