"I thought you were, for none but spirits live here upon this island; are you for good or evil ?" "Far better for the breakfast of which I fear I have robbed you, but wandering along the shore and finding this pot boiling with no owner, I ventured to sample it, and it was so good my appetite got the better of manners." The girl bowed, and standing at a respectful distance asked if I would like some fish as well; she had some, but not many, and if I would eat she would cook them for me in a minute--it was not often, she added lightly, she had met one of my kind before.

In fact, it was obvious that simple person did actually take me for a being of another world, and was it for me to say she was wrong?
So adopting a dignity worthy of my reputation I nodded gravely to her offer.

She fetched from the boat four little fishes of the daintiest kind imaginable.

They were each about as big as a hand and pale blue when you looked down upon them, but so clear against the light that every bone and vein in their bodies could be traced.

These were wrapped just as they were in a broad, green leaf and then the Martian, taking a pointed stick, made a hollow in the white ashes, laid them in side by side, and drew the hot dust over again.
While they cooked we chatted as though the acquaintance were the most casual thing in the world, and I found it was indeed an island we were on and not the mainland, as I had hoped at first.