"Don't you see something very different there to what we saw either on the Moon or Mars?
Now just go back to your telescope and let us take an observation." "Well," said Zaidie, rising, "as our trip is, partly at least, in the interests of science, I will;" and then when she had got her own telescope into focus again--for the distance between the _Astronef_ and the new world they were about to visit was rapidly lessening--she took a long look through it, and said: "Yes, I think I see what you mean.

The outer edge of the crescent is bright, but it gets greyer and dimmer towards the inside of the curve.
Of course Venus has an atmosphere.

So had Mars; but this must be very dense.

There's a sort of halo all round it.

Just fancy that splendid thing being the little black spot we saw going across the face of the Sun a few days ago! It makes one feel rather small, doesn't it ?" "That is one of the things which a woman says when she doesn't want to be answered; but, apart from that, you were saying----" "What a very unpleasant person you can be when you like! I was going to say that on the Moon we saw nothing but black and white, light and darkness.