He led Sara to a distant corner of the uncommon that was fenced off
from the rest by a high wire netting. It looked rather like the high
nets about a tennis-court, except that it was made of silver wire,
with a mesh as fine as a milk-strainer. Inside the wire, in a sort of
little private park, she could see a number of very haughty-looking
persons moving about.

"Don't speak to them," said Pirlaps, as they drew near. "They're
entirely too snobbish to be spoken to."

Sara approached in awe, and they stood gazing at the pale,
supercilious-looking creatures, who returned their gaze through
monocles, lorgnettes, and other contemptuous media.

"You see," explained Pirlaps, "nobody speaks to them. Every time they
go in or out, they pass through the strainer, and that strains out all
of their red corpuscles and leaves only the blue. That's why they are
so superior and exclusive. Of course, too, it makes them very thin,
and gives them that sheer, transparent look." And, indeed, Sara
noticed that she could see quite through one of the thinnest ones, who
wore a very high-necked dress buttoned in the back.

Pirlaps was now growing anxious to be at home, so after saying good-by
to the important personages on the Posts of Honor, they started back.

As they drew near, they saw Avrillia in the rose-garden near the
balcony, looking very lovely as she moved among the flowers.

"Ah," said Pirlaps, "she's already vanished them. She's gathering
rose-leaves for tomorrow's poems."