and closed my eyes to enjoy it. The doctor, feeling it to be better to let
me think it out by myself, stole away and left me alone.

Alone, but not lonesome, for was not Mona with me? I could see her every
look and motion, and experienced with a great throb of the heart that my
love had only strengthened with my period of forgetfulness. I remembered
her last words, that very likely we would never see her again. But why
should not she be saved as easily as we were? What if she were even now
afloat in the ocean? But perhaps some one had rescued her. Could she be in
Mars and singing for other ears than mine? Singing! Why, who is singing
now, right here in this very house? Can it be possible? How stupid I have
been. Perhaps I can see her now.

I jumped up and rushed from the room, but was no sooner outside my door
than the voice began to die again, and in a moment the last notes had
floated away. I could not determine from which direction the song had come
and had no clew to guide me toward the singer. It was very late and all
the house was quiet. Unable to pursue my quest, I reentered my room, but
it was hours before I could compose my mind sufficiently to sleep. The
possible joy that awaited me in the morning, the dreadful fear that I
should be disappointed, the violent beating of my heart at every thought
of Mona, and my anxiety lest she might even now be exposed to danger
somewhere, all combined to keep me excited and restless the whole night
long. As I lay tossing and thinking, my most serious doubt was occasioned
by the reflection that people of such exalted morals would not deceive me
by declaring that this singer's name was Avis if it were not true. But
then I thought further that the doctor had given Mona the name by which we
knew her, and that Fronda would have just as much right to give her a new
name. Perhaps her real name after all was Avis.