forget the most interesting part of our experience. Just as we were about
to be overwhelmed with our troubles we heard exquisite music, which we
soon found proceeded from a lovely maiden. You fell desperately in love
with her at first sight and never recovered till you were plunged in the
ocean of Mars. You insisted on following her nod, and she led us at once
through a narrow path down into the center of the moon. Here, in her quiet
home, we taught her to sing in our language--her only speech was song--and
the first words she used were to say she loved me. She did not understand
what the words meant, of course, but you looked as if you wished I had
been blown away before Mona had discovered us. After that I helped you in
your wooing all I could, but although your passion increased every day
your suit did not seem to prosper. One day I expressed the wish that I had
some of the things we had left in the car, whereupon she led us out to the
surface again, where we arrived just in time to be thrown upon this
planet. Here we are, you and I, all safe, but where is poor Mona?"

"I am sure it would take a wise man to answer that question," I replied.
"And now let me show you, Doctor, how wrong you are. If you will only try
to exercise a little of that good judgment for which you are noted, you
will be convinced that this is only a pretty little fairy tale which has
somehow taken possession of a corner of your brain. Now that the fairy is
gone you must try to forget the rest. Just think how unlikely the whole
story is. Think of a delicate girl living in such surroundings as we found
there; and then, how could we exist down in the center of the moon?"

"Why, don't you remember Mona told us the water and atmosphere had all run
down there, making it the only habitable part of the decaying globe?"

"Oh, that's only one of your scientific notions, probably as true as the
others that we have disproved. Too much science has turned your head, and