This conversation had all passed in a moment, and by the time it was finished I had extricated myself from the broken chair with Margaret’s assistance, and was now wide awake. I had never expected to leave Mars without the doctor; but now he was gone with all the rest, and I was well content to find myself back by Margaret’s side, and to hear her pleasant words, the words of a plain inhabitant of the earth, not too good to love me a little selfishly. A wave of intense happiness in the possession of such a love passed over me. It was a feeling I had never before experienced in my waking moments and it must have illumined my face, for Margaret continued:
“I don’t believe you are hurt at all. You look too happy to be in pain. What have you been dreaming about, that makes your face shine so? How thankful I am for this bright moonlight. I never saw you have so much expression before.”
“Margaret,” I replied, as soon as she would let me speak, “don’t you remember you sent me on a quest for my heart? Well, I have found it and brought it back to you.”
“How lovely to find it so soon,” she exclaimed; “and I know by your looks it’s a large one and full of love. But tell me about it. How did it happen?”
“Why, I fell in love with a voice.”
“With a voice? Whose voice?”
“Well, it didn’t seem to matter much. First it belonged to Mona and then to Avis, and part of the time to both of them.”
“You make me jealous,” said Margaret.
We were now standing, hand in hand, leaning on the rail of the vessel, in the full enjoyment of our new-found happiness.
“You will not be jealous,” I answered, “when you know all about it. I have enough to tell you, Margaret, to occupy a week, I should think. I have seen and heard a great deal, and seemed to be living amid other scenes for many months, and yet I notice the moon is but two or three hours higher than when you left me there in the chair to go and find your book. I shall take great pleasure in relating to you the entire experience when we have time. Perhaps I will write it out for you. I have been stirred as I never expected to be, but I assure you I have brought back my whole heart to you. Only,” I added, as a sudden flash of memory startled me with its vividness, “I should like to hear that voice once more.”