“I am sure,” I answered, “that the advantage is greatly on our side.”
I could not say more, for I was conscious that the doctor was watching closely to see how I was affected by the presence of this royal girl. When he saw I was inclined to be somewhat quiet he felt impelled to say something, and offered the following compromising remark:
“If we had only brought Mona safely off the moon with us, you would have had something more worthy of your interest than we are, and my friend here also would now be in better spirits.”
Antonia had a question in her eyes but her perfect breeding kept her from putting it into words, after the final expression of the doctor’s speech. Of course, I could not ignore the allusion, and said:
“Mona is a friend of the doctor’s whom I have not the pleasure of knowing. I suppose he thinks her cheerful disposition, of which I have heard before, would make our present situation even more enjoyable than it is. Speaking for myself, however, I think that would be impossible.”
With that she rose, and, with a pleasant word of adieu to us, told Thorwald she would come in another day after we were well rested.
It was now approaching night-fall and dinner was to be speedily announced. The doctor and I were shown to a suite of dressing-rooms, and as soon as we were alone he said:
“Do you think Antonia is as handsome as Mona?”
“If you will show me Mona I shall then be able to judge. But how did I carry myself on my first introduction to a daughter of Mars? Do you think I am in any danger of putting her in Margaret’s place in my heart?”
“Perhaps not,” replied the doctor. “You kept command of yourself pretty well; but I think the secret of that is that you have not quite forgotten Mona.”