“Mona,” said he, “do you mean that your people, even in the remote past, were entirely ignorant of such troubles as we have been speaking about?” “Yes, and of all other troubles. I am sure there was always only peace and happiness on the moon. Strife and hatred, sorrow, want, and misery are all strange words to me, and entirely unknown except as I have heard them in your conversation.” “Was there never any sickness there?” I asked. “I don’t know the meaning of the word,” she replied. “Is it another item in the general unpleasantness of the times you have been describing? I wonder that your race, Thorwald, ever survived those rude days.” “But,” asked Thorwald, “what think you of the earth? The doctor and his companion say their planet is now passing through just such a period.” “Well, all I can say is that I am thankful I was not discovered till after the moon had deserted the earth.” “Tell us more about your race,” said the doctor. “Were they all as good as you are?” “Just the same. There were no degrees in goodness.” “And did they all sing as they talked, and in such sweet tones as yours?” I asked. “Oh, many sang better than I do, and all made music of their words. I never heard speech that was not melodious till you and the doctor came to see me.” “And did everything else in your life there correspond to your charming manner of talking?” asked Thorwald. “Why, yes, I think so,” answered Mona. “It was a delightful world. Everything was bright and joyous, with no shadow of discontent nor anything to cause sadness or discomfort. Do you wonder that I could not sympathize with your story of wrongs and sorrows, the very nature of which was a new revelation to me?” Mona’s notions about the people whom she represented seemed strange and improbable to us, and we attributed them to the influence of her own guileless nature. One so innocent and whole-hearted as she was would naturally clothe her ancestors with at least the virtues and graces she herself possessed. However, we had no means of proving Mona’s ideas to be false. We had brought away from the moon no records of any kind by which to study its history, and of that history Mona was as yet our only interpreter. But every word she spoke on this subject only added intensity to the pleasurable anticipation with which these Martians looked forward to their study of the moon and its former inhabitants. CHAPTER XXX. ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. It was not till the next day that we sat down together again to continue the conversation. Remembering what the doctor had said, Thorwald began: “In sketching for you the history of that age of activity and change in our career, I was in such fear of wearying you with dry details that I hurried along and omitted the very things to which you refer, Doctor. This people did try all the experiments that suggested themselves, and if you think your patience will endure it I will speak of a few of them.”