Zola shook her head in perplexity and with a certain measure of doubt. All this seemed virtually impossible to her. Only her implicit confidence in Robert enabled her to believe, and even in that belief she was unconsciously prone to reserve. Well, she would see what she would see. No doubt it was a wonderful world; but ----. However, she was a diplomat. “Truly these are wonderful things you tell me of, my love. I am wild to see them.” At this point they were interrupted by the doctor. “You children must be quiet awhile now. I forbid my patient to excite himself by talking any more till this afternoon.” And as this doctor was an autocratic soul, accustomed to having his way, they were forced to forego their conversation till later. In the heart of each, however, there was a bewildering flutter of joy and happiness. 25 During the next few days Robert grew rapidly stronger, and soon was permitted to be up and around. Taggert’s body had been recovered, and now rested in state within one of the royal vaults, where it had been placed with great reverence by the Martians at the command of the emperor. Elaborate and touching were the ceremonies which attended the procedure. Robert had not been able to attend the ceremonies, but Professor Palmer, accompanied by the emperor and Princess Zola, witnessed them together. Resigned to their determination to return to their own planet, taking his beloved daughter with them, the emperor bent his efforts toward loading the _Sphere_ with both _tynir_ and _rahmobis_ in large quantities. Of the _tynir_ it was simply a question of how much the _Sphere_ would be able to lift safely. More than two and a half tons of the precious metal, in small ingots and in heavy sacks, were stacked on the floor of the main chamber--virgin gold, every ounce of it. The supply of _rahmobis_, or diamonds, though not so plentiful, was a far greater treasure even than the precious yellow metal, although most of these were in the rough. They averaged in size from half a carat to several carats, with here and there a specimen running ten or fifteen carats. Of these assorted, uncut stones there were nine sacks, each about the size of a five-pound sack of sugar. In addition there were several packets of finely cut and polished gems, the product of skilled Martian cutters. These varied approximately from a quarter of a carat to two carats, but a dozen or more fine stones weighed more than ten carats each! Some excellent emeralds and rubies were included among the cut stones, but only a few, because, while the white diamonds were quite plentiful on Mars, the green and the pigeon-red varieties were very rare. Truly the _Sphere_ was to carry back a ransom of kings! But of all this treasure none was so precious to Robert as his princess.