第65章

“Mydearwidow，youarecharming！”criedColonelKilligrew，whose

eyeshadbeenfixeduponherface，whiletheshadowsofagewere

flittingfromitlikedarknessfromthecrimsondaybreak。

Thefairwidowknew，ofold，thatColonelKilligrew’scompliments

werenotalwaysmeasuredbysobertruth；soshestartedupandran

tothemirror，stilldreadingthattheuglyvisageofanoldwoman

wouldmeethergaze。Meanwhile，thethreegentlemenbehavedinsuch

amannerasprovedthatthewateroftheFountainofYouthpossessed

someintoxicatingqualities；unless，indeed，theirexhilarationof

spiritsweremerelyalightsomedizzinesscausedbythesuddenremoval

oftheweightofyears。Mr。Gascoigne’smindseemedtorunon

politicaltopics，butwhetherrelatingtothepast，present，orfuture

couldnoteasilybedetermined，sincethesameideasandphrases

havebeeninvoguethesefiftyyears。Nowherattledforth

full-throatedsentencesaboutpatriotism，nationalglory，andthe

people’sright；nowhemutteredsomeperilousstufforother，inasly

anddoubtfulwhisper，socautiouslythatevenhisownconsciencecould

scarcelycatchthesecret；andnow，again，hespokeinmeasured

accents，andadeeplydeferentialtone，asifaroyalearwere

listeningtohiswell-turnedperiods。ColonelKilligrewallthis

timehadbeentrollingforthajollybottlesong，andringinghis

glassinsymphonywiththechorus，whilehiseyeswanderedtoward

thebuxomfigureoftheWidowWycherly。Ontheothersideofthe

table，Mr。Medbournewasinvolvedinacalculationofdollarsand

cents，withwhichwasstrangelyintermingledaprojectforsupplying

theEastIndieswithice，byharnessingateamofwhalestothe

polaricebergs。

AsfortheWidowWycherly，shestoodbeforethemirror

courtesyingandsimperingtoherownimage，andgreetingitasthe

friendwhomshelovedbetterthanalltheworldbeside。Shethrusther

faceclosetotheglass，toseewhethersomelong-rememberedwrinkle

orcrow’sfoothadindeedvanished。Sheexaminedwhetherthesnow

hadsoentirelymeltedfromherhairthatthevenerablecapcouldbe

safelythrownaside。Atlast，turningbrisklyaway，shecamewitha

sortofdancingsteptothetable。

“Mydearolddoctor。”criedshe，“prayfavormewithanother

glass！”

“Certainly，mydearmadam，certainly！”repliedthecomplaisant

doctor；“see！Ihavealreadyfilledtheglasses。”

There，infact，stoodthefourglasses，brimfulofthiswonderful

water，thedelicatesprayofwhich，asiteffervescedfromthe

surface，resembledthetremulousglitterofdiamonds。Itwasnowso

nearlysunsetthatthechamberhadgrownduskierthanever；butamild

andmoonlikesplendorgleamedfromwithinthevase，andrestedalike

onthefourguestsandonthedoctor’svenerablefigure。Hesatina

high-backed，elaborately-carved，oakenarm-chair，withagray

dignityofaspectthatmighthavewellbefittedthatveryFatherTime，

whosepowerhadneverbeendisputed，savebythisfortunatecompany。

EvenwhilequaffingthethirddraughtoftheFountainofYouth，they

werealmostawedbytheexpressionofhismysteriousvisage。

But，thenextmoment，theexhilaratinggushofyounglifeshot

throughtheirveins。Theywerenowinthehappyprimeofyouth。Age，

withitsmiserabletrainofcaresandsorrowsanddiseases，was

remembe