The instant his eyes fell on the countenance of the Quaker, he threw up both hands and uttered a prolonged whistle of astonishment.

“The preacher!” he exclaimed.  “The lost is found.  The p-p-prodigal has returned.  Come in, and let us k-k-kill the fatted calf!”

Coarse as the welcome was, it was full of sincerity, and its heartiness was like balm to the wounded spirit of the youth.  He grasped the extended hand and permitted himself to be drawn into the room.

Pepeeta, who had recovered from the first shock of surprise and delight, came forward and greeted him with a shy reserve.  She gave him her hand, and its gentle touch reanimated his soul.  She smiled at him,—­a gracious smile, and its light illumined the darkness of his heart.  His sadness vanished.  He once more felt an emotion of joy.

The excitement of their meeting having subsided they seated themselves, David in an easy chair, the doctor on the broad couch, and Pepeeta on a little ottoman at his feet.  Vivid green curtains partially obscured the bright sunshine which beat upon the windows.  The wall-paper was cheap, vulgar, faded.  On the floor was an old ingrain carpet full of patches and spattered with ink stains.  A blue-bottle fly buzzed and butted his head against the walls, and through the open casement hummed the traffic of the busy little town.

Nothing could have been more expressive of triumph and delight than the face of the quack.  Whenever his feelings were particularly bland and expansive, he had a way of taking the ends of his enormous moustache and twirling them between his spatulate thumbs and fingers.  He did this now, and twisted them until the coarse hairs could be heard grating against each other.

“Well, well!” he said, “so you could not resist the temptation?  Ha! ha! ha!  No wonder!  It’s not every young fellow behind the p-p-plow-tail that has a fortune thrust under his nose.  Shows your g-g-good sense.  I was right.  I always am.  I knew you were too bright a man to hide your light under a half b-b-bushel of a village like that.  In those seven-by-nine towns, all the sap dries out of men, and before they are forty they begin to rattle around like peas in a p-p-pod.  In such places young men are never anything but milk sops, and old men anything but b-b-bald-headed infants!  You needed to see the world, young man.  You required a teacher.  You have put yourself into good hands, and if you stay with me you shall wear d-d-diamonds.”

“Whatever the results may be, I have determined to make the experiment,” said David, shrugging his shoulders.

“Right you are.  But what b-b-brought you round?  You were as stiff as a ramrod when I left you.”

“Circumstances over which I had no control, and which I want to forget as soon as possible.  My old life has ended and I have come to seek a new one.”

“A new life?  That’s good.  Well—­we will show it to you, P-P-Pepeeta and I!  We will show you.”