Precisely at four thirty-five Jack presented himself at the lodgings of his distinguished friend.  He has said in a letter, when his dramatic adventures were all behind him, that this was the most thrilling moment he had known.  “The butler had told me that the ladies were there,” he wrote.  “Upon my word it put me out of breath climbing that little flight of stairs.  But it was in fact the end of a long journey.  It is curious that my feeling then should remind me, as it does, of moments when I have been close up to the enemy, within his lines, and lying hard against the ground in some thicket while British soldiers were tramping so near I could feel the ground shake.  In the room I saw Lady Hare and Doctor Franklin standing side by side.  What a smile he wore as he looked at me!  I have never known a human being who had such a cheering light in his countenance.  I have seen it brighten the darkest days of the war aided by the light of his words.  His faith and good cheer were immovable.  I felt the latter when he said: 

“‘See the look of alarm in his face.  Now for a pretty drama!’

“Mrs. Hare gave me her hand and I kissed it and said that I had expected to see Margaret and hoped that she was not ill.  There was a thistledown touch on my cheek from behind and turning I saw the laughing face I sought looking up at me.  I tell you, my mother, there never was such a pair of eyes.  Their long, dark lashes and the glow between them I remember chiefly.  The latter was the friendly light of her spirit To me it was like a candle in the window to guide my feet.  ‘Come,’ it seemed to say.  ‘Here is a welcome for you.’  I saw the pink in her cheeks, the crimson in her lips, the white of her neck, the glow of her abundant hair, the shapeliness of brow and nose and chin in that first glance.  I saw the beating of her heart even.  I remember there was a tiny mole on her temple under the edge of that beautiful, golden crown of hers.  It did not escape my eye.  I tell you she was fair as the first violets in Meadowvale on a dewy morning.  Of course she was at her best.  It was the last moment in years of waiting in which her imagination had furnished me with endowments too romantic.  I have seen great moments, as you know, but this is the one I could least afford to give up.  I had long been wondering what I should do when it came.  Now it was come and there was no taking thought of what we should do.  That would seem to have been settled out of court.  I kissed her lips and she kissed mine and for a few moments I think we could have stood in a half bushel measure.  Then the Doctor laughed and gave her Ladyship a smack on the cheek.

“’I don’t know about you, my Lady, but it fills me with the glow of youth to see such going on,’ he remarked.  ’I’m only twenty-one and nobody knows it—­nobody suspects it even.  These wrinkles and gray hair are only a mask that covers the heart of a boy.’