She thrust her
face close to the glass, to see whether some long-remembered wrinkle
or crow's foot had indeed vanished. She examined whether the snow
had so entirely melted from her hair that the venerable cap could be
safely thrown aside. At last, turning briskly away, she came with a
sort of dancing step to the table.
"My dear old doctor," cried she, "pray favor me with another
glass!"
"Certainly, my dear madam, certainly!" replied the complaisant
doctor; "see! I have already filled the glasses."
There, in fact, stood the four glasses, brimful of this wonderful
water, the delicate spray of which, as it effervesced from the
surface, resembled the tremulous glitter of diamonds. It was now so
nearly sunset that the chamber had grown duskier than ever; but a mild
and moonlike splendor gleamed from within the vase, and rested alike
on the four guests and on the doctor's venerable figure. He sat in a
high-backed, elaborately-carved, oaken arm-chair, with a gray
dignity of aspect that might have well befitted that very Father Time,
whose power had never been disputed, save by this fortunate company.
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