Master Jacobus turned and regarded him thoughtfully. Then he took one
long puff at his pipe, removed it from his mouth, and blew the smoke in
spirals towards the ceiling.

"Robert," he said, after an inspection of a full minute, "why were you
in such a hurry about coming back? Are you sure you did everything you
should before you came? You wass sometimes a hasty lad."

"I can't recall, sir, anything that I've neglected. Also, I wiped my
shoes on the porch and I shut the door when I came in, as Caterina used
to bid me do."

"It iss well. It shows that you are learning at last. Caterina and I haf
had much trouble teaching manners to you and that young Onondaga scamp,
Tayoga."

"As we grow older, sir, we have more desire to learn. We're better able
to perceive the value of good advice."

Master Jacobus Huysman put the stem of his long pipe back in his mouth,
took the very longest draught upon it that he had ever drawn, removed it
again, sent the smoke rushing in another beautiful spear of spirals
toward the ceiling, and, then, for the first and last time in his life,
he lost all control over himself. Springing to his feet he seized Robert
by both hands and nearly wrung them off.

"Robert, my lost lad!" he exclaimed. "It iss you! it iss really you! I
knew that you wass dead, and, yet when you walked into the room, I knew
that it wass you alive! Your face iss changed! your look iss changed!
your manner iss changed! you are older, but I would have known you