soil which quickly rid itself of moisture, now began to be a genial place
of resort to him, and he was one morning taking his walk there, meditating
upon the still insurmountable difficulties which interposed themselves
against the interpretation of the manuscript, yet feeling the new gush of
spring bring hope to him, and the energy and elasticity for new effort.
Thus pacing to and fro, he was surprised, as he turned at the extremity of
his walk, to see a figure advancing towards him; not that of the pale
maiden whom he was accustomed to see there, but a figure as widely
different as possible. [_He sees a spider dangling from his web, and
examines him minutely_.] It was that of a short, broad, somewhat
elderly man, dressed in a surtout that had a half-military air; the cocked
hat of the period, well worn, and having a fresher spot in it, whence,
perhaps, a cockade had been recently taken off; and this personage carried
a well blackened German pipe in his hand, which, as he walked, he applied
to his lips, and puffed out volumes of smoke, filling the pleasant western
breeze with the fragrance of some excellent Virginia. He came slowly
along, and Septimius, slackening his pace a little, came as slowly to meet
him, feeling somewhat indignant, to be sure, that anybody should intrude
on his sacred hill; until at last they met, as it happened, close by the
memorable little hillock, on which the grass and flower-leaves also had
begun to sprout. The stranger looked keenly at Septimius, made a careless
salute by putting his hand up, and took the pipe from his mouth.

"Mr. Septimius Felton, I suppose?" said he.

"That is my name," replied Septimius.

"I am Doctor Jabez Portsoaken," said the stranger, "late surgeon of his
Majesty's sixteenth regiment, which I quitted when his Majesty's army
quitted Boston, being desirous of trying my fortunes in your country, and