While the bubbles were yet sparkling on the brimthe doctor’s four guests snatched their glasses from thetable and swallowed the contents at a single gulp. Was itdelusion？ Even while the draught was passing down theirthroats it seemed to have wrought a change on their wholesystems. Their eyes grew clear and bright； a dark shadedeepened among their silvery locks： they sat around thetable three gentlemen of middle age and a woman hardlybeyond her buxom prime.
“My dear widow， you are charming！” cried ColonelKilligrew， whose eyes had been fixed upon her face whilethe shadows of age were flitting from it like darkness fromthe crimson daybreak.
The fair widow knew of old that Colonel Killigrew’scompliments were not always measured by sober truth； soshe started up and ran to the mirror， still dreading that theugly visage of an old woman would meet her gaze.
Meanwhile， the three gentlemen behaved in such amanner as proved that the water of the Fountain of Youthpossessed some intoxicating qualities—unless， indeed，their exhilaration of spirits were merely a lightsomedizziness caused by the sudden removal of the weight ofyears. Mr. Gascoigne’s mind seemed to run on politicaltopics， but whether relating to the past， present or futurecould not easily be determined， since the same ideas andphrases have been in vogue these fifty years. Now herattled forth full-throated sentences about patriotism，national glory and the people’s right； now he mutteredsome perilous stuff or other in a sly and doubtful whisper，so cautiously that even his own conscience could scarcelycatch the secret； and now， again， he spoke in measuredaccents and a deeply-deferential tone， as if a royal ear werelistening to his well-turned periods. Colonel Killigrew allthis time had been trolling forth a jolly bottle-song andringing his glass in symphony with the chorus， while hiseyes wandered toward the buxom figure of the widowWycherly. On the other side of the table， Mr. Medbournewas involved in a calculation of dollars and cents withwhich was strangely intermingled a project for supplyingthe East Indies with ice by harnessing a team of whales tothe polar icebergs.
As for the widow Wycherly， she stood before the mirrorcourtesying and simpering to her own image and greetingit as the friend whom she loved better than all the worldbesides. She thrust her face close to the glass to seewhether some long-remembered wrinkle or crow’s-foothad indeed vanished； she examined whether the snow hadso entirely melted from her hair that the venerable capcould 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 withanother glass.”
“Certainly， my dear madam—certainly，” replied thecomplaisant doctor. “See！ I have already filled the glasses.”
There， in fact， stood the four glasses brimful of thiswonderful water， the delicate spray of which， as it effervescedfrom the surface， resembled the tremulous glitter ofdiamonds.
It was now so nearly sunset that the chamber had grownduskier than ever， but a mild and moonlike splendorgleamed from within the vase and rested alike on the fourguests and on the doctor’s venerable figure. He sat in ahigh-backed， elaborately-carved oaken arm-chair with agray dignity of aspect that might have well befitted thatvery Father Time whose power had never been disputedsave by this fortunate company. Even while quaffingthe third draught of the Fountain of Youth， they werealmost awed by the expression of his mysterious visage.
But the next moment the exhilarating gush of young lifeshot through their veins. They were now in the happyprime of youth. Age， with its miserable train of cares andsorrows and diseases， was remembered only as the troubleof a dream from which they had joyously awoke. Thefresh gloss of the soul， so early lost and without whichthe world’s successive scenes had been but a gallery offaded pictures， again threw its enchantment over all theirprospects. They felt like new-created beings in a newcreateduniverse.
“We are young！ We are young！” they cried， exultingly.