looked upon as visionary,
enthusiastic, sentimental, fanatical. We are seeking a son, or, as my
friend tersely and scripturally expresses it--er--er--prodigal son.
I say scripturally, sir, and tersely, but not, you understand it,
literally, nor I may add, sir, legally. Ged, sir, as a precedent, I
admit we are wrong. To the best of my knowledge, sir, the--er--Prodigal
Son sought his own father. To be frank, sir,--and Ged, sir, if Culpepper
Starbottle has a fault, it is frankness, sir. As Nelse Buckthorne said
to me in Nashville, in '47, "You would infer, Col. Starbottle, that
I equivocate." I replied, "I do, sir; and permit me to add that
equivocation has all the guilt of a lie, with cowardice superadded." The
next morning at nine o'clock, Ged, sir, he gasped to me--he was lying on
the ground, hole through his left lung just here (illustrating with DON
JOSE'S coat),--he gasped, "If you have a merit, Star, above others, it
is frankness!" his last words, sir,--demn me.... To be frank, sir, years
ago, in the wild exuberance of youth, the son of this gentleman left
his--er--er--er--boyhood's home, owing to an innocent but natural
misunderstanding with the legal protector of his youth--

Morton (interrupting gravely and demurely). Driven from home by my own
sinful and then unregenerate hand--

Starbottle (quickly). One moment, a simple moment. We will not weary
you with--er--er--history, or the vagaries of youth. He--er--came to
California in '49. A year ago, touched by--er--er--parental emotion
and solicitude, my friend resolved to seek him here. Believing that
the--er--er--lawlessness of--er--er--untrammelled youth and boyish
inexperience might have led him into some trifling indiscretion, we
have sought him successively in hospitals, alms-houses, reformatories,
State's prisons, lunatic and inebriate asylums, and--er--er--even on
the monumental inscriptions of the--er--er--country churchyards. We
have thus far, I grieve to say, although acquiring much and valuable
information of a varied character and interest, as far as the direct
matter of our search,--we have been, I think I may say, unsuccessful.
Our search has been attended with the--er--disbursement of some capital
under my--er--er--direction, which, though large, represents quite
inadequately the--er--er--earnestness of our endeavors.

Enter MANUELA.

Manuela (to DON JOSE). The Dona Jovita is waiting to receive you.

Don Jose (to MORTON). You shall tell me furth