"He can wait till to-morrow, I dare say," replied Norton. "Anyhow, I can. You will be enough for to-night."
"What sort of a man is the one you are talking of?" David asked Norton.
"He's a brick," said Norton, and began to whistle; then interrupted himself. "But he is Pink's friend, you understand, much more than mine."
"Some old tutor of yours?" said David smiling.
"Old! not exactly. Nor a tutor neither, that ever I heard; though he does teach folks, or tries to. No, you're out, Davy. I tell you, he's a brick."
"O we're going over the bridge now, Norton!" Matilda exclaimed. "We're almost there. Look! I can see lights, can't I?"
There was no question about it in a few minutes more. Norton got out at the Shadywalk hotel; and the omnibus lumbered on through Butternut Street to the parsonage gate and drew up at last before the old brown door. But it was too dark to see colours. Indeed David had some difficulty in finding the knocker; and meanwhile the omnibus lumbered off, while they were not attending. David knocked and knocked again. Matilda was trembling with delight.
"There's nobody at home," said David. "It is all dark."
But at that instant a step was heard in the hall, and the door was opened. A little light that came from within a door somewhere beyond revealed nothing except the outline of a figure.
"Who is it?" said a voice. "My lamp's gone out; I guess it wants a new wick. Who's here?"