Castro,--the duty
of a Christian father. I am seeking a prodigal son. I am seeking
him in his wine-husks and among his harl--
Starbottle (interrupting). A single moment. (To DON JOSE.)
Permit me to--er--er--explain. As my friend Mr. Morton states, we
are, in fact, at present engaged in--er--er--quest--er--pilgrimage
that possibly to some, unless deterred by considerations of
responsibility--personal responsibility--sir--Ged, sir, might be
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.
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