After going
through this process of negro excitement, he leaped up on his feel,
and started for the house, shouting at the top of his voice, as if
certain the good intelligence he brought would secure his own pardon--
"Master Miles come home!--Master Miles come home!"
In a few minutes, quiet was sufficiently restored among us four, who
remained at the seat, to ask questions, and receive intelligible
answers. Glad was I to ascertain that the girls had been spared the
news of our loss. As for Mr. Hardinge, he was well, and busied, as
usual, in discharging the duties of his holy office. He had told Grace
and Lucy the name of the vessel in which we had shipped, but said
nothing of the painful glimpse he had obtained of us, just as we
lifted our anchor, to quit the port. Grace, in a solemn manner, then
demanded an outline of our adventures. As Rupert was the spokesman on
this occasion, the question having been in a manner put to him as
oldest, I had an opportunity of watching the sweet countenances of the
two painfully interested listeners. Rupert affected modesty in his
narration, if he did not feel it, though I remarked that he dwelt a
little particularly on the shot which had lodged so near him, in the
head of the Tigris's foremast. He spoke of the whistling it made as it
approached, and the violence of the blow when it struck.
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