See, yonder are Grace and my father, and Rupert."
There they all were, sure enough, the whole family having come out, to
take an evening walk, in company with a certain Mr. Andrew Drewett, a
young gentleman who was a fellow-student of Rupert's, and who, as I
afterwards ascertained, was a pretty open admirer of Rupert's
sister. There was a marked difference in the manner in which I was
received by Grace and Lucy. The first exclaimed "Miles!" precisely as
the last had exclaimed; her colour heightened, and tears forced
themselves into her eyes, but she could not be said to blush. Instead
of first manifesting an eagerness to meet my salute, and then
shrinking sensitively from it, she flung her delicate arms round my
neck, without the slightest reserve, both arms too, kissed me six or
eight times without stopping, and then began to sob, as if her heart
would break. The spectators, who saw in all this the plain, honest,
natural, undisguised affection of a sister, had the good taste to walk
on, though I could see that their countenances sympathised with so
happy a family meeting. I had but a moment to press Grace to my heart,
before Mr. Hardinge's voice drew my attention to him. The good old man
forgot that I was two inches taller than he was himself; that I could,
with ease, have lifted him from the earth, and carried him in my arms,
as if he were an infant; that I was bronzed by a long voyage, and had
Pacific Ocean whiskers; for he caressed me as if I had been a child,
kissed me quite as often as Grace had done, blessed me aloud, and then
gave way to his tears, as freely as both the girls.
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