Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/500

 “And,” he continued, looking at his mother and me, “will you not welcome him as a friend and a brother to our family circle?”

“That will we, indeed!” I exclaimed, advancing and holding out my hands to the fair young stranger. “Our wild life may have roughened our looks and manners, but it has not hardened our hearts, I trust.”

The mother, too, embraced the seeming youth most heartily. The lads, and even the dogs, were not behindhand in testifying their gratification at the appearance of their new friend—the former delighted at the idea of a fresh companion, and the latter won by her sweet voice and appearance.

From the expressions made use of by Fritz, I perceived that the girl wished her sex to remain unrevealed to the rest of the party until the mother could obtain for her a costume more suited to her real character.

The young men then ran down to the yacht to bring up what was necessary for supper, as well as to make preparations for a camp in which we might spend the night. This done, the mother hastened to set before us a substantial meal, while the boys, anxious to make their new acquaintance feel at home amongst them, were doing their best to amuse her. She herself, after the first feeling of strangeness had worn off, entered fully into all their fun; and by the time they sat down to supper was laughing and chatting as gaily as any one of the rest. She admired the various dishes, tasted our mead, and without alluding once to her previous life, kept up a lively conversation.

The mere fact of meeting with any human being after so many years of isolation was in itself sufficient to raise the boys to the greatest state of excitement; but that this being should be one so handsome, so gay, so perfectly charming, seemed completely to have turned their heads; and when I gave the sign for the breaking up of the feast, and their new friend was about to be led