She rushed into the hall, and sure enough, there stood her cousin; sunburned, a little thin from sea-sickness, but the same droll old Tom as ever. He caught Elizabeth in his arms and uttered his first incoherent expressions of delight when Mellen came up, and Tom commenced shaking his two hands with immense energy, as if they had been pump handles, and nothing but the greatest exertion on his part could save the ship. "I'm so glad to see you!" he cried. "I'm so glad to get back. I declare I can't say a word." "And I'm glad; very, very glad," replied Elizabeth. "And we congratulate you heartily on your new fortune," said the widow, joining in and extending both hands. "Oh, don't speak of it," cried Tom; "it's no end of a bother to me already. God bless you, I don't know what to do with it! How--how is your sister?" he stammered, addressing Mellen with desperate energy; for Elsie's name came up from his heart with a jerk. "She is quite well," Mellen answered, "and will be charmed to see you; we were expecting you." "That's nice of you. So you've only just got back! Well, it's good to get home, isn't it? that is, if I had any home--but it's dreary for a solitary chap like me, now isn't it?" "This house will always seem like home to you, I hope," said Mellen, kindly. "Always," added Elizabeth; "don't forget that, Tom." "You're too good to me," cried the soft-hearted fellow; "you always were!" "Of course they were," said a laughing voice, that made Tom start, and appeared to take every particle of strength out of his limbs. Elsie suddenly appeared before Tom in her brilliant evening dress and cloud-like loveliness, reducing him to a pitiable state at once. "Don't you intend to speak to me?" pursued Elsie. "Of--of course!" said Tom. "I'm so glad to see you--will you shake hands--will you--be--be glad to see me?" "There is my hand," replied Elsie; "the pleasure depends on how agreeable you make yourself. I suppose you have come back with such fine foreign manners that you will hardly deign to notice us poor plain untravelled people." "Oh, you don't think that!" said Tom. "You are laughing at me just as usual." "Did you bring me my bracelet?" demanded Elsie. "Indeed I did; I'd have brought all Paris if I had thought it would please you." Elizabeth now plainly thought poor Tom had returned no wiser than when he went away; but Mellen, man-like, never perceived the state in which Elsie's fascinations had thrown the honest fellow, and would not have thought seriously of the matter if he had. "Of course you speak French like a native--Iroquois, I mean," pursued the pitiless Elsie. "Just about," replied Tom, as ready as ever to laugh at his own blunders. "So you did not forget the bracelet?" urged Elsie. "Indeed I did not; it's in my carpet-bag." "Then I will be good natured to you all the evening," said she, "and won't tease you the least mite." Tom was quite in ecstasies at the prospect; but Mellen said: