Advancing a few paces into the apartment he cast an eager look all round; and, in a far window, descried his darling little Julia sitting alone; her eyes fixed on a book--her lips moving, apparently learning a task. She looked up, and, not quite recognising the intruder, the first expression of her countenance was alarm. He spoke. Her colour mounted till a universal glow spread itself over neck, face, and arms; not from bashfulness, for she was not quite thirteen, therefore too young for such a feeling; but from that extreme emotion peculiar to the enthusiasm of her temper. Edmund forgot to throw off his boat-cloak, and enveloped the elastic fairy form of his little favourite in its uncouth folds; while she clung round his neck and sobbed for a considerable time before she could speak to tell him how glad she was to see him, and how much she loved him still--though he had staid such a long, long time away! Mrs. Montgomery, preceded by Frances performing pirouettes, now entered. They had heard nothing of Edmund's arrival: the old lady, therefore, was much overcome. She embraced him, and wept over him; for his idea was ever associated in her feelings with that of her lost child. Frances, after a momentary pause, sprung into his arms, exclaiming, "It's brother Edmund! it's brother Edmund!" Our hero, meanwhile, swinging about in his boat-cloak, looked rather an unwieldy monster amongst them. "My dear boy," said Mrs. Montgomery, "why don't you take off that great frightful muffle? I want to see what you are like!" Edmund looked down at himself, laughed, and flung off the cloak, declaring he had quite forgotten it. Mrs. Montgomery now contemplated, with visible pleasure, his figure, become, from its height and proportions, almost manly, without losing any of that air of elegance, which, from childhood, had been animate grace of Edmund's: then, pointing to an ottoman close beside her chair, she bade him sit down; and, putting on her spectacles, for the shedding of many tears had dimmed her sight, she kindly stroked back the hair from his forehead, and examined his features. Julia stood close at her other side, holding her other hand. Frances was off to publish the joyful tidings to good Mrs. Smyth and the rest of the household; by singing at every bound, "News! news! news!--Brother Edmund is come! brother Edmund is come!--News! news! news!" After dropping a few large tears in silence, Mrs. Montgomery said, mournfully, "My poor child was quite right. She always prophesied how handsome you would be, when I used to say you were all eyes and eyelashes. Now, I am sure, they are just in good proportion. She used to admire the forehead, too; and the form of the mouth; and the sweetness of the expression. Yes, yes! she was certainly right." And she looked at him as though he had been a picture, without the slightest compassion for his blushes. Edmund, willing to turn the conversation from himself, said,