Thus, although the ringing of the door-bell that announced the long-expected arrival of the guests from Africa vibrated through the very hearts of the ladies in their dressing-rooms, even as it vibrated through the ground-floors and offices of Newton-Hollows, we are not to suppose that it crumpled a fold of muslin or moved a single ringlet out of its place with its agitating summons. Below-stairs, indeed, the old butler settled himself hastily into his coat, and rushed to the door with as hearty a welcome for the travellers as if it had been his own house; whilst from a gallery that overlooked the hall divers lighted candles might be seen glancing, and pretty faces looking down from beneath smart caps, all eager to get a glimpse at Cousin Charlie, whose wounds and exploits had made him a second Roland in the estimation of these admiring damsels; while sundry exclamations might have been overheard, as, “Which is him?” “That’s Master Charles, him in the pea-jacket.” “Lor’, how thin he’s growed!” and, “Well, he’s a genteel figure, let alone those ’orrid moustaches,” from the upper housemaid, who was a new acquisition since Charlie’s departure, and having once been engaged to a journeyman glazier, thought herself a judge of young men. But the General had rushed from his den in the meantime, half-dressed as he was, and had pulled Charlie into the well-lighted drawing-room, and had shaken Frank Hardingstone a hundred times by the hand, and was never tired of reiterating his welcome, and his delight at seeing them both once more. “God bless you, Frank!” exclaimed the General for the twelfth time, as he fidgeted about the room in braces and shirt-sleeves. “What! you’ve brought him back safe and well? D----n me, sir (God forgive me for swearing), I tell you I’ll _never_ forget it. Zounds, don’t tell me! Brought him back, sir, like a resurrectionist! I never thought to see this day, sir--I tell ye--Gratitude! how d’ye mean? And you, Charlie, my trump of a boy--thanked in Orders--General Orders, by all the gods of war! Ah, I hadn’t lectured you over the old port for nothing. You took ’em in flank, the rascals. _In flank_, or I’ll eat ’em. Don’t tell _me_; couldn’t be done otherwise. Lads! lads! it’s too much: you make me feel like a child again. What?” and the old General’s eyes began to overflow with the fulness at his heart; so he relapsed into a state of unusual gruffness, and stirred the fire fiercely to conceal his emotion; and finally hurried them off to dress. “None of your licentious camp habits here, Charlie. Dine to a minute, you dog! I trust you’ll find your room comfortable, Frank, my boy. I saw to the fire myself not half-an-hour ago. What? Ring for what you _want_, and my servants will bring you what they _have_.” So the old gentleman toddled off to finish his own personal adornment, and the guests, with beating hearts, well concealed from each other, proceeded to dispatch theirs as quickly as might be.