Mr. Percy and Alfred hastily shook hands with their friends, and in the midst of universal applause hurried away to carry the good news to Mrs. Percy and Rosamond, who were at Alfred’s house, waiting to hear the event of the trial. Neither Alfred nor Mr. Percy had occasion to speak--the moment Mrs. Percy and Rosamond saw them they knew the event. “Yes,” said Mr. Percy, “our fortune is restored; and doubly happy we are, in having regained it, in a great measure, by the presence of mind and ability of my son.” His mother and sister embraced Alfred with tears of delight. For some moments a spectator might have imagined that he beheld a family in deep affliction. But soon through these tears appeared on the countenance of each individual the radiance of joy, smiles of affection, tenderness, gratitude, and every delightful benignant feeling of the human heart. “Has any body sent to Mrs. Hungerford and to Lady Jane Granville?” said Mr. Percy. “Yes, yes, messengers were sent off the moment the verdict was given,” said Erasmus: “I took care of that.” “It is a pity,” said Rosamond, “that Caroline is not here at this moment, and Godfrey.” “It is best as it is,” said Mrs. Percy: “we have that pleasure still in store.” “And now, my beloved children,” said Mr. Percy, “after having returned thanks to Providence, let me here, in the midst of all of you to whom I owe so large a share of my happiness, sit down quietly for a few minutes to enjoy ‘the sober certainty of waking bliss.’” CHAPTER XLIII. The day after the trial brought several happy letters to the Percys. Rosamond called it the day of happy letters, and by that name it was ever after recorded in the family. The first of these letters was from Godfrey, as follows: