Diana twinkled and dimpled and flung her sparkles round among them, and there was unbounded jollity.
"Who's that looking in at the window ?" called out Sam, aged ten, who sat opposite the house door.

At that moment the door opened, and a dark stranger, bronzed with travel and dressed in foreign-looking garments, entered.
He stood one moment, all looking curiously at him, then crossing the floor, he kneeled down by Mrs.Pitkin's chair, and throwing off his cap, looked her close in the eyes.
"Mother, don't you know me ?" She looked at him one moment with that still earnestness peculiar to herself, and then fell into his arms.

"O my son, my son!" There were a few moments of indescribable confusion, during which Diana retreated, pale and breathless, to a neighboring window, and stood with her hand over the locket which she had always worn upon her heart.
After a few moments he came, and she felt him by her.
"What, cousin!" he said; "no welcome from you ?" She gave one look, and he took her in his arms.

She felt the beating of his heart, and he felt hers.

Neither spoke, yet each felt at that moment sure of the other.
"I say, boys," said James, "who'll help bring in my sea chest ?" Never was sea chest more triumphantly ushered; it was a contest who should get near enough to take some part in it's introduction, and soon it was open, and James began distributing its contents.
"There, mother," said he, undoing a heavy black India satin and shaking out its folds, "I'm determined you shall have a dress fit for you; and here's a real India shawl to go with it.