The first interruption came from James himself. Leaping to his feet with a sudden bound, he exclaimed, 'There they are!' and stood transfixed in a gaze of ecstasy.
'You have made me smudge my lake,' said Louis, in the mild tone of 'Diamond, Diamond!'
'I tell you, there they are!' cried James, rushing into wild activity.
'One would think it the Fair Unknown,' said Louis, not troubling himself to look round, nor desisting from washing out his smudge.
'It is! it is!—it is all of them! Here they come, I tell you, and the place is a very merman's cave!'
'Take care—the serpula—don't!' as James hurriedly opened the door leading to the stairs—disposed of the raw meat on one step and the serpulas on another, and hurled after them the heap of seaweed, all but one trailing festoon of 'Luckie Minnie's lines,' which, while his back was turned, Louis by one dexterous motion wreathed round the crown of his straw hat; otherwise never stirring, but washing quietly on, until he rose as little Priscilla opened the door, and stood aside, mutely overawed at the stream of flounced ladies that flowed past, and seemed to fill up the entire room. It was almost a surprise to find that, after all, there were only three of them!
'I knew I was not mistaken,' said a very engaging, affectionate voice. 'It is quite shocking to have to introduce myself to you—Lady Conway—'
'My aunt!' cried Louis, with eager delight—'and my cousin!' he added, turning with a slight blush towards the maiden, whom he felt, rather than saw, to be the worthy object of yesterday's rapture.
'Not quite,' she answered, not avoiding the grasp of his hand, but returning it with calm, distant politeness.
'Not quite,' repeated Lady Conway. 'Your real cousins are no farther off than Beauchastel—'