And Wynnette mocked her good-humoredly.
“I told Luce to do it and leave all the window shutters open so you could see through. Lord! tallow candles are cheap enough, ’specially when you make ’em yourself. And there was an awful lot of beef tallow last killing to render down. I couldn’t tell you how many candles I run—about five hundred, I reckon! Well, here we are at the house, and——Oh, Lord! Jake, jump down and hold that dog, or he’ll break his chain and jump through the carriage windows!” cried Mrs. Anglesea, as they stopped before the house.
Indeed, Joshua was making “the welkin ring” with his joyous barks and his frantic efforts to get at the returning friends, whose presence he had scented.
“Let him loose this instant, Jake! Unchain him, I say!” exclaimed Wynnette. And without waiting for her orders to be obeyed, she sprang from the carriage, fell upon the dog’s neck, and covered him with caresses.
“Oh, you dear, good, true, trusty old fellow! To know us all again after so many years! To be so glad to see us! And to forgive us at once for going away and leaving you behind. You would never have left us, would you, my dog? Ah! dogs are a great deal more faithful than human beings.”
While Wynnette with her own hands unloosed the chain, the other members of the family alighted from the break.
And Joshua, released from restraint, dashed into the midst of the group, barking in frantic raptures, and darting from one to another trying to turn himself into a half a dozen dogs to worship at once a half a dozen false gods in the form of his returning friends.
They all responded to Joshua’s demonstrations, and then entered the house, closely followed by the dog, who did not mean to lose sight of them again.
In the lighted hall they found all the family servants gathered to welcome them home.
“Oh, dear mist’ess, we-dem all frought as you-dem had forsook us forever and ever, amen!” said Luce, bursting into tears, as she took and kissed the hand her mistress offered.