"My uncle? My uncle Sarpinto, Captain Cawdor!"
"Ay, ay, lass, and nobody else. Señor Sarpinto, you got my letters explaining all; and here, my dear sir, stands your little niece."
The Señor took a step forward with half-open arms, and next moment Toddie's head was pillowed on his breast. He kissed her brow, then held her at arm's length, that he might feast his eyes on her rare young beauty. The tears came welling up. He struggled to suppress them.
"How like your mother!" he sighed.
Then he kissed her again, and smiled.
"We shall all be very happy," he said. "How pleased I am to meet you, Mr. Arundel," he continued, turning now to Eean and shaking hands right heartily. "But, sir, you are to me no stranger. Many and many a night, when frozen up in the southern sea of ice, I have heard about you, and about Fred Arundel too."
"Yes," he added, looking at Toddie, "and about you, my dear, also, and your Water Baby, and all about your adventures on your desert island. Oh, I assure you, Carissima, Frank was never tired talking about you."
"Oh, sir! oh, uncle! do you think we shall ever see Fred and Frank again?"
"I dreamt we should, mia Carissima, and I have chartered the sturdy old San Salvador for a cruise in southern seas to look for them—for I cannot, will not, believe them dead—and to look also for survivors, if any there be, of my good ship Resolute."
Señor paused for a moment. Then, once more turning to Eean and extending his hand, he said with a pleasant smile: