"Youwarkee was setting out with some indirect excuses; but my father absolutely forbid her, and charged her only to mention plain facts, without flourishes. So she began with her swangean, and the accidental fall she had, your taking her in after it, and saving her life. She told him your continued kindness so wrought upon her, that she found herself incapable of disesteeming you, but never showed her affection, till, having examined every particular of your life, and finding you a worthy man, she could not avoid becoming your wife; and she said the reasons why she always declined being seen by her friends in their swangeans, was for fear she should be forced from you, though she longed to see us; and that at last she was to come by your consent, and that, had it rested there only, she might have come much sooner, for that you would often have had her show herself to her friends, when you heard them, having strong desires yourself to be known to them.
"My father, upon hearing this, was so charmed with your tenderness and affection to his daughter, that you already rival his own issue in his esteem, and he is persuaded he can never do enough for you or your children.
"The noise of Youwarkee's return, and my father's rejoicing, soon spread over all Normnbdsgrsutt; and King Georigetti sent express to my father, to command him to attend with your wife and children at Brandleguarp, his capital. Thither accordingly we all went with a grand retinue, and stayed twenty days. The king took great delight, as well as the ladies of the court, to hear Youwarkee and her children talk English, and in being informed of you and your way of life; and so fond was Yaccombourse (who, though not the king's wife, is instead of one) of my nephew Tommy, that, upon my father's return, she took him to herself, and assured my sister he should continue near her person till he was qualified for better preferment. The king's sister Jahamel would also have taken Patty into her service; but she begged to be permitted to attend her mother to Arndrumnstake; so Hallycarnie, her sister, who chose to continue with Jahamel, was received in her room.
"Upon my father's return to Arndrumnstake, he found no less than fifteen expresses from several colambs, desiring to rejoice with him on the return of his daughter, with particular invitations to him and her to spend some time with them. My father, though he hates more pomp than is necessary to support dignity, could do no less than severally visit them, with Youwarkee, attended by a grand retinue, spending more or less days with each; hoping when that was over, he should have some little time to spend in retirement with his daughter before her departure, who now began to be uneasy for you, who, she said, would suffer the greatest concern in her absence: but upon their return from those visits, at about the end of four months' progress, they found themselves in as little likelihood of retirement as the first day; for the inferior colambs were continually posting away, one after another, to perform their respects to my father, and all the inferior magistrates of smaller districts sending to know when they might be permitted to do the same. Poor Youwarkee, who saw no end of it, expressed her concern for you in so lively a manner to my father, that finding he could by no means put a stop to the goodwill of the people, and not bearing the thoughts of You-warkee's departure till she had now received all their compliments, he resolved to keep her with him till the next winter set in in these parts, and then to accompany her himself to Graundevolet. In the meanwhile, that you might not remain in an uneasy suspense what was become of my sister, he ordered me to despatch messengers express to inform you of the reasons of her stay; but I told him, if he pleased, I would execute that office myself, with my friend Rosig, with which he was very well pleased, and enjoined me to assure you of his affection, and that he himself was debtor to you for the love and kindness you had shown his daughter.
"Thus, brother," says Quangrollart, "I hope I have acquitted myself of my charge to your satisfaction, and it only now remains that I return you my acknowledgments for your hearty welcome to myself and friend; which (with concern I speak it) I am afraid I shall not have an opportunity to return at Arndrumnstake, the distance being so immensely great and you not having the graundee. To-morrow morning my friend and I will set out on our return home."
Quangrollart having done, I told him I could not but blush at the load of undeserved praises he had laid on me; but as he had received his notion of my merits from a wife too fond to let my character sink for want of her support, it would be sufficient if himself could conceive of, and also represent me at his return, in no worse a light than other men; and though it gave me pain to think of losing my wife so long, yet his account of her health and the company he assured me she would return in, would doubly compensate my loss; and I begged of him, if it might be with any convenience, he would let some messenger come the day before her, to give me notice of their approach. As to their departure on the morrow, I told them I could by no means think of that, as I had proposed to catch them a dinner of fresh fish in the lake, and to show them my boat, and how and where I came into this arkoe, believing, by what I had observed, it would be no small novelty to them. So, having engaged them one day more, we parted for that night to rest.
