“Edward—Edward, I cannot go through this!” said the half–fainting girl. “My thoughts are all confused—my brain turns round—see there is the house! I cannot remember it. O, stay a minute—only one minute, that I may recover myself!”
“Dear Evy!” said her brother, looking up while she leaned affectionately upon his shoulder, “’tis natural that your thoughts should be mingled and confused, but let them not be gloomy now! The house is so changed within the last ten years, that had you built it yourself you could not recognise it in its present state. Already I can distinguish dear Aunt Mary’s white cap and apron; and Lucy, longing to embrace a sister; the gray locks of the stately colonel, and one beside him, who will not be the last to welcome Prairie–bird!”
“I can distinguish nothing, Edward; there is a mist before my eyes: but it is a mist of love and happiness unspeakable!”
“Courage, dear Evy!” said her brother in a cheering tone, “let them not think that Prairie–bird draws near with slow, unwilling step, and that her heart regrets the change from the prairie to the scenes of her childhood, and the home of her choice!”
“Edward!” said his sister reproachfully, while a tear started in her eye, and the blood mounted to her temples; then, shaking back the dark locks from her glowing cheeks, as if she would thereby shake off the temporary weakness by which she had been overcome, she added, “Remount your horse; we have yet some hundred feet to go; if Prairie–bird draws near with slow, unwilling step, it shall be Nekimi’s fault, and not her own!”
So saying, she shook the loosened rein upon the neck of the fiery steed, which, bounding forward with a spring that would have unseated a less practised rider, bore her swiftly to the door, where he stopped, obedient to her delicate hand, and champed, and frothed, and snorted, as if proud alike of his burden, and of his own matchless symmetry of form.
Never had her radiant beauty so thrilled through Reginald’s every nerve as at this moment, when, lightly touching his proferred arm, she sprang to the ground; her cheek glowing with agitation, and her eye moistened by contending emotions, she interchanged with him one silent look of conscious love, and then turned, with gentle grace, to receive the greeting of Colonel Brandon.
We have before said that he had been far from pleased with the contemplated alliance of his son, and had made up his mind to receive Prairie–bird with cold and studied courtesy, nor to treat her otherwise than as an ordinary guest, until he should have satisfied himself respecting her birth and connexions; but, in spite of himself, these resolutions vanished before the irresistible attractions of her manner and bearing, so that, instead of only extending his hand, as he had proposed, he imprinted a parental kiss upon her forehead, saying,
“Welcome, heartily and truly welcome to Mooshanne!”
She tried to speak, but she looked on the half–remembered features of Reginald’s father, and her collected strength began to fail. At this moment she was greeted by Lucy, whom she already knew to be the chosen of her brother’s heart.