"I am very glad to see you, Mr. Van Brunt." said Alice's sweet voice; but it trembled a little.
"Oh, Mr. Van Brunt!" sobbed Ellen.
That gentleman, at first dumb with astonishment, lifted his lantern to survey them, and assure his eyes that his ears had not been mistaken.
"Miss Alice! how in the name of wonder! and my poor little lamb! but what on 'arth, Maam you must be half dead. Come this way just come back a little bit why, where were you going, Maam?"
"To your house, Mr. Van Brunt; I have been looking for it with no little anxiety, I assure you."
"Looking for it! Why, how on 'arth! you wouldn't see the biggest house ever was built half a yard off such a plaguy night as this."
"I thought I should see the light from the windows, Mr. Van
Brunt."
"The light from the windows! the storm rattled so agin' the windows, that mother made me pull the great shutters to. I won't have 'em shut again of a stormy night, that's a fact; you'd ha' gone far enough afore you'd ha' seen the light through them shutters."
"Then we had passed the house already, hadn't we?"
"Indeed, had you, Maam. I guess you saw my light, han't you?"