There he was--the light, alert, weather-beaten man, with his loose
wavy hair, and bright sailor face! There was Papa! Oh, the hurly-
burly of children, tumbling up as well as they could on legs crooked
under them, and holding out great fans of floury doughy paws, all
coming to be hugged in his arms in turn, so that before he had come
to the end of the eight in presence, Bessie had had time to whisk off
to the nursery, snatch Baby up from before Nurse's astonished eyes,
rush down with her, and put her into his arms. Baby had forgotten
him, and was taken with such a fit of screaming shyness, that Susan
had to take her, and Annie to play bo-peep with her, before she would
let anyone's voice be heard.
"I've taken you by surprise, Miss Fosbrook," said the Captain,
shaking hands with her in the midst of the clatter.
"Oh, it is such a pleasure!" she began. "I hope you left Mrs.
Merrifield much better."
"Much better, much better, thank you. I hope to find her on the sofa
when I go back on Thursday. I could only run down for a few days,
just to settle things, and see the children, before I join the
Ramilies.
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