"So!" said Mr. Binswanger, placing a hand with a loud pat on each knee.
"So!"

"Oh, papa!"

"A fine come-off! A fine come-off! Eh, mamma? To Europe we go to take
our daughter, and just so soon as we go no daughter we 'ain't got to
take!"

"_Gott in Himmel! Gott in Himmel_!"

"Ray, haven't you got nothing to say to Irving and me--Ray!"

With a quick, fluid movement the younger sister slid close and her arms
wound tight. "Miriam, you--you little darling, you! Miriam! Irving! You
darlings!"

Suddenly Mrs. Binswanger inclined, inclosing the two in a wide, moist
embrace. "Ach, my Miriam, what have you done! Not a stitch, not even a
right wedding! Irving, you bad boy, you, like I--I should ever dream you
had thoughts to be our son-in-law. Ach, my children, my children! Simon,
I tell you we can be thankful it's a young man what we know is all
right. Ach, I--I just don't know--I--just--don't know."

"Papa, you ain't mad at us?"

"What good it does me to be mad? I might just so well be glad as mad. My
little Miriam-sha, my little Miriam-sha!" And he fell to blinking as if
with gritty eyelids.