light up, light up, and let us see One another’s faces. Well, ‘Duke,
I have brought home your deer; what is to be done with it, ha?”

“By the Lord, squire,” commenced Benjamin, in reply, first giving his
mouth a wipe with the back of his hand, “if this here thing had been
ordered sum’at earlier in the day, it might have been got up, d’ye
see, to your liking. I had mustered all hands and was exercising
candles, when you hove in sight; but when the women heard your bells
they started an end, as if they were riding the boat swain’s colt; and
if-so-be there is that man in the house who can bring up a parcel of
women when they have got headway on them, until they’ve run out the
end of their rope, his name is not Benjamin Pump. But Miss Betsey
here must have altered more than a privateer in disguise, since she
has got on her woman’s duds, if she will take offence with an old
fellow for the small matter of lighting a few candles.”

Elizabeth and her father continued silent, for both experienced the
same sensation on entering the hall. The former had resided one year
in the building before she left home for school, and the figure of its
lamented mistress was missed by both husband and child.

But candles had been placed in the chandeliers and lustres, and the
attendants were so far recovered from surprise as to recollect their
use; the oversight was immediately remedied, and in a minute the
apartment was in a blaze of light.

The slight melancholy of our heroine and her father was banished by
this brilliant interruption; and the whole party began to lay aside
the numberless garments they had worn in the air.