The
poor child's heart died within her as she perceived the mutual
recognition between her uncle and the new comer; and, while Master
Gottfried held out his hands with a cordial greeting of "Welcome,
home, brother Hugh," she trembled from head to foot, as she sank on
her knees, and murmured, "Your blessing, honoured father."
"Ha? What, this is my girl? What says she? My blessing, eh? There
then, thou hast it, child, such as I have to give, though they'll
tell thee at Adlerstein that I am more wont to give the other sort of
blessing! Now, give me a kiss, girl, and let me see thee! How now!"
as he folded her in his rough arms; "thou art a mere feather, as
slight as our sick Jungfrau herself." And then, regarding her, as
she stood drooping, "Thou art not half the woman thy mother was--she
was stately and straight as a column, and tall withal."
"True!" replied Hausfrau Johanna, in a marked tone; "but both she and
her poor babe had been so harassed and wasted with long journeys and
hardships, that with all our care of our Christina, she has never
been strong or well-grown.
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