ord, Josie ran after
him, but never uttered the scathing speech upon her lips, for a very
brown young man in a blue suit came leaping up the steps with a cheery
'Ahoy! ahoy! where is everybody?'

'Emil! Emil!' cried Josie, and in a moment Ted was upon him, and the
late enemies ended their fray in a joyful welcome to the newcomer.

Muffins were forgotten, and towing their cousin like two fussy little
tugs with a fine merchantman, the children returned to the parlour,
where Emil kissed all the women and shook hands with all the men except
his uncle; him he embraced in the good old German style, to the great
delight of the observers.

'Didn't think I could get off today, but found I could, and steered
straight for old Plum. Not a soul there, so I luffed and bore away for
Parnassus, and here is every man Jack of you. Bless your hearts, how
glad I am to see you all!' exclaimed the sailor boy, beaming at them, as
he stood with his legs apart as if he still felt the rocking deck under
his feet.

'You ought to "shiver your timbers", not "bless our hearts", Emil; it's
not nautical at all. Oh, how nice and shippy and tarry you do smell!'
said Josie, sniffing at him with great enjoyment of the fresh sea odours
he brought with him. This was her favourite cousin, and she was his
pet; so she knew that the bulging pockets of the blue jacket contained
treasures for her at least.

'Avast, my hearty, and let me take soundings before you dive,' laughed
Emil, understanding her affectionate caresses, and holding her off with
one hand while with the other he rummaged out sundry foreign little
boxes and parcels marked with different names, and handed them round
with appropriate remarks, which caused much laughter; for Emil was a
wag.

'There's a hawser that will hold our little cock-boat still about five
minutes,' he said, throwing a necklace of pretty pink coral over Josie's
head; 'and here's something the mermaids sent to Undine,' he added,
handing Bess a string of pearly shells on a silver chain.

I thought Daisy would like a fiddle, and Nat can find her a beau,'
continued the sailor, with a laugh, as he undid a dainty filigree brooch
in the shape of a violin.

'I know she will, and I'll take it to her,' answered Nat, as he
vanished, glad of an errand, and sure that he could find Daisy though
Emil had missed her.

Emil chuckled, and handed out a quaintly carved bear whose head opened,
showing a capacious ink-stand. This he pres