This impression caused him to wish ardently
for the presence and succor of his Mohican friend, and to look
forward to the approach of sunset with an increasing anxiety.
As the day advanced, the party in the castle matured their plans,
and made their preparations. Judith was active, and seemed to find
a pleasure in consulting and advising with her new acquaintance,
whose indifference to danger, manly devotion to herself and sister,
guilelessness of manner, and truth of feeling, had won rapidly on
both her imagination and her affections. Although the hours appeared
long in some respects to Deerslayer, Judith did not find them so,
and when the sun began to descend towards the pine-clad summits of
the western hills, she felt and expressed her surprise that the day
should so soon be drawing to a close. On the other hand, Hetty was
moody and silent. She was never loquacious, or if she occasionally
became communicative, it was under the influence of some temporary
excitement that served to arouse her unsophisticated mind; but,
for hours at a time, in the course of this all-important day, she
seemed to have absolutely lost the use of her tongue. Nor did
apprehension on account of her father materially affect the manner
of either sister.
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