Not one of them knew where the mouth of the mine lay, and some of those who had set out to find it had been overtaken by the storm and had not even yet returned.Poor Sir Walter was especially filled with shame, and almost hoped the king would order his head to be cut off, for to think of that sweet little face down amongst the goblins was unendurable.
When Curdie ran in at the gate with the princess in his arms, they were all so absorbed in their own misery and awed by the king's presence and grief, that no one observed his arrival.He went straight up to the king, where he sat on his horse.
'Papa! papa!' the princess cried, stretching out her arms to him;'here I am!'
The king started.The colour rushed to his face.He gave an inarticulate cry.Curdie held up the princess, and the king bent down and took her from his arms.As he clasped her to his bosom, the big tears went dropping down his cheeks and his beard.And such a shout arose from all the bystanders that the startled horses pranced and capered, and the armour rang and clattered, and the rocks of the mountain echoed back the noises.The princess greeted them all as she nestled in her father's bosom, and the king did not set her down until she had told them all the story.But she had more to tell about Curdie than about herself, and what she did tell about herself none of them could understand - except the king and Curdie, who stood by the king's knee stroking the neck of the great white horse.And still as she told what Curdie had done, Sir Walter and others added to what she told, even Lootie joining in the praises of his courage and energy.