(1)“how delighted I am, “said he, “to meet my friends here by my own fireside!
Well WEstwind above is the original sentence,
I suggest two ways
1)He exclaimed that he was very happy to meet his friends there by his own fireside.
2)He expressed his pleasure to meet his friends there by his own fireside.
First two sentences , which you have written , i have reservations about these.
Here i request from the kings and queens of literature to interfere.

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When going gets tough ,tough gets going.