Mr. and Mrs. Merivale, Sir Richard Carleton, and Mary, were all there to meet them.
Frank brought the yacht up to her moorings in his best manner, and in a few minutes they were ashore.
"Dick," said Sir Richard, "I can scarcely believe my eyes. I am delighted."
There was some cause for his surprise. Dick was as brown as a berry. His form was upright and full of vigour, and his handsome face was bright with the smile of health. A greater contrast to the pale-faced delicate boy, who some months before had aroused his father's anxiety, could not well be seen.
"I am glad you have enjoyed yourself, dear," said Mrs. Merivale to Frank, "but I have been very anxious about you, and it has seemed a long time."
Frank laughed merrily, as he put his arm round his mother, and kissed her with all a lover's devotion.
"You are like Martha, mother, who troubled herself about many things. But where is Florrie?"
"Oh," said Mary, "she can't leave her room. She got a little black hairy caterpillar for you, and it has stung her. At least she has a rash all over her, and nasty little red lumps, and she suffers so much."
"That must be a mistake, Mary, about the caterpillar," said Frank.
"No, it is not, Frank," said Dick; "I was reading the other day about urticating caterpillars. The caterpillars of some moths will affect some people like that."