as it were from the dead; Dick, too,
being received like another son.

As for Nellie, her joy was so great at beholding again her brother Bob,
whom she loved so dearly, that she laughed till she cried and then
fainted; while, on her recovery, she laughed and cried again, though she
did not faint a second time!

But, you should only have seen Rover when he saw his young master.

Sarah, "the good Sarah," said that she would never forget "the way in
which that there dog went on as long as she lived!"

Of course, it can be well understood that there were no ill-feelings
between Bob and the retriever anent the desertion of the latter from the
cutter on the day of the boys' terribly punished escapade; though, the
mystery of the dog's swimming ashore so strangely on that memorable
occasion, it may be mentioned here, was never cleared up!

The Captain, it must be said, behaved much more unconcernedly than
Rover.

"By Jove! I told you they'd turn up all right!" said he, chuckling away
at such a rate that he could hardly stop to get out the next words. "I
always told you so, didn't I ma'am--now, didn't I?"

"My gracious goodness, Cap'en Dresser, why you were the first to give
them up!" cried Mrs Gilmour laughing. "Sure, I never did see such a
man!"

At this the Captain chuckled still more; and he then told Dick, whom
every one was as glad almost to see amongst them again as they were to
see Bob, that he intended, when he got strong enough, to send him into
the navy so as to prevent him from going to sea again!

After a few days' rest, in order to recuperate from the effects of the
strain on all their nerves, Bob's father said they must all go back to
town, their holiday limit being at length reached.

Bob and Nellie, on this intimation, began a round of leave-taking which
would well-nigh have consumed another long holiday, to have been carried
out in accordance with their intention; for they wanted to say "good-
bye!" to all their favourite haunts and many acquaintances of the
animate and inanimate world in turn.

Yes, they must see once more the halcyon spot where they caught the
Pandalus, that gem of their aquarium; they had to bid adieu to Mrs
Craddock's cottage, and the old lady herself and daughter; and again
inspect the place where the unfortunate _Bembridge Belle_ was wrecked.

They had to give a handshake, too, to their friend Hellyer--and all his
fellow-coastguardsmen; besides having to go over the Capt