again under way. The wind, as is usual at
Barbadoes, was blowing from the southwest; and it held with them
the whole way home, so that after a remarkably quick run they
dropped anchor off Southampton on the fifteenth of December. Frank
had already made all arrangements with the captain to lay up the
Osprey at once.

"I shall want her out again in the first week in April, so that she
will not be long in winter quarters."

On landing, Frank despatched a telegram to Lady Greendale:

"Returned all safe and well. Just starting for town. Shall be with
you about six o'clock."

The train was punctual, and five minutes before six Frank arrived
with Bertha at Lady Greendale's. He had already told Bertha that he
should not come in.

"It is much better that you should be alone with her for a time.
She will have innumerable questions to ask, and would, of course,
prefer to have you to herself. I will come round tomorrow morning
after breakfast."

Anna had been instructed very carefully, by her mistress, not to
say anything of what had happened, and in order that she might
avoid questions, George Lechmere had seen her into a cab for
Liverpool Street, as she wished to spend a week with some friends
at Chelmsford. Then she was to join Bertha at Greendale.

Frank went to his chambers, where George Lechmere had driven with
the luggage. The next morning he went early to Lady Greendale's, so
early that he found her and Bertha at breakfast.

"My dear Frank," the former said, embracing him warmly, "how can I
ever thank you for all that you have done for us! Bertha has been
telling me all about how you rescued her. I hear that you were
wounded, too."

"The wound was of no great importance, and, as you see, I have
thrown aside my sling this morning. Yes, we went through some
exciting adventures, which will furnish us with a store of memories
all our lives.

"How have you been, Lady Greendale? I am glad to see that, at any
rate, you are looking well."

"I have had a terribly anxious time of it, as you may suppose; but
your letters were always so bright and hopeful that they helped me
wonderfully. The first fortnight was the worst. Your letter from
Gibraltar was a great relief, and of course the next, saying that
you had heard that the yacht really did touch at Madeira, showed
that you were on the right track. When you wrote from Madeira, I
sent to Wild's for the largest map of the West Indies that they
had, and thus when I got