road frequently."

"How is Johnny? He was ill when uncle Charlie wrote to me."

"Ill!" exclaimed Johnny's fond papa, instantly growing anxious. "What did
the doctor say, Eric?"

"Only that I must wait here a day or two, until Johnny was well enough to
come on."

"And where were they when he wrote?"

"At Paris," said Eric.

"I meant to stay with you to-night," said his uncle; "but I believe I
shall take the boat to Antwerp to-night, and catch the Express to Paris. I
must look after my boy."

"O, please take me with you," pleaded Eric. "Mr. Lacelle is going to stay
at Amsterdam, and I shall be terribly lonesome here, all alone again."

"Well, get your things together. Can you be ready in two hours?"

"In ten minutes," cried Eric, gayly: "mamma did all my packing before she
left. I've only to tumble a few things into my travelling-bag, and to feed
myself and Froll."

"The little monkey? I've made her acquaintance. We're quite good
friends."

"Uncle John, if you haven't seen the doctor or Johnny, how _did_ you find
me?" said Eric, who had been puzzling himself with this question for some
time.

"Entirely by accident," replied his uncle. "I arrived here about two hours
since, and, finding all your names on the register, supposed I had stepped
right into a family party; but then I learned that your father and mother,
and that bundle of mischief called Nettie, had gone home, and that
_Mynheer_ Eric had gone to Amsteldamme to explore the mysteries of the
bottom of the sea. I was so frightened that if there had been a chance of
hitting you, I should have gone directly after you."

"I wish you had," said Eric, "in time to have gone down into the water."

Mr. Van Rasseulger, for all his talk about Eric's expedition, was heartily
pleased with his brave little nephew, and was thinking to himself such an
honest, energetic, courageous boy would make his way well in the world.

Eric had no idea that he was a particularly interesting boy. He was large
and strong for his age, easy in his manners, and had a frank, joyous
countenance, surmounted by thick, brown, curly hair. His eyes were very
honest eyes indeed, often opening wide in a surprised way, when they saw
anything not quite right, and blazing and flashing upon the aggressor when
they witnessed wrong, cruelty, or injustice. He had been brought up upon
the creed, "First of all, _do right_; and _be a gentleman_." And being
thoughtful, careful, and obedient, he was t