"He has had a rough bed, mother, if he has spent the night there, as I fear." Mrs.Trevor had grasped her arm.

"What is Flo' doing ?" she said, stopping, as the pretty little spaniel trotted up to the boy's reclining figure, and began snuffing about it, and then broke into a quick short bark of pleasure, and fawned and frisked about him, and leapt upon him, joyously wagging his tail.
The boy rose with the dew wet from the flowers upon his hair; he saw the dog, and at once began playfully to fondle it, and hold its little silken head between his hands; but as yet he had not caught sight of the Trevors.
"It is--oh, good heavens! it is Eric," cried Mrs.Trevor, as she flew towards him.

Another moment and he was in her arms, silent, speechless, with long arrears of pent-up emotion.
"O my Eric, our poor, lost, wandering Eric--come home; you are forgiven, more than forgiven, my own darling boy.

Yes, I knew that my prayers would be answered; this is as though we received you from the dead." And the noble lady wept upon his neck, and Eric, his heart shaken with accumulated feelings, clung to her and wept.
Deeply did that loving household rejoice to receive back their lost child.

At once they procured him a proper dress, and a warm bath, and tended him with every gentle office of female ministering hands.