The Swan And Her Crew Part 2

CHAPTER III.

A Momentous Decision.

When Frank went home one of the servants told him that his father particularly wished to see him in the library as soon as he came in. He went into the library, and found his father and mother both there and looking rather serious.

"Sit down, Frank," said his father. "We have something to say to you about which we wish you to think carefully before you decide. Sir Richard Carleton has been here. He is not only a neighbour but a friend of mine, although as I do not go out much we seldom meet each other. He is a widower with one son, a boy about your age. Do you know him?"

"Very slightly, sir."

"Well, this son of his, d.i.c.k Carleton, is very delicate; he has grown very tall and beyond his strength, and the doctor says he must not be sent to a public school. Now at home he has no boy companions, and he is moping himself to death. Sir Richard says he takes no interest in anything; he won't ride or work, and if he goes on like this it will end in a serious illness. What his father wants to do is to arouse in him some interest in his life, and to awake him out of the deadly apathy he is in at present. Sir Richard knows your healthy outdoor mode of life, and your fondness for Natural History and sport, and he thinks you might, if you chose, be the means of making his boy take some interest in the same sort of thing, and if you did so you would in all probability save his son's life. Now what he proposes is this: That you should leave the Grammar School at Norwich, and that his son and you should be placed under the tuition of our Rector until it is time to go to college. Your education would be as well attended to as at Norwich, and your mother and I could have no objection to the arrangement, but we wish you to decide for yourself."

Frank's decision was made at once. The life at the Grammar School was very jolly, with its cricket and football and the rowing matches on the river, but if this new arrangement were carried out there would be far better opportunities of building and sailing the projected yacht, and of sporting and naturalizing on the broads and rivers, so he at once answered--

"I shall be very willing to try it, sir; but Jimmy Brett must be included in the arrangement. I could not desert him, and he would be miserable without me at school. It would never do to separate us now, father."

"Well, but do you think his grandmother can afford it? It will be more expensive than being at the Grammar School."

"Then I tell you what, father and mother: the Rector must only charge Jimmy the same as the Grammar School, and you must make up the difference to him, and I will do with less pocket-money."

"You shall not make that sacrifice, darling," said Mrs. Merivale; "we will put that all right, and I will go and see Mrs. Brett in the morning."

And so the matter was finally arranged, and that the boys might become well acquainted with each other, d.i.c.k Carleton was invited to stay at Mr. Merivale's. But before he comes we will just go back a few hours and follow merry Mary Merivale, as her brother called her, and her younger sister Florrie, on their search for pupae.

CHAPTER IV.

Digging for Pupae.--d.i.c.k Carleton.--Metamorphoses of b.u.t.terfly.

About two miles further inland from Mr. Merivale's and in the midst of a fine and well-wooded country, was Sir Richard Carleton's house. Around it was a park with larger timber trees than were to be found in the rest of the countryside. Mary and Florence Merivale had fixed on this spot as the scene of their labours in the cause of science, as represented by the collections of their brother and Jimmy Brett. Leaving the path, they trespa.s.sed boldly in search of suitable trees for their purpose.

Frank had told them that the vicinity of houses was the best, because moths, in all probability attracted by the lights, laid their eggs on trees and shrubs near houses. So the two girls went up as near the large house as they thought they might venture without being seen, and commenced their search.

A tall youth strolling languidly down a path through the woods saw two kneeling figures in red cloaks at the foot of a large willow-tree, and their movements aroused his curiosity, and while he stands looking at them let us say what manner of boy d.i.c.k Carleton is. He is very tall and thin, but he has a figure that only wants filling out to be handsome. He has a very beautiful face and head, and curly brown hair. His large dark eyes and pale complexion make him look more delicate than he really is, but he is afflicted with a listless melancholy that shows itself in every movement. It was this melancholy which had aroused his father's fears, and it was plain that if it were not checked in time grave results might follow. He stood for some time looking at the two girls, wis.h.i.+ng to ask what they were doing, but too shy to do so. At last Mary caught sight of him, and rising, she said--

"I hope we are not trespa.s.sing?"

"You are trespa.s.sing, but it does not matter," replied d.i.c.k, taking off his hat. "But may I ask what you are doing?"

"We are digging for pupae," answered Mary.

"And what are pupae?"

"Don't you know?" asked Mary in surprise.

"No."

"Why they come into moths. The moth lays its egg, the eggs turn into caterpillars, which feed on leaves and trees, and then turn into these things," and she then showed him five or six large red cylindrical objects which she had in her basket. "When the spring comes these will turn into moths."

"How wonderful," said d.i.c.k. "I did not know that before; but if the caterpillars feed on leaves, how is it that you dig those from the ground?"

"The caterpillars of some moths go into the earth before they change into the pupae state. I do not know why: I suppose they think it safer."

"Where did you learn all this?" said d.i.c.k, his eyes lighting up with a new life and interest at this first glimpse of what was to him a new and strange world.

"From my brother Frank and Jimmy Brett. They are making collections, and we are helping them as much as we can. My brother is Frank Merivale, and I am Mary Merivale."

"And my name is Carleton; but please tell me more about these things.

Will they turn into white b.u.t.terflies?"

"They won't turn into b.u.t.terflies at all, but into moths, great ugly things with thick bodies; only Frank and Jimmy like them."

[Ill.u.s.tration: METAMORPHOSES OF b.u.t.tERFLY.]

"I should like to find some if you will show me how to dig for them. I suppose if I keep them they will turn into moths some time."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PARK IN SUMMER.]

"Yes; put them into a flower-pot full of mould and keep it rather damp, and put something over so that the moths sha'n't fly away, and in the spring they will come out; but it is prettiest to see b.u.t.terflies come out. They split open the chrysalis at the back of its neck and creep out, but their wings are all shrivelled up to nothing, and they climb up the side of the box, and then their wings spread out, and get so large and beautiful! I could find you plenty of the chrysalides of the white b.u.t.terflies by your greenhouses, but if you want moths, take this trowel and dig around the other side of this tree about three inches from it and three inches deep. They do not breed on all trees; we have tried five to-day and found nothing, but at this one we have got twelve."

More amused and interested than he had ever been before, d.i.c.k knelt down and began to dig. Very soon he found a large chrysalis, and, encouraged by this success, he dug more vigorously, and very soon he had found five, while the girls had increased their spoils to sixteen.

"Now, Miss Merivale, will you come to the greenhouses and show me how to get some b.u.t.terfly chrysalides? I shall be very glad if you will, and I should like to introduce you to my father, and I will ask him to ask your brother here, then he could tell me more about these things."

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHITE HAWTHORN b.u.t.tERFLY.]

Mary hesitated, but Florrie said, "Oh, do go, Mary;" so she consented, and they walked up through the gardens, and Mary showed d.i.c.k where to look for the chrysalides of the common white b.u.t.terfly, which are to be found through the winter attached by a silken thread to the sheltered sides of walls, and under the coping of greenhouses and buildings near the gardens where the caterpillars have fed on the lettuces and cabbages.

Sir Richard Carleton was in one of the conservatories, and seeing him, d.i.c.k cried out--

"Father, these red things will turn into moths, and these greenish-white ones into b.u.t.terflies."

"Yes, d.i.c.k, I know they will."

"But you never told me so before, father."

"Well, my boy, I never thought it would interest you, but I am very glad it does interest you. This is Mary Merivale, I think. How do you do, my dears? Come into the library all of you, and I will show you some books on b.u.t.terflies."

They went into the house and had some tea and cake, and turned over the pages of a book on entomology with coloured plates, which had lain dusty and forgotten on the shelves until now, and Mary and her sister pointed out to d.i.c.k moths and b.u.t.terflies which their brother and Jimmy had in their collection.

Sir Richard saw with delight that the right chord had been touched in his son's mind, and he no longer doubted the success of the experiment he had urged Mr. Merivale to try.

The time slipped rapidly away, and when it was high time to go, Mary and Florrie were driven home by Sir Richard's groom, charmed with their visit, and full of praises of Sir Richard and his son.