"
This piteous tale soon turned their anger into admiration and
friendship. They thanked the kind old man for all that he had done for
them, and Arthur once, and over again, turned round to beg his pardon
for the violence he had offered him.
"Indeed, then, I picked you out for this job," said he, "because you
always worked so hard, and seemed so skilful and anxious, and because
I observed that your boat always made the passage quicker than the
others. You must not be angry when I tell you that I thought you had
been a boatman all your life."
He said he was not angry at all, but flattered; indeed he had spent much
of his leisure time in rowing, and was heartily glad that his little
skill was now useful to his friends. He soon offered to take his place
again at the oar, and when neither his old servant or Arthur would allow
him to do so, he declared that he was quite himself again, and that
those few minutes' rest had wonderfully recruited him. The ladies both
thanked him kindly, but begged him to remain a while where he was, and
Marie, from time to time, asked him questions about the past, and tried
to hold out hopes to him for the future.
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