“You are a fool for your pains,” the skipper said. “No girl is worth it.”
“Ah, you never could have been jilted! If you had been you wouldn’t think so lightly of it.”
“Well, mates, what do you say? Shall we take this young fellow? He looks strong and active, and I dare say will suit us.”
“At any rate we can give him a trial for a voyage or two.”
“Well, you may begin by helping us up into the town with our fish. We have had a heavy catch to-day.”
Will at once shouldered a basket and went up with them to the market-place.
“We are going to get a drink,” the fisherman said. “Let us see how well you can sell for us. You must get a franc a kilogramme. Here are scales.”
For a couple of hours Will sold fish, attracting, by his pleasant face, buyers who might otherwise have passed him; and when the fishermen returned they were pleased to find that he had almost sold out their stock, and accounted for his take to the last sou.
“I have been watching you all the time,” the captain said, “though you did not know. I wanted to see if you were honest, and, now that I have a proof of it, will take you willingly. The pay is twelve francs a week and a tenth share in the sales. The boat takes a third, I take two, and the sailors take one apiece, and you will have half a share besides your pay till you know your business. Do you agree to that?”
“Yes,” Will said.