"Yell both forgive me, won't ye, fer throwin' that stone?" he whispered.
"At the quarry, you mean?" Jess asked.
"Yes, that, an' the stick on the shore. The devil got into me, I guess."
"Certainly I forgive you, Eben, for what you did to me, and I know John will do the same."
"Indeed I will," the latter agreed. "You have made up for all that many times over. You risked your life for my mother and Miss Randall. We can never repay you."
"I don't think I'd a done it but fer that stone, Miss. Ye see, I couldn't git it out of my mind, so I wanted to make up in some way fer the harm I did. That was my only chance."
"And were you really thinking of that when you came through the fire to save us?" Jess asked in surprise.
"Yes, Miss, I was. I'm awful sorry fer what I did. I was a big fool, all right."
Just then his father returned, so nothing more was said about the matter.
"They won't come," the captain announced. "They say they're not dressed to receive company, an' I guess they're right. Martha does sartinly git on queer togs when she looks after the barn an' the chickens. I wish to goodness, Miss, ye'd slip out an' surprise her. It'd be a fine joke."