"I am sorry to feel obliged to say, that you do not use good judgment in this case," continued Mr. Hamblin, solemnly. "When that rope was thrown upon me, you took no notice of it. I do not hear that the crew of the first cutter have been called to account for their carelessness in throwing me into the water last night; but, in this instance, where the guilty party has begged my pardon on his bended knees, and shown a degree of sorrow which it would be inhuman to disregard, you resort to the severest punishment known on board."
"You will excuse me, Mr. Hamblin, but I think my action is fully justified by the circumstances."
"I think not. You are extremely severe in this case, while the more flagrant act of throwing me into the river, whether it was a wilful or a careless one, was passed over in silence."
"It was not passed over in silence. I examined the officer of the boat, and I found that the accident was caused by the breaking of a boat-hook in the hands of one of the bowmen. If you will pardon me for being entirely candid with you, Mr. Hamblin, the mishap was caused by your own carelessness, rather than by that of the boat's crew."
"Do you mean to insult me?" demand the professor, angrily.
"Most assuredly not, sir. If you had kept your seat in the stern-sheets of the boat, as a passenger should, until the cutter was properly secured, you could not possibly have fallen overboard when the boat-hook broke," answered Paul, gently and firmly.
"I do not ask your judgment upon my actions, Mr. Kendall," growled the professor.
"Excuse me, sir; but I alluded to your movement only in defence of the boat's crew. If the bowmen had actually intended to throw you into the water, they could not have done it if you had kept your seat."
"It is not proper for you to criticise my action."
Paul bowed, and made no reply.