"No, no," he remarked emphatically. "He asked for a new tow-rope two weeks ago, and the owner neglected to supply him with one. So it is the owner who is the careless blighter, n'est-ce pas?"
"I should think so, monsieur," agreed Alan. "Do you know who he is?"
De la Voie laughed.
"Mais oui," he replied. "C'est moi—I am the careless blighter."
Hepburn coloured up and said nothing. The Frenchman eyed him curiously for some minutes, and then slapped the lad on the shoulder.
"There is no harm done," he exclaimed. "It is a joke. Let me explain. I am the actual owner of the Chantier Declos, and these are my barges. Therefore I am responsible for the damage done to your Olivette, and I must needs make reparation. I have sent for my foreman to come and make a report, and put the work in hand at once."
"Awfully sporting of you, monsieur," said Roche.
"It is a duty," declared Monsieur de la Voie.
Presently the foreman arrived, and at his suggestion the Olivette was placed in a cradle and hauled up the slipway. Raoul de la Voie received his subordinate's report and translated it for the benefit of the crew.
"Your yacht will require a new stem-piece, breast-hook, and seven new planks forward," he announced. "There will also be several seams to require caulking, and, of course, painting and varnishing. My foreman says he hopes to complete the repairs in a week or ten days."