The next morning Fani was determined, in spite of his weariness of limb, to be punctual at the breakfast table. He sprang out of bed the moment that he waked, and dressed an hour too early. He went into the garden to listen to the birds; he thought their happy singing might make him happier. As he was walking up and down, he saw the fisherman coming into the court-yard. He went to meet him. The man stopped and lifted his cap politely. “I know what you have come for,” said Fani, taking out his purse; “how much do I owe you?” The man turned his cap about in his hands, as if he were turning his thoughts over too. “I don’t want to be unreasonable,” he said presently, “and I don’t suppose a young gentleman like you knows how much a boat with all its belongings is worth. I cannot say less than eighty marks; I shall lose at that, but I will not ask more.” Fani stood thunder-struck. Of course, as the boat was lost, he must make it good. But eighty marks! He had never even seen so much money as that. He was speechless. The fisherman looked thoughtfully at him. Presently he said modestly:-- “I can understand that you cannot pay me the money yourself; you will have to ask your mother for it. I will come again to-morrow.” “No, no!” cried Fani. “I will bring it to you as soon as I get it. I will certainly come,” he added, as he saw the man’s disappointed look. “I shall keep my word; only I can’t say exactly when.” It seemed as if the man had something more to say; but he swallowed it down, and went away, muttering to himself, “No boat! and no money to buy another!” Fani ran back into the house. He looked at Emma’s door to see whether her boots were still outside, but they had disappeared; so he tapped on the door and said softly:-- “Come out, Emma, I have something to say to you.” “What is the matter? Has Mrs. Stanhope been talking to you?” asked Emma, in a low tone, as she opened the door. “No,” said Fani, “it’s not that”; and he drew her into the garden, to an arbor in a far-away corner, and there he told her about the eighty marks that were owing for the lost boat. Emma was greatly excited. “We can never in the world get together so much as eighty marks! What can we do?” she cried in a tone of anguish. “I don’t know. We can’t ask Mrs. Stanhope for a lot of money like that, after all that we have done to displease her. Can’t you think of any way? If I only knew some one to borrow of! Oh, don’t you know of anybody, Emma?” Emma had sunk upon a bench, and her eyes looked as if they would start out of her head; she was trying so hard to see some way out of the dilemma. Fred came running down the walk. He wanted to know what they were about the night before, but they had no time to answer, for just then the bell rang for breakfast. The meal was not a merry one. The children were all embarrassed, and they knew why; they were all conscious that they had not behaved well to their hostess.