Gethin kept out of sight until he saw his father leave the chapel,
followed closely by Ann and Gwilym. The bent head and subdued
appearance of the old man went straight to the sailor's warm, impulsive
heart. With a single step he was at his father's side, taking his arm
and linking it in his own.

"Who is it?" said Ebben Owens, his eyes blinded by tears and the
darkening twilight.

"Gethin it is, father bâch! come home to ask your forgiveness for all
his foolish ways, and to stick to you and to old Garthowen for ever and
ever."

"Is it Gethin?" asked the old man, in a tone of awed astonishment; "is
it Gethin indeed? Then God has forgiven me. I said to myself: 'When I
see my boy Gethin at home again, then will I believe that God has
forgiven me.' Now I will be happy though I'm turned out of the Sciet.
God will not turn me out of heaven, now that Gethin my son has forgiven
me. Hast heard all my bad ways, lad?"

"Yes," said Gethin, "and I will confess, father, it nearly broke my
heart. It made me feel there was no good in the world, if my old
father was not good. But when I heard how brave you were in telling
the whole world how you had fallen, and how you repented, my heart was
leaping for joy. 'Now there's a man,' says I to myself, 'a man worth
calling my father!' Any man may fall before temptation, but 'tisn't
every man is brave enough to confess his sins before the world!"

Arm was already hanging on her brother's arm and pressing it
occasionally to her side.