e worthy to return amongst them! How he
suffered, that wretched man! How he laboured to recover himself by
work! How he prayed to be reformed by prayer! For two years, three
years, this went on; but Ayrton, humbled by solitude, always looking
for some ship to appear on the horizon, asking himself if the time of
expiation would soon be complete, suffered as none other ever
suffered! Oh! how dreadful was this solitude, to a heart tormented by
remorse!

"But doubtless Heaven had not sufficiently punished this unhappy man,
for he felt that he was gradually becoming a savage! He felt that
brutishness was gradually gaining on him!

"He could not say if it was after two or three years of solitude; but
at last he became the miserable creature you found!

"I have no need to tell you, gentlemen, that Ayrton, Ben Joyce, and I,
are the same."

Cyrus Harding and his companions rose at the end of this account. It
is impossible to say how much they were moved! What misery, grief, and
despair lay revealed before them!

[Illustration: 'HERE IS MY HAND' SAID THE ENGINEER]

"Ayrton," said Harding, rising, "you have been a great criminal, but
Heaven must certainly think that you have expiated your crimes! That
has been proved by your having been brought again among your
fellow-creatures. Ayrton, you are forgiven! And now you will be our
companion?"

Ayrton drew back.

"Here is my hand!" said the engineer.

Ayrton grasped the hand which Harding extended to him, and great tears
fell from his eyes.

"Will you live with us?" asked Cyrus Harding.

"Captain Harding, leave me some time longer," replied Ayrton, "leave
me alone in the hut in the corral!"

"As you like, Ayrton," answered Cyrus Harding. Ayrton was going to
withdraw, when the engineer addressed one more question to him:--

"One word more, my friend. Since it was your intention to live alone,
why did you throw into the sea the document which put us on your
track?"

"A document?" repeated Ayrton, who did not appear to know what he
meant.

"Yes, the document which we found enclosed in a bottle, giving us the
exact position of Tabor Island!"

Ayrton passed his hand over his brow, then after having thought, "I
never threw any document into the sea!" he answered.

"Never," exclaimed Pencroft.

"Never!"

And Ayrton, bowing, reached the door and departed.

CHAPTER XVIII

Conversation -- Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett -- An Idea
of the Engineer's