Alfredo sometimes teased him about his weakness, sometimes encouraged him to persist and praised his obvious progress. He had an infinity of help, but even for him the life of the sea was not a pastime or an afternoon stroll, and although he liked it very much and would not have changed it with anyone else, there were days when he didn't feel like nursing him that much.
After all the prince was almost fifteen, almost a man; at his age, many boys worked hard to get by in very difficult and miserable situations. God forbid he should end up with the habit of feeling himself the victim of everyone and everything, of following childhood fantasies, of seeking maternal or paternal support in anyone! The king had been too patient with him and spoiled him even more than his Antonia, letting him ge
