He wore a white beard and his appearance was so lamentable that Julian could not keep back his tears.

The old man also was weeping.

Without recognising him, Julian remembered confusedly a face that resembled his.

He uttered a cry; for it was his father who stood before him; and he gave up all thought of taking his own life.
Thus weighted down by his recollections, he travelled through many countries and arrived at a river which was dangerous, because of its violence and the slime that covered its shores.

Since a long time nobody had ventured to cross it.
The bow of an old boat, whose stern was buried in the mud, showed among the reeds.