"When you left Mistassini he was but so high..." With a hand he indicated the stature of a child.
Mother Chapdelaine's face was bright with interest; doubly pleased to receive a visitor and at the chance of talking about old times.
"Nor have you altered in these seven years; not a bit; as for Maria ...

surely you find a difference!" He gazed at Maria with something of wonder in his eyes.

"You see that ...

that I saw her the other day at Peribonka." Tone and manner showed that the meeting of a fortnight ago had been allowed to blot the remoter days from his recollection.

But since the talk was of her he ventured an appraising glance.
Her young vigour and health, the beautiful heavy hair and sunburnt neck of a country girl, the frank honesty of eye and gesture, all these things, thought he, were possessions of the child of seven years ago; and twice or thrice he shook his head as though to say that, in truth, she had not changed.