Nesta had a singular notion, coming of a girl's mingled observation and intuition, that the impressions upon this gentleman were in arrear, did not strike him till late.

Mademoiselle confirmed it when it was mentioned; she remembered to have noticed the same in many small things.

And it was a pointed perception.
Victor sent his girl down to Nataly, with a summons to hurry up and see sunlight over the waters.

Nataly came; she looked, and the outer wakened the inner, she let the light look in on her, her old feelings danced to her eyes like a string of bubbles in ascent.

'Victor, Victor, it seems only yesterday that we crossed, twelve years back--was it ?--and in May, and saw the shoal of porpoises, and five minutes after, Dieppe in view.
Dear French people! I share your love for France.' 'Home of our holidays!--the "drives"; and they may be the happiest.
And fifty minutes later we were off the harbour; and Natata landed, a stranger; and at night she was the heroine of the town.' Victor turned to a stately gentleman and passed his name to Nataly: 'Sir Rodwell Balchington, a neighbour of Lakelands! She understood that Lady Grace Halley was acquainted with Sir Rodwell:--hence this dash of brine to her lips while she was drinking of happy memories, and Victor evidently was pluming himself upon his usual luck in the fortuitous encounter with an influential neighbour of Lakelands.