The subject had been closed by some past conversation or incident which had left a memory.
"Who are those two men staying at 'The Black Sailor'", she asked, changing the subject, or only turning into a by-way, perhaps.

"You saw them." She seemed to take it for granted that he should have seen them, though he had not appeared to look in their direction.
"Oh--yes.

I saw them, but I do not know who they are.

I came straight here as soon as I could." "One of them is a Frenchman," she said, taking no heed of the excuse given for his ignorance of Farlingford news.
"The old man--I thought so.

I felt it when I looked at him.