The effect of the Miss Maugers’ teaching on Carette herself had been to lift her above her old companions, and indeed above her apparent station in life, though on that point my ideas had no solid standing ground.  For, as I have said, the Le Marchants of Brecqhou were more or less of mysteries to us all, and there had been such upsettings just across the water there, such upraisings and downcastings, that a man’s present state was no indication of what he might have been.  The surer sign was in the man himself, and much pondering of the matter led me to think that Jean Le Marchant might well be something more than simply the successful smuggler he seemed, and that Carette’s dainty lady ways might well be the result of natural growth and not simply of the Miss Maugers’ polishing.

I would not have had it otherwise.  I wanted the very best for her; and if she were by birth a lady, let the lady in her out to the full.  Far better that the best that was in her should out and shine than be battened under hatches and kept out of sight.  Better for herself, if it was her nature; and better for the rest of us who could look up and admire.  For myself, I would sooner look up than down, and none knew as I did—­unless it were Jeanne Falla—­how sweet and generous a nature lay behind the graces that set her above us.  For none had known her as I had, during all those years of the camaraderie of the coast.

But, while I wished her every good, I could not close my eyes to several things, since they pressed me hard.  That, for instance, we were no longer boy and girl together.  And that, whereas Carette used to look up to me, now the looking up was very much the other way.  What her feelings might be towards me, as I say, I could not be sure; for, little as I knew of girls, I had picked up enough scraps of knowledge to be quite sure in my own mind that they were strangely unaccountable creatures, and that you could not judge either them or a good many other things entirely by outside appearances.  And again, it was borne in upon me very strongly, and as never before, that, where two start fairly level, if one goes ahead, the other must exert himself or be left behind.  Carette was going ahead in marvellous fashion.  I felt myself in danger of being left behind, and that set my brain to very active working.

I had a better education, in the truest sense of the word, than most of my fellows, thanks to my mother and grandfather and Krok and M. Rousselot, the schoolmaster.  That gave me the use of my brains.  I had in addition a good sound body, and I had travelled and seen something of the world.  Of worldly possessions I had just the small savings of my pay and nothing more, and common-sense told me that if I wanted to win Carette Le Marchant I must be up and doing, and must turn myself to more profitable account.