CHAPTER V.
A month later, after a night of sharp frost on the verge of the warmer days of spring, Mr.Fellingham entered Crikswich under a sky of perfect blue that was in brilliant harmony with the green downs, the white cliffs and sparkling sea, and no doubt it was the beauty before his eyes which persuaded him of his delusion in having taken Annette for a commonplace girl.

He had come in a merely curious mood to discover whether she was one or not.

Who but a commonplace girl would care to reside in Crikswich, he had asked himself; and now he was full sure that no commonplace girl would ever have had the idea.

Exquisitely simple, she certainly was; but that may well be a distinction in a young lady whose eyes are expressive.
The sound of sawing attracted him to Crickledon's shop, and the industrious carpenter soon put him on the tide of affairs.
Crickledon pointed to the house on the beach as the place where Mr.Van Diemen Smith and his daughter were staying.
"Dear me! and how does he look ?" said Fellingham.
"Our town seems to agree with him, sir." "Well, I must not say any more, I suppose." Fellingham checked his tongue.

"How have they settled that dispute about the chiwal-glass ?" "Mr.Tinman had to give way." "Really." "But," Crickledon stopped work, "Mr.Tinman sold him a meadow." "I see." "Mr.Smith has been buying a goodish bit of ground here.