And it came to be noised abroad that the stranger talked as well as the Cure and better than the Notary.

By-and-by they associated his eye-glass with his talent, so that it seemed, as it were, to be the cause of it.

Yet their talk was ever of simple subjects, of everyday life about them, now and then of politics, occasionally of the events of the world filtered to them through vast tracts of country.

There was one subject which, however, was barred; perhaps because there was knowledge abroad that M'sieu' was not a Catholic, perhaps because Charley himself adroitly changed the conversation when it veered that way.
Though the parish had not quite made up its mind about him, there were a number of things in his favour.

In the first place, the Cure seemed satisfied; secondly, he minded his own business.