The chief interest to Caius in this expedition was to seek the hollow where he had seen, or thought he had seen, the band of mysterious men to which O'Shea introduced him; but so changed was the appearance of the sand by reason of the streams and rivulets of melting snow, and so monotonous was the dune, that he grew confused, and could not in the least tell where the place had been.

He paid a visit to Pembroke's house, and to the inn kept by the old maids, and then went back to his own little wooden domicile with renewed contentment in its quaint appointments, in its solitude, but above all in its nearness to that other house in which the five women lived guarded by the mastiffs.
Caius knew well enough that these plans for his amusement had been instigated by Madame Le Maitre.

She was keeping out of his way, except that now and then he met her upon the roads and exchanged with her a friendly greeting.
The only satisfaction that Caius sought for himself at this time was an occasional visit to O'Shea's house.

All winter there had been growing upon him a liking for the man's wife, although the words that he exchanged with her were at all times few.

Now the feeling that he and she were friends had received a distinct increase.