"Hastings. . . . Hastings. . . ."
Simon started. But the amazing truth did not appear to him at once, though he was conscious of its approach and was absolutely dumbfounded. Of course, the fisherman was referring to Hastings as his birthplace or his usual home. But where had he come from at this moment?
Simon made a suggestion:
"Boulogne? Wimereux?"
"No, no!" replied the stranger. "Hastings. . . . England. . . ."
And his arm pointed persistently to the same quarter of the horizon, while he as persistently repeated:
"England. . . . England. . . ."
"What? What's that you're saying?" cried Simon. And he seized the man violently by the shoulders. "What's that you're saying? That's England behind you? You've come from England? No, no! You can't mean that. It's not true!"
The sailor struck the ground with his foot:
"England!" he repeated, thus denoting that the ground which he had stamped upon led to the English mainland.