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She had eyes like forest pools and held herself like a daughter of the Cæsars.

The narrator describes the appearance of the girl with whom Salvatore first falls in love. The quote contains two similes that show contrasting details about the girl. The phrase "eyes like forest pools" implies her ethereal physical beauty, while the second part of the sentence regarding her regal posture suggests she is proud and thinks highly of herself. This pride foreshadows the blunt way she breaks off her engagement with Salvatore because he might not be able to provide the comfortable life she and her parents envision for her.

He asked her if she had not received the letter that he had written to her to say that he was coming home. Yes, they had received a letter, and they had been told by another of the island boys that he was ill.

When Salvatore visits his fiancée to inquire about the status of their engagement, her language makes a subtle shift from she to they during their conversation. While Salvatore asks "her" if she received the letter, the narrator shifts to "they," suggesting the girl did not make the decision to break off their engagement on her own. This inference is supported by the girl's mother sitting outside with her when Salvatore approaches, and again when the mother nudges the girl to reject Salvatore a second time. In a small amount of words, Maugham shows that the girl is easily manipulated by her parents and "island boys" even when Salvatore contradicts them.

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