The story tells of the early life of an upper middle-class English Army officer, George Cottar, from his early childhood, through his schooldays, to his return from India at the end of his first tour of duty there. Interwoven into this is an account of his dreams, in which a young girl features: he has met her only once, but clearly she has penetrated his mind; and in the tale she is his constant companion and grows up as he does. The dreams have a consistent theme and imaginary countryside.