Who could do otherwise than talk kindly to a man, incline a little to him, and condone his fault, when the sole motive of so audacious an exercise of his wits was to escape acting with any other heroine than herself.
His conjectures were brought to a pause by the ending of the comedy, and the opportunity afforded him of joining the group in front.

The mass of people were soon gone, and the knot of friends assembled around Paula were discussing the merits and faults of the two days' performance.
'My uncle, Mr.Abner Power,' said Paula suddenly to Somerset, as he came near, presenting the stranger to the astonished young man.

'I could not see you before the performance, as I should have liked to do.

The return of my uncle is so extraordinary that it ought to be told in a less hurried way than this.

He has been supposed dead by all of us for nearly ten years--ever since the time we last heard from him.' 'For which I am to blame,' said Mr.Power, nodding to Paula's architect.
'Yet not I, but accident and a sluggish temperament.