IDEALIST AND HIS FRIEND Egremont alighted one evening at Charing Cross.

He came direct from Paris, and was alone.

His absence from England had extended over a fortnight.
He did not look better for his travels; one in the crowd waiting for the arrival of the train might have supposed that he had suffered on the sea-passage and was not yet quite recovered.

Having bidden a porter look after the bag which was his only luggage, he walked to the book-stall to buy a periodical that he wished to take home with him.
And there he came face to face with two people whom he knew.

Mr.
Dalmaine was just turning from the stall with an evening paper, and by his side was Paula.