There will be many people in this book; some will be important, others will come on the scene for a time and return no more.

The life-lines of these persons will cross and recross, to meet once or twice and not again, like the ruts in a much used road.

To-day the stage may be crowded, to-morrow empty.

The corner novels where only a half dozen people are concerned give no impression of the multitudinous contacts which affect human lives.

Even of the limited life of a village this is true.