Mrs.Strong, who for some reason was detained at home, urged him to go, thinking the social evening spent in bright and luxurious surroundings would be a rest to him from his incessant labors in the depressing atmosphere of poverty and disease.
It was a gathering of personal friends of Mr.Winter, including some of the church people.

The moment that Philip stepped into the spacious hall and caught a glimpse of the furnishings of the rooms beyond, the contrast between all the comfort and brightness of this house and the last place he had visited in the tenement district smote him with a sense of pain.

He drove it back and blamed himself with an inward reproach that he was growing narrow and could think of only one idea.
He could not remember just what brought up the subject, but some one during the evening, which was passed in conversation and music, mentioned the rumor going about of increased disturbance in the lower part of the town, and carelessly wanted to know if the paper did not exaggerate the facts.

Some one turned to Philip and asked him about it as the one best informed.

He had been talking with an intelligent lawyer who had been reading a popular book which Philip had also reviewed for a magazine.