The "girl-friend," the western city, the immortal names, the curious errand, the idyllic faith, all made a story as strange to me, and as beguiling, as some tale in the Arabian Nights.

Thus it was that my informant had encumbered herself with the ponderous tome; but she hastened to assure me that this was the first time she had brought it out.

For her visit to Mr.Paraday it had simply been a pretext.

She didn't really care a straw that he should write his name; what she did want was to look straight into his face.
I demurred a little.

"And why do you require to do that ?" "Because I just love him!" Before I could recover from the agitating effect of this crystal ring my companion had continued: "Hasn't there ever been any face that you've wanted to look into ?" How could I tell her so soon how much I appreciated the opportunity of looking into hers?
I could only assent in general to the proposition that there were certainly for every one such yearnings, and even such faces; and I felt the crisis demand all my lucidity, all my wisdom.