Her ideal would not have been a literary man at all; certainly not a man likely to be prominent in journalism; rather a man of action, one who had no restraints of commerce or official routine.

But in Jasper she saw the qualities that attracted her apart from the accidents of his position.

Ideal personages do not descend to girls who have to labour at the British Museum; it seemed a marvel to her, and of good augury, that even such a man as Jasper should have crossed her path.
It was as though years had passed since their first meeting.

Upon her return to London had followed such long periods of hopelessness.

Yet whenever they encountered each other he had look and speech for her with which surely he did not greet every woman.