Chapter 33

To Fan's mind there was no note of warning in that little vague
complimentary speech, and she thought nothing at all about it. It is
quite impossible for a man to talk all day without saying meaningless if
not foolish things, unless he happens to be a very solemn prig who
carefully considers his words and lays them down like dominoes; and Eden
was not that. His naturalness was his great charm, and she judged his
feelings from her own; his simple transparent kindliness was enough to
account for all his attentions to her. After that day at the Zoological
Gardens she met him on other Sundays and Saturday afternoons, and also
received some letters from him, and more books, all like the first in a
wonderfully clean and well-kept condition.

One summer day Eden went to the City, a very unusual thing for him to do,
and while making his way towards Cheapside through the hurrying crowd of
pedestrians filling the narrow thoroughfare of St. Paul's Churchyard, he
all at once came face to face with the long-lost Merton Chance.
Involuntarily both started and stopped short on coming together. It was
impossible to avoid speaking, which would have happened if they had
recognised each other at a suitable distance. "Eden, is it possible!"
"Chance, how glad I am to see you!" were the words they exclaimed at the
same moment, as they clasped hands with fictitious warmth; and then, to
avoid the crowd, Merton drew his friend aside through one of the open
gates into the cathedral garden.

"Just back again from a trip to the Hindoo Koosh or the Mountains of the
Moon, I suppose?" cried Merton with overflowing gaiety.

"I have not been out of London as it happens," said Eden. "As you might
have known if you had sent me your address. I wrote to you at Norland
Square several weeks ago, asking you to lunch with me one day at the
club, and the letter was returned through the Dead Letter Office, marked
'Gone away--no address.'"

"Ah, yes, I forgot to send you my new address at the time, and ever since
moving I have been so overwhelmed with work and a hundred other things
that I have really had no time to write. I have been anxiously looking
forward to a few hours of leisure to make up all arrears of the kind."

"Well, then, as it is nearly two o'clock perhaps you will lunch with me
to-day. Is there any place close by where we can get something to eat and
drink? I am all at sea when I get as far east as this."

"Thanks," said Merton, with a laugh. "That just reminds me that I have
had nothing except a cup of tea since seven o'clock this morning. Too
busy even to remember such a thing as food. Yes, there's the Cathedral
Hotel, where you can