The Man in Possession — page 235: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

230 THE MAN IN POSSESSION. This discovery led to his walking by the side of Tom Rivers for some distance, and when they reached Charing Cross, they discovered that they were both bound for Piccadilly, and were so pleased with each other that they did not care to part company until it was necessary. Tom learnt that his new acquaintance’s name was Colonel Lawrence—that he had left the army after a good deal of hard work and a great many adven- tures—that this was his first visit to England—besides getting a good deal of varied information, and the Colonel’s impartial opinion of men and things in this effete and old-fashioned country. An American has the charming quality of perfect frankness. He is cool, he is intelligent, and he is energetic, and he conveys this to you almost as rapidly as he does his impressions of yourself and your surroundings. In Tom Rivers’ mood, he could have desired no more welcome companionship. Its novelty roused him to interest, and brought tem- porory forgetfulness of his suicidal tendency, and the irrational cruelty of womankind as represented by Kate O’Brien. By the time they reached Piccadilly he had begged his new acquaintance to call and see him, and the invitation was accepted as cordially as it was given. It then occurred to the young man that his own thoughts would be far from pleasant companions that night, and that the ‘‘call” might as well take place at once. He managed to convey this to his new friend in a diffident but very frank manner. There was something so boyish and genuine about the COMICIDOOKS. C(O)