He is not above talking delightful nonsense even to a girl . I sat by him at dinner , and he talked to me -- not nonsense , either , this time . He told me of his political contests and diplomatic battles ; he was wise and witty and whimsical . I felt as if I were drinking some rare , stimulating mental wine . What a privilege it is to meet such men and take a peep through their wise eyes at the fascinating game of empire-building ! I met another clever man a few evenings ago . A lot of us went for a sail on the harbour . Mrs. Braddon 's house party came too . We had three big white boats that skimmed down the moonlit channel like great white sea birds . There was another boat far across the harbour , and the people in it were singing . The music drifted over the water to us , so sad and sweet and beguiling that I could have cried for very pleasure . One of Mrs. Braddon 's guests said to me : `` That is the soul of music with all its sense and earthliness refined away . '' I had n't thought about him before -- I had n't even caught his name in the general introduction . He was a tall , slight man , with a worn , sensitive face and iron-grey hair -- a quiet man who had n't laughed or talked . But he began to talk to me then , and I forgot all about the others . I never had listened to anybody in the least like him . He talked of books and music , of art and travel . He had been all over the world , and had seen everything everybody else had seen and everything they had n't too , I think . I seemed to be looking into an enchanted mirror where all my own dreams and ideals were reflected back to me , but made , oh , so much more beautiful ! On my way home after the Braddon people had left us somebody asked me how I liked Paul Moore !
The man I had been talking with was Paul XXXXX , the great novelist !
Braddon Moore ago contests earthliness empire-building guests harbour left people