Maurice Baring's Passing By unfolds through the dry, observant diary of Godfrey Mellor and the brisk, witty letters of Guy Cunninghame, drawing readers into a world of London dinners, concerts, and cultivated talk. From the Housmans' house-warming to the elegant circles of bankers, diplomats, artists, and critics, the novel turns social ritual into a study of character, revealing how music, art, taste, and conversation shape intimacy, status, and desire. As Mellor watches more than he joins, the book traces the fragile connections binding Mrs. Housman, George Housman, Lavinia Wray, Solway, and the elusive A., while Cunninghame's correspondence adds a more personal view of office life, travel, and private feeling. Set against London and later Florence, the story balances wit with unease, hinting at hidden attachments, domestic strain, and the loneliness beneath polished manners. Mrs. Housman's remark about "great friends one makes travelling" captures the novel's central mood: people meet, influence one another, and pass through each other's lives, leaving subtle but lasting traces. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.