Sentence:  That was Selwyn's first <WSD>encounter</WSD> with the Ruthvens. A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A meeting, especially one that is unplanned or unexpected.