upstairs but we used the sitting room as a common room the first night i sat with at that open window after he had made me quietly welcome i would not have changed places with any king i hope what we have done will be for our mutual benefit my boy he said as he lit his big pipe and put his feet upon the chair opposite to him our first concern must be that we do not bore each other it is good for man to be some times not always alone i took his hint and during all the years we lived together as brothers in these dear old rooms there never was the slightest strain in our relation ship nor did we once feel that we had made a mistake they were rich in every comfort � furnished indeed with a certain sober elegance which rather astonished me just at first coming from the chambers of e j folk in london but when i recollected that must be very well off i did not wonder that he had surrounded himself with so many beautiful objects but it was a man s room essentially absolutely free from feminine such as i have seen gathered in other rooms everything was honest wholesome like the man who lived in them what a training and for me and what had i done i sometimes asked myself to be so singularly and greatly blessed during all the years i lived with i only once saw him roused and out of that incident i learned the sad secret of his life it was impossible to live closely as i did with him without learning that a shadow dwelt perpetually on the man s heart and that nothing but toil that had no end kept it from wholly crushing his life he was often sad often but i never betrayed the smallest desire to obtain his confidence nor the faintest curiosity regarding the cause i knew that if he thought it well he would tell me even in those early days i held that the man or woman who seeks to into the inner r the of another life is little better than the thief who his purse or enters his house at midnight by means the day on which i saw s lion temper roused for the first time we were sitting together in his private room discussing a series of short articles he wished me to undertake when the door opened and some one came in we were used to and as i was taking notes at the time i did not look round at the first movement but sprang up with such haste and force that i started up too in no small amazement there stood within the doorway a man about forty years of age gentlemanly in appearance and very carefully and correctly dressed � not a i saw at a glance his face was handsome without being striking it had a fair saxon beauty which contrasted singularly with the dark rugged face of robert i shall never forget him as he looked then i saw that there was some fearful if not hatred between these two at least on s side his face one moment fiery red suddenly the next leaving him white as death and the stood i folk in london oat on his temples and on his looked as if they to be at the s throat but he never spoke a word nor did the other man for a full minute and i stood still also feeling that it would be in me to depart but i was rooted to the spot i have to began the stranger and at that seeing the of the look on my chiefs face i stepped between them you are right lad said with a laugh which i remember to this day stand there or there will be murder done and just then without waiting to hear further what the man had to say he disappeared through the inner door then i turned to the stranger and bade him go and my bidding was of the sir i said i don t know your business but it is evident that it is little to mr s liking you had better go there is nothing for it evidently but to follow the example of our friend pray tell him however when he returns that it might be to his advantage to hear what i have to say replied the stranger with a certain of manner which the inner quite evidently sought to conceal considerable uneasiness of mind i inclined my head slightly and the stranger moved towards the door i was so concerned about this episode that i could not fix my attention on my work and though i lingered in the office later than usual did not return nor did i see him till late that night long after our usual dinner hour he looked hot and tired as he threw himself into his chair wiping the dust off his brow i have nearly twenty miles since i saw you last but it has done me good it has done me good i got him his pipe without a word and filled my own nor did we utter another word for a good half hour i made no mistake when i asked you to come and live with me david he said at length when his pipe had soothed and comforted him you can keep your own counsel what a gift that is and how very rare it is no man s business to ask about what does not concern him i answered somewhat abashed by his praise � j folk in london nay you are wrong it is the chief business of most people he said with a grim smile but now tell me have ever heard anything about my domestic life from any of the staff nothing i 