life where did you get that some one lent it to me when it came out � mr i think his first impulse was to exclaim why the devil do you borrow books of i can buy you all you want � but he felt himself irresistibly forced into an attitude of smiling compliance always has the books going has n t he you must be careful by the way about returning what he you he s rather about his library oh i m always very careful she said with a touch of that struck him and she added as he caught up his hat don t forget the letters why had she asked for the book was her sudden wish to see it the result of some hint of s the thought turned sick but he preserved sufficient to tell himself a moment later that his last hope of would be lost if he yielded to the temptation of seeing a hidden purpose in everything she said and did how much guessed he had no means of nor could he from what he knew of the man to what use his might be put the very qualities that had made a useful adviser made him the most dangerous of felt himself among alien forces that his own act had set in motion the was a woman of few but even in trifles had a them from the impulses of her he knew that having once asked for the book she not forget it and he put aside as an ineffectual expedient his idea of applying for it at the library and telling her that all the were out if the book was to be bought it had better be bought at he left his office earlier than usual and turned in at tbe first on ins way to the train the show window was with con � volumes margaret back at him in endless he plunged into the shop and came on a counter the name r itself on row after row of it seemed to have driven the test of literature to the back he caught up a tossing the money to an astonished clerk who pursued him to the door with the to wrap up the volumes in the street he was with � sudden apprehension what if he were to meet the thought was intolerable he called a cab and straight to the station where amid the palm of a per he waited a long half hour for his train to start he had thrust a volume in pocket and in the train he dared not draw them out but the detested words leaped at him from the ua a t the evening paper the air seemed full of margaret s name the motion of the i the train set it dancing up and down on the page of a magazine that a man in front of him was reading at the door he was told that mrs was still out and he went upstairs to his room and dragged the books from his pocket they lay on the table before him like live things that he feared to touch at length he opened the first volume a familiar letter sprang out at him each word quickened by its glaring garb of type the little broken phrases fled across the page like wounded animals in the open it was a horrible sight a of helpless things driven savagely out of shelter he had not known it would be like this � he understood now that at the moment of selling the letters he had viewed the transaction solely as it affected himself as an unfortunate on an otherwise record he had scarcely considered the act in relation to margaret for death if it also makes s god was a god of the living of the the actual the all his days he had lived in the presence of that god heedless of the who below the surface of our deeds and passions silently the fatal weapons of the dead the vn a knock roused him and looking up he saw his wife he met her glance in silence and she out are you ill the words restored his self possession hi of course not they told me you were out and i came upstairs the books lay between them on the table he wondered when she would see them she lingered an the threshold with the air of leaving his explanation on his hands she was not the kind of woman who could be counted on to an excuse by appearing to dispute it where have you been asked moving forward so that he her vision of the books i walked over to the for tea i can t think what you see in those people he said with a shrug adding � i suppose was there no he left on the this morning an answer so to the natural escape of his irritation left with no momentary resource but that of strolling impatiently to the window as her eyes followed him they lit on the books ah you ve brought them i m so glad she said he answered over his shoulder for a woman who never reads you make the most exceptions s the her smile was an concession to the probability that it had been hot in town or that something had him do you mean it s not nice to want to read the book she asked it was not nice to publish it certainly but after all i m not responsible for that am i she paused and as he made no answer went on still smiling i do read sometimes you know and i m very fond of margaret s books i was reading seed when we first met don t you remember it was then you told me all about her had turned back into the room and stood 