's library, and read his
books, and enjoyed his cushioned easy-chair with the swinging desk; and
I envied John Carvel his home, and his quiet life, and his defenses
against intrusion, saying that I also might be made happy by the
trifling addition of twenty thousand pounds a year to my income.

But I was not long permitted to enjoy the undisturbed possession of this
temple of sweet dreams, reveling in my imagination at the idea of what I
should do if I possessed such a place. The door of the library opened
suddenly with the noise of many feet upon the polished floor.

"And this is the library," said the voice of Hermione, who led the way,
followed by her mother and aunt and Paul; John Carvel brought up the
rear, quietly looking on while his daughter showed the new cousin the
wonders of Carvel Place.

"This is the library," she repeated, "and this is Mr. Griggs," she
added, with a little laugh, as she discovered me in the deep easy-chair.
"This is the celebrated Mr. Griggs. His name is Paul, like yours, but
otherwise he is not in the least like you, I fancy. Everybody knows him,
and he knows everybody."

"We have met before," said Patoff, "not only this morning, but in the
East. Mr. Griggs certainly seemed to know everybody there, from the Shah
to the Greek consul. What a splendid room! It must have taken you years
of thought to construct such a literary retreat, uncle John," he added,
turning to the master of the house as he spoke.

Indeed, Paul Patoff appeared much struck with everything he saw at
Carvel Place. I left my chair and joined the party, who wandered through
the rooms and into the great conservatory, and finally gravitated to the
drawing-room. Patoff examined everything with an air of extreme
interest, and seemed to understand intuitively the tastes of each member
of the household. He praised John's pictures and Mrs. Carvel's
engravings; he admired Chrysophrasia's stained-glass window, and her
pots, and plates, and bits of drapery, he glanced reverently at Mrs.
Carvel's religious books, and stopped now and then to smell the flowers
Hermione loved. He noted the view upon the park from the south windows,
and thought the disposal of the shrubbery near the house was a
masterpiece of landscape gardening. As he proceeded, surrounded by his
relations, remarking upon everything he saw, and giving upon all things
opinions which marvelously flattered the individual tastes of each one
of the family, it became evid