ication.
He was in fact making arrangements for the reception of no less than
fifteen thousand volumes, the collection of the late Sir Joseph
Harden, of Court House, Harmouth. And as he looked around him his face
expressed the smooth and delicately voluptuous satisfaction of the
dreamer who has touched his dream.

This look of beatitude faded perceptibly when the message came that
Mr. Keith was in the front shop and wished to see him. Mr. Keith, it
appeared, had no time to spare. Isaac had, in fact, experienced a
slight shock at the earliness of Keith's return. His first thought was
that at the last moment there had been some serious hitch with
Pilkington. He found Keith sitting before the counter in the attitude
of a rather imperious customer; but the warm pressure of his son's
hand removed this disagreeable effect of superiority. Keith's face
wore signs of worry and agitation that confirmed Isaac's original
fear.

"Well," he said a little anxiously, "I didn't expect you back as early
as this."

"I haven't come to stop. I've got to catch the twelve-thirty back
again. I came up because I wanted to talk to you."

"Come," said Isaac, "into the office."

He laid his hand on Keith's shoulder as they went. He felt very kindly
towards him at that moment. His heart was big with trust in the
brilliant, impetuous boy. When he touched Keith's hand he had felt
that intellectual virtue had gone out of it. He guessed that there was
a crisis in the affairs of the House of Rickman, and that Keith had
come with warning and with help. He knew his power of swift and
effectual action in a crisis. Yes, yes; Keith's wits might go
wool-gathering; but he was safe enough when he had gathered his wool.

"Well?" he repeated, lifting grave interrogative eyebrows. He had
seated himself; but Keith remained standing, a sign with him of
extreme perturbation.

"I thought I could explain things better if I saw you," he began.

"Quite so; quite so. I hope you haven't come to tell me there's been
any 'itch."

"Well, I told you as much when I wrote."

"I understood you advised me to withdraw, because you thought
Pilkington wanted a big price."

"I didn't know what he wanted; I knew what we ought to give."

"That was settled by looking in the register. You don't mean to say
_he_'s going to back out of it?"

Keith was so preoccupied that he failed to see the drift of his
father's questioning. "You see," he continued, following his own
tho