Dan was immediately on guard against being bored; the library of even an intelligent local statesman like Morton Bassett was hardly likely to prove interesting.  One of his earlier subjects had asked him particularly to mention his library, which consisted mainly of government reports.

“I’ve been a collector of Americana,” Bassett remarked, throwing open several cases.  “I’ve gone in for colonial history, particularly, and some of these things are pretty rare.”

The shelves rose to the ceiling and Bassett produced a ladder that he might hand down a few of the more interesting volumes for Dan’s closer inspection.

“Here’s Wainwright’s ’Brief Description of the Ohio River, With some Account of the Savages Living Thereon’—­published in London in 1732, and there are only three copies in existence.  This is Atterbury’s ’Chronicle of the Chesapeake Settlements’—­the best thing I have.  The author was an English sailor who joined the colonists in the Revolution and published a little memoir of his adventures in America.  The only other copy of that known to exist is in the British Museum.  I fished mine out of a pile of junk in Baltimore about ten years ago.  When I get old and have time on my hands I’m going to reprint some of these—­wide margins, and footnotes, and that sort of thing.  But there’s fun enough now in just having them and knowing the other fellow hasn’t!”

He flung open a panel of the wainscoting at a point still free of shelves and disclosed a door of a small iron safe which he opened with a key.  “This isn’t the family silver, but a few little things that are more valuable.  These are first editions of American authors.  Here’s Lowell’s ‘Fable for Critics,’ first edition; and this is Emerson’s ‘Nature,’ 1836—­a first.  These are bound by Orpcutt; had them done myself.  They feel good to the hand, don’t they!”

Harwood’s pleasure in the beautiful specimens of the binder’s art was unfeigned and to his questioning Bassett dilated upon the craftsmanship.

“The red morocco of the Emerson takes the gold tooling beautifully, and the oak-leaf border design couldn’t be finer.  I believe this olive-green shade is the best of all.  This Whittier—­a first edition of ’In War Time’—­is by Durand, a French artist, and one of the best specimens of his work.”

Those strong hands of his touched the beautiful books fondly.  Harwood took advantage of a moment when Bassett carried to the lamp Lowell’s “Under the Willows” in gold and brown, the better to display the deft workmanship, to look more closely at the owner of these lovely baubles.  The iron hand could be very gentle!  Bassett touched the volume caressingly as he called attention to its perfection.  His face, in the lamp’s full light, softened, but there was in it no hint of sensuousness to prepare one for this indulgence in luxurious bibliomania.  There was a childlike simplicity in Bassett’s delight.  A man who enjoyed such playthings could not be hard, and Dan’s heart warmed with liking.