’It’s not exactly the bent of his mind.  He only came at my persuasion to begin with.  He takes more to science than literature.’

’Ah, I should have thought that.  But I wish he could have still spared me the two hours a week.  I felt much interest in him; it’s a disappointment to lose him so unexpectedly.  I’m sure he has a head for our matters as well as for science.’

Grail was about to speak, but checked himself.  An inquiring glance persuaded him to say: 

’He’s much taken up with politics just now.  They don’t leave the mind very quiet.’

‘Politics?  I regret more than ever that he’s gone.’

Egremont moved away from the desk at which he had been standing, and seated himself on the end of a bench which came out opposite the fire-place.

‘Come and sit down for a minute, will you, Mr. Grail?’ he said.

Gilbert silently took possession of the end of the next bench.

’Is there no persuading him back?  Do you think he would come and have a talk with me?  I do wish he would; I believe we could understand each other.  You see him occasionally?’

‘Every day.  We work together.’

’Would you ask him to come and have a chat with me here some evening?’

‘I shall be glad to, sir.’

’Pray persuade him to.  Any evening he likes.  Perhaps next Sunday after the lecture would do?  Tell him to bring his pipe and have a smoke with me here before the fire.’

Grail smiled, and undertook to deliver the invitation.

‘But there are other things I wished to speak of to you,’ Egremont continued.  ’Do you think it would be any advantage if I brought books for the members of the class to take away and use at their leisure?  Shakespeare, of course, you can all lay hands on, but the other Elizabethan authors are not so readily found.  For instance, there’s a Marlowe on the desk; would you care to take him away with you?’

‘Thank you very much, sir,’ was the reply, ’but I’ve got Marlowe.  I picked up a second-hand copy a year or two ago.’

‘You have him!  Ah, that’s good!’

Egremont was surprised, but remembered that it would not be very courteous to express such feeling.  After surprise came new warmth of interest in the man.  He began to speak of Marlowe with delight, and in a moment he and Grail were on a footing of intimacy.

’But there are other books perhaps you haven’t come across yet.  I shall be overjoyed if you’ll let me he of use to you in that way.  Have you access to any library?’

‘No, I haven’t.  I’ve often felt the want of it.’

Egremont fell into musing for a moment.  He looked up with an idea in his eyes.

’Wouldn’t it be an excellent thing if one could establish a lending library in Lambeth?’

Grail might have excusably replied that it would be a yet more excellent thing if those disposed to use such an institution had time granted them to do so; but with the young man’s keen look fixed upon him, he had other thoughts.