August the third. He guessed that might be Sabina's birthday.
The quotation ran:--

"To thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."

There was no male in Sabina's picture gallery--indeed, no other picture
but that of a girl--her fellow spinner, Nancy Buckler.

His brother approached Raymond.

"You've made a start, Ray?"

"Rather. It's jolly interesting. Best is wonderful, but he can't fathom
my ignorance yet."

"It's all very simple and straightforward. Do you like your office?"

"Yes," declared the younger. "Couldn't beat it. When I want something to
do, I can fling a line out of the window and fish in the river."

"You have plenty to do besides fish out of the window I should hope. Let
us lunch. I'm stopping here this afternoon. Aunt Jenny wanted to know
whether you'd come to Bridport to dinner on Sunday."

Daniel was entirely friendly now and he designed--if the future should
justify the step--to take Raymond into partnership. But only in the
event of very material changes in his brother's life would he do so.
Their aunt felt sanguine that Raymond must soon recognise his
responsibilities, settle to the business of justifying his existence and
put away childish things; Daniel was less hopeful, but trusted that she
might be right. Her imagination worked for Raymond and warned her nephew
not to be too exacting at first. She pointed out that it was very
improbable Daniel's brother would become a model in a moment, or settle
down to the business of fixed hours and clerical work without a few
lapses from the narrow and arduous path. So the elder was prepared to
see his brother kick against the pricks and even warned John Best that
it might be so. Brief acquaintance with Raymond had already convinced
the foreman of this probability, and he found himself liking Daniel's
brother from the first. The dangers, however, were not hid from him; but
while he perceived the youthful instability of the newcomer and his
impatience of detail, he presently discovered an interest in mechanical
contrivances, a spark of originality, and a feeling for new things that
might lead to results, if only the necessary application were
forthcoming and the vital interest aroused.

Mr. Best had a simple formula.

"The successful spinner," he often remarked, "is the man who can turn
out the best yarn from a given sample of the raw. Hand identical stuff
to ten ma