an unstinted expression of her honest
interest. "All for show and display," she muttered, as she bowed her
head to search out new titles; "bought by the pound and stacked by the
cord; doing nobody any good--their owners least of all." She resolved
to admire openly nothing more whatever.

Mrs. Bates sank into one of the big chairs and motioned Jane
towards another. "Your father was a great reader," she said, with
a resumption of her retrospective expression. "He was very fond of
books--especially poetry. He often read aloud to me; when he thought I
was likely to be alone, he would bring his Shakespeare over. I believe
I could give you even now, if I was put to it, Antony's address to the
Romans. Yes; and almost all of Hamlet's soliloquies, too."

Jane was preparing to make a stand against this woman; and here
apparently was the opportunity. "Do you mean to tell me," she
inquired, with something approaching sternness, "that my father--_my
father_--was ever fond of poetry and--and music, and--and all that
sort of thing?"

"Certainly. Why not? I remember your father as a high-minded young
man, with a great deal of good taste; I always thought him much above
the average. And that Shakespeare of his--I recall it perfectly. It
was a chubby little book bound in brown leather, with an embossed
stamp, and print a great deal too fine for _my_ eyes. He always had to
do the reading; and he read very pleasantly." She scanned Jane
closely. "Perhaps you have never done your father justice."

Jane felt herself driven to defense--even to apology. "The fact is,"
she said, "pa is so quiet; he never says much of anything. I'm about
the only one of the family who knows him very well, and I guess _I_
don't know him any too well." She felt, though, that Mrs. Bates had no
right to defend her father against his own daughter; no, nor any need.

"I suppose so," said Mrs. Bates slowly. She crossed over to the
radiator and began working at the valve. "I _told_ Granger I knew he'd
be sorry if he didn't put in furnace flues too. I really can't ask you
to take your things off down here; let's go up-stairs--that's the only
warm place I can think of."

She paused in the hall. "Wouldn't you like to see the rest of the
rooms before you go up?"

"Yes--I don't mind," responded Jane. She was determined to encourage
no ostentatious pride; so she made her acceptance as indifferent as
she felt good manners would allow.

Mrs. Bates crossed over the hall