chips with names and
addresses.

Mr. Barker had made progress, in his own opinion, since the day when he
so unfortunately roused Margaret's anger by his story. He bethought him
one day that Claudius's influence had begun with the reading of books,
and he determined to try something of the kind himself. He was no
scholar as Claudius was, but he knew men who were. He cultivated the
acquaintance of Mr. Horace Bellingham, and spent studious hours in
ascertaining the names of quaint and curious volumes, which he spared no
expense in procuring. He read books he had never heard of before, and
then talked about them to Margaret; and when he hit upon anything she
did not know he was swift to bring it to her, and sometimes she would
even listen while he read a few pages aloud.

Margaret encouraged Barker in this new fancy unconsciously enough, for
she thought it an admirable thing that a man whose whole life was
devoted to business pursuits should develop a taste for letters; and
when he had broken the ice on the sea of literature she talked more
freely with him than she had ever done before. It was not Barker who
interested her, but the books he brought, which were indeed rare and
beautiful. He, on the other hand, quick to assimilate any knowledge that
might be of use to him, and cautious of exposing the weaker points of
his ignorance, succeeded in producing an impression of considerable
learning, so that by and by he began to think he was taking Claudius's
place in her daily pursuits, as he hoped to take it in her heart.

Meanwhile no one had heard from the Doctor, for his correspondence with
Margaret was unknown to Barker, and the latter began to cherish a hope
that, after all, there might be overwhelming difficulties in the way of
proving Claudius's right to the estate. He had more than once talked
over the matter with Mr. Screw, and they came to the conclusion that
this silence was prognostic of the Doctor's defeat. Screw thought it
probable that, had Claudius immediately obtained from Heidelberg the
necessary papers, he would have sent a triumphant telegram over the
cable, announcing his return at the shortest possible interval. But the
time was long. It was now the first week in November and nearly two
months had passed since he had sailed. Mr. Barker had avoided speaking
of him to the Countess, at first because he did not wish to recall him
to her memory, and later because he observed that she never mentioned
the Doct