date.

'You know,' he said, 'it isn't like it was in the old days, when people
used to buy things to last hundreds of years. Why, just before the wife
and I were married, an uncle of mine died up in the North and left me
his furniture. I was thinking of furnishing at the time, and I thought
the things might come in handy; but I assure you there wasn't a single
article that I cared to give house-room to. All dingy, old mahogany; big
bookcases and bureaus, and claw-legged chairs and tables. As I said to
the wife (as she was soon afterwards), "We don't exactly want to set up
a chamber of horrors, do we?" So I sold off the lot for what I could
get. I must confess I like a cheerful room.'

Darnell said he had heard that artists liked the old-fashioned
furniture.

'Oh, I dare say. The "unclean cult of the sunflower," eh? You saw that
piece in the "Daily Post"? I hate all that rot myself. It isn't healthy,
you know, and I don't believe the English people will stand it. But
talking of curiosities, I've got something here that's worth a bit of
money.'

He dived into some dusty receptacle in a corner of the room, and showed
Darnell a small, worm-eaten Bible, wanting the first five chapters of
Genesis and the last leaf of the Apocalypse. It bore the date of 1753.

'It's my belief that's worth a lot,' said Wilson. 'Look at the
worm-holes. And you see it's "imperfect," as they call it. You've
noticed that some of the most valuable books are "imperfect" at the
sales?'

The interview came to an end soon after, and Darnell went home to his
tea. He thought seriously of taking Wilson's advice, and after tea he
told Mary of his idea and of what Wilson had said about Dick's.

Mary was a good deal taken by the plan when she had heard all the
details. The prices struck her as very moderate. They were sitting one
on each side of the grate (which was concealed by a pretty cardboard
screen, painted with landscapes), and she rested her cheek on her hand,
and her beautiful dark eyes seemed to dream and behold strange visions.
In reality she was thinking of Darnell's plan.

'It would be very nice in some ways,' she said at last. 'But we must
talk it over. What I am afraid of is that it will come to much more than
ten pounds in the long run. There are so many things to be considered.
There's the bed. It would look shabby if we got a common bed without
brass mounts. Then the bedding, the mattress, and blankets, and sheets,
and counterpane