er his library floor.

The selection and cataloguing of the volumes desired occupied the
mornings of three days. The old gentleman's part was soon done, but
there were many things in the books which were far more interesting to
me than their titles, and to which I desired to draw Miss Vincent's
attention. All this greatly protracted our labors. She was not only a
beautiful girl, but her intelligence and intellectual grasp were
wonderful. I could not help telling her what a great pleasure it would
be to me to think, while wandering in foreign lands, that such an
appreciative family would be enjoying my books and my place.

"You are so fond of your house and everything you have," said she,
"that we shall almost feel as if we were depriving you of your rights.
But I suppose that Italian lakes and the Alps will make you forget for
a time even your beautiful home."

"Not if you are in it," I longed to say, but I restrained myself. I
did not believe that it was possible for me to be more in love with
this girl than I was at that moment, but, of course, it would be the
rankest stupidity to tell her so. To her I was simply her father's
landlord.

I went to that house the next day to see that the boxes were
properly repacked, and I actually went the next day to see if the right
boxes had gone into the country, and the others back to the storehouse.
The first day I saw only the father. The second day it was the mother
who assured me that everything had been properly attended to. I began
to feel that if I did not wish a decided rebuff I would better not make
any more pretences of business at the Vincent house.

There were affairs of my own which should have been attended to, and I
ought to have gone home and attended to them, but I could not bear to
do so. There was no reason to suppose she would go out there before
the first of June.

Thinking over the matter many times, I came to the conclusion that if I
could see her once more I would be satisfied. Then I would go away,
and carry her image with me into every art-gallery, over every glacier,
and under every lovely sky that I should enjoy abroad, hoping all the
time that, taking my place, as it were, in my home, and making my
possessions, in a measure, her own, she would indirectly become so well
acquainted with me that when I returned I might speak to her without
shocking her.

To obtain this final interview there was but one way. I had left my
house on Satur