Chapter 31 - Page 2

appearance of having been used. He also wrote his name in them,
in each case with some old date; and finally, to make the deception
complete, spilt a little ink over the cover of one volume, dropped some
cigar-ash between the leaves of a second, and concealed a couple of old
foreign letters on thin paper in a third. Then he tied them up together
and sent them to her by a messenger with the following letter:

DEAR MISS AFFLECK,

I have just been looking through my bookshelves, and was pleased to find
that I had some of the novels we spoke about the other evening, which, if
I remember rightly, you said that you had not read. It was lucky I had so
many, as my friends have a habit of carrying off my books and forgetting
to return them. If you will accept the loan of them, do not be in a hurry
to return them; they will be safer in your keeping than in mine, and one
or two, I think, are almost worth a second perusal.

I must not let slip this opportunity, as another might not occur for a
long time, of saying something about our friends at Norland Square. I saw
Merton the day after meeting you, but not since; nor have I heard from
him. I know now that he lost his appointment at the Foreign Office
through his own folly, and that most of his friends have dropped him. I
do honestly think that Mrs. Chance has made a terrible mistake; I pity
her very much. But things may not after all turn out altogether badly,
and if Merton has any good in him he ought to show it now, when he has
such a woman as your friend for a wife and companion. At all events, I
have made up my mind--and this is another secret, Miss Affleck--to forget
all about the past and do what I can to assist him. Not only for auld
lang syne, for we were great friends at school, but also for his wife's
sake. My only fear is that he will keep out of my sight, but perhaps I am
doing him an injustice in thinking so. But as you will continue to see
your friend, may I ask you to let me know should they at any time be in
very straitened circumstances, or in any trouble, or should they go away
from Norland Square? I do hope you will be able to promise me this.

Believe me, dear Miss Affleck,

Yours sincerely,

ARTHUR EDEN.

To this letter, the writing of which, it is only right to say, actually
caused Mr. Eden to blush once or twice, Fan at once replied, thanking him
for the parcel of books. "I must also thank you," the letter said, "for
telling me to keep them so long, as there is so much to read in them, and
my reading time is only when I am at leisure in the evening. I shall take
great care of them, as I think from their look that you like to keep your
books very clean." In answer to the second part of his letter she