Nothing here, you see, in the way of paper but this old book--what is it--History of Barthorpe." "He showed me that in the train," remarked Mr.Dellingham.

"I'm interested in antiquities and archaeology, and anybody who's long in my society finds it out.

We got talking of such things, and he pulled out that book, and told me with great pride, that he'd picked it up from a book-barrow in the street, somewhere in London, for one-and-six.

I think," he added musingly, "that what attracted him in it was the old calf binding and the steel frontispiece--I'm sure he'd no great knowledge of antiquities." Mitchington laid the book down, and Bryce picked it up, examined the title-page, and made a mental note of the fact that Barthorpe was a market-town in the Midlands.

And it was on the tip of his tongue to say that if the dead man had no particular interest in antiquities and archaeology, it was somewhat strange that he should have bought a book which was mainly antiquarian, and that it might be that he had so bought it because of a connection between Barthorpe and himself.