A bed and a small chest of drawers stood under the slope of the roof, and the rest of the room was occupied by a painted table covered with papers, and a chair or two.

An old broadsword leaned against the wall in a corner.

A half-open cupboard revealed bottles, glasses, and a dry-looking cheese.

To the corresponding cupboard, on the other side of the fire, which had lost a corner by the descent of the roof, Mr Cupples now dragged his slippers, feeling in his waistcoat pocket, as he went, for the key .-- There was another door still, partly sunk in the slope of the ceiling.
When he opened the cupboard, a dusky glimmer of splendid bindings filling the whole recess, shone out upon the dingy room.

From a shelf he took a volume of Homer, bound in vellum, with red edges--a copy of far greater value than Alec had knowledge of books to understand--and closing the door again, resumed his seat in the easy-chair.