Papers belonging to his father--an endless series of them; some in tin boxes marked with the names of various companies, mining and other; some in leather cases, reminiscent of politics, and labelled "Parliamentary" or "Local Government Board." Trunks containing Court suits, yeomanry uniforms, and the like; a medley of old account books, photographs, worthless volumes, and broken ornaments: all the refuse that our too complex life piles about us was represented in the chaos of the room.

Roger pulled and pushed as cautiously as he could, but making, inevitably, some noise in the process.

At last! He caught sight of some belongings of his own and was soon joyfully detaching the old Eton desk, of which he was in search, from a pile of miscellaneous rubbish.

In doing so, to his dismay, he upset a couple of old cardboard boxes filled with letters, and they fell with some clatter.

He looked round instinctively at the door; but it was shut, and the house was well built, the walls and ceilings reasonably sound-proof.