下载辰思小说免费APP
”Fool！”Thewordrangoutinbitterironyfromhisirateneighbour’slips。”Whatdoesheknowofwoman！Woman！Lethimcourtarichoneandsee-butthat’salloveranddonewith。Nomoreharpingonthatstring，andnomorereadingofpoetry。I’llnever，-”Therestwaslostinhisthroatandwasquiteunintelligibletotheanxiouslistener。Self-revealingwords，whichaninstantbeforewouldhavearousedSweetwater’sdeepestinterest！Buttheyhadsuddenlylostallforcefortheunhappylistener。Thesightofthatholestillshiningbrightlybeforehiseyeshaddistractedhisthoughtsandrousedhisliveliestapprehensions。Ifthatbookshouldbeallowedtoliewhereithadfallen，thenhewasinforaperiodofuncertaintyheshrankfromcontemplating。Anymomenthisneighbourmightlookupandcatchsightofthisholeboredinthebackingoftheshelvesbeforehim。Couldthemanwhohadbeenguiltyofsubmittinghimtothisoutragestandthestrainofwaitingindefinitelyforthemomentofdiscovery?Hedoubtedit，ifthesuspenselastedtoolong。
Shiftinghisposition，heplacedhiseyewherehisearhadbeen。
Hecouldseeverylittle。Thespacebeforehim，limitedasitwastothewidthoftheonevolumewithdrawn，precludedhisseeingaughtbutwhatlaydirectlybeforehim。Happily，itwasinthisnarrowlineofvisionthatMr。Brothersonstood。Hehadresumedworkuponhismodelandwassoplacedthatwhilehisfacewasnotvisible，hishandswere，andasSweetwaterwatchedthesehandsandnoticedthedelicacyoftheirmanipulation，hewasenoughofaworkmantorealisethatworksofinecalledforanundividedattention。Heneednotfearthegazeshifting，whilethosehandsmovedaswarilyastheydidnow。
Relievedforthemoment，helefthispostand，sittingdownontheedgeofhiscot，gavehimselfuptothought。
Hedeservedthismischance。HadheprofitedproperlybyMr。Gryce’steachings，hewouldnothavebeencaughtlikethis；hewouldhavecalculatednotupontheninehundredandninety-ninechancesofthatbookbeingleftalone，butuponthethousandthoneofitsbeingtheveryonetobesingledoutandremoved。Hadhedonethis，-hadhetakenpainstosoroughenanddiscolourtheopeninghehadmade，thatitwouldlooklikeanancientratholeinsteadofshowingacleanbore，hewouldhavesomeanswertogiveBrothersonwhenhecametoquestionhiminregardtoit。Butnowthewholethingseemedup！HehadshownhimselfafoolandbygoodrightsoughttoacknowledgehisdefeatandreturntoHeadquarters。Buthehadtoomuchspiritforthat。Hewouldrather-yes，hewouldratherfacethepistolhehadonceseeninhisenemy’shand。Yetitwashardtositherewaiting，waiting-Suddenlyhestartedupright。
Hewouldgomeethisfate-bepresentintheroomitselfwhenthediscoverywasmadewhichthreatenedtoupsetallhisplans。Hewasnotashamedofhiscalling，andBrothersonwouldthinktwicebeforeattackinghimwhenonceconvincedthathehadtheDepartmentbehindhim。”Excuseme，comrade，”werethewordswithwhichheendeavouredtoaccountforhispresenceatBrotherson’sdoor。”Mylampsmellsso，andI’vemadesuchamessofmyworkto-daythatI’vejuststeppedinforachat。IfI’mnotwanted，sayso。Idon’twanttobotheryou，butyoudolookpleasanthere。IhopethethingI’mturningoverinmyhead-everymanhashisschemesformakingafortune，youknow-willbeasuccesssomeday。I’dlikeabigroomlikethis，andalotofbooks，and-andpictures。”
Craninghisneck，hetookapeepattheshelves，withanairofopenadmirationwhicheffectuallyconcealedhisrealpurpose。Whathewantedwastocatchoneglimpseofthatemptyspacefromhispresentstandpoint，andhewasbothastonishedandrelievedtonotehownarrowandinconspicuousitlooked。Certainly，hehadlesstofearthanhesupposed，andwhen，uponMr。Brotherson’sinvitation，hesteppedintotheroom，itwaswithadashofhisformeraudacity，whichgavehim，unfortunately，perhaps，aquick，strongandunexpectedlikenesstohisoldself。
ButifBrothersonnoticedthis，nothinginhismannergaveproofofthefact。Thoughusuallyaversetovisitors，especiallywhenemployedasatpresent
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