afforded pleasure at once to the inmate and to passers-by. Along nearly
the whole length of the wall opposite to the windows, some tenant in
years long past had had mahogany book-shelves placed, reaching to a
height of perhaps five feet from the floor. They were handsomely made
in the style of the eighteenth century and pleased my brother's taste.
He had always exhibited a partiality for books, and the fine library at
Worth Maltravers had no doubt contributed to foster his tastes in that
direction. At the time of which I write he had formed a small collection
for himself at Oxford, paying particular attention to the bindings, and
acquiring many excellent specimens of that art, principally I think,
from Messrs. Payne & Foss, the celebrated London booksellers.

Towards the end of the autumn term, having occasion one cold day to take
down a volume of Plato from its shelf, he found to his surprise that the
book was quite warm. A closer examination easily explained to him the
reason--namely, that the flue of a chimney, passing behind one end of
the bookcase, sensibly heated not only the wall itself, but also the
books in the shelves. Although he had been in his rooms now near three
years, he had never before observed this fact; partly, no doubt, because
the books in these shelves were seldom handled, being more for show as
specimens of bindings than for practical use. He was somewhat annoyed
at this discovery, fearing lest such a heat, which in moderation is
beneficial to books, might through its excess warp the leather or
otherwise injure the bindings. Mr. Gaskell was sitting with him at the
time of the discovery, and indeed it was for his use that my brother had
taken down the volume of Plato. He strongly advised that the bookcase
should be moved, and suggested that it would be better to place it
across that end of the room where the pianoforte then stood. They
examined it and found that it would easily admit of removal, being, in
fact, only the frame of a bookcase, and showing at the back the painted