became a study; there was not much more to tell. Through the long
months, the long years, the man had fought for knowledge as he had
always fought for anything; with all his strength, passion, energy.

"Incredible! By Jove!" she heard Sir Charles' voice, awed and admiring.
"I told you, Steele, when you were about to begin, that we people of the
antipodes take a man for what he is, not for what he was. But I am glad
to have had your confidence and--and--tell me, how did you happen to
light on the law, for special study and preparation?"

"You forget that about half your superb library was law-books, Sir
Charles. A most comprehensive collection!"

"So they were! But you must have had wonderful aptitude."

"The law--the ramifications it creates for the many, the attendant
restraints for the individual--I confess interested me. You can imagine
a personal reason or--an abstract one. From the lonely perspective of a
tiny coral isle, a system, or systems,--codes of conduct, or morals,
built up for the swarming millions, so to speak!--could not but possess
fascination for one to whom those millions had become only as the
far-away shadows of a dream. You will find a few of those books, minus
fly-leaf and book-plate, it shames me to say!--still in my library,
and--"

"Bless you; you're welcome to them," hastily. "No wonder that day in my
library you spoke as you did about books. 'Gad! it's wonderful! But you
say at first you could hardly read? Your life, then, as a boy--pardon
me; it's not mere idle curiosity."