64 THE MISSING BOOK.

“Yes, indeed,” said Maurice, “it is one of my chief
pleasures. The having lived all my life in the country,
and being greatly dependent upon myself for amuse-
ment, has given me, I suppose, a taste for reading.”

“ And how do you like the books of Mr. Harding’s
library,” asked Philip ; “such as we are permitted to
use ?” |

“Very much, indeed,” replied Maurice. “I have
not been at a loss since I have been here for interesting
reading ; and it must be a long time before I have
exhausted the library, especially as Mr. Harding is so
kind as to be constantly adding to it.”

“But would you not sometimes like a change,”
asked Philip, “in your reading? I have a plan I
think you would like, which will make a pleasant
variety in your reading, give you much pleasure, and
I will take all the trouble of it. I am a subscriber to
Mr. Shaw’s circulating library, and I thought if you
would like to pay half the subscription, you can pay
the money to me. I will obtain and return all the
books, and so no one will know that you have anything
to do with it.”

“I daresay, Philip,” said Maurice, “you intend me
a favour, and therefore I am obliged to you ; but, in
the first place, I will never wilfully break any of Mr,
Harding’s rules, and you know one of them is that we
shall never take books from the circulating libraries,
(n the second place, my father has expressed a wish to