"You will be sorry to learn," he said, gently breaking the shell of an egg, "that our excellent relative is completely laid up; I found him in his study lying on a couch, unable to stir, and in acute pain." I was sorry in one sense, and glad in another; I had a vague hope that pain might subdue my obdurate grandpapa, and as soon as breakfast was over, I hastened to his study; wishing to take him by surprise, I ventured to enter without knocking. The surprise was mine. Mr. Thornton, whom I had expected to find groaning on his couch, was standing on the top of a high flight of steps, reaching down heavy quartos. On hearing the door open, he turned round sharply, and looked at me scowling. I rather enjoyed his predicament and said quietly: "I am glad you are better, Sir." He growled an inaudible reply, and came down, hobbling and groaning with every step he took, and darting mistrustful looks at me. I offered him the aid of my shoulder, which he accepted, leaning on me as heavily as he could. I helped him to return to his couch, then quietly sat down facing him. He knew he was at my mercy, and did not tell me to go; but he surlily rejected my proffered services; but I persisted. "I can look for any book for you, Sir," I said. "Look, then," was his ungracious reply. "What book is it, Sir?" "Begin with the first volume on the second shelf." I obeyed, and brought him a heavy tome, which he just looked at, then threw away, briefly saying: "Another." Another I brought him, with the same result; a third, a fourth, and so on throughout the whole shelf. "Are you not tired?" he asked with smooth irony. "Oh, no," I replied, smiling, "shall I begin another shelf?" "No, you need not," he answered, giving it up, "it is an old treatise on mineralogy that has long been lost." I turned to the window; the book I had been reading on the preceding day still lay there open; I silently handed it to my grandfather, who gave it and then me a look of profound surprise, followed by a remarkable smoothing down of mien and accent. "How did you find it?" he asked, looking at it with evident satisfaction. "By chance, Sir." "By chance! Oh! I have another thing missing. Ray's 'Chaos and Creation,' perhaps you could find that too, eh?" He looked at me thoughtfully. Anxious to conciliate him, I replied, eagerly: "Perhaps I might, Sir." "Humph! Can you write? I mean write a round hand, not the abominable slant of most school-girls?" "Yes, Sir: my handwriting is remarkably round." "Transcribe this." He pushed towards me a sheet of hieroglyphics, which I turned over with a dismay that made him chuckle. Unwilling to give him an advantage over me, I sat down and at once entered on my task; the decyphering was the worst part of the business; but after working hard for several hours, I accomplished it to his satisfaction and to mine. 1 thought to rest; but Mr. Thornton was differently inclined.