This engagement was a great
relief to the pro-librarian, and he improved more rapidly thenceforth.
Whether Alec's labour was lightened or not by the fact that he had a
chance of seeing Kate pass the windows, I cannot tell, but I think any
kind of emotion lightens labour. And I think the labour lightened his
pain; and I know he was not so absorbed in his unhappiness, though at
times the flashes of a keen agony broke from the dull cloud of his
misery, as to perform the duties he had undertaken in a perfunctory
manner. The catalogue made slow but steady progress. And so did the
librarian.
"Mr Forbes," said Mr Fraser, looking at him kindly, one morning after
the lecture, "you are a great stranger now. Won't you come and spend
to-morrow evening with us? We are going to have a little party. It is
my birthday, though I'm sure I don't know why an old man like me should
have any birthdays. But it's not my doing. Kate found it out, and she
would have a merry-making. I think myself after a man's forty, he
should go back to thirty-nine, thirty-eight, and so on, indicating his
progress towards none at all. That gives him a good sweep before he
comes to two, one, nought.
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