Village books

Just as Arthur was a different man in the operating
theatre, Dr Porhoet was changed among his books. Though he preserved the
amiable serenity which made him always so attractive, he had there a
diverting brusqueness of demeanour which contrasted quaintly with his
usual calm.
'I was telling these young people, when you came in, of an ancient Koran
which I was given in Alexandria by a learned man whom I operated upon for
cataract.' He showed her a beautifully-written Arabic work, with
wonderful capitals and headlines in gold. 'You know that it is almost
impossible for an infidel to acquire the holy book, and this is a
particularly rare copy, for it was written by Kait Bey, the greatest of
the Mameluke Sultans.'
He handled the delicate pages as a lover of flowers would handle
rose-leaves.
'And have you much literature on the occult sciences?' asked Susie.
Dr Porhoet smiled.
'I venture to think that no private library contains so complete a
collection, but I dare not show it to you in the presence of our friend
Arthur.


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