...For the more he looked at and handled these old books, the more the feeling grew within him that Carstairs' passion lay not in the ownership of such volumes, but in their use. And if that were the case, then yesterday's caution-- however instinctive, involuntary-- might yet prove to have stood him in good stead. He thought back to Carstairs' question about his date of birth, and of the man's alleged interest-- his "consuming" interest-- in astrology. Strange, then, that there was hardly a volume on that subject to be found among all of these books.
Not so strange, though, that in answer to Carstairs' question he had lied. For as a numerologist, Crow had learned something of the importance of names, numbers, and dates-- especially to an occultist! No magician in all the long, macabre history of mankind would ever have let the date of his birth be known to an enemy, nor even his name, if that were at all avoidable. For who could tell what use the other might make of such knowledge, these principal factors affecting a man's destiny!