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On the other hand, when I spoke of the future possibility of a museum under the management of the School, M. Maitre agree that this building, should be placed within the Legation Quarter, both for safety's sake and as an additional proof of its security and permanence to the native Chinese collectors whose objects we should desire as loans.
The School library he considers of the utmost importance in our work from the very first, and sees no reasons for not placing it the headquarters of the staff outside the Legation Quarter.  He agreed with me that a small fire-proof building in foreign style could be so constructed as to be masked by the original Chinese buildings, and not be an offence in those surroundings.  FRENCH COOPERATION [[underline]]  Best of all, he volunteered to lend our institution the services of a member of his staff who has been chiefly engaged in the purchase of the remarkable collection of Chinese books in the School library at Hanoi.  Knowing that this library was reputed to be the best of its sort in the world, (with the possible exception of that in the Imperial University of Kyoto,) I considered the offer as of unusual value.  In this connection M. Maitre told me of the good fortune of the French School in being able to take advantage of the conditions in Peking following the disturbances of 1900 and 1910, when valuable private libraries had been sold for inconsiderable sums.  He emphasized the fact, which I had already noticed in Peking, that old books are fast developing a scarcity value owing to the activities of European agents, and that prices are rising with alarming rapidity.