Since at least four years ago, when the last edition of Residua appeared in print, my book files have been ever more carefully hidden in my computer. All the folder and file labels were carefully selected to thwart clever searches. Lauren has been obsessed with my writings, and I know that she has rifled through my machine on several occasions. However, she never found anything. At one point a couple of years ago she even complained playfully about her poor search record. I was apprehensive not only of her discovery of my many indiscretions, but also of the possibility that she would get so enraged as to destroy my computer. Although I have been very careful to regularly copy my writings, as well as to keep the copies out of her way, the most recent stuff would thereby be lost. It is not an exaggeration when I say that I lived in constant fear of loss. Anyway, I knew that my life with Lauren was over when I removed all the clever veils from my book files. Since yesterday morning, the folder with the sensitive files sits on top of my desktop and it bears a plain label. Residua, how glorious that label looks to me now!