Open the brackets and put the verbs in to the proper tense form.
Once, while I 1__________ (walk) in a park in London, I 2_________ (see) an old strange-looking man. He 3_______ (sit) on a bench 4________ (hold) a closed book in his hands. I 5_______ (sit) down on the bench and 6________ (look) at the book. I 7 (see) that the book 8_______ (be) of great interest. It 9________ (be) a very old copy of early Byron's works. I 10_________ (look) at the old man in surprise and 11__________ (understand) that he 12_________ (know) I 13_____________ (sit) on the bench because of him and the book he 14__________ (hold) in his hands. I 15______ (smile). "It is the last I 16_______ (have)," he said and 17________ (stretch) it out to me. I 18_______ (take) with the words, "I 19________ (be) a lover of old books."
I 20_____ (open) this small book and 21_______ (look) at the date. "Oh," I said. "It 22_________ (be) a remarkable book." "Yes," he 23________ (sigh). "I 24________ (have) to sell it to buy the necessities of life. I 25__________ (have) a hard life and this book 26________always_______________________ (be) a comfort to me."
I 27_______ (nod) and 28________ (think) that I 29_______never______ (see) such a remarkable book.