Montag reveals his hidden books

After Beatty leaves, Montag decides to show Mildred the collection of books he has been secretly hoarding over the past year. He retrieves them from the ventilator grille and reveals about twenty books. Mildred is horrified and tries to burn them, but Montag stops her. He pleads with her to help him understand the books and to give him 48 hours to see if they contain anything meaningful. Mildred reluctantly agrees, but her fear and loyalty to the system are evident.