Local elisp library files and variable corruption

[Live System User]

Hi,

        I'm trying to track down a possible problem with using
        local copies of elisp library files and variable
        corruption.

        I know that some Emacs libraries are dumped into Emacs
        so this may not be a problem with usage but only with its
        interaction with functions like `describe-variable'.

        Here's an example:

0. Create a .emacs file with the contents:

(add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/lisp")
(load-theme 'tramp t nil) ; Load an available theme

1. Put a copy of "dired.el.gz" in ~/.emacs.d/lisp

2. emacs &

3. M-x describe-variable RET after-init-hook


        The variable `after-init-hook' then appears to be corrupted:

after-init-hook is a variable defined in ‘startup.el’.
Its value is (#[0 "\305\211\235\203\306\"\301\307!\210\210    \205(\n\205 
\205 \310 ?\311 \210\312\211)\207"
     [command-line-args desktop-save-mode desktop-restore-frames 
initial-window-system inhibit-startup-screen "--no-desktop" delete 0 daemonp 
desktop-read t]
     4]
 x-wm-set-size-hint)


        Thanks.