the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第11节
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neighbours to send in their children once a week； and start a little school。
Causeries du lundi； in fact！ Who knows I may yet be the Sainte Beuve of
Brooklyn。〃
Across his mind flashed a vision of newspaper clippings〃This
remarkable student of letters； who hides his brilliant parts under the
unassuming existence of a second…hand bookseller； is now recognized as
the〃
〃Roger！〃 called Mrs。 Mifflin from downstairs： 〃Front！ someone
wants to know if you keep back numbers of Foamy Stories。〃
After he had thrown out the intruder； Roger returned to his meditation。
〃This selection；〃 he mused； 〃is of course only tentative。 It is to act as a
preliminary test； to see what sort of thing interests her。 First of all； her
name naturally suggests Shakespeare and the Elizabethans。 It's a
remarkable name； Titania Chapman： there must be great virtue in prunes！
Let's begin with a volume of Christopher Marlowe。 Then Keats； I guess：
every young person ought to shiver over St。 Agnes' Eve on a bright cold
winter evening。 Over Bemerton's； certainly； because it's a bookshop story。
Eugene Field's Tribune Primer to try out her sense of humour。 And Archy；
by all means； for the same reason。 I'll go down and get the Archy
scrapbook。〃
It should be explained that Roger was a keen admirer of Don Marquis；
the humourist of the New York Evening Sun。 Mr。 Marquis once lived in
Brooklyn； and the bookseller was never tired of saying that he was the
most eminent author who had graced the borough since the days of Walt
Whitman。 Archy； the imaginary cockroach whom Mr。 Marquis uses as a
vehicle for so much excellent fun； was a constant delight to Roger； and he
had kept a scrapbook of all Archy's clippings。 This bulky tome he now
brought out from the grotto by his desk where his particular treasures were
kept。 He ran his eye over it； and Mrs。 Mifflin heard him utter shrill
screams of laughter。
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
〃What on earth is it？〃 she asked。
〃Only Archy；〃 he said； and began to read aloud
down in a wine vault underneath the city two old men were sitting they
were drinking booze torn were their garments hair and beards were gritty
one had an overcoat but hardly any shoes
overhead the street cars through the streets were running filled with
happy people going home to christmas in the adirondacks the hunters all
were gunning big ships were sailing down by the isthmus
in came a little tot for to kiss her granny such a little totty she could
scarcely tottle saying kiss me grandpa kiss your little nanny but the old
man beaned her with a whisky bottle。
outside the snowflakes began for to flutter far at sea the ships were
sailing with the seamen not another word did angel nanny utter her
grandsire chuckled and pledged the whisky demon
up spake the second man he was worn and weary tears washed his face
which otherwise was pasty she loved her parents who commuted on the
erie brother im afraid you struck a trifle hasty
she came to see you all her pretty duds on bringing christmas posies
from her mothers garden riding in the tunnel underneath the hudson
brother was it rum caused your heart to harden
〃What on earth is there funny in that？〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin。 〃Poor little
lamb； I think it was terrible。〃
〃There's more of it；〃 cried Roger； and opened his mouth to continue。
〃No more； thank you；〃 said Helen。 〃There ought to be a fine for
using the meter of Love in the Valley that way。 I'm going out to market
so if the bell rings you'll have to answer it。〃
Roger added the Archy scrapbook to Miss Titania's shelf； and went on
browsing over the volumes he had collected。
〃The Nigger of the Narcissus；〃 he said to himself； 〃for even if she
doesn't read the story perhaps she'll read the preface； which not marble nor
the monuments of princes will outlive。 Dickens' Christmas Stories to
introduce her to Mrs。 Lirriper； the queen of landladies。 Publishers tell me
that Norfolk Street； Strand； is best known for the famous literary agent that
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
has his office there； but I wonder how many of them know that that was
where Mrs。 Lirriper had her immortal lodgings？ The Notebooks of
Samuel Butler； just to give her a little intellectual jazz。 The Wrong Box；
because it's the best farce in the language。 Travels with a Donkey； to show
her what good writing is like。 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to
give her a sense of pity for human woeswait a minute； though： that's a
pretty broad book for young ladies。 I guess we'll put it aside and see
what else there is。 Some of Mr。 Mosher's catalogues： fine！ they'll show
her the true spirit of what one book…lover calls biblio…bliss。 Walking…Stick
Papers yes； there are still good essayists running around。 A bound file
of ‘The Publishers' Weekly to give her a smack of trade matters。 Jo's Boys
in case she needs a little relaxation。 The Lays of Ancient Rome and
Austin Dobson to show her some good poetry。 I wonder if they give them
The Lays to read in school nowadays？ I have a horrible fear they are
brought up on the battle of Salamis and the brutal redcoats of '76。 And
now we'll be exceptionally subtle： we'll stick in a Robert Chambers to see
if she falls for it。〃
He viewed the shelf with pride。 〃Not bad；〃 he said to himself。 〃I'll
just add this Leonard Merrick； Whispers about Women； to amuse her。 I bet
that title will start her guessing。 Helen will say I ought to have included
the Bible； but I'll omit it on purpose； just to see whether the girl misses it。〃
With typical male curiosity he pulled out the bureau drawers to see
what disposition his wife had made of them； and was pleased to find a
little muslin bag of lavender dispersing a quiet fragrance in each。 〃Very
nice；〃 he remarked。 〃Very nice indeed！ About the only thing missing is
an ashtray。 If Miss Titania is as modern as some of them； that'll be the
first thing she'll call for。 And maybe a copy of Ezra Pound's poems。 I
do hope she's not what Helen calls a bolshevixen。〃
There was nothing bolshevik about a glittering limousine that drew
up at the corner of Gissing and Swinburne streets early that afternoon。 A
chauffeur in green livery opened the door； lifted out a suitcase of beautiful
brown leather； and gave a respectful hand to the vision that emerged from
depths of lilac…coloured upholstery。
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〃Where do you want me to carry the bag； miss？〃
〃This is the bitter parting；〃 replied Miss Titania。 〃I don't want you to
know my address； Edwards。 Some of my mad friends might worm it out
of you； and I don't want them coming down and bothering me。 I am going
to be very busy with literature。 I'll walk the rest of the way。〃
Edwards saluted with a grinhe worshipped the original young
heiress and returned to his wheel。
〃There's one thing I want you to do for me；〃 said Titania。 〃Call up my
father and tell him I'm on the job。〃
〃Yes； miss；〃 said Edwards； who would have run the limousine into a
government motor truck if she had ordered it。
Miss Chapman's small gloved hand descended into an interesting
purse that was cuffed to her wrist with a bright little chain。 She drew out a
nickelit was characteristic of her that it was a very bright and engaging
looking nickeland handed it gravely to her charioteer。 Equally gravely
he saluted； and the car； after moving through certain dignified arcs； swam
swiftly away down Thackeray Boulevard。
Titania； after making sure that Edwards was out of sight； turned up
Gissing Street with a fluent pace and an observant eye。 A small boy cried；
〃Car
