the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第16节
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tries you with brandied peaches a la Harold Bell Wright。〃
Aubrey uttered some genial reassurance； still making the supreme
sacrifice of keeping his eyes away from where （he felt） they belonged。
〃Mr。 Gilbert has just had a queer experience；〃 said Roger。 〃Tell them
about it。〃
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In the most reckless way； Aubrey permitted himself to be impaled
upon a direct and interested flash of blue lightning。 〃I was having dinner
with your father at the Octagon。〃
The high tension voltage of that bright blue current felt like ohm sweet
ohm； but Aubrey dared not risk too much of it at once。 Fearing to blow out
a fuse； he turned in panic to Mrs。 Mifflin。 〃You see；〃 he explained； 〃I write
a good deal of Mr。 Chapman's advertising for him。 We had an
appointment to discuss some business matters。 We're planning a big
barrage on prunes。〃
〃Dad works much too hard； don't you think？〃 said Titania。
Aubrey welcomed this as a pleasant avenue of discussion leading into
the parkland of Miss Chapman's family affairs； but Roger insisted on his
telling the story of the chef and the copy of Cromwell。
〃And he followed you here？〃 exclaimed Titania。 〃What fun！ I had no
idea the book business was so exciting。〃
〃Better lock the door to…night； Roger；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin； 〃or he may
walk off with a set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica。〃
〃Why； my dear；〃 said Roger； 〃I think this is grand news。 Here's a man；
in a humble walk of life； so keen about good books that he even pickets a
bookstore on the chance of swiping some。 It's the most encouraging thing
I've ever heard of。 I must write to the Publishers' Weekly about it。〃
〃Well；〃 said Aubrey； 〃you mustn't let me interrupt your little party。〃
〃You're not interrupting；〃 said Roger。 〃We were only reading aloud。
Do you know Dickens' Christmas Stories？〃
〃I'm afraid I don't。〃
〃Suppose we go on reading； shall we？〃
〃Please do。〃
〃Yes； do go on；〃 said Titania。 〃Mr。 Mifflin was just reading about a
most adorable head waiter in a London chop house。〃
Aubrey begged permission to light his pipe； and Roger picked up the
book。 〃But before we read the items of the coffee…room bill；〃 he said； 〃I
think it only right that we should have a little refreshment。 This passage
should never be read without something to accompany it。 My dear； what
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do you say to a glass of sherry all round？〃
〃It is sad to have to confess it；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin to Titania； 〃Mr。
Mifflin can never read Dickens without having something to drink。 I think
the sale of Dickens will fall off terribly when prohibition comes in。〃
〃I once took the trouble to compile a list of the amount of liquor drunk
in Dickens' works；〃 said Roger； 〃and I assure you the total was astounding：
7；000 hogsheads； I believe it was。 Calculations of that sort are great fun。
I have always intended to write a little essay on the rainstorms in the
stories of Robert Louis Stevenson。 You see R。 L。 S。 was a Scot； and well
acquainted with wet weather。 Excuse me a moment； I'll just run down
cellar and get up a bottle。〃
Roger left the room； and they heard his steps passing down into the
cellar。 Bock； after the manner of dogs； followed him。 The smells of
cellars are a rare treat to dogs； especially ancient Brooklyn cellars which
have a cachet all their own。 The cellar of the Haunted Bookshop was； to
Bock； a fascinating place； illuminated by a warm glow from the furnace；
and piled high with split packing…cases which Roger used as kindling。
From below came the rasp of a shovel among coal； and the clear； musical
slither as the lumps were thrown from the iron scoop onto the fire。 Just
then the bell rang in the shop。
〃Let me go；〃 said Titania； jumping up。
〃Can't I？〃 said Aubrey。
〃Nonsense！〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin； laying down her knitting。 〃Neither of
you knows anything about the stock。 Sit down and be comfortable。 I'll be
right back。〃
Aubrey and Titania looked at each other with a touch of
embarrassment。
〃Your father sent you hishis kind regards；〃 said Aubrey。 That was not
what he had intended to say； but somehow he could not utter the word。
〃He said not to read all the books at once。〃
Titania laughed。 〃How funny that you should run into him just when
you were coming here。 He's a duck； isn't he？〃
〃Well； you see I only know him in a business way； but he certainly is a
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corker。 He believes in advertising； too。〃
〃Are you crazy about books？〃
〃Why； I never really had very much to do with them。 I'm afraid you'll
think I'm terribly ignorant〃
〃Not at all。 I'm awfully glad to meet someone who doesn't think it's a
crime not to have read all the books there are。〃
〃This is a queer kind of place； isn't it？〃
〃Yes； it's a funny idea to call it the Haunted Bookshop。 I wonder what
it means。〃
〃Mr。 Mifflin told me it meant haunted by the ghosts of great literature。
I hope they won't annoy you。 The ghost of Thomas Carlyle seems to be
pretty active。〃
〃I'm not afraid of ghosts；〃 said Titania。
Aubrey gazed at the fire。 He wanted to say that he intended from
now on to do a little haunting on his own account but he did not know just
how to break it gently。 And then Roger returned from the cellar with the
bottle of sherry。 As he was uncorking it； they heard the shop door close；
and Mrs。 Mifflin came in。
〃Well； Roger；〃 she said； 〃if you think so much of your old Cromwell；
you'd better keep it in here。 Here it is。〃 She laid the book on the table。
〃For the love of Mike！〃 exclaimed Roger。 〃Who brought it back？〃
〃I guess it was your friend the assistant chef；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin。
〃Anyway； he had a beard like a Christmas tree。 He was mighty polite。
He said he was terribly absent minded； and that the other day he was in
here looking at some books and just walked off with it without knowing
what he was doing。 He offered to pay for the trouble he had caused； but
of course I wouldn't let him。 I asked if he wanted to see you； but he said
he was in a hurry。〃
〃I'm almost disappointed；〃 said Roger。 〃I thought that I had turned
up a real booklover。 Here we are； all hands drink the health of Mr。
Thomas Carlyle。〃
The toast was drunk； and they settled themselves in their chairs。
〃And here's to the new employee；〃 said Helen。 This also was
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dispatched； Aubrey draining his glass with a zeal which did not escape
Miss Chapman's discerning eye。 Roger then put out his hand for the
Dickens。 But first he picked up his beloved Cromwell。 He looked at it
carefully； and then held the volume close to the light。
〃The mystery's not over yet；〃 he said。 〃It's been rebound。 This isn't
the original binding。〃
〃Are you sure？〃 said Helen in surprise。 〃It looks the same。〃
〃The binding has been cleverly imitated； but it can't fool me。 In the
first place； there was a rubbed corner at the top； and there was an ink stain
on one of the end papers。〃
〃There's still a stain there；〃 said Aubrey； looking over his shoulder。
〃Yes； but not the same stain。 I've had that book long enough to know
it by heart。 Now what the deuce would that lunatic want to have it
rebound for？〃
〃Goodness gracious；〃 said Helen； 〃put it away and forget about it。
We'll all be dreaming about Carlyle if you're not careful。〃
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Chapter V
Aubrey Walks Part Way Homeand Rides The Rest of
