the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第26节
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（2） The chef in the elevator carrying the book that was supposed to be
losthe being the same man Aubrey had seen in the bookshop on Tuesday
evening。
（3） Seeing the chef again on Gissing Street。
（4） The return of the book to the bookshop。
（5） Mifflin had said that the book had been stolen from him。 Then why
should it be either advertised or returned？
（6） The rebinding of the book。
（7） Finding the original cover of the book in Weintraub's drug store。
（8） The affair on the Bridge。
（9） The telephone message from 〃a friend〃a friend with an obviously
Teutonic voice。
He remembered the face of anger and fear displayed by the Octagon
chef when he had spoken to him in the elevator。 Until this oddly
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menacing telephone message； he could have explained the attack on the
Bridge as merely a haphazard foot…pad enterprise； but now he was forced
to conclude that it was in some way connected with his visits to the
bookshop。 He felt； too； that in some unknown way Weintraub's drug
store had something to do with it。 Would he have been attacked if he had
not taken the book cover from the drug store？ He got the cover out of his
bag and looked at it again。 It was of plain blue cloth； with the title stamped
in gold on the back； and at the bottom the lettering London： Chapman
and Hall。 From the width of the backstrap it was evident that the book
had been a fat one。 Inside the front cover the figure 60 was written in red
pencil this he took to be Roger Mifflin's price mark。 Inside the back
cover he found the following notations
vol。 3166； 174； 210； 329； 349 329 ff。 cf。 W。 W。
These references were written in black ink； in a small； neat hand。
Below them； in quite a different script and in pale violet ink； was written
153 （3） 1； 2
〃I suppose these are page numbers；〃 Aubrey thought。 〃I think I'd
better have a look at that book。〃
He put the cover in his pocket and went out for a bite of supper。 〃It's a
puzzle with three sides to it；〃 he thought； as he descended the crepitant
stairs； 〃The Bookshop； the Octagon； and Weintraub's； but that book seems
to be the clue to the whole business。〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Chapter VIII
Aubrey Goes to the Movies； and Wishes he Knew More German
A few doors from the bookshop was a small lunchroom named after
the great city of Milwaukee； one of those pleasant refectories where the
diner buys his food at the counter and eats it sitting in a flat…armed chair。
Aubrey got a bowl of soup； a cup of coffee； beef stew； and bran muffins；
and took them to an empty seat by the window。 He ate with one eye on the
street。 From his place in the corner he could command the strip of
pavement in front of Mifflin's shop。 Halfway through the stew he saw
Roger come out onto the pavement and begin to remove the books from
the boxes。
After finishing his supper he lit one of his 〃mild but they satisfy〃
cigarettes and sat in the comfortable warmth of a near…by radiator。 A large
black cat lay sprawled on the next chair。 Up at the service counter there
was a pleasant clank of stout crockery as occasional customers came in
and ordered their victuals。 Aubrey began to feel a relaxation swim
through his veins。 Gissing Street was very bright and orderly in its
Saturday evening bustle。 Certainly it was grotesque to imagine
melodrama hanging about a second…hand bookshop in Brooklyn。 The
revolver felt absurdly lumpy and uncomfortable in his hip pocket。 What a
different aspect a little hot supper gives to affairs！ The most resolute
idealist or assassin had better write his poems or plan his atrocities before
the evening meal。 After the narcosis of that repast the spirit falls into a
softer mood； eager only to be amused。 Even Milton would hardly have
had the inhuman fortitude to sit down to the manuscript of Paradise Lost
right after supper。 Aubrey began to wonder if his unpleasant suspicions
had not been overdrawn。 He thought how delightful it would be to stop
in at the bookshop and ask Titania to go to the movies with him。
Curious magic of thought！ The idea was still sparkling in his mind
when he saw Titania and Mrs。 Mifflin emerge from the bookshop and pass
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briskly in front of the lunchroom。 They were talking and laughing
merrily。 Titania's face； shining with young vitality； seemed to him more
〃attention…compelling〃 than any ten…point Caslon type…arrangement he had
ever seen。 He admired the layout of her face from the standpoint of his
cherished technique。 〃Just enough ‘white space；'〃 he thought； 〃to set off
her eyes as the ‘centre of interest。' Her features aren't this modern bold…
face stuff； set solid；〃 he said to himself； thinking typographically。
〃They're rather French old…style italic； slightly leaded。 Set on 22…point
body； I guess。 Old man Chapman's a pretty good typefounder； you have to
hand it to him。〃
He smiled at this conceit； seized hat and coat； and dashed out of the
lunchroom。
Mrs。 Mifflin and Titania had halted a few yards up the street； and were
looking at some pert little bonnets in a window。 Aubrey hurried across the
street； ran up to the next corner； recrossed； and walked down the eastern
pavement。 In this way he would meet them as though he were coming
from the subway。 He felt rather more excited than King Albert re…
entering Brussels。 He saw them coming； chattering together in the
delightful fashion of women out on a spree。 Helen seemed much younger
in the company of her companion。 〃A lining of pussy…willow taffeta and
an embroidered slip…on；〃 she was saying。
Aubrey steered onto them with an admirable gesture of surprise。
〃Well； I never！〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin。 〃Here's Mr。 Gilbert。 Were you
coming to see Roger？〃 she added； rather enjoying the young man's
predicament。
Titania shook hands cordially。 Aubrey； searching the old…style italics
with the desperate intensity of a proofreader； saw no evidence of chagrin
at seeing him again so soon。
〃Why；〃 he said rather lamely； 〃I was coming to see you all。 II
wondered how you were getting along。〃
Mrs。 Mifflin had pity on him。 〃We've left Mr。 Mifflin to look after
the shop；〃 she said。 〃He's busy with some of his old crony customers。
Why don't you come with us to the movies？〃
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〃Yes； do；〃 said Titania。 〃It's Mr。 and Mrs。 Sidney Drew； you know
how adorable they are！〃
No one needs to be told how quickly Aubrey assented。 Pleasure
coincided with duty in that the outer wing of the party placed him next to
Titania。
〃Well； how do you like bookselling？〃 he asked。
〃Oh； it's the greatest fun！〃 she cried。 〃But it'll take me ever and ever
so long to learn about all the books。 People ask such questions！ A
woman came in this afternoon looking for a copy of Blase Tales。 How was
I to know she wanted The Blazed Trail？〃
〃You'll get used to that；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin。 〃Just a minute； people； I
want to stop in at the drug store。〃
They went into Weintraub's pharmacy。 Entranced as he was by the
proximity of Miss Chapman； Aubrey noticed that the druggist eyed him
rather queerly。 And being of a noticing habit； he also observed that when
Weintraub had occasion to write out a label for a box of powdered alum
Mrs。 Mifflin was buying； he did so with a pale violet ink。
At the glass sentry…box in front of the theatre Aubrey insisted on
buying the ticke
