the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第46节
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
business。 〃I hate to lose the value of all this advertising；〃 he lamented。 〃It
isn't often that a second…hand bookstore gets onto the front pages of the
newspapers。〃
〃I thought you didn't believe in advertising；〃 said Aubrey。
〃The kind of advertising I believe in；〃 said Roger； 〃is the kind that
doesn't cost you anything。〃
Aubrey smiled as he looked round at the dismantled shop。 〃It seems to
me that this'll cost you a tidy bit when the bill comes in。〃
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Roger； 〃This is just what I needed。 I was
getting into a rut。 The explosion has blown out a whole lot of books I
had forgotten about and didn't even know I had。 Look； here's an old copy
of How to Be Happy Though Married； which I see the publisher lists as
‘Fiction。' Here's Urn Burial； and The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac； and
Mistletoe's Book of Deplorable Facts。 I'm going to have a thorough house…
cleaning。 I'm thinking seriously of putting in a vacuum cleaner and a cash
register。 Titania was quite right； the place was too dirty。 That girl has
given me a lot of ideas。〃
Aubrey wanted to ask where she was； but didn't like to say so point…
blank。
〃There's no question about it；〃 said Roger； 〃an explosion now and then
does one good。 Since the reporters got here and dragged the whole yarn
out of us； I've had half a dozen offers from publishers for my book； a
lyceum bureau wants me to lecture on Bookselling as a Form of Public
Service； I've had five hundred letters from people asking when the shop
will reopen for business； and the American Booksellers' Association has
invited me to give an address at its convention next spring。 It's the first
recognition I've ever had。 If it weren't for poor dear old BockCome；
we've buried him in the back yard。 I want to show you his grave。〃
Over a pathetically small mound near the fence a bunch of big yellow
chrysanthemums were standing in a vase。
〃Titania put those there；〃 said Roger。 〃She says she's going to plant a
dogwood tree there in the spring。 We intend to put up a little stone for
him； and I'm trying to think of an inscription； I thought of De Mortuis Nil
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Nisi Bonum； but that's a bit too flippant。〃
The living quarters of the house had not been damaged by the
explosion； and Roger took Aubrey back to the den。 〃You've come just at
the right time；〃 he said。 〃Mr。 Chapman's coming to dinner this evening；
and we'll all have a good talk。 There's a lot about this business I don't
understand yet。〃
Aubrey was still keeping his eye open for a sign of Titania's presence；
and Roger noticed his wandering gaze。
〃This is Miss Chapman's afternoon off；〃 he said。 〃She got her first
salary to…day； and was so much exhilarated that she went to New York to
blow it in。 She's out with her father。 Excuse me； please； I'm going to help
Helen get dinner ready。〃
Aubrey sat down by the fire； and lit his pipe。 The burden of his
meditation was that it was just a week since he had first met Titania； and in
all that week there had been no waking moment when he had not thought
of her。 He was wondering how long it might take for a girl to fall in love？
A manhe knew now could fall in love in five minutes； but how did it
work with girls？ He was also thinking what unique Daintybits advertising
copy he could build （like all ad men he always spoke of building an ad；
never of writing one） out of this affair if he could only use the inside stuff。
He heard a rustle behind him； and there she was。 She had on a gray
fur coat and a lively little hat。 Her cheeks were delicately tinted by the
winter air。 Aubrey rose。
〃Why； Mr。 Gilbert！〃 she said。 〃Where have you been keeping
yourself when I wanted to see you so badly？ I haven't seen you； not to
talk to； since last Sunday。〃
He found it impossible to say anything intelligible。 She threw off her
coat； and went on； with a wistful gravity that became her even more than
smiles：
〃Mr。 Mifflin has told me some more about what you did last week I
mean； how you took a room across the street and spied upon that hateful
man and saw through the whole thing when we were too blind to know
what was going on。 And I want to apologize for the silly things I said
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
that Sunday morning。 Will you forgive me？〃
Aubrey had never felt his self…salesmanship ability at such a low ebb。
To his unspeakable horror； he felt his eyes betray him。 They grew moist。
〃Please don't talk like that；〃 he said。 〃I had no right to do what I did；
anyway。 And I was wrong in what I said about Mr。 Mifflin。 I don't
wonder you were angry。〃
〃Now surely you're not going to deprive me of the pleasure of
thanking you；〃 she said。 〃You know as well as I do that you saved my
lifeall our lives； that night。 I guess you'd have saved poor Bock's； too；
if you could。〃 Her eyes filled with tears。
〃If anybody deserves credit； it's you；〃 he said。 〃Why； if it hadn't been
for you they'd have been away with that suitcase and probably Metzger
would have got his bomb on board the ship and blown up the President
〃
〃I'm not arguing with you；〃 she said。 〃I'm just thanking you。〃
It was a happy little party that sat down in Roger's dining room that
evening。 Helen had prepared Eggs Samuel Butler in Aubrey's honour；
and Mr。 Chapman had brought two bottles of champagne to pledge the
future success of the bookshop。 Aubrey was called upon to announce the
result of his conferences with the secret service men who had been looking
up Weintraub's record。
〃It all seems so simple now；〃 he said； 〃that I wonder we didn't see
through it at once。 You see； we all made the mistake of assuming that
German plotting would stop automatically when the armistice was signed。
It seems that this man Weintraub was one of the most dangerous spies
Germany had in this country。 Thirty or forty fires and explosions on our
ships at sea are said to have been due to his work。 As he had lived here so
long and taken out citizen's papers； no one suspected him。 But after his
death； his wife； whom he had treated very brutally； gave way and told a
great deal about his activities。 According to her； as soon as it was
announced that the President would go to the Peace Conference；
Weintraub made up his mind to get a bomb into the President's cabin on
board the George Washington。 Mrs。 Weintraub tried to dissuade him from
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
it； as she was in secret opposed to these murderous plots of his； but he
threatened to kill her if she thwarted him。 She lived in terror of her life。 I
can believe it； for I remember her face when her husband looked at her。
〃Of course to make the bomb was simple enough for Weintraub。 He
had an infernally complete laboratory in the cellar of his house； where he
had made hundreds。 The problem was； how to make a bomb that would
not look suspicious； and how to get it into the President's private cabin。
He hit on the idea of binding it into the cover of a book。 How he came to
choose that particular volume； I don't know。〃
〃I think probably I gave him the idea quite innocently；〃 said Roger。
〃He used to come in here a good deal and one day he asked me whether
Mr。 Wilson was a great reader。 I said that I believed he was； and then
mentioned the Cromwell； which I had heard was one of Wilson's favourite
books。 Weintraub was much interested and said he must read the book
some day。 I remember now that he stood in that alcove for some time；
looking over it。〃
〃Well；〃 said Aubrey； 〃it must have seemed to him that luck was
playing into h
