the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第22章
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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 tickets。
〃We came out right after supper；〃 said Titania as they entered； 〃so as to
get in before the crowd。〃
It is not so easy； however； to get ahead of Brooklyn movie fans。 They
had to stand for several minutes in a packed lobby while a stern young
man held the waiting crowd in check with a velvet rope。 Aubrey sustained
delightful spasms of the protective instinct in trying to shelter Titania from
buffets and pushings。 Unknown to her； his arm extended behind her like an
iron rod to absorb the onward impulses of the eager throng。 A rustling
groan ran through these enthusiasts as they saw the preliminary footage of
the great Tarzan flash onto the screen； and realized they were missing
something。 At last； however； the trio got through the barrier and found
three seats well in front； at one side。 From this angle the flying pictures
were strangely distorted； but Aubrey did not mind。
〃Isn't it lucky I got here when I did；〃 whispered Titania。 〃Mr。 Mifflin
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has just had a telephone call from Philadelphia asking him to go over on
Monday to make an estimate on a library that's going to be sold so I'll be
able to look after the shop for him while he's gone。〃
〃Is that so？〃 said Aubrey。 〃Well； now； I've got to be in Brooklyn on
Monday； on business。 Maybe Mrs。 Mifflin would let me come in and
buy some books from you。〃
〃Customers always welcome；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin。
〃I've taken a fancy to that Cromwell book；〃 said Aubrey。 〃What do you
suppose Mr。 Mifflin would sell it for？〃
〃I think that book must be valuable；〃 said Titania。 〃Somebody came
in this afternoon and wanted to buy it； but Mr。 Mifflin wouldn't part with it。
He says it's one of his favourites。 Gracious； what a weird film this is！〃
The fantastic absurdities of Tarzan proceeded on the screen； tearing
celluloid passions to tatters； but Aubrey found the strong man of the jungle
coming almost too close to his own imperious instincts。 Was not he； too
he thought naivelya poor Tarzan of the advertising jungle； lost among the
elephants and alligators of commerce； and sighing for this dainty and
unattainable vision of girlhood that had burst upon his burning gaze！ He
stole a perilous side…glance at her profile； and saw the racing flicker of the
screen reflected in tiny spangles of light that danced in her eyes。 He was
even so unknowing as to imagine that she was not aware of his
contemplation。 And then the lights went up。
〃What nonsense； wasn't it？〃 said Titania。 〃I'm so glad it's over！ I was
quite afraid one of those elephants would walk off the screen and tread on
us。〃
〃I never can understand；〃 said Helen； 〃why they don't film some of the
really good booksthink of Frank Stockton's stuff； how delightful that
would be。 Can't you imagine Mr。 and Mrs。 Drew playing in Rudder
Grange！〃
〃Thank goodness！〃 said Titania。 〃Since I entered the book business；
that's the first time anybody's mentioned a book that I've read。 Yesdo you
remember when Pomona and Jonas visit an insane asylum on their
honeymoon？ Do you know； you and Mr。 Mifflin remind me a little of Mr。
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and Mrs。 Drew。〃
Helen and Aubrey chuckled at this innocent correlation of ideas。 Then
the organ began to play 〃O How I Hate To Get Up in the Morning〃 and the
ever…delightful Mr。 and Mrs。 Drew appeared on the screen in one of their
domestic comedies。 Lovers of the movies may well date a new screen
era from the day those whimsical pantomimers set their wholesome and
humane talent at the service of the arc light and the lens。 Aubrey felt a
serene and intimate pleasure in watching them from a seat beside Titania。
He knew that the breakfast table scene shadowed before them was only a
makeshift section of lath propped up in some barnlike motion picture
studio； yet his rocketing fancy imagined it as some arcadian suburb where
he and Titania； by a jugglery of benign fate； were bungalowed together。
Young men have a pioneering imagination： it is doubtful whether any
young Orlando ever found himself side by side with Rosalind without
dreaming himself wedded to her。 If men die a thousand deaths before this
mortal coil is shuffled； even so surely do youths contract a thousand
marriages before they go to the City Hall for a license。
Aubrey remembered the opera glasses； which were still in his pocket；
and brought them out。 The trio amused themselves by watching Sidney
Drew's face through the magnifying lenses。 They were disappointed in the
result； however； as the pictures； when so enlarged； revealed all the cobweb
of fine cracks on the film。 Mr。 Drew's nose； the most amusing feature
known to the movies； lost its quaintness when so augmented。
〃Why；〃 cried Titania； 〃it makes his lovely nose look like the map of
Florida。〃
〃How on earth did you happen to have these in your pocket？〃 asked
Mrs。 Mifflin； returning the glasses。
Aubrey was hard pressed for a prompt and reasonable fib； but
advertising men are resourceful。
〃Oh；〃 he said； 〃I sometimes carry them with me at night to study the
advertising sky…signs。 I'm a little short sighted。 You see； it's part of my
business to study the technique of the electric signs。〃
After some current event pictures the programme prepared to repeat
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itself； and they went out。 〃Will you come in and have some cocoa with
us？〃 said Helen as they reached the door of the bookshop。 Aubrey was
eager enough to accept； but feared to overplay his hand。 〃I'm sorry；〃 he
said； 〃but I think I'd better not。 I've got some work to do to…night。 Perhaps
I can drop in on Monday when Mr。 Mifflin's away； and put coal on the
furnace for you； or something of that sort？〃
Mrs。 Mifflin laughed。 〃Surely！〃 she said。 〃You're welcome any
time。〃 The door closed behind them； and Aubrey fell into a profound
melancholy。 Deprived of the heavenly rhetoric of her eye； Gissing Street
seemed flat and dull。
It was still earlynot quite ten o'clockand it occurred to Aubrey that
if he was going to patrol the neighbourhood he had better fix its details in
his head。 Hazlitt； the next street below the bookshop； proved to be a
quiet little byway； cheerfully lit with modest dwellings。 A few paces
down Hazlitt Street a narrow cobbled alley ran through to Wordsworth
Avenue； passing between the back yards of Gissing Street and Whittier
Street。 The alley was totally dark； but by counting off the correct number
of houses Aubrey identified the rear entrance of the bookshop。 He tried the
yard gate cautiously； and found it unlocked。 Glancing in he could see a
light in the kitchen window
