the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第38章
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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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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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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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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 his hands。 This man Metzger； who had been an assistant
chef at the Octagon for years； was slated to go on board the George
Washington with the party of cooks from that hotel who were to prepare
the President's meals。 Weintraub was informed of all this from someone
higher up in the German spy organization。 Metzger； who was known as
Messier at the hotel； was a very clever chef； and had fake passports as a
Swiss citizen。 He was another tool of the organization。 By the original
scheme there would have been no direct communication between
Weintraub and Metzger； but the go…between was spotted by the
Department of Justice on another count； and is now behind bars at Atlanta。
〃It seems that Weintraub had conceived the idea that the least
suspicious way of passing his messages to Metzger would be to slip them
into a copy of some booka book little likely to be purchased in a
second…hand bookshop。 Metzger had been informed what the book was；
butperhaps owing to the unexpected removal of the go…between did not
know in which shop he was to find it。 That explains why so many
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booksellers had inquiries from him recently for a copy of the Cromwell
volume。
〃Weintraub； of course； was not at all anxious to have any direct
dealings with Metzger； as the druggist had a high regard for his own skin。
When the chef was finally informed where the bookshop was in which he
was to see the book； he hurried over here。 Weintraub had picked out this
shop not only because it was as unlikely as any place on earth to be
suspected as a channel of spy codes； but also because he had your
confidence and could drop in frequently without arousing surprise。 The
first time Metzger came here happened to be the night I dined with you； as
you remember。〃
Roger nodded。 〃He asked for the book； and to my surprise； it wasn't
there。〃
〃No： for the excellent reason that Weintraub had taken it some days
before； to measure it so he could build his infernal machine to fit； and also
to have it rebound。 He needed the original binding as a case for his bomb。
The following night； as you told me； it came back。 He brought it himself；
having provided himself with a key to your front door。〃
〃It was gone again on Thursday night； when the Corn Cob Club met
here；〃 said Mr。 Chapman。
〃Yes； that time Metzger had taken it；〃 said Aubrey。 〃He
misunderstood his instructions； and thought he was to steal the book。 You
see； owing to the absence of their third man； they were working at cross
purposes。 Metzger； I think； was only intended to get his information out
of the book； and leave it where it was。 At any rate； he was puzzled； and
inserted that ad in the Times the next morningthat LOST ad； you
remember。 By that； I imagine； he intended to convey the idea that he had
located the bookshop； but didn't know what to do next。 And the date he
mentioned in the ad； midnight on Tuesday； December third； was to inform
Weintraub （of whose identity he was still ignorant） when Metzger was to
go on board the ship。 Weintraub had been instructed by their spy
organization to watch the LOST and FOUND ads。〃
〃Think of it！〃 cried Titania。
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〃Well；〃 continued Aubrey； 〃all this may not be 100 per cent。
