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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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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
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 the Way
It was a cold； clear night as Mr。 Aubrey Gilbert left the Haunted
Bookshop that evening； and set out to walk homeward。 Without making
a very conscious choice； he felt instinctively that it would be agreeable to
walk back to Manhattan rather than permit the roaring disillusion of the
subway to break in upon his meditations。
It is to be feared that Aubrey would have badly flunked any quizzing
on the chapters of Somebody's Luggage which the bookseller had read
aloud。 His mind was swimming rapidly in the agreeable； unfettered
fashion of a stream rippling downhill。 As O。 Henry puts it in one of his
most delightful stories： 〃He was outwardly decent and managed to
preserve his aquarium； but inside he was impromptu and full of
unexpectedness。〃 To say that he was thinking of Miss Chapman would
imply too much power of ratiocination and abstract scrutiny on his part。
He was not thinking： he was being thought。 Down the accustomed
channels of his intellect he felt his mind ebbing with the irresistible
movement of tides drawn by the blandishing moon。 And across these
shimmering estuaries of impulse his will； a lost and naked athlete； was
painfully attempting to swim； but making much leeway and already almost
resigned to being carried out to sea。
He stopped a moment at Weintraub's drug store； on the corner of
Gissing Street and Wordsworth Avenue； to buy some cigarettes； unfailing
solace of an agitated bosom。
It was the usual old…fashioned pharmacy of those parts of Brooklyn：
tall red； green； and blue vases of liquid in the windows threw blotches of
coloured light onto the pavement； on the panes was affixed white china
lettering： H。 WE TRAUB； DEUT CHE APOTHEKER。 Inside； the
customary shelves of labelled jars； glass cases holding cigars； nostrums
and toilet knick…knacks； and in one corner an ancient revolving bookcase
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deposited long ago by the Tabard Inn Library。 The shop was empty； but
as he opened the door a bell buzzed sharply。 In a back chamber he could
hear voices。 As he waited idly for the druggist to appear； Aubrey cast a
tolerant eye over the dusty volumes in the twirling case。 There were the
usual copies of Harold MacGrath's The Man on the Box； A Girl of the
Limberlost； and The Houseboat on the Styx。 The Divine Fire； much
grimed； leaned against Joe Chapple's Heart Throbs。 Those familiar with
the Tabard Inn bookc