the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第31章
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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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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
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 and assumed that the cocoa was being brewed。
Then a window glowed upstairs； and he was thrilled to see Titania shining
in the lamplight。 She moved to the window and pulled down the blind。
For a moment he saw her head and shoulders silhouetted against the
curtain； then the light went out。
Aubrey stood briefly in sentimental thought。 If he only had a couple
of blankets； he mused； he could camp out here in Roger's back yard all
night。 Surely no harm could come to the girl while he kept watch
beneath her casement！ The idea was just fantastic enough to appeal to
him。 Then； as he stood in the open gateway； he heard distant footfalls
coming down the alley； and a grumble of voices。 Perhaps two policemen
on their rounds； he thought： it would be awkward to be surprised
skulking about back doors at this time of night。 He slipped inside the gate
and closed it gently behind him； taking the precaution to slip the bolt。
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
The footsteps came nearer； stumbling down the uneven cobbles in the
darkness。 He stood still against the back fence。 To his amazement the
men halted outside Mifflin's gate； and he heard the latch quietly lifted。
〃It's no use；〃 said a voice〃the gate is locked。 We must find some
other way； my friend。〃
Aubrey tingled to hear the rolling； throaty 〃r〃 in the last word。 There
was no mistakingthis was the voice of his 〃friend and wellwisher〃 over
the telephone。
The other said something in German in a hoarse whisper。 Having
studied that language in college； Aubrey caught only two words Thur
and Schlussel； which he knew meant door and key。
〃Very well；〃 said the first voice。 〃That will be all right； but we must
act to…night。 The damned thing must be finished to…morrow。 Your idiotic
stupidity〃
Again followed some gargling in German； in a rapid undertone too
fluent for Aubrey's grasp。 The latch of the alley gate clicked once more；
and his hand was on his revolver； but in a moment the two had passed on
down the alley。
The young advertising agent stood against the fence in silent horror；
his heart bumping heavily。 His hands were clammy； his feet seemed to
have grown larger and taken root。 What damnable complot was this？ A
sultry wave of anger passed over him。 This bland； slick； talkative
bookseller； was he arranging some blackmailing scheme to kidnap the girl
and wring blood…money out of her father？ And in league with Germans；
too； the scoundrel！ What an asinine thing for old Chapman to send an
unprotected girl over here into the wilds of Brooklyn 。 。 。 and in the
meantime； what was he to do？ Patrol the back yard all night？ No； the
friend and wellwisher had said 〃We must find some other way。〃 Besides；
Aubrey remembered something having been said about the old terrier
sleeping in the kitchen。 He felt sure Bock would not let any German in at
night without raising the roof。 Probably the best way would be to watch
the front of the shop。 In miserable perplexity he waited several minutes
until the two Germans would be well out of earshot。 Then he unbolted
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
the gate and stole up the alley on tiptoe； in the opposite direction。 It led
into Wordsworth Avenue just behind Weintraub's drug store； over the rear
of which hung the great girders and trestles of the 〃L〃 station； a kind of
Swiss chalet straddling the street on stilts。 He thought it prudent to make a
detour； so he turned east on Wordsworth Avenue until he reached Whittier
Street； then sauntered easily down Whittier for a block； spying sharply for
evidences of pursuit。 Brooklyn was putting out its lights for the night； and
all was quiet。 He turned into Hazlitt Street and so back onto Gissing；
noticing now that the Haunted Bookshop lights were off。 It was nearly
eleven o'clock： the last audience was filing out of the movie theatre； where
two workmen were already perched on ladders taking down the Tarzan
electric light sign； to substitute the illuminated lettering for the next
feature。
After some debate he decided that the best thing to do was to return to
his room at Mrs。 Schiller's； from which he could keep a sharp watch on the
front door of the bookshop。 By good fortune there was a lamp post
almost directly in front of Mifflin's house； which cast plenty of light on the
little sunken area before the door。 With his opera glasses he could see from
his bedroom whatever went on。 As he crossed the street he cast his eyes
upward at the facade of Mrs。 Schiller's house。 Two windows in the
fourth storey were lit； and the gas burned minutely in the downstairs hall；
elsewhere all was dark。 And then； as he glanced at the window of his
own chamber； where the curtain was still tucked back behind the pane； he
noticed a curious thing。 A small point of rosy light glowed； faded； and
glowed again by the window。 Someone was smoking a cigar in his room。
Aubrey continued walking in even stride； as though he had seen
nothing。 R
