the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第36章
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read Schopenhauer all evening if he has a tablespoonful of cocoa and a tin
of condensed milk available。 Of course it should be made with
condensed milk； which is the only way。〃
〃I had no idea anything could be so good；〃 said Titania。 〃Of course；
Daddy makes condensed milk in one of his factories； but I never dreamed
of trying it。 I thought it was only used by explorers； people at the North
Pole； you know。〃
〃How stupid of me！〃 exclaimed Roger。 〃I quite forgot to tell you！
Your father called up just after you had gone out this evening； and wanted
to know how you were getting on。〃
〃Oh； dear；〃 said Titania。 〃He must have been delighted to hear I was
at the movies； on the second day of my first job！ He probably said it was
just like me。〃
〃I explained that I had insisted on your going with Mrs。 Mifflin；
because I felt she needed the change。〃
〃I do hope；〃 said Titania； 〃you won't let Daddy poison your mind
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about me。 He thinks I'm dreadfully frivolous； just because I LOOK
frivolous。 But I'm so keen to make good in this job。 I've been practicing
doing up parcels all afternoon； so as to learn how to tie the string nicely
and not cut it until after the knot's tied。 I found that when you cut it
beforehand either you get it too short and it won't go round； or else too
long and you waste some。 Also I've learned how to make wrapping paper
cuffs to keep my sleeves clean。〃
〃Well； I haven't finished yet；〃 continued Roger。 〃Your father wants
us all to spend to…morrow out at your home。 He wants to show us some
books he has just bought； and besides he thinks maybe you're feeling
homesick。〃
〃What； with all these lovely books to read？ Nonsense！ I don't want
to go home for six months！〃
〃He wouldn't take No for an answer。 He's going to send Edwards
round with the car the first thing tomorrow morning。〃
〃What fun！〃 said Helen。 〃It'll be delightful。〃
〃Goodness；〃 said Titania。 〃Imagine leaving this adorable bookshop
to spend Sunday in Larchmont。
Well； I'll be able to get that georgette blouse I forgot。〃
〃What time will the car be here？〃 asked Helen。
〃Mr。 Chapman said about nine o'clock。 He begs us to get out there as
early as possible； as he wants to spend the day showing us his books。〃
As they sat round the fading bed of coals； Roger began hunting along
his private shelves。 〃Have you ever read any Gissing？〃 he said。
Titania made a pathetic gesture to Mrs。 Mifflin。 〃It's awfully
embarrassing to be asked these things！ No； I never heard of him。〃
〃Well； as the street we live on is named after him； I think you ought
to；〃 he said。 He pulled down his copy of The House of Cobwebs。 〃I'm
going to read you one of the most delightful short stories I know。 It's
called ‘A Charming Family。'〃
〃No； Roger；〃 said Mrs。 Mifflin firmly。 〃Not to…night。 It's eleven
o'clock； and I can see Titania's tired。 Even Bock has left us and gone in
to his kennel。 He's got more sense than you have。〃
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〃All right；〃 said the bookseller amiably。 〃Miss Chapman； you take
the book up with you and read it in bed if you want to。 Are you a
librocubicularist？〃
Titania looked a little scandalized。
〃It's all right； my dear；〃 said Helen。 〃He only means are you fond of
reading in bed。 I've been waiting to hear him work that word into the
conversation。 He made it up； and he's immensely proud of it。〃
〃Reading in bed？〃 said Titania。 〃What a quaint idea！ Does any one
do it？ It never occurred to me。 I'm sure when I go to bed I'm far too
sleepy to think of such a thing。〃
〃Run along then； both of you；〃 said Roger。 〃Get your beauty sleep。
I shan't be very late。〃
He meant it when he said it； but returning to his desk at the back of the
shop his eye fell upon his private shelf of books which he kept there 〃to
rectify perturbations〃 as Burton puts it。 On this shelf there stood
Pilgrim's Progress； Shakespeare； The Anatomy of Melancholy； The Home
Book of Verse； George Herbert's Poems； The Notebooks of Samuel Butler；
and Leaves of Grass。 He took down The Anatomy of Melancholy； that
most delightful of all books for midnight browsing。 Turning to one of his
favourite passages〃A Consolatory Digression； Containing the Remedies
of All Manner of Discontents〃he was happily lost to all ticking of the
clock； retaining only such bodily consciousness as was needful to dump；
fill； and relight his pipe from time to time。 Solitude is a dear jewel for men
whose days are spent in the tedious this…and…that of trade。 Roger was a
glutton for his midnight musings。 To such tried companions as Robert
Burton and George Herbert he was wont to exonerate his spirit。 It used
to amuse him to think of Burton； the lonely Oxford scholar； writing that
vast book to 〃rectify〃 his own melancholy。
By and by； turning over the musty old pages； he came to the following；
on Sleep
The fittest time is two or three hours after supper； whenas the meat is
now settled at the bottom of the stomach； and 'tis good to lie on the right
side first； because at that site the liver doth rest under the stomach； not
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molesting any way； but heating him as a fire doth a kettle； that is put to it。
After the first sleep 'tis not amiss to lie on the left side； that the meat may
the better descend； and sometimes again on the belly； but never on the
back。 Seven or eight hours is a competent time for a melancholy man to
rest
In that case； thought Roger； it's time for me to be turning in。 He
looked at his watch； and found it was half…past twelve。 He switched off his
light and went back to the kitchen quarters to tend the furnace。
I hesitate to touch upon a topic of domestic bitterness； but candor
compels me to say that Roger's evening vigils invariably ended at the ice…
box。 There are two theories as to this subject of ice…box plundering； one of
the husband and the other of the wife。 Husbands are prone to think （in
their simplicity） that if they take a little of everything palatable they find
in the refrigerator； but thus distributing their forage over the viands the
general effect of the depradation will be almost unnoticeable。 Whereas
wives say （and Mrs。 Mifflin had often explained to Roger） that it is far
better to take all of any one dish than a little of each； for the latter course
is likely to diminish each item below the bulk at which it is still useful as a
left…over。 Roger； however； had the obstinate viciousness of all good
husbands； and he knew the delights of cold provender by heart。 Many a
stewed prune； many a mess of string beans or naked cold boiled potato；
