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Aubrey was holding Metzger by the collar with the pistol at his head。
〃Good God；〃 he said； 〃why didn't you shoot？〃
〃I don't know〃 said Roger in confusion。 〃I was afraid of hitting him。
Never mind； we can fix him later。〃
〃The police will be here in a minute；〃 said Helen； calling from the
telephone。 〃I'm going to let Bock in。 He's in the back yard。〃
〃I think they're both crazy；〃 said Titania。 〃Let's put the Cromwell
back on the shelf and let this creature go。〃 She put out her hand for the
book。
〃Stop！〃 cried Aubrey； and seized her arm。 〃Don't touch that book！〃
Titania shrank back； frightened by his voice。 Had everyone gone
insane？
〃Here； Mr。 Metzger；〃 said Aubrey； 〃you put that book back on the shelf
where it belongs。 Don't try to get away。 I've got this revolver pointed at
you。〃
He and Roger were both startled by the chef's face。 Above the unkempt
beard his eyes shone with a half…crazed lustre； and his hands shook。
〃Very well；〃 he said。 〃Show me where it goes。〃
〃I'll show you；〃 said Titania。
Aubrey put out his arm in front of the girl。 〃Stay where you are；〃 he
said angrily。
〃Down in the History alcove；〃 said Roger。 〃The front alcove on the
other side of the shop。 We've both got you covered。〃
Instead of taking the volume from the suitcase； Metzger picked up the
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whole bag； holding it flat。 He carried it to the alcove they indicated。 He
placed the case carefully on the floor； and picked the Cromwell volume
out of it。
〃Where would you want it to go？〃 he said in an odd voice。 〃This is a
valuable book。〃
〃On the fifth shelf；〃 said Roger。 〃Over there〃
〃For God's sake stand back；〃 said Aubrey。 〃Don't go near him。
There's something damnable about this。〃
〃You poor fools！〃 cried Metzger harshly。 〃To hell with you and your
old books。〃 He drew his hand back as though to throw the volume at
them。
There was a quick patter of feet； and Bock； growling； ran down the
aisle。 In the same instant； Aubrey； obeying some unexplained impulse；
gave Roger a violent push back into the Fiction alcove； seized Titania
roughly in his arms； and ran with her toward the back of the shop。
Metzger's arm was raised； about to throw the book； when Bock darted
at him and buried his teeth in the man's leg。 The Cromwell fell from his
hand。
There was a shattering explosion； a dull roar； and for an instant Aubrey
thought the whole bookshop had turned into a vast spinning top。 The floor
rocked and sagged； shelves of books were hurled in every direction。
Carrying Titania； he had just reached the steps leading to the domestic
quarters when they were flung sideways into the corner behind Roger's
desk。 The air was full of flying books。 A row of encyclopedias crashed
down upon his shoulders； narrowly missing Titania's head。 The front
windows were shivered into flying streamers of broken glass。 The table
near the door was hurled into the opposite gallery。 With a splintering
crash the corner of the gallery above the History alcove collapsed； and
hundreds of volumes cascaded heavily on to the floor。 The lights went out；
and for an instant all was silence。
〃Are you all right？〃 said Aubrey hastily。 He and Titania had fallen
sprawling against the bookseller's desk。
〃I think so；〃 she said faintly。 〃Where's Mr。 Mifflin？〃
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Aubrey put out his hand to help her； and touched something wet on the
floor。 〃Good heavens；〃 he thought。 〃She's dying！〃 He struggled to his
feet in the darkness。 〃Hullo； Mr。 Mifflin；〃 he called； 〃where are you？〃
There was no answer。
A beam of light gushed out from the passageway behind the shop； and
picking his way over fallen litter he found Mrs。 Mifflin standing dazed by
the dining…room door。 In the back of the house the lights were still
burning。
〃For heaven's sake； have you a candle？〃 he said。
〃Where's Roger？〃 she cried piteously； and stumbled into the kitchen。
With a candle Aubrey found Titania sitting on the floor； very faint； but
unhurt。 What he had thought was blood proved to be a pool of ink from
a quart bottle that had stood over Roger's desk。 He picked her up like a
child and carried her into the kitchen。 〃Stay here and don't stir；〃 he said。
By this time a crowd was already gathering on the pavement。 Someone
came in with a lantern。 Three policemen appeared at the door。
〃For God's sake；〃 cried Aubrey； 〃get a light in here so we can see
what's happened。 Mifflin's buried in this mess somewhere。 Someone ring
for an ambulance。〃
The whole front of the Haunted Bookshop was a wreck。 In the pale
glimmer of the lantern it was a disastrous sight。 Helen groped her way
down the shattered aisle。
〃Where was he？〃 she cried wildly。
〃Thanks to that set of Trollope；〃 said a voice in the remains of the
Fiction alcove； 〃I think I'm all right。 Books make good shock…absorbers。
Is any one hurt？〃
It was Roger； half stunned； but undamaged。 He crawled out from
under a case of shelves that had crumpled down upon him。
〃Bring that lantern over here；〃 said Aubrey； pointing to a dark heap
lying on the floor under the broken fragments of Roger's bulletin board。
It was the chef。 He was dead。 And clinging to his leg was all that
was left of Bock。
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Chapter XV
Mr。 Chapman Waves His Wand
Gissing Street will not soon forget the explosion at the Haunted
Bookshop。 When it was learned that the cellar of Weintraub's pharmacy
contained just the information for which the Department of Justice had
been looking for four years； and that the inoffensive German…American
druggist had been the artisan of hundreds of incendiary bombs that had
been placed on American and Allied shipping and in ammunition plants
and that this same Weintraub had committed suicide when arrested on
Bromfield Street in Boston the next dayGissing Street hummed with
excitement。 The Milwaukee Lunch did a roaring business among the
sensation seekers who came to view the ruins of the bookshop。 When it
became known that fragments of a cabin plan of the George Washington
had been found in Metzger's pocket； and the confession of an accomplice
on the kitchen staff of the Octagon Hotel showed that the bomb； disguised
as a copy of one of Woodrow Wilson's favourite books； was to have been
placed in the Presidential suite of the steamship； indignation knew no
bounds。 Mrs。 J。 F。 Smith left Mrs。 Schiller's lodgings； declaring that she
would stay no longer in a pro…German colony； and Aubrey was able at last
to get a much…needed bath。
For the next three days he was too busy with agents of the Department
of Justice to be able to carry on an investigation of his own that greatly
occupied his mind。 But late on Friday afternoon he called at the
bookshop to talk things over。
The debris had all been neatly cleared away； and the shattered front of
the building boarded up。 Inside； Aubrey found Roger seated on the floor；
looking over piles of volumes that were heaped pell…mell around him。
Through Mr。 Chapman's influence with a well…known firm of builders； the
bookseller had been able to get men to work at once in making repairs； but
even so it would be at least ten days； he said； before he could reopen for
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business。 〃I hate to lose