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<v Speaker 1>This is section thirty six of The Gilded Age. This

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age,

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<v Speaker 1>A Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and C. D. Warner,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter thirty six. In due time, Laura alighted at the

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<v Speaker 1>bookstore and began to look at the titles of the

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<v Speaker 1>handsome array of books on the counter. A dapper clerk

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<v Speaker 1>of perhaps nineteen or twenty years, with hair accurately parted

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<v Speaker 1>and surprisingly slick, came bustling up and leaned over with

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<v Speaker 1>a pretty smile and an affable can, I was there

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<v Speaker 1>any particular book you wish to see? Have you tains England?

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<v Speaker 1>Beg pardon Taine's notes on England. The young gentleman scratched

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<v Speaker 1>the side of his nose with a cedar pencil, which

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<v Speaker 1>he took down from its bracket on the side of

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<v Speaker 1>his head, and reflected a moment ah, I see, with

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<v Speaker 1>a bright smile. Train you mean not Tayne, George Francis Trayne. No, ma'am,

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<v Speaker 1>we I mean Taine. If I may take the liberty,

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<v Speaker 1>the clerk reflected again, Then Tayne Taine. Is it hymns? No,

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<v Speaker 1>it isn't hymns. It is a volume that is making

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<v Speaker 1>a deal of talk just now, and is very widely known,

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<v Speaker 1>except among parties who sell it. The clerk glanced at

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<v Speaker 1>her face to see if a sarcasm might not lurk

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<v Speaker 1>somewhere in that obscure speech. But the gentle simplicity of

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<v Speaker 1>the beautiful eyes that met his banish that suspicion. He

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<v Speaker 1>went away and conferred with the proprietor. Both appeared to

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<v Speaker 1>be nonplussed. They thought and talked, and talked and thought,

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<v Speaker 1>my turns. Then both came forward, and the proprietor said,

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<v Speaker 1>is it an American book? Ma'am? No, it is an

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<v Speaker 1>American reprint of an English translation. Oh yes, yes, I

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<v Speaker 1>remember now. We are expecting it every day. It isn't

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<v Speaker 1>out yet. I think you must be mistaken because you

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<v Speaker 1>advertised it a week ago. Why no, can that be so? Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>I am sure of it, And besides, here is the

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<v Speaker 1>book itself on the counter. She bought it, and the

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<v Speaker 1>proprietor retired from the field. Then she asked the clerk

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<v Speaker 1>for the autocrat of the breakfast table, and was pained

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<v Speaker 1>to see the admiration her beauty had inspired in him

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<v Speaker 1>fade out of his face. He said, with cold dignity

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<v Speaker 1>that cookbooks were somewhat out of their line, but he

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<v Speaker 1>would order it if she desired it. She said, no,

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<v Speaker 1>never mind. Then she fell to conning the titles again,

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<v Speaker 1>finding a delight in the inspection of the Hawthorns, the Longfellows,

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<v Speaker 1>the Tennysons, and other favorites of her idle hours. Meantime,

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<v Speaker 1>the clerk's eyes were busy, and no doubt his admiration

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<v Speaker 1>was returning again, or maybe he was only gaging her

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<v Speaker 1>probable literary taste by some sagacious system of admeasurement only

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<v Speaker 1>known to his guilt. Now he began to assist her

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<v Speaker 1>in making a selection, but his efforts met with no success. Indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>they only annoyed her and unpleasantly interrupted her meditations. Presently,

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<v Speaker 1>while she was holding a copy of Venetian Life in

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<v Speaker 1>her hand and running over a familiar passage here and there,

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<v Speaker 1>the clerk said, briskly, snatching up a paper covered volume

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<v Speaker 1>and striking the counter a smart blow with it to

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<v Speaker 1>dislodge the dust. Now here's a work that we've sold

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of. Everybody that's read it likes it, and

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<v Speaker 1>he intruded it under her nose. It's a book that

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<v Speaker 1>I can recommend The Pirate's Doom or the Last of

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<v Speaker 1>the Buccaneers. I think it's one of the best things

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<v Speaker 1>that's come out this season. Laura pushed it gently aside

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<v Speaker 1>with her hand and went on filching from Venetian Life.

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<v Speaker 1>I believe I do not want it, she said. The

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<v Speaker 1>clerk hunted around a while, glancing at one title and

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<v Speaker 1>then another, but apparently not finding what he wanted. However,

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<v Speaker 1>he succeeded at last said he have you ever read this, ma'am.

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<v Speaker 1>I am sure you'll like it. It's by the author

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<v Speaker 1>of The Hooligans of Hackensack. It is full of love,

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<v Speaker 1>troubles and mysteries and all sorts of such things. The

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<v Speaker 1>heroine strangles her own mother. I just glance at the title.

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<v Speaker 1>Please gonderil the Vampire or the Dance of Death. And

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<v Speaker 1>here is the Jockist's Own Treasury, or the funny Fellow's

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<v Speaker 1>bosom Friend, the Funniest Thing. I've read it four times, ma'am,

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<v Speaker 1>and I can laugh at the very sight of it. Yet,

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<v Speaker 1>and gonderil, I assure you it is the most splendid

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<v Speaker 1>book I ever read. I know you will like these books, ma'am,

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<v Speaker 1>because I've read them myself, and I know what they are. Oh.

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<v Speaker 1>I was perplexed, But I see how it is now.

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<v Speaker 1>You must have thought I asked you to tell me

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<v Speaker 1>what sort of books I wanted for. I am apt

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<v Speaker 1>to say things which I don't really mean when I

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<v Speaker 1>am absent minded. I suppose I did ask you didn't.

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<v Speaker 1>I no, ma'am, But I yes, I I must have

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<v Speaker 1>done it, else you would not have offered your services

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<v Speaker 1>for fear it might be rude. But don't be troubled.

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<v Speaker 1>It was all my fault. I ought not to have

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<v Speaker 1>been so heedless. I ought not to have asked you,

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<v Speaker 1>but you didn't ask me, ma'am. We always help customers

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<v Speaker 1>all we can. You see our experience living right among

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<v Speaker 1>books all the time. That sort of thing makes us

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<v Speaker 1>able to help a customer make a selection. You know, now,

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<v Speaker 1>does it? Indeed? Is it part of your business? Then? Yes'm,

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<v Speaker 1>we always help. How good it is of you. Some

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<v Speaker 1>people would think it rather obtrusive, perhaps, but I don't.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it is real kindness, even charity. Some people

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<v Speaker 1>jump to conclusions without any thought. You have noticed that, oh, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>said the clerk, a little perplexed as to whether to

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<v Speaker 1>feel comfortable or the reverse. Oh, yes, indeed, I've often

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<v Speaker 1>noticed that, ma'am. Yes, they jumped to conclusions with an

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<v Speaker 1>absurd heedlessness. Now, some people would think it odd that

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<v Speaker 1>because you, with the budding tastes and the innocent enthusiasms

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<v Speaker 1>natural to your time of life, enjoyed the vampires and

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<v Speaker 1>the volume of nursery jokes, you should imagine that an

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<v Speaker 1>older person would delight in them too. But I do

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<v Speaker 1>not think it odd at all. I think it natural,

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<v Speaker 1>perfectly natural in you, and kind too. You look like

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<v Speaker 1>a person who not only finds a deep pleasure in

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<v Speaker 1>any little thing in the way of literature that strikes

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<v Speaker 1>you forcibly, but is willing and glad to share that

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<v Speaker 1>pleasure with others. And that I think is noble and admirable,

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<v Speaker 1>Very noble and admirable. I think we ought all to

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<v Speaker 1>share our pleasures with others and do what we can

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<v Speaker 1>to make each other happy. Do not you, Oh yes, oh, yes, indeed, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>you are quite right, ma'am. But he was getting unmistakably uncomfortable. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>notwithstanding Laura's confiding sociability and all most affectionate tone. Yes, indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>many people would think that what a bookseller or perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>his clerk knows about literature as literature in contradistinction to

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<v Speaker 1>its character as merchandise, would hardly be of much assistance

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<v Speaker 1>to a person, that is to an adult, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>in the selection of food for the mind, except of

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<v Speaker 1>course wrapping paper or twine or wafers or something like that.

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<v Speaker 1>But I never feel that way. I feel that whatever

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<v Speaker 1>service you offer me, you offer with a good heart,

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<v Speaker 1>and I am as grateful for it as if it

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<v Speaker 1>were the greatest boon to me, And it is useful

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<v Speaker 1>to me. It is bound to be so. It cannot

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<v Speaker 1>be otherwise. If you show me a book which you

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<v Speaker 1>have read, not skimmed over or merely glanced at, but read,

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<v Speaker 1>and you tell me that you enjoyed it, and that

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<v Speaker 1>you could read it three or four times, then I

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<v Speaker 1>know what book I want, Thank you, the to avoid. Yes, indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>I think that no information never comes amiss in this world.

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<v Speaker 1>Once or twice I have traveled in the cars, and

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<v Speaker 1>there you know, the peanut boy always measures you with

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<v Speaker 1>his eye and hands you out a book of murders.

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<v Speaker 1>If you are fond of theology or Tupper, or a

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<v Speaker 1>dictionary or T. S. Arthur, If you are fond of poetry,

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<v Speaker 1>or he hands you a volume of distressing jokes or

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<v Speaker 1>a copy of the American Miscellany, if you particularly dislike

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<v Speaker 1>that sort of literary fatty degeneration of the heart just

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<v Speaker 1>for the world, like a pleasant spoken, well meaning gentleman

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<v Speaker 1>in any book store. But here I am running on

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<v Speaker 1>as if business men had nothing to do but listen

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<v Speaker 1>to women talk. You must pardon me, for I was

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<v Speaker 1>not thinking, and you must let me thank you again

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<v Speaker 1>for your helping me. I read a good deal and

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<v Speaker 1>shall be in nearly every day, and I would be

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<v Speaker 1>sorry to have you think me a customer who talks

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<v Speaker 1>too much and buys too little. Might I ask you

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<v Speaker 1>to give me the time ah two twenty two, Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you very much. I will set mine while I have

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<v Speaker 1>the opportunity. But she could not get her watch open.

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<v Speaker 1>Apparently she tried and tried again. Then the clerk, trembling

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<v Speaker 1>at his own audacity, begged to be allowed to assist.

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<v Speaker 1>She allowed him. He succeeded and was radiant under the

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<v Speaker 1>sweet influences of her pleased face and her seductively worded acknowledgments.

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<v Speaker 1>With gratification, then he gave her the exact time again,

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<v Speaker 1>and anxiously watched her turn the hands slowly till they

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<v Speaker 1>reached the precise spot without accident or loss of life.

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<v Speaker 1>And then he looked as happy as a man who

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<v Speaker 1>had helped a fellow being through a momentous undertaking, and

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<v Speaker 1>was grateful to know that he had not lived in vain.

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<v Speaker 1>Laura thanked him once more. The words were music to

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<v Speaker 1>his ear, but what were they compared to the ravishing

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<v Speaker 1>smile with which she flooded his whole system. When she

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<v Speaker 1>bowed her adieu and turned away, he was no longer

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<v Speaker 1>suffering torture in the pillory, where she had had him

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<v Speaker 1>trusted up during so many distressing moments. But he belonged

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<v Speaker 1>to the list of her conquests and was a flattered

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<v Speaker 1>and happy thrall with the dawn light of love breaking

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<v Speaker 1>over the eastern elevations of his heart. It was about

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<v Speaker 1>the hour now for the Chairman of the House Committee

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<v Speaker 1>on Benevolent Appropriations to make his appearance, and Laura stepped

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<v Speaker 1>to the door to reconnoiter. She glanced up the street,

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<v Speaker 1>and sure enough end of Chapter thirty six