The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
to_find out what they cost, but the shopman did_not heed me . he had got Gip now; he had got him away from my finger; he had embarked upon_the exposition of all his confounded stock, and nothing was going to stop him . presently I_saw with a qualm of distrust and something very like jealousy that Gip had hold of_this person's finger as usually he has hold of_mine . no_doubt the fellow was interesting, i_thought, and had an interestingly faked lot of stuff, really good faked stuff, still----

I wandered after them, saying very little, but keeping an eye on_this prestidigital fellow . after all, Gip was enjoying it . and no_doubt when_the time came to_go we_should_be able to_go quite easily .

it_was a long, rambling place, that showroom, a gallery broken up by stands and stalls and pillars, with archways leading off to other departments, in_which_the queerest- looking assistants loafed and stared at one, and with perplexing mirrors and curtains . so perplexing, indeed, were these that i_was presently unable to_make out the door by_which we had come .

the shopman showed Gip magic trains that ran without steam or clockwork, just as_you set the signals, and then some very, very valuable boxes of soldiers that all came alive directly you took off the lid and said----I myself haven't a very quick ear, and it_was a tongue-twisting sound, but Gip-- he has his mother's ear-- got it in no time ." bravo ! " said the shopman, putting the men back into_the box unceremoniously and handing it to Gip ." now," said the shopman, and in a moment Gip had made them all alive again .

" you'll take that box ? " asked the shopman .

" we'll take that box," said I, " unless you charge its full value . in_which_case it would need a trust magnate----"

" dear heart ! no ! " and_the shopman swept the little men back again, shut the lid, waved the box in_the air, and there it_was, in brown paper, tied up and--_with Gip's full name and address on_the paper !

the shopman laughed at my amazement .

" this_is_the genuine magic," he_said ." the real thing ."

" it's a little too genuine for_my taste," I_said again .

after_that he fell to showing Gip tricks, odd tricks, and still odder the way they were done . he explained them, he turned them inside out, and there_was the dear little chap nodding his busy bit of a head in_the sagest manner .

I_did_not attend as_well as I_might ."Hey, presto ! " said the magic shopman, and then would come the clear, small "Hey, presto ! " of_the boy . but i_was distracted by other things . it_was being borne in upon me just how tremendously rum this place was; it_was, so to_speak, inundated by a sense of rumness . there_was something a little rum about_the fixtures even, about_the ceiling, about_the floor, about_the casually distributed chairs .I had a queer feeling that whenever I wasn't looking at them straight they went askew, and moved about, and played a noiseless puss- in- the- corner behind my back . and_the cornice had a serpentine design with masks--masks altogether too expressive for proper plaster .

then abruptly my attention was caught by one_of_the odd- looking assistants . he_was some way off and evidently unaware of_my presence-- I_saw a sort of three- quarter length of him over a pile of toys and through an arch-- and, you_know, he_was leaning against a pillar in an idle sort of way doing the most horrid things with_his features ! the particular horrid thing he_did was with_his nose . he_did it just as_though he_was idle and wanted to amuse himself . first of all it_was a short, blobby nose, and then suddenly he shot it out like a telescope, and then out it flew and became thinner and thinner until it_was like a long, red flexible whip . like a thing in a nightmare it_was ! he flourished it about and flung it forth as a fly- Fisher flings his line .

my instant thought was_that Gip mustn't see him .I turned about, and there_was Gip quite preoccupied with_the shopman, and thinking no evil . they were whispering together and looking at me .Gip was standing on a little stool, and_the shopman was holding a sort of big drum in_his hand .

" hide and seek, dadda ! " cried Gip ." you're he ! "

and before I_could do anything to_prevent it, the shopman had clapped the big drum over him .

I_saw what_was up directly ." take that off," I cried, " this instant ! you'll frighten the boy . take it off ! "

the shopman with_the unequal ears did so without a word, and held the big cylinder towards me to show its emptiness . and_the little stool was vacant ! in_that instant my boy had utterly disappeared ! .. .

you_know, perhaps, that sinister something that conies like a hand out_of_the unseen and grips your heart about . you_know it takes your common self away and leaves you tense and deliberate, neither slow nor hasty, neither angry nor afraid . so it_was with me .

I_came up to_this grinning shopman and kicked his stool aside .

" stop this folly ! " I_said ." where is my boy ? "

" you_see," he_said, still displaying the drum's interior, " there_is no deception----"

I put out my hand to grip him, and he eluded me by a dexterous movement .I snatched again, and he turned from me and pushed open a door to escape ." stop ! " I_said, and he laughed, receding .I leapt after him-- into utter darkness .

_Thud !

"Lor' bless my 'eart ! I didn't see you coming, sir ! "

i_was in regent street, and I had collided with a decent- looking working

man; and a yard away, perhaps, and looking a little perplexed with himself, was Gip . there_was some sort of apology, and then Gip had turned and come to_me with a bright little smile, as_though for a moment he had missed me .

and he_was carrying four parcels in_his arm !

he secured immediate possession of_my finger .

for_the second i_was rather at a loss .I stared round to_see the door of_the magic shop, and, behold, it_was not there ! there_was no door, no shop, nothing, only the common pilaster between_the shop where they sell pictures and_the window with_the chicks ! .. .

I_did the_only_thing possible in_that mental tumult; I walked straight to_the kerbstone and held up my umbrella for a cab .

"'Ansoms," said Gip, in a note of culminating exultation .

I helped him in, recalled my address with an effort, and got in also . something unusual proclaimed itself in my tail- coat pocket, and I_felt and discovered a glass ball . with a petulant expression I flung it into_the street .

Gip said nothing .

for a space neither of us spoke .

"Dadda ! " said Gip, at last, " that was a proper shop ! "

I_came round with_that to_the problem of just how the whole thing had seemed to him . he looked completely undamaged-- so_far, good; he_was neither scared nor unhinged, he_was simply tremendously satisfied with_the afternoon's entertainment, and there in_his arms were the four parcels .

confound it ! what could_be in_them ?

"Um ! " I_said ." little boys can't go to shops like that every day ."

he received this with_his usual stoicism, and for a moment i_was sorry i_was his father and not his mother, and so couldn't suddenly there, _coram publico, in_our hansom, kiss him . after all, i_thought, the thing wasn't so very bad .

but it_was only when we opened the parcels that I really began to_be reassured . three of_them contained boxes of soldiers, quite ordinary lead soldiers, but of so good a quality as to_make Gip altogether forget that originally these parcels had_been magic Tricks of_the only genuine sort, and_the fourth contained a kitten, a little living white kitten, in excellent health and appetite and temper .

I_saw this unpacking with a sort of provisional relief .I hung about in_the nursery for quite an unconscionable time .. .

that happened six months_ago . and now I_am beginning to_believe it_is all right . the kitten had only the magic natural to all kittens, and_the soldiers seemed as steady a company as any colonel could desire . and Gip---- ?

the intelligent parent will understand that I_have to_go cautiously with Gip .

but I went so_far as this_one day . I_said, " how would you like your soldiers to_come alive, Gip, and march about by_themselves ? "

" mine do," said Gip ."I just have to_say a word I_know before I open the lid ."

" then they march about alone ? "

"Oh, quite_, dadda .I shouldn't like them if_they didn't do_that ."

I displayed no unbecoming surprise, and since then I_have taken occasion to drop in upon him once_or_twice, unannounced, when_the soldiers were about, but so_far I_have never discovered them performing in anything like a magical manner .. .

it's so difficult to_tell .

there's also a question of finance . I_have an incurable habit of paying bills . I_have_been up and down regent street several_times looking for_that shop . I_am inclined to_think, indeed, that in_that matter honour is satisfied, and_that, since Gip's name and address are known to_them, I_may very_well leave it to_these people, whoever they_may_be, to send in their bill in their own time .

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