preston&child.thecabinetofcuriosities-第13部分

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　〃Ah；　e　in；　do　e　in；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　let　all　these　locks　frighten　you。　I'm　an　old　man；　but　I　don't　bite。　Fortunate　senex！〃
　Nora　took　a　step　forward。　Dust　lay　everywhere；　even　on　the　worn　lapels　of　the　man's　jacket。　A　lamp　with　a　green　shade　cast　a　small　pool　of　light　on　the　old　desk；　piled　high　with　papers。　On　one　side　sat　an　elderly　Royal　typewriter；　perhaps　the　only　thing　in　the　room　not　covered　in　dust。　Beyond　the　desk；　Nora　could　see　cast…iron　shelves　laden　with　books　and　boxes　stretching　back　into　a　gloom　as　deep　as　the　ocean。　In　the　dimness；　it　was　impossible　to　judge　how　far　the　room　extended。
　〃Are　you　Reinhart　Puck？〃　Nora　asked。
　The　man　set　up　a　vigorous　nodding；　his　cheeks　and　bow　tie　flapping　in　response。　〃At　your　service。〃　He　bowed；　and　for　an　alarmed　moment　Nora　thought　he　might　reach　out　to　kiss　her　hand。　Instead；　there　was　another　loud　sound　of　phlegm　being　forced　against　its　will　somewhere　within　his　windpipes。
　〃I'm　looking　for　information　on…on　cabinets　of　curiosities；〃　Nora　continued；　wondering　if　that　was　the　correct　pluralization。
　The　man；　busy　re…locking　the　door；　glanced　over；　his　rheumy　eyes　lighting　up。　〃Ah！　You've　e　to　the　right　place。　The　Museum　absorbed　most　of　the　old　cabinets　of　early　New　York。　We　have　all　their　collections；　their　papers。　Where　shall　we　begin？〃　He　slammed　the　last　bolt　home；　then　rubbed　his　hands　together；　smiling；　clearly　happy　to　be　of　service　to　someone。
　〃There　was　a　cabinet　of　curiosities　in　lower　Manhattan　known　as　Shottum's　Cabinet。〃
　He　wrinkled　his　brow。　〃Shottum's　。　。　。　Ah；　yes。　Yes；　indeed。　Quite　popular　these　days；　Shottum's。　But　first　things　first。　Please　sign　the　register；　and　then　we　can　get　started。〃　He　motioned　her　to　follow　him　around　the　desk；　where　he　produced　a　leather…bound　ledger；　so　old　and　rubbed　that　Nora　was　tempted　to　ask　for　a　quill　pen。　She　took　the　proffered　ballpoint；　wrote　in　her　name　and　department。
　〃Why　all　the　locks　and　bolts？〃　she　asked；　handing　back　the　pen。　〃I　thought　all　the　really　valuable　stuff；　the　gold　and　diamonds　and　the　rest；　was　kept　in　the　Secure　Area。〃
　〃It's　the　new　administration。　Added　all　this　red　tape；　after　the　unpleasantness　a　few　years　back。　It's　not　as　if　we're　all　that　busy；　you　know。　Just　researchers　and　doctoral　candidates；　or　the　occasional　wealthy　patron　with　an　interest　in　the　history　of　science。〃　He　returned　the　register；　then　shuffled　over　to　a　huge　bank　of　old　ivory　light　switches；　big　as　clothes　pegs；　and　snapped　a　few　on。　Deep　in　the　vast　space　there　was　a　flicker；　then　another；　and　a　dim　light　appeared。　Puck　set　off　toward　it　at　a　slow　hobble；　his　feet　scraping　on　the　stone　floor。　Nora　followed；　glancing　up　at　the　dark　walls　of　shelving。　She　felt　as　if　she　were　walking　through　a　dark　forest　toward　the　distant　glow　of　a　weling　cottage。
　〃Cabinets　of　curiosities；　one　of　my　favorite　subjects。　As　you　no　doubt　know；　Delacourte's　was　the　first　cabinet；　established　in　1804。〃　Puck's　voice　echoed　back　over　his　stooped　shoulders。　〃It　was　a　marvelous　collection。　A　whale　eyeball　pickled　in　whiskey；　a　set　of　hippo　teeth；　a　mastodon　tusk　found　in　a　bog　in　New　Jersey。　And　of　course　the　last　dodo　egg；　of　a　Rodrigues　Solitaire　to　be　exact。　The　egg　was　brought　back　live　in　a　crate；　but　then　after　they　put　it　on　display　it　appeared　to　have　hatched；　and…Aha；　here　we　are。〃
　He　stopped　abruptly；　reached　up　to　drag　a　box　down　from　a　high　shelf；　and　opened　its　lid。　Instead　of　the　Shottum's　Cabinet　material　Nora　hoped　for；　inside　was　a　large　eggshell；　broken　into　three　pieces。　〃There's　no　provenience　on　these　things；　so　they　didn't　accession　them　into　the　main　Museum　collection。　That's　why　we've　got　them　here。〃　He　pointed　reverently　at　the　pieces　of　shell；　licking　his　lips。　〃Delacourte's　Cabinet　of　Natural　History。　They　charged　twenty…five　cents　admission；　quite　a　sum　at　the　time。〃
　Replacing　the　box；　he　slid　a　thick　three…ring　binder　off　an　adjoining　shelf　and　began　flipping　through　it。　〃What　would　you　like　to　know　about　the　Delacourte　Cabinet？〃
　〃It　was　actually　Shottum's　Cabinet　of　Natural　Productions　and　Curiosities　that　I　was　interested　in。　John　Canaday　Shottum。〃　Nora　swallowed　her　impatience。　It　would　clearly　be　useless　to　rush　Mr。　Puck。
　〃Yes；　yes；　Shottum's。〃　He　resumed　his　shuffling　down　the　row　of　boxes；　binders；　and　books。
　〃How　did　the　Museum　acquire　these　cabinets？〃　she　asked。
　〃Once　the　Museum　opened；　with　free　admission；　it　put　most　of　them　out　of　business。　Of　course；　a　lot　of　the　stuff　the　old　cabinets　displayed　were　fakes；　you　know。　But　some　of　it　held　real　scientific　value。　As　the　cabinets　went　bankrupt；　McFadden；　an　early　curator　here；　bought　them　up　for　the　Museum。〃
　〃Fakes；　you　said？〃
　Puck　nodded　portentously。　〃Sewing　two　heads　onto　a　calf。　Taking　a　whale　bone　and　dying　it　brown；　saying　it　came　from　a　dinosaur。　We　have　some　of　those。〃
　As　he　moved　on　to　the　next　row；　Nora　hastened　to　keep　up；　wondering　how　to　guide　this　flood　of　information　in　the　direction　she　wanted。
　〃Cabinets　were　all　the　rage。　Even　P。　T。　Barnum　once　owned　a　cabinet　known　as　Scudder's　American　Museum。　He　added　live　exhibits。　And　that；　young　lady；　was　the　beginning　of　his　circus。〃
　〃Live　exhibits？〃
　〃He　displayed　Joice　Heth；　a　wizened　old　black　woman　who　Barnum　claimed　was　George　Washington's　161…year…old　nurse。　Exposed　as　a　fraud　by　the　father　of　our　own　Tinbury　McFadden。〃
　〃Tinbury　McFadden？〃　Nora　was　starting　to　panic。　Would　she　ever　get　out　of　here？
　〃Tinbury　McFadden。　A　curator　here　back　in　the　late　ninteenth　century。　He　had　a　particular　interest　in　cabinets　of　curiosities。　Queer　fellow。　Just　up　and　disappeared　one　day。〃
　〃I'm　interested　in　Shottum's　Cabinet。　John　Canaday　Shottum。〃
　〃We're　getting　there；　young　lady；〃　said　Puck；　with　the　slightest　touch　of　irritation。　〃We　don't　have　much　from　Shottum's。　It　burned　in　1881。〃
　〃Most　of　the　stuff　was　collected　by　a　man　named　Marysas。　Alexander　Marysas；〃　Nora　said；　hoping　to　keep　his　mind　on　the　subject　at　hand。
　〃Now；　there　was　an　odd　fellow。　Marysas　came　from　a　rich　New　York　family；　died　in　Madagascar。　I　believe　the　chief　made　an　umbrella　out　of　his　skin　to　protect　his　baby　grandson　from　the　sun　。　。　。〃
　They　followed　a　labyrinthine　path　between　shelves　groaning　with　papers；　boxes；　and　bizarre　artifacts。　Puck　snapped　more　ivory　switches；　more　lights　went　on　ahead　of　them；　while　others　winked　out　behind；　leaving　them　in　an　island　of　light　surrounded　by　a　vast　ocean　of　darkness。　They　came　to　an　open　area　in　the　shelves　where　some　large　specimens　stood　on　oak　platforms…a　woolly　mammoth；　shriveled　but　still　huge；　a　white　elephant；　a　giraffe　missing　its　head。　Nora's　heart　sank　when　Puck　stopped。
　〃Those　old　cabinets　would　do　anything　to　draw　the　paying　public。　Take　a　look　at　this　baby　mammoth。　Found　freeze…dried　in　Alaska。〃　He　reached　underneath　it　and　pressed　something；　there　was　a　soft　click　and　a　trapdoor　flopped　open　in　the　belly。
　〃This　was　part　of　a　sideshow　routine。　A　label　said　the　mammoth　had　been　frozen　for　100；000　years　and　that　a　scientist　was　going　to　thaw　it　out　and　try　to　revive　it。　Before　the　sideshow　opened；　a　small　man　would　climb　in　through　that　trapdoor。　When　the　place　had　filled　with　spectators；　another　man　posing　as　a　scientist　would　e　out　and　give　a　lecture　and　start　warming　the　thing　with　a　brazier。　Then　the　man　inside　would　start　moving　the　trunk　and　making　noises。　Cleared　the　place　out　in　seconds。〃　Puck　chuckled。　〃People　were　a　lot　more　innocent　back　then；　weren't　they？〃　He　reached　under　and　carefully　closed　the　trapdoor。
　〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Nora。　〃This　is　very　interesting；　Mr。　Puck；　and　I　appreciate　the　tour。　But　I'm　pressed　for　time；　and　I　really　would　like　to　see　the　Shottum　material　now。〃
　〃We're　here。〃　Puck　rolled　a　metal　ladder　into　place；　climbed　up　into　the　gloom；　and　descended　with　a　small　box。
　〃O　terque　quaterque　beati！　Here's　your　Mr。　Shottum。　It　wasn't　the　most　interesting　cabinet；　I'm　afraid。　And　since　it　burned；　we　don't　have　much　from　it…just　these　few　papers。〃　Puck　opened　the　box；　peered　inside。　〃Great　heavens；　what　a　mess；〃　he　clucked　disapprovingly。　〃I　don't　understand；　considering　。　。　。　Ah；　well；　when　you're　done　with　these；　I　can　show　you　the　Delacourte　papers。　Much　more　prehensive。〃
　〃I'