Visit To The Village Shop!

    “Good day sir.”
    “I’d like um a small note book.” 
    “Very good sir.”
    “Thank you.”
    The shopkeeper turns to the cabinet behind the counter, and takes a number of small notebooks, and lays them out on the counter.
    “There’s a nice little selection there sir.”
    “That’s a nice one, I think I’ll have that.”
    “Will that be all sir?”
    “Ah no.”
                  {No.6 and No.112-the shopkeeper – Hammer Into Anvil}

    Why should No.6 buy a small notebook, when he had one only the day before? Mind you I happen to have a particular fancy for small pocket notebooks, and when I see one I cannot resist purchasing it. In fact one present my wife gave me for my birthday earlier this month was a genuine Victorian note book. It’s a remarkable survivor of its age, and the notebook had hardly been used, at least one page, perhaps two pages, and they along with a third page had been torn out. Perhaps the previous owner didn’t want anyone reading what had been written in the note book, as there are no indentations of writing on the fourth Page.  You will recall No.6 tearing out the next page of his note pad having written the missive to XO4, and not wanting anyone discovering what he had written. Pity he didn’t tear off the third page!
    This is my Victorian notebook. It might have been a Police detective’s notebook rather than that of a gentleman, its complete with white metal mechanical or propelling pencil. 

  So we know No.6 had a notebook because he was supposed to have written something down in it when he was supposed to have been timing the l’Arlesienne records. I suppose he had to purchase something, he could hardly go into the General Store and just buy a Cuckoo clock, that would have been suspicious! Well it wasn’t so much the Cuckoo clock, but the fact that he wanted a specific one. One which came in a hinged box, and we do know why he wanted such a box as that.

Be seeing you

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