ButthesightoftheHighStreetsoonrestoredhisequanimity。Onotheroccasionshehadbeenpushedthroughit，eitherbytheJampotorMissJones，sorapidlythathecouldgatheronlythemostfleetingimpressions。To-dayhecouldlingerandlinger；hedid。ThetwonicestshopswereMannings’thehairdressersandPonting’sthebook-shop，butRosethegrocer’s，andCoulter’stheconfectioner’swereverygood。Mr。Manningwasanartist。Hedidnotsimplyputasimperingbustwithanelaborateheadofhairinhiswindowandleaveitatthat——hedid，indeed，placethereasmilingladywithawonderfuljewelledcombandaradiantrowofteeth，butaroundthishebuiltupamagnificentworldofsilverbrushes，tortoise-shellcombs，essencesandperfumesandpowders，jarsandbottlesandboxes。Manningwasthefinestartistinthetown。Ponting，atthetopofthestreetjustatthecorneroftheClose，wasanartisttoo，butinquiteanotherfashion。Pontingwasthebestestablished，mostsacredandseriousbooksellerinthecounty。Inthedayswhenthenew“Waverley“wasthesensationofthemomentMr。Ponting，grandfatherofthepresentMr。Ponting，hadbeeninquiteconstantcorrespondencewithMr。Southey，andMr。Coleridge，andhadonce，whenonavisittoLondon，spokentothegreatLordByronhimself。
Thistraditionofaristocracyremained，andthepresentMr。PoutingalwaysadvisedtheBishopwhattoreadandwasconsultedbyMrs。
Lamb，ouronlyauthoress，onquestionsofpublishersandeditionsandsuchtechnicalpoints。ForallthisJeremy，athispresentstageofinterest，wouldhavecarednothingevenhadheknownit，butwhathedidcareforweretherowsofcalf-boundbookswithlittleridgesofgold，thatmadeafinewallacrossthewindowwithanoldprintoftheCathedralandtheCloseinthemiddleofthem。InsidePontingstherewasahushasofthestudyandthechurchcombined。
Itwasaratherdarkshopwithrowsandrowsofbooksdisappearingintotheceiling，andonegraveandunnaturallyoldyoungmanbehindthecounter。JeremydidnotknowwhatheshoulddoaboutHamlet，sohebroughthiminside，onlytodiscovertohishorrorthatthefiercestofalltheCanons，CanonWaterbury，heldtheflooroftheshop。CanonWaterburyhadablackbeardandabitingtongue。HehadoncewarnedJeremyofftheCathedralgrassinavoiceofthunder，andJeremyhadneverforgottenit。Heglarednowandpulledhisbeard，butHamletfortunatelybehavedwell，andtheoldyoungmandiscoveredJeremy’snotepaperwithinaveryshortperiod。
ThensuddenlytheCanonspoke。