Rue de Vaugirard

books

The Age Of Reason, p.143
The Garbure bookshop formed the corner of the Rue de Vaugirard and the Boulevard Saint-Michel, and it had - which served Boris's designs - a doorway on to each street. In front of the shop stood six long tables laden with books, for the most part second-hand .. he approached the third table and behold: the book was there, enormous, so enormous indeed, that for an instant Boris was discouraged by the sight of it: seven hundred pages, quarto, with deckle edges as broad as a little finger: 'And I've got to get that into my portfolio,' he reflected with some dismay. But a glance at the gold letters of the title glowing softly on the binding sufficed to revive his courage:
Historical and Etymological Dictionary of Cant and Slang from the Fourteenth Century up to the Present Day. 'Historical!' Boris repeated ecstatically to himself. He touched the binding with the tips of his fingers, a gesture of affectionate familiarity that restored his contact with the volume. 'It's not a book, it's a piece of furniture.'

 The Age Of Reason, p.143
He was just attaining a condition of cold and joyless resolve, when he suddenly caught sight of something that plunged him once more into jubilation : 'A clasp-knife!' he murmured, and his hands trembled. It was a genuine clasp-knife, with a thin long blade, a cross guard, a black horn shaft, as elegant as a crescent moon : there were two spots of rust on the blade, which might as well have been blood. 'Oh!' groaned Boris, his heart constricted with desire.