Hathaway and Co. Fine Books

It's noisier than the average bookshop - that's the first thing you notice. Probably a result of indulging so many newspaper men, who, despite their theoretically silent profession, have an unceasing gift of gab. The smells of paper, dust, and tea mingle not unpleasantly in the air.   The walls of the one large room on the first floor are a dark forest green on top and stained wood below. They are also mostly obstructed by bookshelves of oak, themselves crammed with a diverse array of books, few in more than two or three copies. Sales and specials are laid out on tables that create narrow aisles for shoppers. Both the flight of stairs with a white rope blocking the landing, and the locked lawyer's bookshelf behind the wide table that serves as the workdesk for the staff and the point of sale, indicate some select volumes of higher value (or more curious provenace) are kept for discriminating customers.