Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I'll be the first millionaire in Clifford!” Richard Pike used to say.
“And you'll sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I'll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard Pike never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Clifford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival(竞争对手). Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He had recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was surprised—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylan. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”
