Ashes
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- The next day, Hugo goes to the toy booth, and what does he get for his persistence?
- A handkerchief. That’s right.
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- We see an open palm holding a handkerchief that’s overfilling with something dusty or dirt-like… could it really be ashes? Did the old codger burn his notebook?
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- They are ashes, and Hugo is not a happy camper. In fact, he starts crying. And then the old man starts crying, too. What is this, a Nicholas Sparks movie?
- Hugo runs off and tries to distract himself with his work taking care of all those clocks.
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- Forlorn little Hugo lies alone in a corner of his apartment. There’s all this stuff around the room, including a huge chest and all sorts of bottles and knick-knacks. Hugo may have a grown-up job, but it looks like he still has a little kid’s messy room.
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- The next day, Hugo the thief manages to scrounge together enough coins to buy a cup of coffee.
- And when he picks up his coffee again, o-ho! We see a piece of paper telling him to meet someone at the bookseller’s—and that his notebook wasn’t burned.
- Looks like Hugo isn’t the only sneaky person in this story.