At the end of the TV series, Vinculus leans very close the Childermass when he says perhaps he is now a novel. It almost looks like he is mocking him particularly. So does that mean Childermass is a secret fan of novels? If so, how did Vinculus find out?

Is Childermass a secret admirer of the novels of Jane Austen? Did he ever meet her?

Does he like the gothic novels of the time? Did he ever sit pretending to do the accounts when he was actually re-reading the Mysteries of Udolpho?

Did he and Hannah ever sigh over Mr Darcy together? Does anyone else read them?