112 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. [ru

 

parted Titledeeds who had been fortunate enough to
be upon his dining-list) knocked down at fabulous
prices, he had marked the eager competition which
took place over rare bits of china, and probably had
been somewhat astonished at the sums which certain
lovers of the same had given for the specimens upon
which they had set their affections. Still Simon
Ricketts spoke never a word, and joined in no bidding,
for wine and china were not in his line of business,
and the money bid scemed to him altogether too much
for consumeable commodities or brittle articles. But
his ears pricked up when the auctioneer came to the
furniture.

By this time some of the most ardent bidders
had taken their departure, and among those -who
remained the competition appeared less earnest
and vehement. Therefore it was that the furniture
did not bring much, and, as I have already said,
tables went cheap, chairs fetched a mere nothing,
and much well-made furniture, being of a style and
pattern somewhat out of date, was sold at a bargain
for the purchaser. So convinced was shrewd
Simon of this fact, that he now and then ventured
upon a ‘bid’ for some article which appeared to him
to be going for a figure much below its real
value. But the professional brokers, among whom
were sundry men with hooked noses and keen eyes
who seemed to understand one another pretty well,
would not let Simon buy when he wished to do so.
They overbid him each time, and one or two of them
indulged in sarcastic observations upon his personal
appearance which were little calculated to flatter the