Itt] THE SILVER FAIRIES. 113

 

pride or self-respect of the worthy milkman. At last,
however, the old piece of furniture already mentioned
was put up, and pronounced at once by those present
to be an antiquated affair, only fit for the lumber-room.
Some one bid a sovereign, another followed with a bid
of five-and-twenty shillings, and amid some laughing
and chaffing, the article was run up tg thirty-seven
shiliings and sixpence, and the auctioneer, lifting his
hammer and his voice at the same time, exclaimed,

‘Now then, gentlemen, only thirty-seven shillings
offered for this valuable lot—why, its age surely en-
titles it to more respect—will zodody give me another
bid? Ifthere’s no advance I don’t dwell upon it.
No one else? Going! going!’

The hammer was upon the point of descending,
when a solemn voice exclaimed in deliberate tones,
‘Five pounds.’

Everybody pricked up his ears immediately, and
the knowing ones fancied fora moment that Simon
was either an artful old dodger who had discovered
the worth of the article in question to be greater than
was apparent to a casual observer, or that he was
some one so utterly unversed in the art of bidding at
auction sales, that he might serve as an object for
their amusement, and be run up a few pounds more
for an article to which he had taken a fancy. But
their second thoughts induced them to change their
minds, and one and all came to the conclusion that
the old man, being angry at having been outbidden
in all his previous attempts, had determined to run
them up by way of revenge, feeling sure that they
would outbid him now as before. From this point of

I