Mr. Sherwell? Will
you start the bidding in a reasonable manner and make it a hundred?"

"Fifty!" Mr. Sherwell declared, striking the table with his fist. "I
say fifty!"

Mr. Waddington for a moment looked pained. He laid down the hammer and
glanced around through the audience, as though appealing for their
sympathy. Then he shrugged his shoulders. Finally, he took up his
hammer again and sighed.

"Very well, then," he consented, in a resigned tone, "we'll start it at
fifty, then. I don't know what's the matter with every one to-day, but
I'm giving you a turn, Mr. Sherwell, and I shall knock it down quick.
Fifty guineas is bid for lot number 85. Going at fifty guineas!"

Burton rose once more to his feet.

"Does Mr. Sherwell understand," he asked, "that the remainder of the
suite is different entirely from the table?"

Mr. Sherwell stared at the speaker, shifted his feet a little
unsteadily and gripped the table.

"Certainly I don't," he replied,--"don't understand anything of the sort!
Where is the rest of the suite, young man?"

"Just behind you, sir," Burton pointed out, "up against the wall."

Mr. Sherwell turned and looked at a miserable collection of gimcrack
articles piled up against the wall behind him. Then he consulted the
catalogue.

"One mahogany dining-table, two sideboards, one butler's tray, twelve
chairs. These the chairs?" he asked, lifting one up.

"Those are the chairs, sir," Burton admitted. Mr. Sherwell, with a
gesture of contempt, replaced upon the floor the one which he had
detached from its fellows. He leaned unsteadily across the table.

"A dirty trick, Mr. Auctioneer," he declared. "Shan't come here any
more! Shan't buy anything! Ought to be ashamed of yourself. Yah!"

Mr. Sherwell, feeling his way carefully out, made an impressive if not
very dignified exit. Mr. Waddington gripped his clerk by the arm.

"Burton," he hissed under his breath, "get out of this before I throw
you down! Never let me see your idiot face again! If you're at the
office when I come back, I'll kill you! I'll clerk myself. Be off with
you!"

Burton rose quietly and departed. As he left the room, he heard Mr.
Waddington volubly explaining that no deception was intended and that
the catalogue spoke for itself. Then he passed out into the street and
drew a little breath of relief. The shackles had fallen away. He was a
free man. Messrs. Waddington & Forbes had finished with him.

CHAPTER V

BURTON'