f jump and nearly
bring the pin out of the candle.

'Heyday, sirs,' says Mr. Bailiff, astonished, 'let us have no brawling
here, the more so as this worshipful gentleman is a magistrate and
something of a friend of mine.' Yet Maskew refrained from sitting, but
stood by the bailiff's chair, turning white, and not red, as he did with
Mr. Glennie; and muttered something, that he had as lief stand as sit,
and that it should soon be Block's turn to ask sitting-room of _him_.

I was wondering what possibly could have brought Maskew there, when the
bailiff, who was ill at ease, said--'Come, Mr. Clerk, the pin hath but
another minute's hold; rehearse what has been done, for I must get this
lease delivered and off to Bridport, where much business waits.'

So the clerk read in a singsong voice that the property of the duchy of
Cornwall, called the Mohune Arms, an inn or tavern, with all its land,
tenements, and appurtenances, situate in the Parish of St. Sebastian,
Moonfleet, having been offered on lease for five years, would be let to
Elzevir Block at a rent of 12 per annum, unless anyone offered a higher
rent before the pin fell from the candle.

There was no one to make another offer, and the bailiff said to Elzevir,
'Tell them to have the horses round, the pin will be out in a minute, and
'twill save time.' So Elzevir gave the order, and then we all stood round
in silence, waiting for the pin to fall. The grease had burnt down to the
mark, or almost below it, as it appeared; but just where the pin stuck in
there was a little lump of harder tallow that held bravely out, refusing
to be melted. The bailiff gave a stamp of impatience with his foot under
the table as though he hoped thus to shake out the pin, and then a little
dry voice came from Maskew, saying--

'I offer 13 a year for the inn.'

This fell upon us with so much surprise, that all looked round, seeking
as it were some other speaker, and never thinking that it could be
Maskew. Elzevir was the first, I believe, to fully understand 'twas he;
and without turning to look at bailiff or Maskew, but having his elbows
on the table, his face between his hands, and looking straight out to
sea said in a sturdy voice, 'I offer 20.'

The words were scarce out of his mouth when Maskew caps them with 21,
and so in less than a minute the rent of the Why Not? was near doubled.
Then the bailiff looked from one to the other, not knowing what to make
of it all, nor whether 'twas