The Argosy — page 332: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Bidding by Proxy. 311 tendencies, shrugged his shoulders. ‘I should have thought he had pictures enough already,” he drily remarked. “Well, yes, we have a good many,” assented Mrs. Palecourt. “But he has set his heart on this one, poor fellow, and I can’t bear to see him disappointed. I only wish I could get it for him.” “If you care so much about it,” said her brother, ‘ nothing is easier. Ill manage it for you.” “No, will you, Tom?” eagerly exclaimed Sophy. ‘I don’t mind what it costs, provided he has it.” “Very well; give me one of your husband’s cards and the cata- logue. By the bye, what is the number I am to bid for ?” “* Eighty-six ; I’ve marked it in pencil. And come back to dinner, for I shall be all alone, and Septimus told me not to wait for him.” “All right,” said Mr. Ferguson, looking at his watch. ‘“ Five minutes past twelve, so I needn’t hurry, and the walk will do me good.” On arriving at the auction room, he found that the sale had already begun. ‘I had better not bid myself,” he thought, ‘ or they will be sure to run me up. I[ will get one of those fellows to do it for me.” Looking round, he beckoned to a short, florid individual, Shadrach by name, with whom he had had some previous dealings, and gave him the necessary instructions, to which the other responded by an intelligent twinkle of his eye, and quietly insinuated himself among the bidders. Lot after lot was briskly put up and knocked down, and ere long it came to the turn of eighty-six. ‘‘A landscape with cattle and figures, attributed to Cuyp,” pro- claimed the auctioneer from his desk. ‘‘ Shall we say five pounds to begin with P” A nod from his clerk sitting at the table. ** Guineas,” said Shadrach. No one else making a sign, the contest proceeded actively between the two opponents; the one steadily progressing with pounds, and the other immediately capping him with guineas. When the bidding had reached fifty guineas, a murmur of astonishment circulated among the bystanders; and the leviathan picture-dealer of Cotton- opolis, after a contemptuous glance at the object of their rivalry, honoured the competitors with a prolonged stare, evidently regarding them as a couple of lunatics. “Twice as much as it is worth,” grumbled Mr. Ferguson, “ but I suppose I had better go on.” At length the struggle came to a climax; the clerk’s final bid of a hundred pounds was followed by the inevitable nod of his adversary ; whereupon the former collapsed with a negative shake of the head, and after the usual formula of “‘ No advance on a hundred guineas ?” from the auctioneer, down went the hammer, and Shadrach, rejoining his employer, congratulated him on his acquisition. COM ) VOO|kKS.CO