her how little, my Georgian bureau fetched. It was there, as I
think I told you, that I wrote my _Guide to the Round Pond_. Give me an
inclusive price for the lot, and never, never let me know the details."

He named an inclusive price. It was something under a hundred and fifty
pounds. I shouldn't have minded that if it had only been a little over
ten pounds. But it wasn't.

"Right," I agreed. "And, oh, I was nearly forgetting. There's an old
opera hat of exquisite workmanship, which----"

"Ah, now, clothes had much better be sold by auction. Make a pile of all
you don't want and I'll send round a sack for them. I have an auction
sale every Wednesday."

"Very well. Send round to-morrow. And you might--er--also send round
a--er--cheque for--quite so. Well, then, good morning."

When he had gone I went into my bedroom and made a pile of my opera hat.
It didn't look very impressive--hardly worth having a sack specially
sent round for it. To keep it company I collected an assortment of
clothes. It pained me to break up my wardrobe in this way, but I wanted
the bidding for my opera hat to be brisk, and a few preliminary suits
would warm the public up. Altogether it was a goodly pile when it was
done. The opera hat perched on the top, half of it only at work.

. . . . .

To-day I received from Mr. Bennett a cheque, a catalogue, and an
account. The catalogue was marked "Lots 172-179." Somehow I felt that my
opera hat would be Lot 176. I turned to it in the account.

"Lot 176--Six shillings."

"It did well," I said. "Perhaps in my heart of hearts I hoped for seven
and sixpence, but six shillings--yes, it was a good hat."

And then I turned to the catalogue.

"_Lot 176_--Frock-coat and vest, dress-coat and vest, ditto, pair of
trousers and opera hat."

"_And opera hat._" Well, well. At least it had the position of honour at
the end. My opera hat was starred.

LORDS TEMPORAL

We have eight clocks, called after the kind people who gave them to us.
Let me introduce you: William, Edward, Muriel, Enid, Alphonse, Percy,
Henrietta, and John--a large family.

"But how convenient," said Celia. "Exactly one for each room."

"Or two in each corner of the drawing-room. I don't suggest it; I just
throw out the idea."

"Which is rejected. How shall we arrange which goes into which room?
Let's pick up. I take William for the drawing-room; you take John for
your workroom; I take----"