to pass that way again. I did so, and Mrs.
Smith proved as good as her word. The niece had got the cup from a
friend of hers, an auctioneer, and he, not she, had got it at a sale.
But he was away from home--she could hear nothing more at present. She
gave his address, however, and assurances that he was very good-natured
and would gladly put the gentleman in the way of getting china like it,
if it was to be got. He would be home by the middle of the month. It
was now the middle of the month. The auctioneer's town was not above a
couple of hours off my line. Perhaps you will all laugh at me when I
tell you that I went those two hours out of my way, arriving at the town
late that night and putting up at a queer old inn--worth going to see
for itself--on purpose to find the man of the hammer. I found him.
He was very civil, though rather mystified. He remembered the cup
perfectly, but there was no chance of getting any like it where it
came from!

"'And where was that?' I asked eagerly.

"'At a sale some miles from here, about four years ago,' he replied. 'It
was the sale of the furniture and plate, and everything, in fact, of a
widow lady. She had some pretty china, for she had a fancy for it. That
cup was not of much value; it was quite modern. I bought it in for a
trifle. I gave it to Miss Cross, and she sent it to her aunt, as you
know. As for getting any like it----'

"But I interrupted him by assuring him I did not wish that, but that
I had reasons for wanting some information about the person who, I
believed, had bought the cup. 'Nothing to do any harm to any one,' I
said; 'a matter of feeling. A similar cup had been bought by a person
I was interested in, and I feared that person was dead.'

"The auctioneer's face cleared. He fancied he began to understand me.

"'I am afraid you are right, sir, if the person you mean was young Mr.
Paulet, the lady's son. You may have met him on his travels? His death
was very sad, I believe. It killed his mother, they say--she never
looked up after; and as she had no near relative to follow her, everything
was sold. I remember I was told all that, at the sale, and it seemed to
me particularly sad, even though one comes across many sad things in our
line of business.'

"'Do you remember the particulars of Mr. Paulet's death?' I asked.

"'Only that it happened suddenly--somewhere in foreign parts. I did not
know the family till I was asked to take charge of the sale,' he repl