four round white stones,
which--"

"Er--yes, we know all about those white stones," interrupted William,
"and you'll please let me talk about my own things myself!" And he
beamed benevolently on the wondering-eyed girl at Bertram's side.

"But there are so many!" breathed Billy.

"All the more chance then," smiled William, "that somewhere among them
you'll find something to interest you. Now these Chinese ceramics,
and these bronzes--maybe you'd like those," he suggested. And with a
resigned sigh and an exaggerated air of submission, Bertram stepped back
and gave way to his brother.

"And there are these miniatures, and these Japanese porcelains. Or
perhaps you'd like stamps, or theatre programs better," William finished
anxiously.

Billy did not reply. She was turning round and round, her eyes wide and
amazed. Suddenly she pounced on a beautifully decorated teapot, and held
it up in admiring hands.

"Oh, what a pretty teapot! And what a cute little plate it sets in!" she
cried.

The collector fairly bubbled over with joy.

"That's a Lowestoft--a real Lowestoft!" he crowed. "Not that
hard-paste stuff from the Orient that's CALLED Lowestoft, but the real
thing--English, you know. And that's the tray that goes with it,
too. Wonderful--how I got them both! You know they 'most always get
separated. I paid a cool hundred for them, anyhow."

"A hundred dollars for a teapot!" gasped Billy.

"Yes; and here's a nice little piece of lustre-ware. Pretty--isn't it?
And there's a fine bit of black basalt. And--"

"Er--Will," interposed Bertram, meekly.

"Oh, and here's a Castleford," cried William, paying no attention to
the interruption. "Marked, too; see? 'D. D. & Co., Castleford.' You know
there isn't much of that ware marked. This is a beauty, too, I think.
You see this pitted surface--they made that with tiny little points set
into the inner side of the mold. The design stands out fine on this.
It's one of the best I ever saw. And, oh--"

"Er--William," interposed Bertram again, a little louder this time. "May
I just say--"

"And did you notice this 'Old Blue'?" hurried on William, eagerly. "Lid
sets down in, you see--that's older than the kind where it sets over the
top. Now here's one--"

"William," almost shouted Bertram, "DINNER IS READY! Pete has sounded
the gong twice already!"

"Eh? Oh, sure enough--sure enough," acknowledged William, with a
regretful glance at his treasures. "Well, we must go, we m