“Can’t say till I’ve seed it, and likewise felt it,” answered the Corn-chandler, rising.  “Let me lay my ’and upon it, and I’ll tell you—­to a shilling,” and here, they elbowed their way into the crowd.  But Bellew sat there, chin in hand, quite oblivious to the fact that his pipe was out, long since.

The tall, old grand-father clock ticking in leisurely fashion in the corner behind him, solemn and sedate, as it had done since, (as the neat inscription upon the dial testified), it had first been made in the Year of Grace 1732, by one Jabez Havesham, of London;—­this ancient time-piece now uttered a sudden wheeze, (which, considering its great age, could scarcely be wondered at), and, thereafter, the wheezing having subsided, gave forth a soft, and mellow chime, proclaiming to all and sundry, that it was twelve o’clock.  Hereupon, the Auctioneer, bustling to and fro with his hat upon the back of his head, consulted his watch, nodded to the red nosed, blue-chinned Theodore, and, perching himself above the crowd, gave three sharp knocks with his hammer.

“Gentlemen!” he began, but here he was interrupted by a loud voice upraised in hot anger.

“Confound ye for a clumsy rascal!  Will ye keep them elbers o’ yourn to out o’ my weskit, eh?  Will ye keep them big feet o’ yourn to yeself?  If there ain’t room enough for ye,—­out ye go, d’ye hear—­I’ll have ye took, and shook,—­and throwed out where ye belong; so jest mind where ye come a trampin’, and a treadin’.”

“Tread!” repeated Adam, “Lord! where am I to tread?  If I steps backward I tread on ye,—­If I steps sideways I tread on ye, if I steps for-ard I tread on ye.  It do seem to me as I can’t go nowhere but there you be a-waitin’ to be trod on, Mr. Grimes, sir.”

Hereupon the Auctioneer rapped louder than ever, upon which, the clamour subsiding, he smiled his most jovial smile, and once more began: 

“Gentlemen! you have all had an opportunity to examine the furniture I am about to dispose of, and, as fair minded human beings I think you will admit that a finer lot of genuine antique was never offered at one and the same time.  Gentlemen, I am not going to burst forth into laudatory rodomontade, (which is a word, gentlemen that I employ only among an enlightened community such as I now have the honour of addressing),—­neither do I propose to waste your time in purposeless verbiage, (which is another of the same kind, gentlemen),—­therefore, without further preface, or preamble, we will proceed at once to business.  The first lot I have to offer you is a screen,—­six foot high,—­bring out the screen, Theodore!  There it is, gentlemen,—­open it out, Theodore!  Observe, Gentlemen it is carved rosewood, the panels hand painted, and representing shepherds, and shepherdesses, disporting themselves under a tree with banjo and guitar.  Now what am I offered for this hand-painted, antique screen,—­come?”

“Fifteen shillings!” from someone deep hidden in the crowd.