every jump that the bids made, the excitement climbed moment by
moment higher and higher, the bidders got on their mettle and grew
steadily more and more daring, more and more determined, the jumps
went from a dollar up to five, then to ten, then to twenty, then
fifty, then to a hundred, then –
At the beginning of the auction Richards whispered in distress to
his wife: “Oh, Mary, can we allow it? It–it –you see, it is an
honour–reward, a testimonial to purity of character, and–and–can
we allow it? Hadn’t I better get up and–Oh, Mary, what ought we to
do?–what do you think we–” [Halliday’s voice. “Fifteen I’m bid!–
fifteen for the sack!–twenty!–ah, thanks!–thirty–thanks again!
Thirty, thirty, thirty!–do I hear forty?–forty it is! Keep the
ball rolling, gentlemen, keep it rolling!–fifty! –thanks, noble
Roman!–going at fifty, fifty, fifty!–seventy! –ninety!–
splendid!–a hundred!–pile it up, pile it up!–hundred and twenty–
forty!–just in time!–hundred and fifty!–Two hundred!–superb! Do
I hear two h–thanks! –two hundred and fifty!–“]
“It is another temptation, Edward–I’m all in a tremble –but, oh,
we’ve escaped one temptation, and that ought to warn us, to–[“Six
did I hear?–thanks!–six fifty, six f–SEVEN hundred!”] And yet,
Edward, when you think–nobody susp–[“Eight hundred dollars!–
hurrah!–make it nine!–Mr. Parsons, did I hear you say–thanks!–
nine!–this noble sack of virgin lead going at only nine hundred
dollars, gilding and all– come! do I hear–a thousand!–gratefully
yours!–did some one say eleven?–a sack which is going to be the
most celebrated in the whole Uni–“] “Oh, Edward” (beginning to
sob), “we are so poor!–but–but–do as you think best–do as you
think best.”
Edward fell–that is, he sat still; sat with a conscience which was
not satisfied, but which was overpowered by circumstances.
Meantime a stranger, who looked like an amateur detective gotten up
as an impossible English earl, had been watching the evening’s
proceedings with manifest interest, and with a contented expression
in his face; and he had been privately commenting to himself. He
was now soliloquising somewhat like this: ‘None of the Eighteen are
bidding; that is not satisfactory; I must change that–the dramatic
unities require it; they must buy the sack they tried to steal; they
must pay a heavy price, too–some of them are rich. And another
thing, when I make a mistake in Hadleyburg nature the man that puts
that error upon me is entitled to a high honorarium, and some one
must pay. This poor old Richards has brought my judgment to shame;
he is an honest man:–I don’t understand it, but I acknowledge it.
Yes, he saw my deuces–AND with a straight flush, and by rights the
pot is his. And it shall be a jack-pot, too, if I can manage it.
He disappointed me, but let that pass.”
He was watching the bidding. At a thousand, the market broke: the
prices tumbled swiftly. He waited–and still watched. One
competitor dropped out; then another, and another. He put in a bid
or two now. When the bids had sunk to ten dollars, he added a five;
some one raised him a three; he waited a moment, then flung in a
fifty-dollar jump, and the sack was his–at $1,282. The house broke
out in cheers–then stopped; for he was on his feet, and had lifted
his hand. He began to speak.
“I desire to say a word, and ask a favour. I am a speculator in
rarities, and I have dealings with persons interested in numismatics
all over the world. I can make a profit on this purchase, just as
it stands; but there is a way, if I can get your approval, whereby I
can make every one of these leaden twenty-dollar pieces worth its
face in gold, and perhaps more. Grant me that approval, and I will
give part of my gains to your Mr. Richards, whose invulnerable
probity you have so justly and so cordially recognised tonight; his
share shall be ten thousand dollars, and I will hand him the money
to-morrow. [Great applause from the house. But the “invulnerable
probity” made the Richardses blush prettily; however, it went for
modesty, and did no harm.] If you will pass my proposition by a
good majority–I would like a two-thirds vote–I will regard that as