"That's what we want to know," said Jill. "He motored down here with
Miss Childe, and now they've pushed off somewhere, but they wouldn't
say----"
"Childe!" I shouted. "Miss Childe! I've got it!"
"What on earth's the matter?" said Jonah, as I started the car.
"My dream," I cried. "I remember it all. It was about that tallboy."
"What--the one we saw?" cried Jill.
I nodded.
"I'm going to double my bid," I said. "We simply must have it, whatever
the price."
Disregarding Jonah's protests that we were going the wrong way, I swung
the car in the direction from which we had come, and streaked down the
road to Cranmer Place.
A minute later I dashed into the hall, with Jill at my heels.
The first person I saw was Mr. Holly.
"Has it come up yet?"
I flung the words at him, casting strategy to the winds.
"It 'as, Major, an' I'm sorry to say we've lorst it. I never see such a
thing. There was a gent there as meant to 'ave it. 'Cept for 'im, there
wasn't a bid after twenty-five pounds. I never thort we'd 'ave to go
over fifty, neither. Might 'a bin the owner 'isself, the way 'e was
runnin' us up. An' when we was in the eighties, I sez to meself, I sez,
'The one as calls a nundred first 'as it.
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