Reproductions, every piece of it, with as fine an imitation of
worm-eaten backs as you could ever wish to see."
I had never wished to see any worm-eaten backs whatever, but I sought to
betray regret that I had not encountered this surpassing lot of them.
"Of course," he continued, "you will understand that I am speaking now
as a hardened collector, whose life is beset with pitfalls and with
gins--not as a starved wretch to the saver of his life."
"You shall see the stuff," I said.
"Oh, by all means, and the quicker the better. Cohen is waiting at the
hotel for me now--at the foot of the front stairway, and he may suspect
any minute that I was mean enough to slink down the back stairs and out
through an alley. In fact, I'm rather excited at the prospect of seeing
that furniture--Cohen condemned it so bitterly."
"He sent an offer of six hundred dollars for it last night," I said.
Hereupon my guest became truly excited.
"He _did_--six hundred--_Cohen_ did? I don't wish to be rude, old
chap, but would you mind hastening? That is more eloquent than all your
story."
For half an hour, notwithstanding his eagerness, Mr. James Walsingham
Price succumbed to the manner of Miss Caroline.
Pages:
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300