The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-08
PEARL AND EMERALD
CHAPTER III-BATTLE ROYAL.
Continued,

day, the whole world was amazed to heal
that the great potentate of commerce haG
been found by his valet, when the latter
had went to call him as usual in the morn
ing, lying upon the floor. with bottle o.
prussic acid by his side; and then it was
not amazed to hear that the affairs Of the
house had been going all wrong for any
number Of years, and that the only wonder
was that it had not collapsed long before
Its fall was complete. Some of its mem.
bers were tried on criminal charges, and
their acquittal did not prevent the tempo.
rary paralysis of trade. 1t would simply
be too great a labor to write down the
number of figures necessary to represent it's
liabilities.
But still the heir to the head of the bank
rupt house was not left destitute. By
some process of settlements he was still
master of more than competence, and OF
the furniture and valuable collection OF
pictures contained in the house in Grosve-
nor Square.
J Now, therefore, was the time for him to
make graHd coup after his own heart
The competence he threw away at once in
mitigating the ruin of many suffering
homes, and sale was advertised of all the
furniture and all the pictures. People still
thought him mad; but they could not deny
that there was something like heroism in
his madness.
! 1t was this sale that was SO punctually
attended by Mr.. erode; and it was a sale
to be seen with envious eyes by those of
| slender purses and many desires. | will
not copy the catalogue, nor even attempt
to estimate what it contained. Suffice it
to say that, to contribute to its contents,
Sevres, and Golconda. and Damascus, and
Lyons, and, better still, Florence, and
+! Venice, and Rome had done their best, and
that the courts of kings and the CALLER
les of nations became ennobled by the fall
of the house of Cranstoun. Among the
ordinary herd of brokers and dealers were
| to be seen purchasers of different order
| from those who are usually to be found at
sales.--future were special ENJOYS and pleni-
potentiaries from almost every great center
| of art and luxury in Europe, silent, re-
served and diplomatic-eagles among the
crew of chattering vultures. Through the
latter, by most of whom he appeared to be
we'll known, Mr.. erode elbowed his way
until he reached the vast saloon in which
the auctioneer had raised his throne. Then
he seated himself at long table, took out
his gold pencil case once more, and looked
as though he meant work in earnest.
But, for the present, he made no outward
sign. Lot after lot fell beneath the ham
mer, but for not one did he make single
bid, except, as it seemed, for pastime,
without any real intention of securing
what he scarcely looked at when it was
| displayed. To-day was set apart for the
sale of the pictures. There were Guides,
Titians, Rubenses, Rafaeles, nay, even
Sodomas and Michael Angeles, every one
of which went at some price that would be
more appropriate to story in the arabian
Nights than to the prosaic columns of the
journals that chronicled it the next day.
Long and heavy were the battles that were
fought over them. At last, however, they
were dispersed-some to Paris, some to
Munich, some to great private galleries,
some to the dealers; the disposal of the
lesser fry began, and at a late hour, the
room began to clear. Still, even the lesser
fry have their value, and few bidders,
few score pictures of minor importance had
gone for fairly good prices, the porter
placed in front of the auctioneer's desk
small oil painting in plain gilt frame, to
which even the most ignorant could as
cribe no more value than that of few shil-
lings-perhaps, fifteen, at the very outside
unless, of course, its painter should hap
pen to have name. The auctioneer look
ed just little ashamed. Indeed, there
was no apparent reason at all why such
minnow as this should have found place
among the tritons, unless it arose from
conscientious desire Oh the part of the ven
dor to give up all he had, even to the utter
most farthing.
"7He Dead Maybe. By Jones'" Such
was it's description in the catalogue. And,
| in fact, it represented an ill-drawn bird, in
a conventional position, with its feathers
looking as though they had been carved
out of wood, lying upon a drty-white table
cloth. In size it was about eighteen inches
by ten. Its surface was cracked and
! Ill al
mouldy and tiy-blown. On the whole, per-
haps, zero would have represented its artis-
| tic value more accurately than even fifteen
farthings. Rubbish such as this will some
how find its way into the best collections.
Perhaps Jones had been poor drawing
master, with starving wife and family,
and this particular piece of rubbish had
been bought out of charity.
Still, there are people who speculate in
dead magpies rather than not speculate at
all.
"A 'arf CROWN" suggested one dealer,
after pause.
Mr.. erode, as if to continue his occasion
al pastime, nodded. If he chose to give
three and sixpencs for momento of this
great sale, why should he not indulge his
whim. 1t would admirably suit the dust
of his front parlor.
The pale sherry in which some Of the
purchasers had been indulging at discre-
ton, or at indscretion, during the day,
made joke not unreasonable after the
! SCI ions huSineSs was over
"Where's Sir C. ." said one of
the dealers. BLESSED if this here oughtn't
to go to the National. Four-and-six
there. and tell the r. A. to give me a
call in Wardour street. won't be hard
on en-
GIVE and-six," said Mr.. erode, care
lessly, scarcely raising his eyes for a mo-
ment from the catalogue which he was
studying intently.
cha! ha! ha"' laughed the last bidder,
who seemed to be the comic man among
his brotherhood. $50 I'm not to make my
fortune this time. Well, I've saved a 'arf-