The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-05-03

N"~V& RsS0t u t0W Voyv- vY9ut u Huo
extremely ninno1sas sn3Syss1 & n ixkiSa
married mep inds3fs j. 1.ondoa' whea
they have theiE wives With them. Nr.
Fitzroy rece;vef . neeios from .Christie
q Munaon that lis vssess voal1 sbse cold
on certain day the following xeek u
the end of the sale Of Osant NirsbeA.,.
chins. Count Nirabsau waS ! hans leaz
to connoissssrA Ind even celebsssel out
side the chaxsnsd circle. Hs was. In hct.
= hierophsnt Of the chins Sseish. - -
"fshould Ike 70 ~ 'tAh collectiob ol
Connt Mirabean's they talk 90 I'd uoh
about in the paper" said kE. james Fitx-
roy. NJ think We willgo to che sale."
With this view, when the day .srived
they went, prepared 70 swallow quietly
their o. land their. .vases) comparative
msignit1e. On their arrival in King
street they found the soems, Of course,
crowded with gentlemen and dealers.
The time fxed for the s4ie had mot ye1
come.
Making their way With difficulty
through the room, Mr.. aud Mrs. Fit3roy
met IN acquaintance from the Midland
shire in which they lived,
Halo, Fitxroyi What sre you doing
herer Inever knew yoa were maniac.
What brings you to Ch:intjs's on Chiua
day ?"
81 don't go in for, this sors of thing
as rule, but I thought should like to
see Count Mirabeau's collection. They
talk so much about it. Besides, I have
little thing in the sale myself"
The friend did not heed the last part of
the remark, but answered the first. ooh
Count Mirabeau! Yes, that is fine
enough, l confess but it is nothing CON-
pared to some china at the further end
of the room. You come this way, and
will show you" The trio threaded their
way to remote corner of the salesroom,
passing as rapidly as might be great
quantity of very handsome china, which
was arranged aud ticketed ready for the
sale. At the end, remote from the door
and near the rostrum, under two glass
moulds on a table stood their own two
vases.
"There, look at that" remarked the
friend complacently, with the gentle pat
ronage of superior knowledge. That is
china ifyou ike-worth any other ten
pieces in the room. Quite unique"
Hang it !" said Mr. Fitzroy. al need
not have come all this way to see those
vases. Why, they are mine p
"Yours, Fitzroy! like that! You
have turned humorist in your old age.
Don't you wish they were, by Jove! You
must take care Of your husband, Mrs.
Fitzroy; he works too bard"
"Thank you for the insinuation, Somer-
set, l am sane enough to know my own
property when see it. l tell you those
vases that you think such a lot Of are mine.
/ sent them to Christie" The tone of the
words were too earnest to be mistaken.
BY this time the bystanders had heard
the colloquy, and had gathered the import
of what was passing. The dealers
swarmed round Mr.. Fitxroy like vultures
upon carrion. They took the facts and
the "greenness in at glance.
II will give you vive 'undred pounds
for those vases." II will give you xix
'undred pound for those v1ses." will
give you eight ''undred pound for those
vases" I win give you rAore then ~ay
man in England for the vases on the ia
BILE, sir" Such were the cries which re-.
sounded on all hands. Jew and Gentle
had for once found q. subject on which
they could agree. MI Fitzroy was per-
fecfiy bewiIdered, and ran considerable
risk of being reduced To- the condition
Somerset had suggested previously. The
latter, who was an old hand, came to the
rescue. -..... .--.q e.
aDon't be fool, Fi,zroyi. If they are
really yours, keep q cool head on yoar
shoulders They tell me telegrams have
been ON the 60 all over Earope about
those vases to-day. They are worth q
mint of money. Don't part to any Of
these sharks" 3.
On the steps of the hall the barrister
would have taken 42o for his chances
from the days sale with cheerful alac-
rity. 49,
Mrs. Fitzroy was looking very white.
The sudden turn affairs had taken was
almost too much for her.
"Don't faint, my DEAR" remarked her
husband. The advice was needed. She
felt very much like it. But woman's but
tress, curiosity to see the end, sustained
her. If q woman were not cnrlone, she
would die more often than she does,
The sale began. Count Minbeau's
collection was sold first. The Junior
partner was the auctioneer. The Counts
china was, indeed, magnificent and duly
The bidding was active and
the prices adequate. Nevertheless,
there was . restless feeling of
impatienca More was coming. The
bonue bouche was kept to the last '.
There was a pause. Then, amid loud
applause and great excitement, to which
it may be imagined the Fitsroys were
not wholly insensible, the two vases were
placed before Mr. Woods, the auctioneer,
in full view of the audience When ST.
lence supervensd, Mr.. Woods said: ,"
Gentlemen, we know next to othing
about this CHINA which stands before you,
and of which you have jnst testified your
approval. We cannot give syoa its de-
tailed history. An we know Is that these
vases have been hidden away ID 4 coan1
try rectory in the Midlands for Jforty years
or more. Anything further back seenS
to be absolutely uncertain. One thing,
however, we do know absolutely, the tint
ing is the real Rose dn BARR. We thought
there were only Eve vases in Europe, the
finest examples Of "ths beautiful ware.
We now know there ire seven. The sixth
and seventh stands before you, gentle
men," a. lael .di.i.,as .e,l 20.
i, Another round Of applause greeted the
conclusion of this short speech. Tie bid
ding began. Mr.. and Mrs. James Etzroy
stood IL the corner nnnoticed, breathlsss