The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-07-10

aIways managed TO get MS VICTIM
names correctly, what are these china
groups? Have YOU had them longsn
That china, my lord, was Il present
from my grandmother. and | set great
store by it."
r U easily followed my brother-in
laws calculation. Mrs. Rawlin's
grandmother, The things must be
100 Years old, at least,'')
Have YOU any fancy to part with
them?n he continued. Il don't sup
pose they are worth much, but |
should like little remembrance of
Monmouthshire and of our pleasant
lunch here yesterday"
.-Oh. my lord. if it wasn't for Raw
Iins | should be glad to give them to
your lordship, or with Il glance at mel
any gentleman staying at the court.
I wonder what the lordship would
have said if | had not been present.
''Oh, no Mrs. Rawlins. | can't think
of taking them for nothing"
We'll my lord Idoubt if my grand
mother, if she'd ha' been alive would
have liked the idea of my selling her
presents"
Lord Johns countenance fell.
Certainly" added Mrs. Rawlins,
'.She wasn't too proud 10 sell her own.
Why, she got 10 guineaS for two tig-
ureS not half so gay as these from a
travelling peddler; one was just black
woman with Il head on like an ele-
phant, and the other woman too, but
she and her children were feeding a
swan"
Uord Johns face expressed: I was
right; they are old Dresden! The
woman with IN elephants head! The
group which represents Africa! Leda
and attendant Cupids! And these are
two of the companion groups. Worth
- guineas each any day at Christie's') }
Then in that case" he went on, Il
shall be glad to give you t5 for the
pair"
We'll, My lord, l should not like to
take your lordship's money without
asking the peddler-and he is in the
village again-lf these are real gen
uine. He got, l heard, 20 guineas fol
what he took from grandmother. She
was housekeeper sir to mel as you
have heared tell, at the duke of Bel
fort's.n Ct had heared this circum'
stance mentioned once or twice before
and was acquainted with the reputation
of the Belforth collection of china.)
Lord John turned quite pale.
ooh, my good woman" he cried.
an give You G1O and take my
chance;" and he Immediately handed
Mrs. Rawlins the money which he had
ready for such an emergency, and
rhioh bn ,1ooI-ntoI
Shall | dust them first, my lordP''
she asked, producing as she did so 3
heavy, damp towel.
For heavens sake. woman, nc
NOW the bargain was struck there
was no need of further civility.] I'll
take them with me just as they are.
George, you won't mind carrying one,
will you?n
| did mind carrying one very much.
l disliked the whole transaction. John
had certainly paid considerable sum
of money, but even with my imper-
feet acquaintance with such matters
knew that, if these groups were gen
uine, they were worth fully 80 guineas
the pair. | had my suspicious how
ever about them, and on our way
home | asked my companion how he
could feel SO absolutely certain about
their genuineness. There is no Dres-
den mark, | said.
ooh, isn't there?n was the reply.
Don't you see there is smear of
cement on the bottom of theme That
was probably put there at the time
there was heavy tax on Dresden
china, and proves their antiquity.
| will show you the crossed swords un-
derneath tonight"
| held my tongue.
Our house party, as | have said, had
broken up but several of the neigh
| bors were coming to dine, and Lord
John deferred the removal of the
cement till after dinner when we
should be all together in the drawing
room, and he would have an audience
sufficiently large and appreciative.
The proper time arrived; pen-knife
was produced, and the plaster care.
fully and tremendously scraped off.
| But instead of the crossed swords APP
peared the following inscriptions: