"My dear Walter, why hide these things here?" he asked. "They are
beautiful, and may be valuable, too."

"I've been asked the same question before," answered the owner.
"And they are valuable. Lord Bolsover offered me a thousand
guineas for those two chairs; but the things are heirlooms in a
sort of way, and I shouldn't feel justified in parting with them.
My grandfather was furniture mad--spent half his time collecting
old stuff on the Continent. Spain was his happy hunting ground."

"It's positively a shame to doom these chairs to a haunted room,
uncle," declared Henry.

But the other shook his head and smothered a yawn.

"The house is too full as it is." he said.

"Mary wants you to scrap dozens of things," replied his nephew.
"Then there'd be plenty of room."

"You'll do what you please when your turn comes, and no doubt cast
out my tusks and antlers and tiger-skins, which I know you don't
admire. Wait in patience, Henry. And we will now go to bed,"
answered the elder. "I am fatigued, and it must be nearly midnight."

Then Tom May brought their thoughts back to the reason of the visit.

"Look here, governor," he said. "It's a scandal to give a champion
room like this a bad name and shut it up. You've fallen into the