"Two half-crowns, and it's yours, and a bargain; you won't know the old
fellow when he's had a wash!"

"What do you say, Hutton?" inquired Douglas, turning to his friend.

"Well, I think you might risk five shillings; you don't see such
ugliness every day, and I should not wonder if it was a good piece.
I've never come across one like it."

"All right then, I'll take the horror."

And in another moment the bargain was effected. Douglas tendered two
half-crowns, which the old woman carefully examined and pocketed, then
she wrapped up the figure in a piece of crumpled newspaper, and
presently he and his friend departed, each bearing his booty.

"There is little to find now," said Hutton, as they passed through the
gates; "the Market has become one of the weekly fashionable gatherings
of the town, and is dredged by dealers from all over England, who look
on it as a sort of lucky-bag--but the bag is nearly empty."

Mrs. Malone was enchanted with the monster--she had a secret weakness
for cheap little gifts--that is to say, from her own particular
friends. More than once Douglas had brought her some trifling tribute,
but his mother had felt deeply affronted by such uncalled for
generosity to a stranger; and when he ventured to exhibit the Chinese
atrocity, she exclaimed with great bitterness:

"Oh, for Mrs. Malone, Of course! It's rather strange that you never