"The cups and saucers would bring about two pounds
apiece in London. If there were a full dozen they
would bring a matter of fifteen or twenty pounds--
some hundred dollars of your money."

Kling stepped nearer and peered intently at the
stranger. "You give dot for dem?"

The man's eyebrows narrowed. "I am not buying
cups at present," he answered, with quiet dignity, "but
they are worth what I tell you.

"And now tell me vot dis tureen is vorth?" he asked
as Mike reappeared and set it on the table, backing
away with the remark that he'd go now, Mrs. Cleary
would be wantin' him. Kling moved the relic toward
the expert for closer examination.

"Don't trouble yourself, Mr. Kling; I can see it. All
I can say is that the old lady must have known better
days and must have been terribly poor to have parted
with it. What, if I may ask, did you pay her for
this?"

"Two dollars. Vas it too much?" The stranger
had suddenly become an important personage.

"No--too little. It is old Lowestoft, and"--here he
took the lid from the dealer's hand--"yes, without a
crack or blemish--yes, old Lowestoft--worth, I should