Baroness Orczy

“ At this point the auctioneer leant forward, and addressing himself more particularly to Volenski, said:
"Unless some arrangement is very soon entered into I cannot keep all these gentlemen waiting. We shall have to proceed with the sale."
"Do you hold my bid?" said Volenski. "I said 'Ten thousand pounds.'"
"Twenty thousand," said Madame Demidoff quietly, as if she were talking of so many pence.
"Twenty thousand pounds," said the auctioneer, "for a pair of candlesticks. Both this gentleman and this lady are quite unknown to me. ”

“ Volenski looked round anxiously–the crowd in the room was very dense. He could not see Madame Demidoff. The larger pieces of furniture were first put up, and rapidly knocked down at varying prices to different dealers, who mostly got their purchases very cheaply. The only times that the prices ran at all high were when some unfortunate outsider or private bidder attempted to compete against the clique of dealers, who stood closely packed near the desk of the auctioneer, and hurriedly ran the prices up till the poor, misguided, private bidder retired discomfited. ”

“ I shall have to have some guarantee from both that the money will be paid when the articles are ultimately knocked down, otherwise I must refuse to have the valuable time of these gentlemen taken up any longer. ”