Edgar Jepson

“ Miss Timmins was grieved to observe that prices were running high. But presently she was comforted, for the three jade amulets were knocked down to her for a sum on which she would make a very pleasing profit indeed. She was examining them, wondering whether the queer-looking one would not actually bring good luck, when the eight frogs were put up for sale. She watched the bidding.
Of a sudden she awoke to the fact that not a single collector of hard stones was present. She jerked upright on her chair, thrilling with sudden hope. If a dealer bought the lot, she might yet get the green frog. ”

“ The business of getting those frogs from Italy and their romantic owner would be worked up till he had got her half crazy about them. But for the luck of her chancing on Miss Timmins in an amiable mood he would have swindled her with ease.
But what a fool the man was! The frogs he had seen on view at Farringdon's the morning before had suggested this ingenious swindle; he must have them; yet he had gone to the sale with only forty pounds in his pocket, when there hadn't been one chance in a hundred of getting them for that sum. He had not got them; he had yet to get them. ”

“ Lord Scredington did not come through the door; Bouncer Bosanquet did. A paunchy man of forty with a roving black eye, wavy black hair and a large black mustache which he was wont to twirl with an air of irresistibility, he was always a bugbear to her. ”

“ As she looked at her excited face and listened to her jubilant and enthusiastic words, Miss Timmins' mind misgave her. Anne seemed fairly hypnotized and Bosanquet might yet bluff or bully the five thousand dollars out of her. She must be more open with her.
“Look here, you mustn't have that five thousand dollars at the hotel,“ she said firmly. “It won't be safe. I'm certain that this business is a swindle—that if there is any Prince Sarrazin these won't be his frogs.” ”

“ Bosanquet dropped back onto a chair with one grunt of despair and plunged into speechless gloom.
Hector interposed feverishly; in carrying accents he said:
“'Ere, 'ere, why all this ill feeling about a trifle like this? It's only business. Suppose we drop all this talk about five thousand dollars an' come to brass tacks. What about two 'undred and fifty pounds for the eight frogs? What if they ain't Prince Sarrazin's? They're first-class frogs; the best as ever come over. What about two 'undred an' fifty pound?”
“What about fifty, without the two hundred?” said Miss Timmins heartlessly. ”

“ You can hunt through China from end to end, as Prince Sarrazin did, without finding anything better. And I bought these eight frogs at Farringdon's salesrooms this morning for forty-one pounds—a little less than two hundred dollars. So you know where you are.”
“Only two hundred dollars!” cried Anne Calhoun. “Why—why—I'll buy them from you, just for myself.”
Miss Timmins shook her head.
“No; I have a customer for them. And I don't think, if I were you, I should say anything to Mr. Bosanquet about having seen them. It would look a little distrustful, you know.” ”

“ With a sigh she turned to the consideration of the other lots, to find that there was one which would suit her very well—three jade amulets. She had a customer for jade amulets, a very modern and superstitious lady of forty who wore a green hat and wanted only to be loved. That and two other lots she would buy if they went cheap. She marked her catalogue with the prices to which she would go for them, then returned to the frogs and again studied the green frog, at length, with a loving eye. ”

“ The greatest artist sticks to it; only experts like Prince Sarrazin and myself recognize his greatness. The frogs you saw at Farringdon's may have been like these, very like them, perhaps. I did not see them myself, but I am certain—I would stake my reputation as a connoisseur on it—they were very inferior.”
He beamed upon her, frankly setting her right, reassuring.
“They are the same frogs, and you can take them away,” said Anne Calhoun.
Mr. Bosanquet evidently could not believe his ears; he looked hurt and amazed; then his face slowly darkened and grew terrible; he appeared to swell ”

“ The next morning came a letter in which he congratulated her on the successful termination of an affair of the first importance and her extraordinary luck in chancing upon the one man in England who could carry it through in record time. In a postscript he added that, owing doubtless to the fact that the Italian nobility had so often been tricked by swindlers, the prince had made the stipulation that he was to deliver the frogs only for cash down, and it would facilitate matters if she had the five thousand dollars ready at her hotel when he brought them to her. ”

“ You never made a greater mistake in your life. You'll hear from my solicitor about this.”
“Shall I?” said Miss Timmins sweetly. “When?”
“By the first post tomorrow morning,” said Mr. Bosanquet, still terribly.
“Right,” said Miss Timmins cheerfully. “Tell him not to miss the last post tonight.”
Mr. Bosanquet did not say that he would tell him; he did not say that he would not; he left loftily. Hector shambled out after him, hugging the box of frogs with a pained air. Their size still troubled him; he felt that, at the price, they should at least be as large as guinea pigs. ”

“ Hector hastily scooped the frogs into the box; Albert rose feebly, made a feeble effort to stalk loftily to the door, feebly twirling his mustache.
As he followed him out Hector gazed round on those unsympathetic faces and whined tearfully, “'E's 'ad me agyne. 'E always 'as me.”
Lord Scredington rather cut short Anne Calhoun's thanks for his intervention at the awkward moment, and hurried away. He caught up the brothers Bosanquet. Anne began to thank Miss Timmins, Miss Timmins would not hear of being thanked. ”

“ Bosanquet's suggestion that he should get the frogs for her to see. Miss Timmins made her write to him then and there that she had made no offer and would not buy the frogs unless she liked them. She made her make a copy of this letter, and initialed it. Then she warned her earnestly against entertaining high expectations of the frogs, because she was nearly sure that when she saw them she would not pay five thousand dollars for them.
That afternoon Anne Calhoun brought another telegram. The campaign was well under way. It ran:
“Prince Sarrazin still considering your offer. ”

“ Three years before, when she was sixteen and beginning to take the active part in her father's business, he had taken her under his wing at the salesrooms, advising her what to buy and what not to buy. ”