"A SALE! A SALE!"
The Price Sale of pictures on Saturday last at Christie's will be ever memorable as "The Highest Price Sale." "'What's the demd total?' was the first question Mr. Mantilini asked." To which the present answer is £87,144. A nice little sum to go on with, or off with. One of the incidents was most dramatic. Gainsborough's "Lady Musgrave" was put up to be purchased. Then stood forward bold William Agnew with eight thousand guineas in his best gossamer. "The lady is mine!" he exclaimed, rapturously, and was advancing with arms outstretched to seize his prize, when suddenly his path was crossed by one Campbell "of that ilk," who cried aloud, "Here are ten thousand golden sovereigns plus ten thousand silver shillings, all glittering on a tray! Advance no further!" And bold William advanced no further. For once he was taken aback. "I didna ken the Campbell was coming!" muttered William A-bashed. And ere he could recover from his surprise, and while yet his frame was quivering with excitement, his picture, the Lady that should have been his, was gone. "They have given her to another!" he sang sadly, but the next moment he pulled himself together, and "taking heart of Grace" William made such running, off his own bat, as would have astonished even the eminent cricketer just mentioned. And the last of the "Reynolds' Miscellany" in this collection succumbed to William the Conqueror for 450 guineas. Sic transit gloria Saturday!
New Name.—The Imperial Institute henceforward to be known as "The Somers Vinery."