Philip, feeling perfectly certain that he would not, again pressed Mrs. Grice to name a figure. Finally the old lady overcame her extreme delicacy of feeling sufficiently to suggest ten shillings.
"But we must be fair about it, sir," she insisted. "I don't want to overcharge you." She paused, as if struck by a sudden thought. "I'll tell you what, sir,—we'll ask a third party!"
Next moment Mrs. Grice was at the door.
"Grice!" she called shrilly.
"Commin', Emmer," replied a husky voice, and Mr. Grice sidled into the room with uncanny suddenness.
"How much, Grice," enquired his helpmeet, pointing to the curtain-pole, "would you think was a fair price for that pole? A fair price, mind!"
Mr. Grice fixed his wandering and watery eyes upon the article under consideration, and ruminated. Finally:—
"Ten shillin'," he said.
Mrs. Grice turned to Philip with a smile of delighted surprise.
"Well, I declare!" she exclaimed. "I was about right, after all, sir."