“‘I’ll gi’e ye eightpence for the rosy plate,’ says ’Neas.
“Nay, let me have it for tenpence!’ hollers Tom.
“‘ A shillin’!’ says Annie’s young man all of a sudden; it did really seem, Mrs. Andrews, as if he couldn’t hold back.
“‘Eighteenpence!’ says ’Neas.
“‘Two shillin’!’ cries Tom.”
“Tch, tch, tch,” commented Mrs. Andrews, clicking her tongue in amazed condemnation of such wanton extravagance, though she knew quite as well as Mrs. Stickly what was coming next.
“If you’ll believe me,” said Maria triumphantly, “they did run up the price o’ that there plate to five shillin’ before they’d done! Five shillin’! That were Tom’s bid; and ’Neas, he did laugh and shake his head and say, ‘’Tis half my week’s wages—I can’t go no further, Maria; ye must take the will for the deed.’
“Annie’s young man had dropped off some time before, so now the plate were knocked down to Tom; and he did put his hand in his pocket like a lord and pull out his money. But when he did come to count it there weren’t above four-and-sixpence all together.
“‘Lend me sixpence, somebody,’ says he.
“Thank ’ee for nothin’,’ says ’Neas; ‘if it be goin’ for four-and-sixpence I’ll have it myself.’