"You can look, at anything you like, Mr. Hunsaker, but I understood from Mr. Tomlin that you had all the mahogany you wanted." "More than I want," replied Hunsaker grimly. "I’ve been much imposed upon, Mr. Quinney, with mahogany." Susan flitted quietly from the room. Posy began to rub the lacquer of the Chinese cabinet. She heard her father saying: "Dear, dear! I’ve been done, too—crisp as a biscuit! Everybody’s done, hey?" "I’m never done twice by the same man." He bent down to examine the carving of the chairs. "These are immense—the finest I’ve ever seen." "By Gum! I wish you could have seen the settee which I sold to the Grand Duke of Roosia." Hunsaker hardly heard him. He was becoming absorbed in the chairs. "The papers report you as having paid nine hundred pounds for the set." Quinney chuckled, nodding his head. "That’s right! I’d had two glasses of old brown sherry after lunch. My tip to all and sundry is: Buy before lunch, unless you’re a blooming vegetarian and teetotaler." Hunsaker prided himself upon the directness of his business methods. He said tentatively: "Would you take a handsome profit on these chairs?" "You look at that lac cabinet, and you won’t want to buy chairs." Hunsaker did look at the lac cabinet, and the girl beside it, softly rubbing its polished surface. He crossed to her, smiling. "On a Charles the Second stand," added Quinney. "The inside is as beautiful as the outside—more so. I’ll show it to you. Where’s the key?" He addressed Posy, but she pretended not to hear him. "Where’s the key?" he repeated. "I saw it yesterday," said Posy quietly. Her heart began to beat uncomfortably, as she thought of her letter in the middle drawer. "Can you see it now, missie? Is it on the floor?" Hunsaker interrupted: "Please don’t trouble. Is that screen Chinese?" "Yes; incised lacquer. They wanted that for the South Kensington Museum. Hits you bang in the eye, don’t it?" Hunsaker examined it as Quinney expatiated upon the enamelling and colour. His enthusiasm, his accurate knowledge, his love of precious objects for their beauty of design and craftsmanship, impressed the young man tremendously. He remembered what Tomlin had said: "You’ll find Quinney a character. What he tells you is right is right! That’s how he’s built up a thumping big business." Hunsaker had not been vastly impressed by Tomlin, but he was quite certain that he had spoken the truth about Quinney. His heart warmed to the little man. When Quinney paused he said gratefully: "I’m much obliged; it’s an education to see such treasures." "The only education I’ve had, Mr. Hunsaker." "I only wish that I could tempt you to part with one of them—this cabinet, for instance." "It’s not for sale. I’d like to oblige you. Is there anything else you particularly fancy?" Hunsaker’s roving eye was captivated by the K’ang He mirror-black bottle, standing alone in its glory upon the top of the cabinet.