In the first place,
Bellairs had made his last advance with a smile of
gratified vanity, and I could see the creature was
glorying in the KUDOS of an unusual position and
secure of ultimate success. In the second, Trent had
once more changed colour at the thousand leap, and his
relief when he heard the answering fifty was manifest
and unaffected. Here, then, was a problem: both were
presumably in the same interest, yet the one was not in
the confidence of the other. Nor was this all. A few
bids later it chanced that my eye encountered that of
Captain Trent, and his, which glittered with
excitement, was instantly, and I thought guiltily,
withdrawn. He wished, then, to conceal his interest?
As Jim had said, there was some blamed thing going on.
And for certain here were these two men, so strangely
united, so strangely divided, both sharp-set to keep
the wreck from us, and that at an exorbitant figure.
Was the wreck worth more than we supposed? A sudden
heat was kindled in my brain; the bids were nearing
Longhurst's limit of five thousand; another minute and
all would be too late.
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