[Her eyes slide round at Chloe, silting motionless and rather
     sunk in her seat, slowly fanning herself with they particulars
     of the sale.  Jack, go and offer her my smelling salts.]

Hillcrist. [Taking the salts] Thank God for a human touch!

Mrs. H. [Taken aback] Oh!

Jill. [With a quick look at her mother, snatching the salts] I will. [She goes over to Chloe with the salts] Have a sniff; you look awfully white.

Chloe. [Looking up, startled] Oh! no thanks.  I’m all right.

Jill.  No, do!  You must. [Chloe takes them.]

Jill.  D’you mind letting me see that a minute?

     [She takes the particulars of the sale and studies it, but
     Chloe has buried the lower part of her face in her hand and the
     smelling salts bottle.]

Beastly hot, isn’t it?  You’d better keep that.

Chloe. [Her dark eyes wandering and uneasy] Rolf’s getting me some water.

Jill.  Why do you stay?  You didn’t want to come, did you?

     [Chloe shakes her head.]

All right!  Here’s your water.

     [She hands back the particulars and slides over to her seat,
     passing Rolf in the gangway, with her chin well up.]

     [Mrs. Hillcrist, who has watched Chloe and Jill and Dawker, and
     his friend, makes an enquiring movement with her hand, but gets
     a disappointing answer.]

Jill.  What’s the time, Dodo?

Hillcrist. [Looking at his watch] Three minutes past.

Jill. [Sighing] Oh, hell!

Hillcrist. Jill!

Jill.  Sorry, Dodo.  I was only thinking.  Look!  Here he is! 
Phew!—­isn’t he——?

Mrs. H.  ’Sh!

The auctioneer comes in Left and goes to the table.  He is a square, short, brown-faced, common looking man, with clipped grey hair fitting him like a cap, and a clipped grey moustache.  His lids come down over his quick eyes, till he can see you very sharply, and you can hardly see that he can see you.  He can break into a smile at any moment, which has no connection with him, as it were.  By a certain hurt look, however, when bidding is slow, he discloses that he is not merely an auctioneer, but has in him elements of the human being.  He can wink with anyone, and is dressed in a snug-brown suit, with a perfectly unbuttoned waistcoat, a low, turned down collar, and small black and white sailor knot tie.  While he is settling his papers, the Hillcrists settle themselves tensely.  Chloe has drunk her water and leaned back again, with the smelling salts to her nose.  Rolf leans forward in the seat beside her, looking sideways at Jill.  A solicitor, with a grey beard, has joined