A few minutes after my entrance, the sale begun, and it so happened that the sofa came first on the list.

“We shall begin this morning,” said the auctioneer, “with a superior, fashionable sofa, made by—.  It has only been in use a short time, and is, in every respect, equal to new.”

All my predilections in favor of the sofa were confirmed the moment the manufacturer’s name was announced.  Of course, it was of the best material and workmanship.

“What is bid for this superior sofa, made by—­,” went on the salesman,—­“Seventy dollars—­sixty-five—­sixty-fifty—­five-fifty—­ forty-five—­forty—­thirty-five—­thirty.”

“Twenty-five dollars,” said a timid voice.

“Twenty-five!  Twenty-five!” cried the auctioneer.

“Twenty-six,” said I.

The first bidder advanced a dollar on this; then I bid twenty-eight; he went up to twenty-nine, and I made it thirty, at which offer the sofa was knocked down to me.

“That’s a bargain, and no mistake,” said the salesman.  “It is worth fifty dollars, if it’s worth a cent.”

“I’ll give you five dollars advance,” proposed a lady by my side, who had desired to bid, but could not bring up her courage to the point.

“No, thank you,” was my prompt answer.  I was too well pleased with my bargain.

When Mr. Smith came home to dinner on that day, I met him in the parlor.

“What do you think of this?” said I, pointing to the new sofa.  I spoke in an exultant voice.

“Where in the world did it come from?” enquired Mr. Smith, evincing a natural surprise.

“I bought it,” was my reply.

“When? where?”

“This morning, at auction.”

“At auction!”

“Yes; and it’s a bargain.  Now guess what I gave for it?”

“Ten dollars?”

“Now Mr. Smith!  But come; be serious.  Isn’t it cheap at forty dollars?”

Mr. Smith examined the sofa with care, and then gave it as his opinion that it wasn’t dear at forty dollars.

“I got it for thirty,” said I.

“Indeed!  I should really call that a bargain,—­provided you don’t discover in it, after a while, some defect.”

“I’ve looked at every part, over and over again,” was my response to this, “and can find a defect nowhere.  None exists, I am satisfied.”

“Time will show,” remarked Mr. Smith.

There was the smallest perceptible doubt in his tone.

Next morning, on going into my parlors, I was a little worried to see two or three moths flying about the room.  They were despatched with commendable quickness.  On the morning that followed, the same thing occurred again; and this was repeated, morning after morning.  Moreover, in a few days, these insects, so dreaded by housekeepers, showed themselves in the chambers above.  Up to this time I had neglected to put away my furs, a new set of which had been purchased during the previous winter.  I delayed this no longer.