MODE OF LETTING THE TOLLS 19 



trustees, with their clerks, treasurers, surveyors, and 

 other officers, were assembled. After the conditions 

 were read the letting commenced, but it sometimes 

 happened that the whispering had been so effective 

 that not a single offer was made, to the astonish- 

 ment of the trustees, who had not seen the 

 Machiavellian manoeuvres that had been going on 

 for more than an hour elsewhere. As no biddings 

 were made, it was then announced that the upset 

 price was, say, 200/. for each gate, and that unless 

 that sum was obtained, the gates would be with- 

 drawn and the trustees would put in their own 

 collectors and farm the gates themselves. When 

 the sum was announced a Qeneral Qroan of horror 

 went round, and the trustees were told that the offer 

 was so outrageous it could not be listened to ; that 

 the last two years the gates had not produced more 

 than 180/. to 190/., and the lessees had lost all their 

 wages and expenses, but if they would listen to 

 reason a tenant could be found at 150/. Suddenly 

 some stranger to the ' pikers,' who had been un- 

 observed by them, would bid 180/., at which there 

 would be a burst of indignation and an outbreak of 

 insulting by-play. ' Was that your bid, Jem .'' ' one 

 would exclaim. ' No,' another would remark ; ' I 

 ain't such a d — — d fool as that ' ; whereupon one of 

 the body would spring 5/., and after a pause the 

 stranger would top it with a bid of 190/., when a 

 gentleman of the Hebrew race, highly adorned with 

 gold watch-chain and rings, and dressed in extra 

 fashionable clothes, would rap the floor and hold 



