He waited for his companion to proceed.
"I wanted the rest of those beans," Burton confessed.
Mr.Waddington shook his head slowly.
"I haven't made up my mind about them yet," he said.

"Better leave them alone." "You do know where they are, then ?" Burton demanded breathlessly.
The auctioneer did not deny it.
"I had them removed," he explained "in a somewhat peculiar fashion.

The fact of it is, the new tenant is a very peculiar man and I did not dare to ask him to give me that little tree.

I simply did not dare to run the risk.

It is a painful subject with me, this, because quite thoughtlessly I endeavored to assume the appearance of anger on discovering the theft.