MR STOKES AND MR PEOPLES

'Is that Mr. Stokes?' said Mr. Peoples from out of sight round the corner up the stairs at the back.
'You recognise his voice?' said the man sat at the table.
They were in the shop's the gallery every now and then.
'Hello Mr. Peoples,' said Mr. Stokes when Mr. Peoples appeared.
They shook hands.
'You come to buy some art?'
'If I see something I like.'
'That goes without saying.'
Mr. Stokes nodded thoughtfully, 'Of course.'
'You want me to explain the system?'
'Would you?'
It was an auction. Dutch.
Each painting had next to it a sheet of paper at the top of which was a starting price with amounts descending each day until June 6th and the artist's reserve. A bidder could write their personal number against any of the dates and that day's cost if no other bid had been made for that day. If they wrote their personal number the day of the date against which they'd written it it would mean they'd bought the painting that day at that day's price. If they wrote their personal number against a later date than the day's date they wrote it, they had to wait until the day of the date against which they'd written their personal number had arrived before the painting became theirs at that day's price. No bids could be made on a date already passed. Is that clear?
'So I can buy something today?' said Mr. Stokes.
'If you see something you like,' said Mr. Peoples.