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"I&aos;lltellthem,iftheycomeback,butIamnotexectingthem.Theysaidyouwouldbehereinanhourtomakeinquiries,butImusttellyouit&aos;sallright,they&aos;llbehereontimeandexectyou.
"SoIhadtogiveituandgoaway.Whatariddleitallwas!Iwasliketolosemymind.Theywouldbehere
"ontime
".Whatcouldthatmean?Oh,theletterwouldexlain,maybe.Ihadforgottentheletter;Igotitoutandreadit.Thisiswhatitsaid:
Youareanintelligentandhonestman,asonemayseebyyourface.Weconceiveyoutobeoorandastranger.Enclosedyouwillfindasumofmoney.Itislenttoyouforthirtydays,withoutinterest.Reortatthishouseattheendofthattime.Ihaveabetonyou.IfIwinityoushallhaveanysituationthatisinmygift-any,thatis,thatyoushallbeabletoroveyourselffamiliarwithandcometenttofill.
Nosignature,noaddress,nodate.
Well,herewasacoiltobein!Youareostedonwhathadrecededallthis,butIwasnot.Itwasjustadee,darkuzzletome.Ihadn&aos;ttheleastideawhatthegamewas,norwhetherharmwasmeantmeorakindness.Iwentintoaark,andsatdowntotrytothinkitout,andtoconsiderwhatIhadbestdo.
Attheendofanhourmyreasoningshadcrystallizedintothisverdict.
Maybethosemenmeanmewell,maybetheymeanmeill;nowaytodecidethat-letitgo.They&aos;vegotagame,orascheme,oranexeriment,ofsomekindonhand;nowaytodeterminewhatitis-letitgo.There&aos;sabetonme;nowaytofindoutwhatitis-letitgo.Thatdisosesoftheindeterminablequantities;theremainderofthematteristangible,solid,andmaybeclassedandlabeledwithcertainty.IfIasktheBankofEnglandtolacethisbilltothecreditofthemanitbelongsto,they&aos;lldoit,fortheyknowhim,althoughIdon&aos;t;buttheywillaskmehowIcameinossessionofit,andifItellthetruth,they&aos;llutmeintheasylum,naturally,andaliewilllandmeinjail.ThesameresultwouldfollowifItriedtobankthebillanywhereortoborrowmoneyonit.Ihavegottocarrythisimmenseburdenarounduntilthosemencomeback,whetherIwanttoornot.Itisuselesstome,asuselessasahandfulofashes,andyetImusttakecareofit,andwatchoverit,whileIbegmyliving.Icouldn&aos;tgiveitaway,ifIshouldtry,forneitherhonestcitizennorhighwaymanwouldaccetitormeddlewithitforanything.Thosebrothersaresafe.EvenifIlosetheirbill,orburnit,theyarestillsafe,becausetheycanstoayment,andthebankwillmakethemwhole;butmeantimeI&aos;vegottodoamonth&aos;ssufferingwithoutwagesorrofit-unlessIhelwinthatbet,whateveritmaybe,andgetthatsituationthatIamromised.Ishouldliketogetthat;menoftheirsorthavesituationsintheirgiftthatareworthhaving.
Igottothinkingagooddealaboutthatsituation.Myhoesbegantorisehigh.Withoutdoubtthesalarywouldbelarge.Itwouldbegininamonth;afterthatIshouldbeallright.PrettysoonIwasfeelingfirst-rate.BythistimeIwastramingthestreetsagain.Thesightofatailorshogavemeasharlongingtoshedmyrags,andtoclothemyselfdecentlyoncemore.CouldIaffordit?No;Ihadnothingintheworldbutamillionounds.SoIforcedmyselftogoonby.ButsoonIwasdriftingbackagain.Thetemtationersecutedmecruelly.Imusthaveassedthatshobackandforthsixtimesduringthatmanfulstruggle.AtlastIgavein;Ihadto.Iaskediftheyhadamisfitsuitthathadbeenthrownontheirhands.ThefellowIsoketonoddedhisheadtowardsanotherfellow,andgavemenoanswer.Iwenttotheindicatedfellow,andheindicatedanotherfellowwithhishead,andnowords.Iwenttohim,andhesaid:
"Tendtoyouresently.
"
Iwaitedtillhewasdonewithwhathewasat,thenhetookmeintoabackroom,andoverhauledaileofrejectedsuits,andselectedtherattiestoneforme.Iutiton.Itdidn&aos;tfit,andwasn&aos;tinanywayattractive,butitwasnew,andIwasanxioustohaveit;soIdidn&aos;tfindanyfault,butsaid,withsomediffidence:
"Itwouldbeanaccommodationtomeifyoucouldwaitsomedaysforthemoney.Ihaven&aos;tanysmallchangeaboutme.
"
Thefellowworkeduamostsarcasticexressionofcountenance,andsaid:
"Oh,youhaven&aos;t?Well,ofcourse,Ididn&aos;texectit.I&aos;donlyexectgentlemenlikeyoutocarrylargechange.
"
Iwasnettled,andsaid:
"Myfriend,youshouldn&aos;tjudgeastrangeralwaysbytheclotheshewears.Iamquiteabletoayforthissuit;Isimlydidn&aos;twishtoutyoutothetroubleofchangingalargenote.
"
Hemodifiedhisstylealittleatthat,andsaid,thoughstillwithsomethingofanair:
"Ididn&aos;tmeananyarticularharm,butaslongasrebukesaregoing,Imightsayitwasn&aos;tquiteyouraffairtojumtotheconclusionthatwecouldn&aos;tchangeanynotethatyoumighthaentobecarryingaround.Onthecontrary,wecan.
"
Ihandedthenotetohim,andsaid:
"Oh,verywell;Iaologize.
"
Hereceiveditwithasmile,oneofthoselargesmileswhichgoesallaroundover,andhasfoldsinit,andwrinkles,andsirals,andlookslikethelacewhereyouhavethrownabrickinaond;andthenintheactofhistakingaglimseofthebillthissmilefrozesolid,andturnedyellow,andlookedlikethosewavy,wormysreadsoflavawhichyoufindhardenedonlittlelevelsonthesideofVesuvius.Ineverbeforesawasmilecaughtlikethat,anderetuated.Themanstoodthereholdingthebill,andlookinglikethat,andtherorietorhustledutoseewhatwasthematter,andsaid,briskly:
"Well,What&aos;su?What&aos;sthetrouble?What&aos;swanting?
"
Isaid:
"Thereisn&aos;tanytrouble.I&aos;mwaitingformychange.
"
"Come,come;gethimhischange,Tod;gethimhischange.
"
Todretorted:
"Gethimhischange!It&aos;seasytosay,sir;butlookatthebillyourself.
"
Therorietortookalook,gavealow,eloquentwhistle,thenmadeadivefortheileofrejectedclothing,andbegantosnatchitthiswayandthat,talkingallthetimeexcitedly,andasiftohimself:
"Sellaneccentricmillionairesuchanunseakablesuitasthat!Tod&aos;safool-abornfool.Alwaysdoingsomethinglikethis.Driveseverymillionaireawayfromthislace,becausehecan&aos;ttellamillionairefromatram,andnevercould.Ah,here&aos;sthethingIamafter.Pleasegetthosethingsoff,sir,andthrowtheminthefire.Domethefavortoutonthisshirtandthissuit;it&aos;sjustthething,theverything-lain,rich,modest,andjustducallynobby;madetoorderforaforeignrince-youmayknowhim,sir,hisSereneHighnesstheHosodarofHalifax;hadtoleaveitwithusandtakeamourning-suitbecausehismotherwasgoingtodie-whichshedidn&aos;t.Butthat&aos;sallright;wecan&aos;talwayshavethingsthewaywe-thatis,thewaythey-there!trousersallright,theyfityoutoacharm,sir;nowthewaistcoat;aha,rightagain!nowthecoat-Lord!lookatthat,now!Perfect-thewholething!Ineversawsuchatriumhinallmyexerience.
"
Iexressedmysatisfaction.
"Quiteright,sir,quiteright;it&aos;lldoforamakeshift,I&aos;mboundtosay.Butwaittillyouseewhatwe&aos;llgetuforyouonyourownmeasure.Come,Tod,bookanden;getatit.Lengthofleg,32
"-andsoon.BeforeIcouldgetinawordhehadmeasuredme,andwasgivingordersfordress-suits,morningsuits,shirts,andallsortsofthings.WhenIgotachanceIsaid:
"But,mydearsir,Ican&aos;tgivetheseorders,unlessyoucanwaitindefinitely,orchangethebill.
"
