Scotland/Scots > Wilson's tales of the Borders and of Scotland > Volume 3

THE SNOW STORM.
129
hint that he wished the interview to terminate—" present
my respects to your father, and say that I am very sorry
for this affair—very sorry, indeed.”
Saying this, he edged me towards the door; and, long
before I reached it, bowed me a good morning, which there
was no evading. I acknowledged it the best way I could,
left the house, and returned home—I leave you, gentle¬
men, to conceive with what feelings. My Latin, you see,
of which I was so vain, and which, with anybody else,
would have been a help to success in the world in many
situations, and in none could have been against it, was the
very reverse to me.
That there was luck in the caul, gentlemen, nevertheless,
I still maintain (said the little hump-backed man in the
bright yellow waistcoat, laughing); and you will acknow¬
ledge it when I tell you that, soon after the occurrence just
related, I bought a ticket in the lottery, which turned out
a prize of £20,000.”
“ Ha, ha! at last!” here shouted out, with one voice, all
the little man’s auditors. “ So you caught it at last! ”
“ Not so fast, gentlemen, if you please—not so fast,” said
the little man, gravely. The facts certainly were as I
have stated. I did buy a ticket in the lottery. I recollect
the number well, and will as long as I live. I chose it for
its oddity. It was 9999, and it did turn out a £20,000
prize. But there is a trifling particular or two regarding it
which I have yet to explain. A gentleman, an acquaint¬
ance of mine, to whom I had. expressed some regret at hav¬
ing ventured so much money on a lottery ticket, offered
not only to relieve me of it, but to give me a premium of
five pounds, subject to a deduction of the price of a bowl
of punch. “ A bird in hand’s worth two in the bush,”
thought I, and at once closed with his offer. Nay, so well
pleased was I with my bargain, that I insisted on giving
an additional bowl, and actually did so.
You VI.
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