The million pound banknote

Those brothers are safe. Even if I lose their banknote, or burn it, they are still safe. They can stop payment, and the Bank will return the money to them. But in the meantime I've got to suffer for a month without getting anything from it. But if I help to win that bet, whatever that bet is, they promised me that I would get a job. That would be good. Men like the brothers would be able to give me very good employment.

I started to think a lot about that job. My hopes began to rise high. I was sure that the salary would be large. It would begin in a month; after that I should be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling very happy again. By this time I was walking around the streets once more. The sight of a tailor's shop gave me a strong desire to get out of the rags I was wearing. I wanted to be properly dressed once more. Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds.

So I made myself go past the shop. But soon I came back again. I was feeling very tempted by the idea of getting a suit. I must have passed that shop six times while I struggled with temptation. At last I gave in; I had to. I asked in the shop if they had a badly-fitting suit that no-one wanted. The fellow I spoke to nodded his head towards another fellow, and gave me no answer. I went to the fellow, and he pointed to another fellow, and still no-one spoke to me.

I waited till this other fellow had finished what he was doing. He then took me into a back room, and went through a pile of rejected suits. He selected the rattiest one for me, but I put it on. It didn't fit, and wasn't in any way attractive. But it was a new suit, and I very much wanted to have it; so I didn't complain.