The million pound banknote

Those brothers are safe. Even if I lose their banknote, or burn it, they are still safe, because they can stop payment, and the Bank will refund them. But in the meantime I've got to do a month's suffering without wages or profit. But if I help win that bet, whatever that bet is, I will get that situation that I am promised. I should like that; men of their sort have situations in their gift that are worth having.

I started to think a lot about that job. My hopes began to rise high. Without doubt the salary would be large. It would begin in a month; after that I should be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling first-rate. By this time I was walking around the streets again. 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 dressed decently once more. Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds.

So I forced myself to go past the shop. But soon I was drifting back again. I was feeling very tempted. 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 indicated fellow, and he indicated another fellow with his head, and still I received no words.

I waited till this fellow was done with 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 new, and I was anxious to have it; so I didn't complain.

Vocabulary:

Refund: Pay back any money that has been spent
Situation: Here it means 'a job'
In their gift: Something that can be given
First-rate: Of the best quality
Rags: Small bits of damaged cloth used for cleaning
Drifting: Moving slowly as though pushed by something
Tempt: Make someone want something he probably should not have
Ratty: Of bad quality, or in poor condition or both
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