Chapter 03 百万英镑

Part Three: The Letter

When I left the eating place, I hurried to the house of the two gentlemen. I wanted to correct the mistake they had made. I was very nervous.

When I arrived, the same servant opened the door. I asked for the two gentlemen.

"They are gone," the servant said.

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Oh, on a journey."

"But, where did they go?"

"To the Continent, I think."

"The Continent?"

"Yes, sir."

"When will they return?"

"In a month."

"A month! Oh, this is awful! How can I talk to them? It's extremely important."

"I can't help you. I don't know where they are, sir."

"Then I must see a member of the family."

"All the family are away. They're in Egypt and India, I think."

"Before leaving, the two gentlemen made an enormous mistake. They will certainly return home tonight. Tell them that I came here to correct the mistake. I will return tomorrow."

"I'll tell them if I see them. But I won't see them! Sir, you must not worry because everything is all right. They will be here on time, and they will see you then. Good-bye."

I was confused. My head was in a fog. I did not understand what the servant told me. The letter I remembered the letter! This is what it said:

You are an intelligent and honest man. You are also poor and a stranger. In this envelope you will find some money. It is yours only for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, return to this house, I have a bet on you. If I win this bet, you can have any job with any salary that you want.

There were no signature no address no date on the letter. How strange! I didn't know what to think. I went to a park, sat down and thought about what to do. After an hour, I reached the decision that follows.

The two old gentlemen are playing a game that I don't understand. They are betting on me. (But, at that time, I didn't know anything about the details of the bet.)

If I go to the Bank of England to return the banknote, the bank will ask me lots of questions. If I tell the truth, no one will believe me. They will put me in an asylum. If I tell a lie, the police will put me in prison. I can't even give it to anyone, because no honest person will want it.

I can do only one thing: I must keep the bill for a whole month. And, I must not lose it. If I help the old man to win his bet, he will give me the job I want. The idea of an important job with a big salary made me happy. With this exciting idea in mind, I began walking down the streets of London.