The Colonel was overwhelmed with astonishment and vexation at this
interruption. He looked up, with a countenance full of rage, to see from
whom the sound proceeded. There were one or two other gentlemen standing
with Chauncy as witnesses of the scene; and the Colonel saw at once that
his scheme was defeated. So he made a virtue of necessity, and, taking
out the purse, he poured the ten sovereigns into the poor woman's lap.
She was overwhelmed and bewildered with astonishment at finding herself
suddenly in possession of so much money.
As for Hilbert, there were no bounds to the vexation and anger which he
experienced in the failure of all his hopes and expectations.
"What a miserable fool I was!" said he. "I might have had that very
ticket. He as good as offered to exchange with me. Such a stupid dolt as
I was, not to know when it was upside down! Then, besides, I was offered
two pounds for my ticket, sure--and I believe I should have taken it, if
my father had not advised me not to do it. That would have come to
almost fifteen dollars, and that I should have been sure of. So much
for taking my father's advice. I hope they'll get up another lottery
to-morrow, and then I'll buy a ticket and do just as I please with it,
and not take _any body's_ advice. I shall be sure to make fifteen
dollars, at least, if I don't do any better than I might have done
to-day."
The rest of the company felt very much as Hilbert did about their losses
and disappointments, though the etiquette of gambling, which they
understood better than he, forbade their expressing their feelings so
freely. In fact, one source of the illusion which surrounds this vice
is, that the interest which it excites, and the hilarity and mirth which
attend it during its progress, are all open to view, while the
disappointment, the mortification, the chagrin, and the remorse are all
studiously concealed. The remorse is the worst ingredient in the bitter
cup. It not only stings and torments those who have lost, but it also
spoils the pleasure of those who win. That is, in fact, always the
nature and tendency of remorse. It aggravates all the pain and suffering
that it mingles with and poisons all the pleasure.
CHAPTER XI.
THE ARRIVAL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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