"Yass, I dis-ide. How you think I diside?"

"Ah! you're too hard for me. But one thing I know."

"Yass? What you know?"

"That you will never do so much to anything as to leave my imagination
nothing to do. You will always give my imagination strong play and never a
bit of hard work."

"Come! Come and see!"

I took my hat. "Is that what you called to see me about?"

"Ah!" He started in sudden recollection and brought forth the lottery
company's certified check for the seventy-five thousand dollars. "You keep
dat?--lill' while?--for me? Yass; till I mek out how I goin' to spend
her."

"Manouvrier, may I make one condition?"

"Yass."

"It is that you will never play the lottery again."

"Ah! Yass, I play her ag'in! You want know whan ole Pastropbon play her
ag'in? One doze fine mawning--mebbee--dat sun--going rise hisself in de
wes'. Well: when ole Pastropbon see dat, he play dat lott'ree ag'in. But
biffo' he see dat"--He flirted his thumb.