DEFINING SHARPS AND FLATS 



and you can both sign," said the usurer. By leaving 

 our joint names for twenty-five pounds a cheque was 

 received for twenty-one pounds. We left the office 

 and went towards Old Broad Street for the money. 



" Let's go into the post office for pen and ink," 

 said the accommodating pal. " Here, endorse the 

 cheque," he added. " I know the people at the 

 bank, and will slip in and get the money." 



Wliat did it matter ? He was inside the bank a 

 minute or two and came out with a little sugar bag 

 which bankers affect. 



" There's ten pounds for you, and I owe you half- 

 a-sovereign," he said. " We split up the twenty 

 guineas ; they never would have let you have it 

 without my name. Of course," he went on, " you've 

 asked some of the boys to dinner to-night, and you 

 can do that part of it. Buy a couple of bottles of 

 sparkling Moselle and you can let me know how much 

 I owe you for my share." 



Now, I wanted that loan for myself, but he butted 

 in and never attempted to give me that half-sovereign 

 nor to pay half the three pounds which that dinner 

 cost at the Holborn Restaurant — so smart ! we 

 thought. My education had begun ; two weeks 

 after he moved somewhere, there was another stage 

 in learning that the world is made up of " sharps and 

 flats." There were a few pounds left out of that little 

 loan and I went to a race-meeting and staked half the 

 capital on old Quits in a hunters' flat race, and the 

 bank-roll was trebled. Coming back in the train I 

 had beginners' luck at that absurd game which was 

 played generally thirty years ago, " Nap." It was 

 wonderful : anyone would think the game had been 

 got up for my special benefit. I had to lend them all 

 bar one a little money when we got up through a very 



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