knew any thing about
it. At last, Mr. Chauncy's companion, Charles, who happened to be there,
said,--

"Why, Chauncy had 66, I believe." Then calling out aloud to Mr. Chauncy,
who had come up on the deck after luncheon, and was now sitting on one
of the settees that stood around the skylight, he added,--

"Chauncy! here! come here! Where is your ticket? You have got the
prize."

"No," said Mr. Chauncy, in a careless tone, without, however, moving
from his seat. "I have not any ticket."

Two or three of the gentlemen, then, headed by Charles, went to the
place where Mr. Chauncy was sitting, to question him more particularly.

"Where's your ticket?" said Charles.

"I gave it to one of the deck passengers," said Mr. Chauncy.

"You did!" said Charles. "Well, it has drawn the prize. What was the
number of it?"

"Ninety-nine, I believe," said Mr. Chauncy.

"Ninety-nine!" repeated Charles, contemptuously. "Nonsense! There was no
ninety-nine. It was sixty-six."

Then, shouting with laughter, he said, "O, dear me! that's so exactly
like Chauncy. He gives half a sovereign for a ticket, then reads it
upside down, and gives it away to an Irishwoman. O Gemini!"

So saying, Charles, and those with him, went away, laughing vociferously
at Chauncy's expense.

The remainder of the adventurers in the lottery had in the mean time
dispersed, having slunk away, as is usual in such cases, to conceal
their mortification and chagrin. It was not merely that they had each
lost a half sovereign; but they had all calculated, with greater or less
certainty, on getting the prize; and the vexation which they experienced
at the disappointment was extreme. Some of them had bought up several
tickets, in order to make sure of the prize. These were, of course,
doubly and trebly chagrined. Some had been offered good prices for their
tickets, but had refused to accept them, hoping, by keeping the tickets,
to get the prize. These persons were now vexed and angry with themselves
for not accepting these offers. Then there was a feeling of guilt and
condemnation which mingled with their disappointment, and made it very
bitter and hard to bear.

The Colonel and the mate, when they learned that the Irishwoman held the
winning ticket, both immediately began to saunter slowly along toward
the stairways that led down to the forward deck, each having formed the
plan of going and buying the ticket of the woman before she should hear
that it had gained