d; the young men had been laughing, they were now
talking of a bet, and he knew nothing of it. He was mightily
inquisitive; and knowing, by experience, that wine opens the heart and
unlooses the tongue, he made an attempt to ascertain the cause of the
merriment.

"'I beg your pardon, gentlemen, if I make too bold; but please, what was
the subject of the wager, the recollection of which puts you in so good
a humour?'

"'I'll tell you,' exclaimed No. 1, 'and you will see what a fool I have
made of myself. You must know that it is impossible to follow the
pendulum of the clock with the hand, and to repeat "Here she goes--there
see goes," just as it swings to and fro, that is when people are talking
all round you, as it puts you out. One day I was with a set of jolly
fellows in a dining-room, with a clock just like this in your room; the
conversation fell upon the difficulty of going on "Here she goes," and
"there she goes," for half an hour, without making a mistake. Well, I
thought it was the easiest thing in the world to do it; and upon my
saying so, I was defied to do it: the consequence was the bet of a
hundred dollars, and, having agreed that they could talk to me as much
as they pleased, but not touch me, I posted myself before the clock and
went on--"Here she goes, there she goes," while some of my companions
began singing, some shouting, and some laughing. Well, after three
minutes I felt that the task was much more difficult than I had
expected; but yet I went on, till I heard somebody saying, "As I am
alive there is Miss Reynolds walking arm-in-arm with that lucky dog,
Jenkins." Now, you must know, landlord, that Miss Reynolds was my
sweetheart, and Jenkins my greatest enemy, so I rushed to the window to
see if it was true, and at that moment a roar of laughter announced to
me that I had lost the bet.'

"Now, Slick Bradley, as I have said, was very fond of betting. Moreover,
he prided himself not a little upon his self-command, and as he had not
any mistress to be jealous of, as soon as the gentleman had finished his
story he came at once to the point.

"'Well,' said he, 'you lost the wager, but it don't signify. I think
myself, as you did, that it is the easiest thing in the world. I am sure
I could do it half an hour, aye, and an hour too.'

"The gentlemen laughed, and said they knew better, and the now excited
host proposed, if the liberty did not offend them, to make any bet that
he could do it for half