'Did I

　　'Did I! I fixed it so that one sip would have an insomnia patientin dreamland before he had time to say "Good night". That stuffRip Van Winkle drank had nothing on my coffee. And all wasted!
　　Well, well!'
　　He turned towards the door.
　　'Shall I leave the light on, or would you prefer it off?'
　　'On please. I might fall asleep in the dark.'
　　'Not you! And, if you did, you would dream that I was there, andwake up. There are moments, young man, when you bring me prettynear to quitting and taking to honest work.'
　　He paused.
　　'But not altogether. I have still a shot or two in my locker. Weshall see what we shall see. I am not dead yet. Wait!'
　　'I will, and some day, when I am walking along Piccadilly, apassing automobile will splash me with mud. A heavily furredplutocrat will stare haughtily at me from the tonneau, and with astart of surprise I shall recognize--'
　　'Stranger things have happened. Be flip while you can,fake uggs online store, sonny. Youwin so far, but this hoodoo of mine can't last for ever.'
　　He passed from the room with a certain sad dignity. A moment laterhe reappeared.
　　'A thought strikes me,' he said. 'The fifty-fifty proposition doesnot impress you. Would it make things easier if I were to offer mycooperation for a mere quarter of the profit?'
　　'Not in the least.'
　　'It's a handsome offer.'
　　'Wonderfully. I'm afraid I'm not dealing on any terms.'
　　He left the room, only to return once more. His head appeared,fake uggs for sale,staring at me round the door, in a disembodied way, like theCheshire Cat.
　　'You won't say later on I didn't give you your chance?' he saidanxiously.
　　He vanished again, permanently this time. I heard his stepspassing down the stairs.
II
We had now arrived at the last week of term, at the last days ofthe last week. The holiday spirit was abroad in the school. Amongthe boys it took the form of increased disorderliness,Replica Designer Handbags. Boys whohad hitherto only made Glossop bellow now made him perspire andtear his hair as well,ugg bailey button triplet 1873 boots. Boys who had merely spilt ink now brokewindows. The Little Nugget abandoned cigarettes in favour of anold clay pipe which he had found in the stables.
　　As for me, I felt like a spent swimmer who sees the shore almostwithin his reach. Audrey avoided me when she could, and wasfrigidly polite when we met. But I suffered less now. A few moredays, and I should have done with this phase of my life for ever,and Audrey would once more become a memory.
　　Complete quiescence marked the deportment of Mr Fisher duringthese days. He did not attempt to repeat his last effort. Thecoffee came to the study unmixed with alien drugs. Sam, likelightning, did not strike twice in the same place. He had theartist's soul, and disliked patching up bungled work. If he madeanother move, it would, I knew, be on entirely fresh lines.
　　Ignoring the fact that I had had all the luck, I was inclined tobe self-satisfied when I thought of Sam. I had pitted my witsagainst his, and I had won. It was a praiseworthy performance fora man who had done hitherto nothing particular in his life.
　　If all the copybook maxims which had been drilled into me in mychildhood and my early disaster with Audrey had not beensufficient, I ought to have been warned by Sam's advice not totake victory for granted till the fight was over. As Sam had said,his luck would turn sooner or later.