Un billet de loterie. English

by Jules Verne

  CHAPTER XIX.

  What a crowd filled the large hall of the University of Christiana inwhich the drawing of the great lottery was to take place--a crowd thatoverflowed into the very court-yards, as even the immense buildingwas not large enough to accommodate such a throng, and even into theadjoining streets, as the court-yards, too, proved inadequate towardthe last.

  On that Sunday, the 15th of July, it certainly was not by theircalmness and phlegm that one would have recognized these madly excitedpeople as Norwegians. Was this unwonted excitement due solely tothe interest excited by this drawing, or was it due, at least, in ameasure, to the unusually high temperature of the summer's day?

  The drawing was to begin at three o'clock precisely. There were onehundred prizes--divided into three classes: 1st, ninety prizes rangingin value from one hundred to one thousand marks, and amounting in allto forty-five thousand marks; 2d, nine prizes of from one thousand tonine thousand marks, and amounting to forty-five thousand marks, and3d, one prize of one hundred thousand marks.

  Contrary to the rule that is generally observed in lotteries of thiskind, the drawing of the grand prize was reserved for the last. It wasnot to the holder of the first ticket drawn that the grand prize wouldbe given, but to the last, that is to say, the one hundredth. Hence,there would result a series of emotions and heart-throbbings ofconstantly increasing violence, for it had been decided that no ticketshould be entitled to two prizes, but that having gained one prize,the drawing should be considered null and void if the same number weretaken from the urns a second time.

  All this was known to the public, and there was nothing for peopleto do but await the appointed hour; but to while away the tediousinterval of waiting they all talked, and, chiefly, of the patheticsituation of Hulda Hansen. Unquestionably, if she had still been thepossessor of Ole Kamp's ticket each individual present would havewished her the next best luck to himself.

  Several persons having seen the dispatch published in the"Morgen-Blad," spoke of it to their neighbors, and the entire crowdsoon became aware that the search of the "Telegraph" had provedfutile. This being the case all felt that there was no longer any hopeof finding even a vestige of the lost "Viking." Not one of the crewcould have survived the shipwreck, and Hulda would never see her loveragain.

  Suddenly another report diverted the minds of the crowd. It wasrumored that Sandgoist had decided to leave Drammen, and severalpersons pretended that they had seen him in the streets ofChristiania. Could it be that he had ventured into this hall? Ifhe had the wretch would certainly meet with a most unflatteringreception. How audacious in him to think of such a thing as beingpresent at this drawing! It was so improbable that it could not bepossible. It must certainly be a false alarm, and nothing more.

  About quarter past two quite a commotion was apparent in the crowd.

  It was caused by the sudden appearance of Sylvius Hogg at the gate ofthe University. Every one knew the prominent part he had taken in thewhole affair, and how, after having been received by Dame Hansen'schildren, he had endeavored to repay the obligation, so the crowdinstantly divided to make way for him, and there arose from everyside a flattering murmur, which Sylvius acknowledged by a series offriendly bows, and this murmur soon changed into hearty applause.

  But the professor was not alone. When those nearest him stepped backto make way for him they saw that he had a young girl on his arm, andthat a young man was following them.

  A young man! a young girl! The discovery had very much the effect ofan electric shock. The same thought flashed through every mind like aspark from an electric battery.

  "Hulda! Hulda Hansen!"

  This was the name that burst from every lip.

  Yes, it was Hulda, so deeply agitated that she could hardly walk.Indeed, she certainly would have fallen had it not been for SylviusHogg's supporting arm. But it upheld her firmly--her, the modest,heart-broken little heroine of the fete to which Ole Kamp's presenceonly was wanting. How greatly she would have preferred to remain inher own little room at Dal! How she shrunk from this curiosity on thepart of those around her, sympathizing though it was! But Sylvius Hogghad wished her to come, and she had done so.

  "Room! room!" was heard on all sides.

  And as Sylvius Hogg, and Hulda and Joel walked up the passage-way thathad been cleared for them, as if by magic, how many friendly handswere outstretched to grasp theirs, how many kind and cordial wordswere lavished upon them, and with what delight Sylvius Hogg listenedto these expressions of friendly feeling!

  "Yes; it is she, my friends, my little Hulda, whom I have brought backwith me from Dal," said he. "And this is Joel, her noble brother; butpray, my good friends, do not smother them!"

  Though Joel returned every grasp with interest, the less vigoroushands of the professor were fairly benumbed by such constant shaking,but his eyes sparkled with joy, though a tear was stealing down hischeek; but--and the phenomenon was certainly well worthy the attentionof ophthalmologists--the tear was a luminous one.

  It took them fully a quarter of an hour to cross the court-yard, gainthe main hall, and reach the seats that had been reserved forthe professor. When this was at last accomplished, not withoutconsiderable difficulty, Sylvius Hogg seated himself between Hulda andJoel.

  At precisely half past two o'clock, the door at the rear of theplatform opened, and the president of the lottery appeared, calmand dignified, and with the commanding mien befitting his exaltedposition. Two directors followed, bearing themselves with equaldignity. Then came six little blue-eyed girls, decked out in flowersand ribbons, six little girls whose innocent hands were to draw thelottery.

  Their entrance was greeted with a burst of loud applause thattestified both to the pleasure all experienced on beholding themanagers of the Christiania Lottery, and to the impatience with whichthe crowd was awaiting the beginning of the drawing.

  There were six little girls, as we have remarked before, and therewere also six urns upon a table that occupied the middle of theplatform. Each of these urns contained ten numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 0, representing the units, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens ofthousands, and hundreds of thousands of the number one million. Therewas no seventh urn, for the million column, because it had been agreedthat six ciphers drawn simultaneously should represent one million, asin this way the chances of success would be equally divided among allthe numbers.

  It had also been settled that the numbers should be drawn insuccession from the urns, beginning with that to the left of theaudience. The winning number would thus be formed under the very eyesof the spectators, first by the figure in the column of hundreds ofthousands, then in the columns of tens of thousands, and so on untilthe column of units was reached, and the reader can judge with whatemotion each person watched his chances of success increase with thedrawing of each figure.

  As the clock struck three, the president waved his hand, and declaredthe drawing begun.

  The prolonged murmur that greeted the announcement lasted severalminutes, after which quiet was gradually established.

  The president rose, and though evidently much excited, made a shortspeech suited to the occasion, in which he expressed regret that therewas not a prize for each ticket-holder; then he ordered the drawingof the first series of prizes, which consisted, as we have beforeremarked, of ninety prizes, and which would therefore consume aconsiderable length of time.

  The six little girls began to perform their duties with automaton-likeregularity, but the audience did not lose patience for an instant. Itis true, however, that as the value of the prizes increased with eachdrawing, the excitement increased proportionately, and no one thoughtof leaving his seat, not even those persons whose tickets had beenalready drawn, and who had consequently nothing more to expect.

  This went on for about an hour without producing any incident ofparticular interest, though people noticed that number 9672 had notbeen drawn, which would have taken away all chance of its winning thecapital prize.

  "That is a good omen f
or Sandgoist!" remarked one of the professor'sneighbors.

  "It would certainly be an extraordinary thing if a man like thatshould meet with such a piece of good luck, even though he has thefamous ticket," remarked another.

  "A famous ticket, indeed!" replied Sylvius Hogg; "but don't ask mewhy, for I can't possibly tell you."

  Then began the drawing of the second series of prizes, nine in number.This promised to be very interesting--the ninety-first prize being oneof a thousand marks; the ninety-second, one of two thousand marks,and so on, up to the ninety-ninth, which was one of nine thousand. Thethird class, the reader must recollect, consisted of the capital prizeonly.

  Number 72,521 won a prize of five thousand marks. This ticket belongedto a worthy seaman of Christiania, who was loudly cheered and whoreceived with great dignity the congratulations lavished upon him.

  Another number, 823,752, won a prize of six thousand marks, and howgreat was Sylvius Hogg's delight when he learned from Joel that itbelonged to the charming Siegfrid of Bamble.

  An incident that caused no little excitement followed. When theninety-seventh prize was drawn, the one consisting of seven thousandmarks, the audience feared for a moment that Sandgoist was the winnerof it. It was won, however, by ticket number 9627, which was withinonly forty-five points of Ole Kamp's number.

  The two drawings that followed were numbers very widely removed fromeach other: 775 and 76,287.

  The second series was now concluded, and the great prize of onehundred thousand marks alone remained to be drawn.

  The excitement of the assemblage at that moment beggars alldescription.

  At first there was a long murmur that extended from the large hallinto the court-yards and even into the street. In fact, severalminutes elapsed before quiet was restored. A profound silencefollowed, and in this calmness there was a certain amount ofstupor--the stupor one experiences on seeing a prisoner appear uponthe place of execution. But this time the still unknown victim wasonly condemned to win a prize of one hundred thousand marks, not tolose his head; that is, unless he lost it from ecstasy.

  Joel sat with folded arms, gazing straight ahead of him, being theleast moved, probably, in all that large assembly. Hulda, her headbowed upon her breast, was thinking only of her poor Ole. As forSylvius Hogg--but any attempt to describe the state of mind in whichSylvius Hogg found himself would be worse than useless.

  "We will now conclude with the drawing of the one hundred thousandmark prize," announced the president.

  What a voice! It seemed to proceed from the inmost depths of thissolemn-looking man, probably because he was the owner of severaltickets which, not having yet been drawn, might still win the capitalprize.

  The first little girl drew a number from the left urn, and exhibitedit to the audience.

  "Zero!" said the president.

  The zero did not create much of a sensation, however. The audiencesomehow seemed to have been expecting it.

  "Zero!" said the president, announcing the figure drawn by the secondlittle girl.

  Two zeros. The chances were evidently increasing for all numbersbetween one and nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, and everyone recollected that Ole Kamp's ticket bore the number 9672.

  Strange to say, Sylvius Hogg began to move restlessly about in hischair, as if he had suddenly been stricken with palsy.

  "Nine," said the president, stating the number the third little girlhad just extracted from the third urn.

  Nine! That was the first figure on Ole Kamp's ticket.

  "Six!" said the president.

  For the fourth little girl was timidly displaying a six to all theeyes riveted upon her.

  The chances of winning were now one out of a hundred for all thenumbers from one to ninety-nine, inclusive.

  Could it be that this ticket of Ole Kamp's was to be the means ofplacing one hundred thousand marks in that villainous Sandgoist'spocket. Really such a result would almost make one doubt the justiceof God!

  The fifth little girl plunged her hand into the next urn, and drew outthe fifth figure.

  "Seven!" said the president, in a voice that trembled so as to bescarcely audible, even to those seated on the first row of benches.

  But those who could not hear were able to see for themselves, for thefive little girls were now holding up the following figures to thegaze of the audience:

  00967.

  The winning number consequently must be one between 9670 and 9679, sothere was now one chance out of ten for Ole Kamp's ticket to win theprize.

  The suspense was at its height.

  Sylvius Hogg had risen to his feet, and seized Hulda Hansen's hand.Every eye was riveted upon the young girl. In sacrificing this lastmomento of her betrothed, had she also sacrificed the fortune Ole Kamphad coveted for her and for himself?

  The sixth little girl had some difficulty getting her hand intothe urn, she was trembling so, poor thing! but at last the figureappeared.

  "Two!" exclaimed the president, sinking back in his chair, quitebreathless with emotion.

  "Nine thousand six hundred and seventy two!" proclaimed one of thedirectors, in a loud voice.

  This was the number of Ole Kamp's ticket, now in Sandgoist'spossession. Everybody was aware of this fact, and of the manner inwhich the usurer had obtained it; so there was a profound silenceinstead of the tumultuous applause that would have filled the hall ofthe University if the ticket had still been in Hulda Hansen's hands.

  And now was this scoundrel Sandgoist about to step forward, ticket inhand, to claim the prize?

  "Number 9672 wins the prize of one hundred thousand marks!" repeatedthe director. "Who claims it?"

  "I do."

  Was it the usurer of Drammen who answered thus?

  No. It was a young man--a young man with a pale face, whose featuresand whole person bore marks of prolonged suffering, but alive, reallyand truly alive.

  On hearing this voice, Hulda sprung to her feet, uttering a cry thatpenetrated every nook and corner of the large hall; then she fell backfainting.

  But the young man had forced his way impetuously through the crowd,and it was he who caught the unconscious girl in his arms.

  It was Ole Kamp!

  CHAPTER XX.

  Yes; it was Ole Kamp! Ole Kamp, who, by a miracle, had survived theshipwreck of the "Viking." The reason the "Telegraph" had not broughthim back to Europe can be easily explained. He was no longer in theregion visited by the dispatch-boat, for the very good reason thathe was already on his way to Christiania on board the vessel that hadrescued him.

  This is what Sylvius Hogg was telling. This is what he repeated to allwho would listen to him. And what a crowd of listeners he had! Thisis what he related with the triumphant accents of a conqueror! Thosearound him repeated it to those who were not fortunate enough to benear him, and the good news flew from group to group until it reachedthe crowd that filled the court-yard and the neighboring streets.

  In a few moments, all Christiania knew that the young mate of the"Viking" had returned, and that he had won the grand prize of theSchools Lottery.

  It was a fortunate thing that Sylvius Hogg was acquainted with thewhole story, as Ole certainly could not have told it, for Joel nearlysmothered him in his embrace while Hulda was regaining consciousness.

  "Hulda! dearest Hulda!" said Ole. "Yes, it is I--your betrothed--soonto be your husband!"

  "Yes, soon, my children, very soon!" exclaimed Sylvius Hogg. "We willleave this very evening for Dal. And if such a thing was never seenbefore, it will be seen now. A professor of law, and a member of theStorthing will be seen dancing at a wedding like the wildest youth inthe Telemark."

  But how had Sylvius Hogg become acquainted with Ole Kamp's history?Simply through the last letter that the Naval Department had addressedto him at Dal. In fact this letter--the last he had received, andone whose receipt he had not mentioned to any one--contained anotherletter, dated from Christiansand. This second letter stated that theDanish brig "Genius" had just
reached Christiansand, with severalsurvivors of the "Viking" on board, among them the young mate, OleKamp, who would arrive in Christiania three days afterward.

  The letter from the Naval Department added that these shipwrecked menhad suffered so much that they were still in a very weak condition,and for this reason Sylvius Hogg had decided not to say anything toHulda about her lover's return. In his response he had also requestedthe most profound secrecy in regard to this return--and in compliancewith this request the facts had been carefully kept from the public.

  The fact that the "Telegraph" had found no traces nor survivors of the"Viking" can also be easily explained.

  During a violent tempest the vessel--which had become partiallydisabled--being obliged to scud along before the wind in anorth-westerly direction, finally found herself about two hundredmiles from the southern coast of Iceland. During the nights of thethird and fourth of May the worst nights of the gale--it collidedwith one of those enormous icebergs that drift down from the shoresof Greenland. The shock was terrible, so terrible, indeed, that the"Viking" went to pieces five minutes afterward.

  It was then that Ole hastily penned his farewell message to hisbetrothed, and after inclosing it in a bottle, cast it into the sea.

  Most of the "Viking's" crew, including the captain, perished atthe time of the catastrophe, but Ole Kamp and four of his comradessucceeded in leaping upon the iceberg, just as the vessel went down;but their death would have been none the less certain if the terriblegale had not driven the mass of ice in a north-westerly direction. Twodays afterward, exhausted and nearly dead with hunger, these survivorsof the catastrophe were cast upon the southern coast of Greenland--abarren and deserted region--but where they nevertheless managed tokeep themselves alive through the mercy of God.

  If help had not reached them in a few days, it would have been allover with them, however; for they had not strength to reach thefisheries, or the Danish settlements on the other coast.

  Fortunately the brig "Genius," which had been driven out of her courseby the tempest, happened to pass. The shipwrecked men made signals toher. These signals were seen, and the men were saved.

  The "Genius," delayed by head-winds, was a long time in making thecomparatively short voyage between Greenland and Norway, and did notreach Christiansand until the 12th of July, nor Christiania until themorning of the 15th.

  That very morning Sylvius Hogg went aboard the vessel. There he foundOle, who was still very weak, and told him all that had takenplace since the arrival of his last letter, written fromSaint-Pierre-Miquelon, after which he took the young sailor home withhim, though not without having requested the crew of the "Genius" tokeep the secret a few hours longer. The reader knows the rest.

  It was then decided that Ole Kamp should attend the drawing of thelottery. But would he be strong enough to do it?

  Yes; his strength would be equal to the ordeal, for was not Huldato be there? But had he still any interest in this drawing? Yes, ahundred times, yes; both on his own account and that of hisbetrothed, for Sylvius Hogg had succeeded in getting the ticket outof Sandgoist's hands, having repurchased it from him at the sameprice the usurer had given for it, for Sandgoist was only too glad todispose of it at that price now there were no more bidders for it.

  "It was not for the sake of an improbable chance of gain that I wishedto restore it to Hulda, my brave Ole," Sylvius Hogg remarked, ashe gave him the ticket; "but because it was a last farewell you hadaddressed to her at the moment when you believed all was lost."

  And now it seemed almost as if Professor Sylvius Hogg had beeninspired of Heaven, certainly much more so than Sandgoist, who wasstrongly tempted to dash his brains out against the wall when helearned the result of the drawing. And now there was a fortune of onehundred thousand marks in the Hansen family. Yes, one hundred thousandmarks, for Sylvius Hogg absolutely refused to take back the money hehad paid to secure possession of Ole Kamp's ticket.

  It was a dowry he was only too glad to offer little Hulda on herwedding-day.

  Perhaps it will be considered rather astonishing that Ticket No. 9672,which had attracted so much attention from the public, should havehappened to be the one that drew the grand prize.

  Yes, it was astonishing, we must admit; but it was not impossible, andat all events, such was the fact.

  Sylvius Hogg, Joel, and Hulda left Christiania that same evening.They returned to Dal by way of Bamble, as, of course, Siegfrid mustbe informed of her good fortune. As they passed the little church ofHitterdal, Hulda recollected the gloomy thoughts that beset hertwo days before, but the sight of Ole, seated beside her, speedilyrecalled her to the blissful reality.

  By Saint Olaf! how beautiful Hulda looked under her bridal crown whenshe left the little chapel at Dal, four days afterward, leaning on herhusband's arm. The brilliant festivities that followed were the talkof the whole Telemark for days and days afterward. And how happyeverybody was! Siegfrid, the pretty bride-maid, her father, FarmerHelmboe, Joel, her affianced husband, and even Dame Hansen, who was nolonger haunted by a fear of Sandgoist.

  Perhaps the reader will ask whether all these friends andguests--Messrs. Help Bros., and hosts of others--came to witnessthe happiness of the newly married couple, or to see Sylvius Hogg,professor of law and a member of the Storthing, dance. It is hard tosay. At all events he did dance, and very creditably, and after havingopened the ball with his beloved Hulda, he closed it with the charmingSiegfrid.

  The next day, followed by the acclamations of the whole valley ofVesjorddal, he departed, but not without having solemnly promisedto return for Joel's marriage, which was celebrated a few weeksafterward, to the great delight of the contracting parties.

  This time the professor opened the ball with the charming Siegfrid,and closed it with his dear Hulda; and he has never given any displayof his proficiency in the terpsichorean art since that time.

  What happiness now reigned in this household which had been so cruellytried! It was undoubtedly due in some measure, at least, to theefforts of Sylvius Hogg; but he would not admit it, and alwaysdeclared:

  "No, no; it is I who am still under obligations to Dame Hansen'schildren."

  As for the famous ticket, it was returned to Ole Kamp after thedrawing; and now, in a neat wooden frame, it occupies the place ofhonor in the hall of the inn at Dal. But what the visitor sees is notthe side of the ticket upon which the famous number 9672 is inscribed,but the last farewell that the shipwrecked sailor, Ole Kamp, addressedto Hulda Hansen, his betrothed.