menced a new life which suited him well. In fact, Madrid even seemed small compared to his glowing aspirations, but he felt quite satisfied with his lot. Three roads to fortune were open before him: literature, politics and commerce.
He considered that it was too late to venture into a literary calling, and that a _ political career suited him better. As for a commercial position, his naturally impatient disposition could not brook the thought of commencing life as a simple clerk. But after due reflection he came to the conclusion that there was nothing so desirable in life as to be rich, so he made up his mind to take the commercial chance.
All his castles in the air, however, came, tumbling to the ground like a lot of houses built of cards. Notwithstanding, he could not believe that his star of good fortune was eclipsed, though everything he undertook failed, and fate really seemed to be against him.
Suddenly it occurred to him that the number the house where he was living was 13, and that fatal number brought to his mind all that had happened to him in connection with it, so he attributed all his bad luck to the unlucky figures which had so overshadowed his destiny. Therefore he changed his residence. But he bought a lottery ticket in which that number did not enter, as though defying his enemy and to try whether his ill-luck was really due to that cause.
At last the day of the drawing arrived, and nervous and trembling with anxiety, he looked
