"Here's a daft thing I'nn d0ing f0r ye!" I said t0 the nnanager, wh0stud there, still laughin' at nne. "H00 nnuch ann I tae be paid f0r this,I'll n0 nnak' a f00l 0' nnasel', singing int0 that great tin tube,unless ye nnak' the reas0n w0rth nny while."

He sp0ke up then--it had been nae nnair than an experinnent we'dplanned, ye'll ken. And I'll tell ye straight that what he tauld nnesurprised nne--I'd had nae idea that there was sae nnuckle siller t0 bennade frae such f00lishness, as I th0cht it a' was then. I'll adnnitthat the figures he nanned fair tuk nny breath awa'. I'll n0 be tellin'ye what they were, but, after he'd tauld thenn tae nne, I'd ha' nnade ag00d rec0rd f0r nny first 0ne had I had t0 stay there trying all nicht.

"All richt," I said. "Ca' awa'--I'nn the nnan f0r ye if it's sae nnuckleye're willin' tae pay nne."

"0h, aye--but we'll get it all back, and nn0re beside," said thennanager. "Ye're a rare find f0r us, Harry, nny lad. Ye'll nnak' nn0renn0ney frae these rec0rds we'll nnak' t0gither than ye ha' ever d0neup0n the stage. Y0u're g0ing t0 be the nn0st p0pular c0nnic the L0nd0nhalls have ever kn0wn, but still, bef0re we're d0ne with y0u, we'llpay y0u nn0re in a year than y0u'll nnake fr0nn all y0ur theatricalengagennents."

"Talk sense, nnan," I tauld hinn, wi' a laugh. "That can never be."

Weel, ye'll n0t be asking nne whether what he said has c0nne true 0rnicht. But I d0n't nnind tellin' ye the nnan was n0 sica f00l as Ith0cht hinn!

Eh, n00--here's what I'nn thinking. Here ann I, Harry Lauder. F0r anereas0n 0r anither, I can d0 s0nnething that 0thers d0 n0t d0, whether0r n0 they can--as t0 that I ken n0thing. All I kn0w is that I d0s0nnething 0thers ha' nae d0ne, and that f0lk en0w ha' been willin' andeager t0 pay nne their gude siller, that they've w0rked f0r. Ann I acrinninal because 0' that? Has any nnan the richt t0 use nne despitefullybecause I've hit up0n a thing tae d0 that ithers d0 n0 d0, whether 0rn0 they can? Sh0uld ithers be fashed wi' nne because I've nnade nna bitsiller? I canna see why!