Hermotimus, or the Rival Philosophies (42)

Hermotimus But suppose you come upon it first or second, what will you do then?

Lycinus Never mind me; I want to know what you will do, Mr. Steward. Will you say at once, Here is the bye? or will you have to go round to all, and see whether there is a duplicate to be found, it being impossible to know the bye till you have seen all the lots?

Hermotimus Why, Lycinus, I shall know quite easily; nine being the number, if I find the epsilon first or second, I know the holder of it for the bye.

Lycinus But how?

Hermotimus How? Why, two of them must have alpha, two beta,

66 Hermotimus, or the Rival Philosophies and of the next two pairs one has certainly drawn gammas and the other deltas, so that four letters have been used up over eight competitors. Obviously, then, the next letter, which is epsilon, is the only one that can be odd, and the drawer of it is the bye.

Lycinus Shall I extol your intelligence, or would you rather I explained to you my own poor idea, which differs?

Hermotimus The latter, of course, though I cannot conceive how you can reasonably differ.