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ics to see his private collection of modern paintings。 This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press； for though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists； they had in fact been painted by Dickie。 It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that critics do not always know what they are talking about。
Lesson32 A lost ship
The salvage operation had been a complete failure。 The small ship； Elkor； which had been searching the Barents Sea for weeks； was on its way home。 A radio message from the mainland had been received by the ship's captain instructing him to give up the search。 The captain knew that another attempt would be made later； for the sunken ship he was trying to find had been carrying a precious cargo of gold bullion。
Despite the message； the captain of the Elkor decided to try once more。 The sea…bed was scoured with powerful nets and there was tremendous excitement on board when a chest was raised from the bottom。 Though the crew were at first under the impression that the lost ship had been found； the contents of the sea…chest proved them wrong。 What they had in fact found was a ship which had been sunk many years before。 The chest contained the personal belongings of a seaman； Alan Fielding。 There were books； clothing and photographs； together with letters which the seaman had once received from his wife。 The captain of the Elkor ordered his men to salvage as much as possible from the wreck。 Nothing of value was found； but the numerous items which were brought to the surface proved to be of great interest。 From a heavy gun that was raised； the captain realized that the ship must have been a cruiser。 In another sea…chest； which contained the belongings of a ship's officer； there was an unfinished letter which had been written on March 14th； 1943。 The captain learnt from the letter that the name of the lost ship was the Karen。 The most valuable find of all was the ship's log book； parts of which it was still possible to read。 From this the captain was able to piece together all the information that had come to light。 The Karen had been sailing in a convoy to Russia when she was torpedoed by an enemy submarine。 This was later confirmed by a naval official at the Ministry of Defence after the Elkor had returned home。 All the items that were found were sent to the War Museum。
Lesson33 A day to remember
We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong。 A day may begin well enough； but suddenly everything seems to get out of control。 What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go wrong at precisely the same moment。 It is as if a single unimportant event set up a chain of reactions。 Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time。 The telephone rings and this marks the prelude to an unforeseen series of
catastrophes。 While you are on the phone； the baby pulls the table…cloth off the table smashing half your best crockery and cutting himself in the process。 You hang up hurriedly and attend to baby； crockery； etc。 Meanwhile； the meal gets burnt。 As if this were not enough to reduce you to tears； your husband arrives； unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner。
Things can go wrong on a big scale as a number of people recently discovered in Parramatta； a suburb of Sydney。 During the rush hour one evening two cars collided and both drivers began to argue。 The woman immediately behind the two cars happened to be a learner。 She suddenly got into a panic and stopped her car。 This made the driver following her brake hard。 His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake。 As she was thrown forward； the cake went right through the windscreen and landed on the road。 Seeing a cake flying through the air； a lorry…driver who was drawing up alongside the car； pulled up all of a sudden。 The lorry was loaded with empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the vehicle and on to the road。 This led to yet another angry argument。 Meanwhile； the traffic piled up behind。 It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic on the move again。 In the meantime； the lorry… driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles。 Only two stray dogs benefited from all this confusion； for they greedily devoured what was left of the cake。 It was just one of those days！
Lesson34 A happy discovery
Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great many people。 The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully displayed in glass cases to keep them free from dust is usually a forbidding place。 But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique shop。 There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty； dark； disordered rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that litter the floors。
No one discovers a rarity by chance。 A truly dedicated searcher for art treasures must have patience； and above all； the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it。 To do this； he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer。 Like a scientist bent on making a discovery； he must cherish the hope that one day he will be amply rewarded。
My old friend； Frank Halliday； is just such a person。 He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere &5。 One Saturday morning； Frank visited an antique shop in my neighbourhood。 As he had never been there before； he found a great deal to interest him。 The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a large packing…case lying on the floor。 The dealer told him that it had just come in； but that he could not be bothered to open it。 Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open。 The contents were disappointing。 Apart from an interesting…looking carved dagger； the box was full of crockery； much of it broken。 Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a miniature Painting at the bottom of the packing…case。 As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew well； he decided to buy it。 Glancing at it briefly； the dealer told him that it was worth &5。 Frank could hardly conceal his excitement； for he knew that he had made a real discovery。 The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was worth thousands of pounds。
Lesson35 Justice was done
The word justice is usually associated with courts of law。 We might say that justice has been done when a man's innocence or guilt has been proved beyond doubt。 Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law。 Those who seek it； undertake an arduous journey and can never be sure that they will find it。 Judges； however wise or eminent； are human and can make mistakes。
There are rare instances when justice almost ceases to be an abstract conception。 Reward or punishment are out quite independent of human interference。 At such times； justice acts like a living force。 When we use a phrase like it serves him right； we are； in part； admitting that a certain set of circumstances has enabled justice to act of its own accord。
When a thief was caught on the premises of a large fur store one morning； the shop assistants m