Q. I was delighted to receive £30 for my successful
entry to the Jaspistos competition. Last week The Spectator presented me with another £30 cheque, erroneously. This was
swiftly banked by my husband, who believes that it would cost more than £30 to send the cheque back and reprocess it. My son suggests that I enter another Jaspistos competition and award myself the E30 whether or not the entry is printed. I am slightly superstitious, and believe that what you give you get and, conversely, what you take is eventually taken from you. What would you do?
A. B., Northamptonshire
A. The following anecdote flvm my childhood may be pertinent to your dilemma. Having pulled up in a deserted catpark in the midst of remote Irish bog/and, about 20 miles from the nearest human presence, my father and I observed a notice declaring that a collection bay on a wooden stump was available to receive the tiny fee applicable for parking there. With classic Irish illogkalio., it warned that those who failed to pay would be fined. Who by?' I inquired of my father (it was the days before CCTV). 'Your conscience,' he replied I experienced a rush of recognition that this would indeed be the case. Draw a cheque on your own account for 130 and post this to The Spectator. It will be worth the tedious papetwork to avoid a fine from your own conscience.
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