Third Thoughts

                                                                                     E. V. Lucas, England (1868 – 1938)
Summary in English

This story 'Third Thoughts' is by E. V. Lucas about how the human mind is changing so as the thoughts keep on changing in the present business world. People have become more materialist, selfish, mechanical, and money-minded. These all are caused by the practice and result of business world. Furthermore, this story tries to represent that there is bargaining, buying and selling, profit and loss and nothing else without considering sympathy, love, liberalism and kinds, etc. in business. In fact, feelings and emotions or sentiments have nothing to do with business. No doubt, the dealer (seller) tries to get much more benefit from the customer and the customer (buyer) tries to make bargaining to get the thing at low price. At a certain point, both parties agree. The thing is sold thereafter; there is no any relation between the customer and the dealer.
This story is told to the writer by his friend. One day writer's friend goes to London and on the way he sees a beautiful shop with colorful painting. He loves that painting very much and thinks its price very expensive. Then, he wants to know the actual price so that he directly goes to the shop and asks to dealer. The shopkeeper says that the price of that pointing is only ten shillings. Then, he becomes happy and buys the painting and returns back.
He sells the painting for fifty pound. It is the largest profit he has never made earlier. Then, he also thinks to share half of the profit with the dealer. But that night he again thinks and in the early morning he himself thinks not to share since it is his luck and skill to get such profit. But at night he again thinks that he is ready to give ten pound, but at last he decides to five, then, one pound to his dealer.
Deciding to give only one pound to his dealer, he writes a letter and makes checque according. Then, he goes to club to play card thinking that he has enough money. He loses all money except one pound that he has decided to send to his dealer. At last, he feels hungry and takes breakfast paying even that one pound. Therefore, neither he sends the profit to his dealer nor he saves but all is lost. At last, he gets relief saying that there is no love, kindness, feelings and sentiments nut only loss and profit in business.