"A dividend warrant," continued Francesca, "for eight pounds fifteen shillings on three hundred and fifty pounds, so what have you got to say now for your precious Bank of England?"
"Your tale," I said, "has interested me strangely, but there is one point you omitted to mention."
"I am innocent, my Lord," said Francesca. "I have told you the truth."
"But not the whole truth, prisoner at the bar. Don't you remember that when the new Loan came out you borrowed money from me in order to take up one hundred pounds of it?"
"Is that it?" said Francesca. "No, I hadn't remembered that."
"Of course," I said, "a financial magnate like yourself would easily forget so wretched a sum; but the Bank has done no wrong."
"Yes, it has; it sent out a lot of papers that were very confusing, and it's no wonder I made a mistake."
"The question in my mind," I said, "is this: when are you going to repay what you owe me—with interest?"
"We'll talk about that another time," said Francesca.
R.C.L.