The million pound banknote

I was getting desperate enough to take the pear despite all the shame. But then a window behind me was opened, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying'Step in here, please'.

I was admitted by a gorgeously-dressed flunky, and shown into a sumptuous room. Here a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly think clearly in front of that food, but I was not asked to try any of it, so there was nothing I could do.

Now, something had been happening there a little earlier. I knew nothing about it until many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before. They had ended up agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.

You will remember that the Bank of England once printed two banknotes of a million pounds each. These were to be used in a business deal with a foreign country. For some reason or other, only one of these banknotes had been used. The other still lay in the vaults of the Bank.

Vocabulary:

Admitted: Here it means 'allowed inside'
Flunky: The personal servant of someone rich or powerful
Sumptuous: With many rich or expensive things
Remains: The food which was left over
Vaults: The place where the money is kept safe in a bank.