The million pound banknote

But he said that wasn't important. He was quite willing to let the small amount be paid another time. I said I might not be in his neighborhood again for a good while. But he said it didn't matter, he could wait. Moreover, I could have anything I wanted, any time I chose, and let the account run as long as I pleased. He said he hoped he wasn't afraid to trust as rich a gentleman as I was, just because I was of a merry disposition, and chose to play larks on the public in the way I was dressed.

By this time another customer was entering, and the landlord hinted to me to put the monster out of sight. He bowed at me all the way to the door, and I started straight for that house and those brothers. I wanted to correct the mistake which had been made before the police started hunting for me to correct the mistake as well. I was pretty nervous; in fact, pretty badly frightened. Of course, I was in no way at fault. But I knew men well enough to know that when they find they've given a tramp a million-pound banknote when they thought it was one pound, they are in a frantic rage against him instead of being upset that they did not look properly, as they should have done.

As I approached the house I began to worry less. All was quiet there, which made me feel pretty sure the blunder was not discovered yet. I rang the doorbell. The same servant appeared. I asked for those gentlemen whom I had talked to earlier.

'They are gone.' He said this in the lofty, cold way of that type of servant.
'Gone? Gone where?'
'On a journey.'

Vocabulary:

Moreover: And also
Let the account run: Let the amount owed keep going up
Disposition: Character and normal mood
Larks: Here it means 'jokes'
Hint: Give a small signal
Monster: This is a reference to the banknote
Frantic: Too upset to think properly
Blunder: Huge mistake
Lofty: High, arrogant