John shook his head. So did Toby. “And, besides,” added Toby, “no one owes so much, excepting, of course, the Duchess of Worksop and frankly, ma’am, in that case …”

“Yes, yes, Toby, that will do,” interrupted Mrs Brandy. She thought for a moment. “Perhaps,” she said, “some gentleman, wishing to wipe the rain from his face, pulled out his handkerchief, and so caused the money to tumble out of his pocket on to the floor.”

“But we did not find it upon the floor,” said John, “it was here in the cash-box with all the rest.”

“Well,” said Mrs Brandy, “I do not know what to say. Did anyone pay with a guinea today?”

No, said Toby and John, no one had paid today with a guinea, let alone twenty-five such guineas or twenty-five such persons.

“And such yellow guineas, ma’am,” remarked John, “each one the very twin of all the others, without a spot of tarnish upon any of them.”

“Should I run and fetch Mr Black, ma’am?” asked Toby.

“Oh, yes!” said Mrs Brandy, eagerly. “But then again, perhaps no. We ought not to trouble Mr Black unless there is any thing very wrong. And nothing is wrong, is it, Toby? Or perhaps it is. I cannot tell.”

The sudden and unaccountable arrival of large sums of money is such a very rare thing in our Modern Age that neither Toby nor John was able to help their mistress decide whether it were a wrong thing or a right.

“But, then,” continued Mrs Brandy, “Mr Black is so clever. I dare say he will understand this puzzle in an instant. Go to Harley-street, Toby. Present my compliments to Mr Black and say that if he is at liberty I should be glad of a few moments’ conversation with him. No, wait! Do not say that, it sounds so presumptuous. You must apologize for disturbing him and say that whenever he should happen to be at liberty I should be grateful – no, honoured – no, grateful – I should be grateful for a few moments’ conversation with him.”

Mrs Brandy’s acquaintance with Stephen Black had begun when Sir Walter had inherited his grandfather’s debts and Mrs Brandy had inherited her husband’s business. Every week or so Stephen had come with a guinea or two to help pay off the debt. Yet, curiously, Mrs Brandy was often reluctant to accept the money. “Oh! Mr Black!” she would say, “Pray put the money away again! I am certain that Sir Walter has greater need of it than I. We did such excellent business last week! We have got some carracca chocolate in the shop just at present, which people have been kind enough to say is the best to be had any where in London – infinitely superior to other chocolate in both flavour and texture! – and they have been sending for it from all over Town. Will not you take a cup, Mr Black?”

Then Mrs Brandy would bring the chocolate in a pretty blue-and-white china chocolate-pot, and pour Stephen a cup, and anxiously inquire how he liked it; for it seemed that, even though people had been sending for it from all over Town, Mrs Brandy could not feel quite convinced of its virtues until she knew Stephen’s opinion. Nor did her care of him end with making him chocolate. She was solicitous for his health. If it happened to be a cold day, she would be concerned that he was not warm enough; if it were raining she would worry that he might catch a cold; if it were a hot, dry day she would insist that he sit by a window overlooking a little green garden to refresh himself.