He ruffled his whiskers and didn’t finish the sentence.

I said I hadn’t, of course, that much money on me.

“Naturally, my dear sir. Naturally. But that is of not the least importance in any degree. None whatever. Any time will do for that, any time up to ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

“At ten tomorrow,” I agreed. “Now I’d like to know why I’m supposed to need legal representatives.”

He made an indignant face.

“My dear sir, this is no matter for jesting, of that I assure you.”

I explained that I hadn’t been joking, that I really was puzzled.

He cleared his throat, frowned more or less importantly, said: