Tellson's Bank in the City of London was an old

Tellson's Bank in the City of London was an old Tellson's Bank in the City of London was an old, dark, and ugly building. It smelt of dust and old papers, and the people who worked there all seemed old and dusty, too. Outside the building sat Jerry Cruncher, who carried messages for people in the bank.

One morning in March 1780, Jerry had to go to the Old Bailey to collect an important message from Mr Lorry. Trials at the Old Bailey were usually for very dangerous criminals, and the prisoner that morning was a young man of about twenty—five, well dressed and quite calm.

'What's he done?' Jerry asked the doorman quietly. 'He's a spy！A French spy！'the doorman told him.' He travels from England to France and tells the French King secret information about our English army.'