A reader could probably come up with a few reasons as to why Henry never has to actually turn over any form or real money at any of the shops that he visits. To his credit, Henry does certainly try to pay with the very large bank note, but none of the business owners will take it. Henry hands the note over and asks for change, and the store owners quickly say that he can purchase the items on credit. Realistically speaking, the store owners probably can't actually give Henry that much change. They simply do not have it on hand, so it makes sense that they would not take the bank note.

Another reason Henry never has to pay is because the store owners are more than willing to give Henry store credit. They all absolutely think that Henry is worth far more than the million pounds he is carrying around in a single bank note. They incorrectly assume that anybody brazen enough to carry around a million pound bank note must have so much money in his account that it makes a million pound note nothing more than what a twenty pound note would be worth for the rest of the world. They trust that Henry is a gentleman and has money, and they fully believe that extending him credit is the gentlemanly thing to do and they will see payment for his purchases.