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“Is that fair? I offered to trust them to you, and you replied it was no concern of yours. I am now dealing with the holder of stolen documents.”

“And you judge M. Boreski by the standard of the persons who surround and advise you continually. No doubt you are right according to your experience,” was her bitterly spoken retort.

“Your anger and injustice are too manifest to need a further reply from me, mademoiselle,” I returned.

Boreski scrutinized the papers carefully, and presently I saw him start and lay one aside. I wondered if he could have discovered any forgery among them.

“There is one grave point here, and one of less importance,” he said at length; and putting the papers together he handed them back to me, with the draft for the money on the top. “This draft is dated three days hence.”

I took them and went back to my seat.

“The reason is obvious. This is in the nature of a dowry, and as such will be paid on your marriage, and not before it.”

“With all submission, I cannot so regard it, and I cannot accept the draft as complying with the agreement.”