"It exists, but it is worthless."
"My clients consider it rather valuable."
"I suppose they paid for it, but they've been stung. When I sold that land to Winton, a clerk in my office prepared the deeds and got the description wrong. When I discovered the error I had new deeds prepared and executed, and they are what I suppose French gave to Winton's daughter. I supposed he had given them to Winton long ago. So there you are! You've found a mare's nest, and that's all there is to it."
Judge Riley chuckled internally, though his face was grave. Braden was doing the obvious.
"Don't you compare conveyances before execution in your office?"
"Of course I do. But in this case the error was in the description which the clerk prepared and gave to the stenographer to copy. She copied it, and it was compared with what had been given her."
"Then who discovered the error?"
"I did. It struck me that the description was not correct."
"After you had signed it and French had witnessed it?"
"Y—yes." There was hesitation in his voice.