“You soon will,” replied Cagliostro, producing a folded paper, which he offered to the prince.
He, before opening it, cried, “My receipt!”
“Yes, monseigneur, your receipt.”
“But I saw you burn it.”
“True, I threw it on the fire, but by accident you had written on a piece of asbestos, so that the receipt remained uninjured among the cinders.”
“Monsieur,” said the cardinal, haughtily, for he thought this a proof that he had been suspected, “believe me, I should not have denied my debt, even without this paper; therefore you were wrong to deceive me.”
“I deceived you?”
“Yes; you made me think the paper was destroyed.”
“To leave you the calm enjoyment of 500,000 francs.”
“But, sir, why have you left such a sum for ten years unclaimed?”