"Yes, this is far enough, I suppose," said the man, and there was a sneer in his tones. "Too far, perhaps. But—"
"I did not come here to discuss anything with you but the matter you spoke of in your note," cut in the woman. "Did you bring my diamonds as you promised?"
"Yes, I have them."
His voice was as cold as hers.
"Then give them to me and let me go. I don't know why I consented to meet you, except that you said you would give them only to me, personally. And I don't, even for that, know why I came here. I—"
"Possibly in memory of other days?" the man sneered.
"Never!" she answered bitterly. "Oh, never that!"
"Well, as you choose," he went on, with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "But I have a few things I want to say to you, and I didn't want the whole village babbling about it. Too many know me here, so I kept out of sight as much as I could."
"Say what you have to say, and quickly. Give me my diamonds, to which
I have a right, and let me go. That is all I ask of you."
"I'm afraid it can't be done so quickly as all that," and the man laughed cuttingly. "In the first place, I want you to sign a paper. I have it with me, also a fountain pen. I've a flashlight to let you read what you sign, in case it gets too dark."