"Yes."
"You give thousand dollars?--dollars down?"
"Down on the nail, if you bring proof."
"How make sure?"
"You will tell me how it all happened, and I shall know how to verify the fact."
"No, no! Make me sure. Thousand dollars."
"Ha! I see. You want some assurance that I will pay what I say? Don't see what more assurance I can give than to say so, or what more you should want. Have I not kept my word with you before?"
"Ouff"--and Paul plunged into thought where he stood, while Ralph, impatient to be rid of him, collected his papers and locked them in his desk, rose, and took his hat and gloves, as if about to go home.
This brought Paul's reflections to a point. He turned to Ralph with a grin and a grunt, and held out his hand.
"Thousand dollars!" he said with another grunt; and when Ralph, supposing it a fashion of leave-taking, laid some of his fingers rather gingerly on the extended palm, he caught and shook them eagerly, saying: