What's that?"
Turning sharply, and looking into the room for the second time, Vendale
discovered his envelope case overthrown on the floor, and Obenreizer on
his knees picking up the contents.
"All my awkwardness," said Obenreizer. "This dreadful news of yours
startled me; I stepped back--" He became too deeply interested in
collecting the scattered envelopes to finish the sentence.
"Don't trouble yourself," said Vendale. "The clerk will pick the things
up."
"This dreadful news!" repeated Obenreizer, persisting in collecting the
envelopes. "This dreadful news!"
"If you will read the letter," said Vendale, "you will find I have
exaggerated nothing. There it is, open on my desk."
He resumed his search, and in a moment more discovered the forged
receipt. It was on the numbered and printed form, described by the Swiss
firm. Vendale made a memorandum of the number and the date. Having
replaced the receipt and locked up the iron chamber, he had leisure to
notice Obenreizer, reading the letter in the recess of a window at the
far end of the room.
"Come to the fire," said Vendale. "You look perished with the cold out
there. I will ring for some more coals."
Obenreizer rose, and came slowly back to the desk. "Marguerite will be
as sorry to hear of this as I am," he said, kindly. "What do you mean to
do?"
"I am in the hands of Defresnier and Company," answered Vendale. "In my
total ignorance of the circumstances, I can only do what they recommend.
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