y as was possible. "I am so glad to meet
you here."

"Nina?"

"Yes; Nina."

"And what have you been doing?"

"I don't know that I want to tell you; only that I like to tell you
everything."

"If so, you can tell me this." Nina, however, hesitated. "If you have
secrets, I do not want to inquire into them," said the Jew.

"I would rather have no secrets from you, only--"

"Only what?"

"Well; I will tell you. I had a necklace; and we are not very rich, you
know, at home; and I wanted to get something for father, and--"

"You have sold it?"

"No; I have not sold it. The man was very civil, indeed quite kind, and
he lent me some money."

"But the kind man kept the necklace, I suppose."

"Of course he kept the necklace. You would not have me borrow money
from a stranger, and leave him nothing?"

"No; I would not have you do that. But why not borrow from one who is
no stranger?"

"I do not want to borrow at all," said Nina, in her lowest tone.

"Are you ashamed to come to me in your trouble?"

"Yes," said Nina. "I should be ashamed to come to you for money. I
would not take it from you."

He did not answer her at once, but walked on slowly while she kept
close to his side.

"Give me the jeweller's docket," he said at last. Nina hesitated for a
moment, and then he repeated his demand in a sterner voice. "Nina, give
me the jeweller's docket." Then she put her hand in her pocket and gave
it him. She was very averse to doing so, but she was more averse to
refusing him aught that he asked of her.

"I have got something to tell you, Anton," she said, as soon as he had
put the jeweller's paper into his purse.

"Well--what is it?"

"I have seen every paper and every morsel of everything that is in
father's desk, and there is no sign of the deed you want."

"And how did you see them?"

"He showed them to me."

"You told him, then, what I had said to you?"

"No; I told him nothing about it. He gave me the key, and desired me to
fetch him all the papers. He wanted to find a letter which uncle Karil
wrote him ever so long ago. In that letter uncle Karil acknowledges
that he has the deed."

"I do not doubt that in the least."

"And what is it you do doubt, Anton?"

"I do not say I doubt anything."

"Do you doubt me, Anton?"

There was a little pause before he answered her--the slightest moment
of hesitation. But had it been but half as much, Nina's ear and Nina's
heart would have detected it. "No