Page:Robert Barr - Lord Stranleigh Philanthropist.djvu/310

 repay you the money expended?" she asked with troubled brow.

"Oh, that would not matter in the least," said Stranleigh. "The cost will not be great; merely the time of a pair of engineers for, say, two weeks. I often examine different properties, and now and then secure something very good, which a thousand times makes up for the loss caused by those investigations which are failures. No; there will be nothing at all to pay if the researches of these men prove fruitless, though I hope for your sake the reverse will be the case."

You are very good, Lord Stranleigh, but I fear you make light of what should be a real obligation on my part. Still, I take you at your word. Here are the title deeds of the Transylvania estate, which I will leave in your care until such time as they can be transferred to the company, and here are the reports of the engineers from Vienna. Do you read German?"

"Oh, yes."

"In that case I shall not offer to have translations made." The Baroness rose.

"If you wait a moment, I will give you a receipt for these documents."

The lady laughed in very musical cadence.

"I need no receipt, Lord Stranleigh. They are