he said. "This noon, when I returned to my room
after lunch, I found upon my dressing-table certain pieces of jewelry
which I recognized as having belonged to the late Miss Lavina Richmond.

"I knew them well. Nothing that I can imagine could have surprised me
more than to find them there. I have no explanation to offer. I can't
explain how it happened."

Nick could explain it very easily, at least so far as the appearance of
the jewels in that particular place was concerned. It looked like a
natural development of the plot. But his face expressed no emotion as he
asked:

"Who had access to that room?"

"Nobody," replied Mrs. Stevens. "It was locked."

"Is it customary for you to lock your bed-room door when you go to
lunch?"

"No; it is quite unusual. But we have a new servant in the house, and,
as I had considerable money in the room, I took that precaution.

"All the doors were locked. I had the key to one of them. The others
were on the inside of the locks.

"When I went to lunch the jewels were not there. When I returned they
were there. That is all that I know about it. Here they are."

She drew from her pocket as she spoke a small cardboard box.

The woman was making heroic efforts to be calm, but it seemed as if she
might either faint or go into hysterics at any moment.

Was she playing a game that was too hard for her?

That was the question for Nick to answer; and yet, when he looked at
this gentle, refined woman, he hardly had the heart to suspect her of
any dishonesty.

"I will show you the jewels," she said, struggling to command her voice,
"you can then see whether they are all here."

Her trembling hands could hardly find the string which was tied about
the box.

While she pulled at it she kept talking as if she must do it to relieve
her overburdened mind. She described the articles of jewelry which were
in the box.

"They are the very ones," said the colonel.

As he uttered the words the string was loosened, and the cover fell off
the box.

There was a sharp cry. It came from Mrs. Pond, who, with Horace, had
approached during this scene.

"Why, there's one of my diamond pins!" she exclaimed. "How on earth did
it come to be there?"

Well, if Mrs. Pond was surprised, she wasn't a bit more so than Nick
Carter.

The pin referred to was the one which had been stolen from the cushion
in Mrs. Pond's dressing-room not ten minutes before.

"Why, this is impossible," cried Mrs. Pond.