e done out of--"

"Wait--wait!"

Checking his partner with an impulsive gesture, Venner rushed into his
private office and seized his desk telephone, quickly calling up the
firm by which the diamonds had been sent.

Garside followed him into the room, only to hear the questions hurriedly
asked over the wire by his excited partner, who presently dropped the
telephone and leaped to his feet, crying loudly, so loudly that his
voice filled the entire store, and brought all hands hurrying in his
direction:

"There's no doubt of it, Garside, none whatever. You have been
duped--swindled--robbed of four thousand dollars' worth of gems! Raymond
was an impostor--a crook--"

"Venner--hush! You are losing your head," protested Garside, white with
dismay. "It's enough that we have lost the stones, so at least keep your
head. Waste not a moment. Notify the police. Telephone at once for men
from the central office."

"Blast the police! The central office be hanged!" cried Venner, choking
down an oath of wrathful contempt. "I'll have none of your police--none
of your central office men! I want a detective--not an effigy of one!"

"Rufus--"

"Silence, Garside, and leave this affair to me," Venner harshly
interrupted. "You've had fingers enough in it already."

With which rebuke Mr. Rufus Venner strode passionately out of the office
and into the store proper, shouting loudly to the clerk previously
mentioned:

"Maynard--here you, Maynard! Call a cab at once and go for Nick Carter!
Lose not a moment! Don't wait to ask questions, you blockhead! Away with
you, at once! Bring Nick Carter here with the least possible delay!"

Maynard had already seized his coat and hat, and was hurrying out of the
store.

And thus began one of the most stirring and extraordinary criminal cases
that ever fell within the broad experience of the famous New York
detective mentioned.

CHAPTER II.

CONCERNING SENORA CERVERA.

Joseph Maynard arrived at Nick Carter's residence just as the famous New
York detective was about preparing for lunch, and quickly stated his
mission, disclosing the superficial features of the crime.

Nick Carter habitually looked below the surface of things, however, and
in trifles he invariably discovered more than the ordinary man. Before
Maynard had fairly outlined the case Nick keenly discerned that the
robbery could not have been committed by any common criminals, and he at
once decided not only that he wou