No sooner was he there than he got rid of the lady upon some plausible excuse, and so had an opportunity of examining the bits of paper.
They were ordinary letter paper impossible to trace.
One bit was blank on both sides. The other bore some queer little marks, but no writing. To Nick the marks were quite clear. They were the dots and dashes of the Morse telegraphic alphabet. They represented the letters n, t, b, e, t, r, a, written very small on a narrow scrap, not more than an inch long.
"Don't betray," muttered Nick. "Worse and worse. Miss Stevens will evidently bear watching."
As to the room, his inspection of it was of little use. He had not expected much. He had come to see Miss Stevens, principally, and in her case the investigation had certainly begun better than he could have reasonably expected. She was engaged in some secret affair. She concealed letters from her mother. She had bribed one of the servants.
This last fact was proven by the manner in which the letter had been delivered to her.
As he was turning these matters over in his mind, Mrs. Stevens and her daughter entered the room.
"What have you discovered, Mr. Carter?" asked the girl. "You must know that my mother has told me all about this strange affair, and I am deeply interested."
"I have learned nothing," said Nick, "except that this room can be easily entered, even when the doors are locked.
"Take this door leading to the rear room, for instance. The key was on this side, it is true, but it turns very easily. A person with a pair of nippers could get in without trouble, and lock the door afterward.
"I can't tell from the appearance of the key whether or not this was done, but I think it probable."
"You mean that somebody came in here while mother was at lunch, and put the jewels where they were found?"
"Exactly."
"But who could it have been?"
"I don't know," answered Nick, frankly.
"And how do you explain the presence of that other pin in the box?"
asked Mrs. Stevens.
"There is an explanation," said Nick; "but I prefer not to give it now."
"As you please," responded the lady, haughtily. "I can only say that I trust you will find this thief speedily, and end this annoyance to which we are being subjected."
"I don't think it ought to be hard for a person of your abilities," said Miss Stevens. "I have already solved the puzzle."
"And who is the guilty person?" asked Nick, with a smile.
"Colonel Richmond, of course."
"Why should he do this?"
"Because he's crazy. That's reason enough."
"I'd like to hear you explain your theory a little further."
"Why, Mr. Carter, I'm surprised at you. Is there any motive for this so-called crime? No. Then it must be a crazy person's work. Is there more than one lunatic among us? Certainly not. So, as two and two make four, and the sun doesn't rise in the west, Colonel Richmond is the man. What kind of a detective do you think I'd make?"
"There isn't any one alive who could compare with you," said Nick.
"You're joking."
"No; I'm serious. There are plenty of detectives who can reason up to the wrong man, but none, I'm sure, who can do it so quickly as you can."
Mrs. Stevens laughed at her daughter's discomfiture, and the girl joined heartily.
"Supposing for a moment that your theory is true," continued Nick. "How do you suppose that Colonel Richmond managed to get the jewels over here?"
The girl became serious in a moment.
"This is a very delicate subject," she said. "I hate to cast suspicion upon any one."
"You refer to the new servant, of course."
"Well, we know nothing about the girl," said Mrs. Stevens, "and, of course, when anything so strange happens in the house we naturally think of her. She brought good references, and she certainly looks honest."
"Did she have an opportunity to put the jewels into this room?"
"As to that, I have talked it over with my daughter, and it seems just possible that the girl could have done it. I thought at first that it was not."
"Of course, it was possible," exclaimed Miss Stevens. "She could have run up the back stairs at any time."
She proceeded to explain this theory, until it seemed quite plausible.
And yet all the time she was filling the detective's mind with the blackest suspicions against herself.
Here was the case: The plotters were trying to work on Colonel Richmond's superstitions.
A celebrated detective had been called in. If he succeeded, the plotters failed, and the Stevenses lost the jewels.
What more natural than that the criminals should wish to throw the detective on a wrong scent? Was it not to be expected that they should pitch upon this new servant as the best person with whom to deceive Nick.
Altogether, Miss Stevens was making out a very strong case against herself.
CHAPTER V.
COLONEL RICHMOND'S NIGHT ADVENTURE.
Of course, Nick questioned the servant. To have failed to do that would have been to throw light upon his real suspicions.
She was a tall, slender, and rather pretty Irish girl, named Annie O'Neil.
Her answers to all questions were plain and simple.