Just as Nick joined them Horace Richmond strolled up.  They all stood looking at a carriage which was coming up the driveway.

“Why, it’s Mrs. Stevens,” exclaimed Mrs. Pond.  “I thought you said she did not come here any more.”

“She hasn’t been here in some time,” responded the colonel.  “I have thought that she avoided us because of this matter of the jewels.”

Nothing more could be said on the subject, for at that moment the carriage drew up before the door.

Colonel Richmond advanced courteously and assisted Mrs. Stevens to alight.

Nick noticed at once that she was much agitated.

Colonel Richmond asked her into the house, but she said that she preferred to sit on the veranda.  She had come on business, and would stay but a moment.

She evidently wished to speak to the colonel privately, and so the others stepped aside; but Nick’s eye was upon the woman every moment.

Very few words had passed between them, when the colonel uttered a cry and called to Nick.

The detective instantly advanced.  He made a sign to Richmond, but it was not understood, and the colonel introduced Nick by his right name.

“Here is an extraordinary thing, Mr. Carter,” he said.  “We now have proof positive that this affair is not the work of mortal hands.”

“What is that?” asked Nick.

“The jewels have appeared!”

“Where?”

“In Mrs. Stevens’ house.  They have been mysteriously transported there without human aid.”

“I should be glad to have that proven,” said Nick.

“It shall be,” said the colonel.  “Tell your story, Mrs. Stevens, if you please.”

“It is very simple,” she 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.