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.  “I left that pin with the two others like it in my room.”

Without saying another word, she turned and ran into the house.

Almost immediately her voice was heard in the hall.

“It’s gone!” she cried.  “It’s been taken out of my bedroom.”

She appeared at the door with a very white face.

But her excitement was nothing to that of Mrs. Stevens.

Nick dropped the role of detective and assumed that of doctor in less than a second.

When he had saved Mrs. Stevens from an attack of hysterics, he said: 

“I was aware that that pin had been taken.  It was done while I was in your room, Mrs. Pond.  The circumstances were exactly the same as those attending the other robberies.”

“But I did not put it in the box,” exclaimed Mrs. Stevens.  “It was not among the jewels which I found.”

She turned to Colonel Richmond.  Her face was ghastly pale.

“I have scorned your belief,” she said; “but now I am convinced.  No mortal being could have done this thing.”

“What do you say to that, Mr. Carter?” cried the colonel, with flashing eyes.

“I would like to ask a few questions,” rejoined Nick.  “Were you alone when you put those jewels into the box?”

“I was.”

“Has it been in your possession ever since?”

“It has not been out of my care.”

“Did you tell anybody about the finding of the jewels?”

“Nobody.”

“Please describe everything that happened after you found them.”

“I was, of course, greatly agitated.  I did not know what to do.  For some time I sat staring at the jewels and trying to think what was my proper course.