“I kept out of sight, and watched him.  I thought at first that there was some crooked work, but the man with the bag didn’t seem to be afraid.

“He came up to the wall in a place where there was some rubbish piled against it, and lifted the bag on to the top of the wall.  Then he climbed up himself and let the bag down into the garden.  That’s all I know about it.”

“Did you notice how the man was dressed?”

“He had on a loose, long coat—­a queer sort of thing—­and a little round cap on his head.”

“That will do,” said Nick.  “I am much obliged.  It will not be necessary, I think, for you to testify to these facts in court.”

“There’s enough without it,” said Deever.  “You’ll take Jarvis to headquarters now, won’t you ?”

“Well, no,” said Nick.  “I hadn’t thought of it.”

“I’ll be doubly and eternally—­”

Deever’s wrath and surprise choked him.

“Never mind,” he said, at last, mastering his rage.  “Come along, John.  And you get out!”

“With all the pleasure in life,” said Nick, quietly walking toward the door.

Chick had slipped away at Deever’s approach.  Nick met him outside.

“What did Deever’s witness say?” asked Chick.

“He told exactly the same story as Prescott.”

“I’m surprised to hear it.”

“Why?”

“Prescott, in my opinion, told the truth.”

“So I believe.”

“And Deever’s man—­I got a glimpse of him—­struck me as a liar in the first degree.  I took him for a man Deever had hired, in order to hurry up his vengeance on Dr. Jarvis.”

“But as they told the same story, and Prescott can have no connection with Deever or the other man, it must be true.”

“Right; but the meaning of it—­”

Chick paused.  Suddenly a flash came from his eyes.

“I have it!” he cried.

“That’s good,” said Nick.  “Now, if you’ll follow Deever, I’ll go back to Dr. Jarvis.”

Accordingly Nick hurried home.  He found Jarvis in a state of great mental anguish.

“It is an extraordinary fate,” he cried, as soon as Nick appeared, “which has twice brought these Deevers into my life to make me miserable.”

“You have had to do with them before?” asked Nick.

“Yes, and in a way that is beyond belief.”

“Explain yourself.”

“This man, Lawrence Deever,” said the doctor, with a groan, “had the incredible presumption to make love to my daughter.”

Nick could not help smiling.

“What did you do about it?” he asked.

“I sent him about his business in a hurry.”

“Was that all?”

“No; and I’m ashamed to say it.  There is no possible way of accounting for the conduct of women.  My daughter actually took this fellow’s part.”

“But nothing came of it?”

“No, sir.  I am master of my own household.”