The women in the room shrank away from Nan, and looked at her askance. It was evident that it did not occur to them to doubt Ledger Dinwiddie’s statement. “I will hear all of your remarkable story, Jimmy, before I reply to it,” said the detective quietly. “That isn’t all, is it?” He put out one hand and grasped Nan’s arm, holding her firmly, to give her courage, for he did not want her to faint just then. “No; it isn’t all,” said Jimmy, as coolly, in return. “There is more.” He turned again toward the others. “Nick Carter knows the history of Nan Drummond, who calls herself Nan Nightingale, as well, or better than I do. He secured her a position on the stage, when she gave up thievery. He has been her sponsor ever since; and now I can see just how she has played upon his belief in her. When she went to the city, Saturday, and remained over Sunday with Mrs. Remsen, she must have looked him up. She must have told him—not that I was here, but that Jimmy Duryea, the burglar, was alive, and here under an assumed name. I have mentioned the fact that we were cousins, and resembled one another. “The proof of my assumption is that when I was in the summerhouse alone with Nick Carter, during the shower of this afternoon, he actually charged me with being that same Bare-Faced Jimmy, here under disguise, and he demanded that I leave this place at once, and forever forego my hopes of making this beautiful girl, here, my wife. That I laughed at him goes without saying; that he did not mention what had passed between us to others is sufficient proof that he had made a mistake. “Now, two things more: I do not know what part of this woman’s plot it is to have returned here now, as she has done, fully dressed, after having made her escape with a wrapper on and a veil over her head, but she will probably tell you some cock-and-bull story in regard to it, in order to establish her innocence. “The other thing is this: Those jewels that she stole, unless she has had opportunity to-night to pass them on to her confederates, are concealed somewhere in these rooms, without a doubt. That is all, my friends. Now, Nan Drummond, do you deny that you are Nan Drummond?” “Don’t reply to him, Nan,” said Nick, speaking quickly. “Do you dare, woman, to deny that you were once the wife of Bare-Faced Jimmy Duryea, the crook and burglar?” thundered the supposed Dinwiddie, still addressing Nan, who shrank away from him until she rested her body against Nick Carter. “Don’t answer,” said Nick, again. “Then you answer for her!” cried Jimmy, wheeling upon the detective, and playing his part to a finish. “You answer for her. You know all about her. You know that she was Nan Drummond. You know that she was once a thief. You know that she was everything else that was low and——” Jimmy got no farther than that.