While they were talking thus, it happened that Miss Stevens drew her handkerchief from her pocket, and as she did so two little pieces of paper fell to the floor. "So she's read that letter, and torn it up so soon," was Nick's silent comment. Almost immediately Miss Stevens said: "There's the mail on the table, mother. I forgot to give it to you. There are several letters." Mrs. Stevens glanced at the addresses. "They are all for me," she said. "Was there nothing for you?" "No, indeed," cried the girl. "There's nobody who writes letters to me." "Lies to her mother, does she?" said Nick to himself. "Well, it begins to look bad for her." Miss Stevens did not notice the bits of paper on the floor, and Nick by clever work succeeded in getting possession of them. Then, by Mrs. Stevens' permission, he went to look at the room already referred to. 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."