In taking hold of a case it is positively necessary, if a man is going to do good work, to have a theory or outline in mind on which to work. This Nick Carter now had. On reaching the house he called for the servants to question them. We shall not attempt to follow his questions and their answers, inasmuch as nothing was developed that in any way changed the views he had adopted. It may, however, be said that the answers he received to his questions left him in doubt as to the part that Timon had taken in the matter. He was not proved innocent, neither was he shown to have had guilty knowledge of the murder or other crime, whatever it was. Nick now retired to an inner room with Barnes. “Can you give me some information in regard to the private life of Mr. Field?” he asked that gentleman. “What do you wish to know?” “Everything.” “That is to say, everything that could possibly have any bearing on the case.” “I mean what I say--everything. In a case like this it is impossible to say what may or may not have bearing on the case. First of all, Mr. Field lived here alone?” “He did.” “Was he a bachelor?” “Practically so for nearly the past two decades.” “Practically so? What do you mean by such an answer? Was he a married man?” “Yes. He married seventeen years ago, two or three years after returning to America. Few knew of this marriage.” “But parted from his wife?” “Yes.” “What were the circumstances of that parting?” “I can answer that only in a general way.” “Give me the best answer you can.” “I will do so. As nearly as I can understand it Mr. Field was of a jealous disposition, and thinking he had reason to be jealous of his wife he revealed his feeling to her. She had borne much from him without complaining, but when he spoke to her in this way she quietly informed him that she would no longer remain under his roof unless he asked her pardon. This he refused to do until she had disproved his suspicion. She then said: “I see that it is best I should go. A woman has no business living with a man who has no confidence in her.” He angrily returned: “I don’t know but that it is best you should go,” Without another word she turned from him, and a couple of hours later left the house. “Were they never reconciled after that?” “No. In fact, they never met.” “Is the wife dead?” “I do not know.” “Did he have any knowledge bearing on the matter?” “I think not, for it has been his aim for years past to find his wife and her little girl and try to make reparation for his cruelty toward them.” “He afterward became convinced, then, that he had seriously misjudged his wife?” “He did.” “What is your opinion of the matter?” “That Mrs. Field was a sadly abused woman.” “And yet you could make a friend of such a man?”