“Yes, but I shall not accept it, unless I am retained by a victim of the Brown Robin’s arts, and then only if the victim will consent to be guided wholly by me in the matter.” He tossed the letter aside and finished his breakfast. He had hardly time to open his morning paper, when the servant entered with a note, which, she said, had been brought by a messenger boy. Opening it, Nick read: “My Dear Carter: Very shortly after receiving this you will have a call from Mr. Alpheus Cary. He is my first victim in New York. I should judge by this experience that New York is very easy to work. The incident afforded me a good deal of amusement, for Mr. Alpheus Cary hates to give up. “He was in a panic when he did, but regretted it a minute after. Indeed, my operation came perilously near robbery, for his hesitancy began before he really handed the money over. “The only regret I have is that the sum was so small. In that sense it was not a brilliant beginning in New York. But you can complete the operation by getting a stiff retainer out of him. Then, if you choose to “whack up,” why, you can send me half. That proposition is the reason why I write. “Really, Carter, there is quite a stroke of business to be done by us in this way. I know you pose as an honest man, but, pshaw! let there be no nonsense between us. “The Brown Robin.” The first sensation Nick experienced on reading this letter was that of anger. Then the audacity of the writer excited his sense of humor. “You thought the other letter was impertinent,” said he, handing the last one to Edith, “but what do you think of this one?” Edith read it with flushed face, but, inspired by an idea, she said: “Nick, if I were you I would capture that person, no matter what I did to accomplish it.” “What would you do?” “I’d pretend to enter into a bargain with the Brown Robin, such as is here proposed.” Nick did not reply at once. When he did, he said: “Do you know, Edith, I am under the impression that this is an impudent and audacious beginning of an effort to blackmail me.” “Nick Carter!” “Yes, a trap is being laid for me to walk into, of which this is only one of the strings.” “But why should they attempt to blackmail you?” “I suppose my money is as good to them as that of any other person. But what a triumph it would be to have the boast that Nick Carter had been trapped that way!” “True.” “Edith, let me warn you to be prepared for any trick. Whether I will or not, the Brown Robin has thrown down the gauntlet.” “Do you know Mr. Alpheus Cary?” “I only know that there is a person of that name, who is a man of wealth and the president of a bank in this city—a man of some prominence, but that is all I do know of him.” “Where does he live?” “Somewhere in Central Park West, but just where I don’t know. What are you thinking of?”