"Yes, and I know its number by heart. Is it this?" and the lady gave the exact number of the watch, which Jack himself remembered.
"Yes, that is right," he said.
"I will tell you something else about it, which, perhaps, you do not know, my boy," the lady continued. "The upper part of the case, the one with the diamonds on it, is double, and the top of it will unscrew, showing a small space beneath. In this is a photograph of a little girl, one I lost, and a small gold coin. When you return take off the top of the jeweled side of the case, and if you find it as I say then you will know that the watch is mine."
"I did not deny this, Madame," said Jack, coloring a little, "but you can readily understand that I would be cautious after so many persons have tried to get the watch away from me. By the way, did you employ a detective, a rather self-important person, to find it for you?"
"Higgins!" laughed the lady. "Yes, I did, and he told me that he had discovered the person who had it."
"This was since the fire?"
"No, the day before."
"And you have not seen him since?"
"No, nor heard from him."
Jack laughed, and told how the detective had tried to get the watch from him, and how and why Dr. Wise had refused to give it up.