“I do think so.”
“I am going to look a little deeper into the case.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Carter, on my word,” Clayton quickly declared. “No man would be more likely to ferret out the true solution of the mystery.”
“There is no solution, Clayton, but the true solution,” Nick replied. “I may require some little time. Meanwhile, kindly say and do nothing about the matter, nor reveal anything that would add to Mrs. Darling’s distress. She appears to be a fine woman.”
“She is a fine woman, Nick. That goes without saying, and I know what I’m talking about.”
“Has Darling lived happily with her?”
“Surely,” Clayton replied. “Why not, indeed? She is just the type of woman to steady a man of his temperament. He liked a good time, you know, and was easily influenced. But for her, Nick, he might have gone clean over the traces. She was his balance wheel. She kept him going nicely, instead of off on a tangent. Yes, yes, they have lived happily, all right, or I would have heard of it.”
“No doubt,” Nick allowed.
He took his hat and arose to go.