“It was a brilliant ball, Mrs. van Raikes,” put in the detective. “I can testify to that personally, for I dropped in for a few minutes.”
“Indeed? I am glad to hear that, because it may help you in tracing this valuable watch. Of course, intrinsically it would not be of sufficient importance for me to engage the services of the most famous detective in America, nor would you consider it on those grounds.”
She paused for Nick Carter to make some remark. He merely bowed gravely. Mrs. van Raikes had spoken the truth, so there was nothing to be added. He certainly was not the man to be sent after a stolen watch, unless there where extraordinary circumstances surrounding the theft.
“The watch is worth four or five thousand dollars, I understand,” continued the lady. “But that is not the point. It was the property of a very distinguished man, who was one of my most honored guests.”
“Yes?”
“The watch was a present to him from his father, who was a monarch——”
“A king, do you mean?” asked Nick, with a sudden accession of interest.
“Well, I believe they called him a prince. He was a ruler of a small country on the Caribbean Sea—a place called Joyalita. It was settled by some Spanish grandees several centuries ago, and it has always been nominally a monarchy ever since.”
“Nominally?” asked Nick. “Do you mean that it is not one in reality?”
“I don’t know. I have heard people say that the South American and Central American republics would not permit it to exist so near to them if it really were what it calls itself. It has a constitutional government, and is more nearly a republic than some other countries that call themselves such.”