"Please explain," said Nick. "What did the Barton girl say about the parcel?"
"She said it was given to her by a woman whom she had met on Fifth Avenue a short time before."
"An acquaintance?"
"No, sir; a strange woman," continued Violet. "Yet the stranger must have known Mary, and that she lived with me, for she asked her if I was at home."
"And then?"
"When told that I was, she gave Mary the package and asked her to deliver it to me, into my hands only, as it was a gift from a friend."
"Was the name of the friend mentioned?"
"I think not, sir. The woman cautioned Mary against opening the package, stating in explanation that she wished me to be the first to see what it contained."
"These are the facts which Mary Barton told to Harry Boyden, are they?" demanded Nick, with an ominous ring stealing into his voice.
"Yes, sir, they are."