"I'll call one at once," nodded Chick, as he sprang up and hastened from the room.
"Am I to depart now, Detective Carter?" asked Violet, beginning to tremble. "Oh, sir, will you not give me some word of encouragement before I go? I am sure that Harry Boyden never committed—"
"Hush!" interposed Nick, rising and taking her kindly by the hand.
"I cannot at present tell you, Miss Page, what I think of this case. I will say this, however, if Harry Boyden is, as you so firmly believe, innocent of this crime, I will not rest until I have proved him guiltless."
"Oh, Detective Carter, how am I to thank you?" cried the girl, with her tearful eyes raised to Nick's kindly face.
"By not trying to do so," said he, smiling. "And by carefully following a few directions which I shall now give you."
"I will follow them to the very letter, sir," cried the grateful girl.
"First, then, go home and borrow no further trouble about young Boyden," said Nick, impressively. "Second, disclose to no person that you have called upon me, or that I have any interest in the case. Third, say nothing about the jewel casket, and display no personal knowledge of the affair. Fourth, do not come here again unless I send for you. And, finally, rest assured that I will do all in my power to have young Boyden at liberty as soon as possible. To remain in custody a short time, however, will not seriously harm him, and in a way it may do me some service. Can you remember all that?"
"Indeed I can, sir; and I will obey you in all!" cried Violet, with much feeling.
"That's right," smiled Nick, as he escorted her to the door. "You shall not lose anything by so doing."