"What's the matter?" queried Matt. "What's wrong, Cassidy?"
Cassidy shook his head. Before he could answer, Townsend burst out:
"Were you here a few minutes ago, Matt? Did you have on other clothes, and did I give you the diamonds? For heaven's sake, tell me!"
"Easy, cap'n," warned Cassidy.
"No," replied Matt, instantly divining that something had happened to the diamonds. "I was told not to come until midnight, but I was anxious, and even now I am ahead of time. Why?"
He approached the bed hurriedly, but Townsend had sunk limply back, with a hollow groan.
"There was a fellow here who looked like you in the face, Matt, and who said he was you. Townsend gave him the bag of diamonds," said Cassidy.
Motor Matt reeled backward. He could think of but two men, at that moment, and they were Jurgens and Whistler. And he blamed himself. He should not have listened to Carl and Dick, but should have posted at once to Prytania Street and told Townsend how the letter had been delivered to some one else through a mistake.
"Couldn't you tell that the fellow wasn't me, Cassidy?" Matt demanded. "You had a close look at him. He may have looked like me, but did he act, or talk, as I do? Great spark plugs! In a case like that you ought to have been more than sure."
"I didn't know the cap'n was going to hand the diamonds over," returned Cassidy. "The cap'n only just told me. I had my suspicions, but I couldn't just see how the fellow would be here, accordin' to instructions, if he wasn't you. And he sure looked like you, although his talk and his actions were a trifle off. Oh, thunder, what a go!"