The faces of Kilgore and Matthew Stall, however, betrayed more secret exultation than surprise.  Plainly enough both were now convinced that Nick did not recognize them, nor even suspect that he himself had been recognized—­and these were precisely the two convictions Nick had aimed to convey by his masterly move in thus disclosing himself.

“Yes, Senora Cervera,” he hastened to add, before any of the startled group could speak, “I owe you a profound apology.  I did you the injustice to suspect you, not only of being a thief, but also of being identified with the notorious Kilgore gang, three of the cleverest and most dangerous swindlers in the world.”

“Perdition!” gasped Cervera.  “You astound me.”

“I was led to suspect you, senora, because your letter to Venner took him from his store just at the time of the robbery,” Nick quickly went on to explain, thus putting his own strategy on a solid basis.  “I shadowed you from the theater to-night, intending to watch you and your house, a design which has nearly cost me my life at the hands of your faithful watchman.

“I am glad to add, senora, that I now have completely changed my views, and I trust that you will bear in mind that you were a stranger to me, and so pardon my unworthy misgivings.  It is impossible that you, Senora Cervera, could be guilty of any evil, or know aught of so accomplished a knave as David Kilgore, or any of his clever gang.”

A shrewder move could scarce have been conceived.  That Nick would thus have declared himself in the very presence of Kilgore, if known to him, seemed utterly absurd; and the eyes of both Kilgore and Matt Stall were aglow with a vicious amusement and satisfaction much too genuine to be entirely concealed.

“Well, Mr. Carter,” cried Venner, now hastening to release the defective’s hands, “you certainly have had a close call, and are lucky to come out of it with a whole skin.  These two men are employed by senora to guard her house at night, and they naturally mistook you for a burglar.”

Despite his keen discernment, Nick could not determine whether this man was lying, or was really as blind as his words implied.  Content to await further discoveries, however, Nick laughed quickly, and replied: 

“Well, well, Mr. Venner; I am quite accustomed to close calls and hard knocks, and I assure you that I bear the senora’s watchmen no ill will for having done their duty as they saw it.  Senora Cervera is to be congratulated upon having secured the services of two such faithful fellows.”

Kilgore had all he could do to keep from laughing aloud, so blinded was he by Nick’s artful duplicity.

“And when I inform you, senora,” cried Venner, “that Detective Carter is in my employ, and is really a royal good friend, I am sure that you will pardon him for having been so misled by your letter of this morning.”

Senora Cervera was blushing now, yet to Nick it appeared a little forced, and there was in her evil, black eyes a gleam he did not like.  Yet she at once arose and came to shake the detective by the hand.