“Here comes two of La Croix’s spies!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, and they are going into the house,” muttered Old King Brady.

“That clinches our doubts.  He surely must live there.”

“No doubt of it.  It’s a strange servant admitting them.  She’s a mulatto.”

The men disappeared in the house.

An hour passed by uneventfully.

Then Sterns’ wagon came along and Old King Brady said hastily: 

“When that driver rings, we must force our way in.”

“Hurry up, then!”

Running across the street they arrived just in time to go up the stoop with the driver, and when he rang, the colored girl answered the bell.

“Mrs. Savoy live here?” demanded the driver, who had a bundle.

“Yes,” replied the girl.  “Parcel for her?”

“Here it is.”

He handed it over and went away.

“Is the lady in?” Old King Brady asked the girl.

“No, sir.  But her daughter is.”

“We’d like to see her on important business.”

“Come inside, if you please.”

She ushered them into the parlor and asked: 

“What name?”

“The Bradys.”

“Wait here, sir.”

She left the room and they silently followed her.

Pushing open the door of the back parlor the girl said: 

“Miss Savoy—­the Bradys—­”

“At your service!” added Harry.

And they strode into the room where Clara La Croix sat.

CHAPTER XIII.

A HUMAN SHIELD.

It was a beautifully furnished bedroom and the girl smuggler sat by the window reading a novel when the detectives rushed in at her.

She was a cool, level-headed girl, and seemed to possess a remarkable set of nerves for she did not look at all startled by their entrance.

Meeting the detectives’ look with a cool stare, she asked, quietly: 

“Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

Then seeing the astonished servant lingering at the door, she added: 

“You may go, Hattie.”

The servant closed the door and vanished.

Old King Brady strode over to her and exclaimed: 

“We want those smuggled diamonds.”

“Really, you are provoking.  I have no smuggled diamonds.”

“But you know where they are!”

“Do I?”

“Yes.  You fooled us once, very cleverly, by passing them to the hotel hall-boy, but you shan’t do so again, I can tell you.”

She laughed as if enjoying a good joke.

“Well,” she said, finally, “evasions are useless I see.”

“Perfectly!”

“Do you want me to be frank with you?”

“My dear young lady, lies ain’t going to do you any earthly good.”

“The gems you are after are in my father’s possession.”

“We know that much already.”