“I cannot forbear the thought,” said he, when Miss Patton had concluded her story, “that if Mr. Pearson had displayed a reasonable amount of manly bravery, this robbery could not have taken place.”

“There is something very strange to me,” said the girl, musingly, “about the manner in which Eugene acted; and—­there are some things that I cannot understand.”

“Would you object to telling me what they are?” said the detective.  “Perhaps I can enlighten you.”

“Well,” responded the girl reluctantly, “I fear that Eugene has not told the entire truth in this matter.”

“In what respect?” inquired the detective.

“I would not do anything to injure Mr. Pearson for the world, Mr. Manning, and he may have forgotten the circumstance altogether, but I am sure that I saw one of those robbers on two occasions before this occurred, in the bank and talking to Mr. Pearson.”

“Why should he seek to conceal this?” asked the operative.

“That is just what I cannot understand,” answered the lady.

“Tell me just what you know, and perhaps I can help you in coming to a correct conclusion.”

“I don’t like to say anything about this, but still I think it is my duty to do so, and I will tell you all that I know.  More than two weeks ago, I returned from my dinner to the bank one day, and I saw this man in the private office with Mr. Pearson; I noticed then that their manner toward each other showed them to be old acquaintances rather than mere strangers.  This man left the bank in a few minutes after I came in.  He had the manner and appearance of a gentleman, and I did not think anything of it at the time.”

“Did Mr. Pearson tell you who he was, or explain his presence there at that time?”

“No, I did not ask anything about him, and he did not mention the matter to me.”

“When did you see them together again?”

“That same evening about dusk.  I had been making a call upon a friend, and was returning home when I met them walking and conversing together.”

“Did Mr. Pearson recognize you on that occasion?” inquired the detective.

“No, sir, he did not seem to notice me at all, and I passed them without speaking.”

“You are quite sure about this?”

“Oh, yes, quite sure.  I recognized him immediately when he came yesterday afternoon to leave the valise in the bank, and also when he came with the other man when the robbery was committed.”

“Do you feel confident that you would be able to identify him, if you were to see him again?”

“I am quite sure that I would,” returned the girl confidently, “his features are too indelibly fixed in my mind for me to make any mistake about it.”

“Have you said anything to Mr. Pearson about this?”

“Yes; as soon as we were out of the vault, I said to him—­’One of those men was the man who left the valise and the same one I saw in the office the other day.’”