I swear to you
that if I lay hands on that stuff, I will deliver it to you. Might
just as well trust me as Ugo. You won't get them from him, that's
sure; and you may get them from me."
"Is it revenge you're after?"
"My God," almost shouted Sprouse in his exasperation, "didn't he give
me a black eye among my friends up here? Didn't he put me in wrong
with all of them? Do you think I'm going to stand for that? Think I'm
going to let him get away with it? You don't know me, my friend. I've
got a reputation at stake. No one has ever double-crossed me and got
away with it. I want to prove to the world that I didn't take those
jewels. I--"
"Just what do you mean by 'the world,' Sprouse?"
"My world," he replied succinctly. "I'm not a piker, you know," he
went on, cocking one eye in a somewhat supercilious manner. "The
stakes are always high in my game. I don't play for pennies."
"Get in the car," said Barnes suddenly. He had decided to take a
chance with the resourceful, indefatigable rascal. There was nothing
to be lost by setting him on the track of Prince Ugo, who, if the
man's story was true, had betrayed his best friends. There was
something convincing about Sprouse's version of the affair at Green
Fancy.
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