"You have said so, Mr. Sprouse, but your idea of wrong and mine may not jibe."
"There cannot be two ways of looking at it, sir," said Sprouse, after a moment. "She could do no wrong."
Whereupon Barnes reached his hand across the table and laid it on Sprouse's. His eyes were dancing.
"That's just what I want to be sure about," he said. "It was my way of finding out your intentions concerning her."
"What do you mean?" demanded Sprouse, staring.
"Come with me to my room," said Barnes, suppressing his excitement. "I think I can tell you where she is,--and a great deal more that you ought to know."
In the little room upstairs, he told the whole story to Sprouse. The little man listened without so much as a single word of interruption or interrogation. His sharp eyes began to glisten as the story progressed, but in no other way did he reveal the slightest sign of emotion. Somewhat breathlessly Barnes came to the end.
"And now, Mr. Sprouse, what do you make of it all?" he inquired.
Sprouse leaned back in his chair, suddenly relaxing. "I am completely at sea," he said, and Barnes looked at him in surprise.
"By Jove, I thought it would all be as clear as day to you. Here is your man and also your woman, and the travelling bag full of--"
"Right you are," interrupted Sprouse. "That is all simple enough. But, my dear Barnes, can you tell me what Mr. Secretary Loeb's real game is? Why has he established himself so close to the Canadian line, and why the mobilisation? I refer to his army of huskies."
"Heirs-apparent usually have some sort of a bodyguard, don't they?"
Sprouse was staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. He either did not hear the remark or considered it unworthy of notice. When he finally lowered his eyes, it was to favour Barnes with a deep, inscrutable smile.
"I dare say the first thing for me to do is to advise the Canadian authorities to keep a sharp lookout along the border."