“No, I’m not specially looking for trouble. I have had enough of it for one day.”
“Enough of trouble?” inquired Badger, with an air of wonderment at Nick’s meaning.
“Quite enough, sir, and at considerable expense. I’m out a valuable watch and chain also what money I had on my person.”
“Not robbed?”
“That’s what,” nodded Nick. “Held up by the crooks who are doing such rascally work in these parts. But there’ll come a day of reckoning, sir, you may safely wager your whole fortune on that.”
There stole into Badger’s dark eyes, which were still fixed upon Nick’s face, a momentary gleam of resentment.
“What sent you here so quickly after being robbed?” he asked, with sinister inflection. “Did you expect to find the thieves in my house?”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
“Or did you come to condole with me over a like mishap, since misery likes company? The headquarters of the police is, I should say, the proper place for you to have hurriedly visited.”