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"A signore--a great signore," replied Beppo "He is rich, and is often on the Riviera in winter He's probably there now Nobody suspects hiland, too I believe he has a house in London During the war he worked for the French Secret Service under the name of Monsieur Franqueville, and the French Government never suspected that they actually had in their e everywhere"
"You have no idea where he lives in London?"
"I was once told that he had a big house somewhere in what you call the West End--somewhere near Piccadilly I have, however, only seen hio he was hard pressed by the police and took refuge here for two nights, till Paolo called for him in his fine car and he passed out of Italy as a Swiss hotel-proprietor"
"Then he is head of a gang--is he?"
"Yes," was the man's reply "He is marvellous, and has indeed well earned his sobriquet 'Il Passero'"
A sudden thought flitted through Hugh's mind
"I suppose he is a friend of Madenore, I do not know Il Passero had many friends He is rich, prosperous, well-dressed, and has influential friends in France, in Italy and in England who never suspect hi of the thieves"
"Now, tellMadeely
"Nothing," he replied, still speaking bad French
"You are not speaking the truth"
"Why should I tell it to you? I do not know you!" was the quick retort
"But you are harbouring me"
"At the orders of Il Passero"
"You surely can tell h persisted after a brief pause "We are eous, and I, for one, intend to do all I can to trace and punish the culprit"
"They say that you shot her"
"Well--you know that I did not," Henfrey said "Have you yourself everfor a tiherita last year I had a friend of hers living here withlady"
"And a friend of Il Passero?"
The Italian shrugged his shoulders with a gesture of ignorance
Hugh Henfrey had certainly learned much that was curious He had never before heard of the interesting cosmopolitan thief known as The Sparrow, but it seemed evident that the person in question had suddenly become interested in him for some obscure and quite unaccountable reason