Luke rose as the colonel entered and passed his hand across the back of his smooth head, a gesture peculiarly English and peculiarly his own. The older man was undoubtedly the most troubled of the three.
"It's a damnable business this," he said as soon as he had shaken Luke by the hand and thrown off hat and coat.
"Does Sir Thomas Ryder," asked Luke lightly, "also think that I have murdered Philip?"
He knew where Colonel Harris had been. Louisa had not thought of keeping this from him.
"Tom's a fool!" retorted the colonel involuntarily.
It was tantamount to an avowal. Luke never flinched; he even contrived to smile. Louisa sat up very straight, and with an instinctive movement gave the sofa cushions a nervy shake up. But her eyes were fastened on Luke.
"Don't worry, sir," said Luke very quietly. "I'll get out of it all in good time."
"Of course you will! Damn it all!" ejaculated the other fervently.
"The inquest you know is to-morrow."
It was Luke who spoke and Colonel Harris looked up quickly.