"Do you intend to arrest him?"
"If I see cause to."
"You'll see no cause of his shewing," retorted Darrel, as they went downstairs and hailed a cab.
"The man will lie freely."
"Naturally, to save his own neck."
"What! You don't think Leighbourne killed Grent?"
"I don't think anything about it," was Torry's impatient response. "I am not capable of thinking, as the news has taken me by surprise. Oh, what ignorant fools the best of us are! Well, we will see if Leighbourne, junior, has an explanation."
As it turned out young Frederick had an explanation on the tip of his tongue, and a very feasible one it proved to be. In place of shrinking from an inquiry into the motives of his conduct, he assumed an attitude of outraged virtue, and courted Torry's questions. By his own explanation there was never so upright and badly treated a gentleman as Frederick Leighbourne, Esquire.
"You dare to connect me with the committal of this crime because I changed the notes!" he cried, white with suppressed fury. "What right have you, or either one of you, to make so scandalous a statement?"
"You changed the notes," said Torry feebly, wondering if he was wrong in suspecting the man.