“Dr. Annister, you are most unjust. I told you the truth about my absence. On that question there is nothing more to be said. But it is my right to know, and I insist upon knowing, whether or not you have any basis whatever for these insinuations you have been making, except your own suspicions.”
Mildred’s father gazed thoughtfully at her betrothed for a moment before he replied. He was saying to himself that the man’s words were candid enough in their import, but that, somehow, the speech had not rung true. There was no spark of indignation in those brown eyes, that seemed to have some difficulty in meeting his. Nor was there any quiver of that honest resentfulness he longed to see. Beneath Brand’s habitual manner of slightly ceremonious politeness and deference he discerned uncertainty of thought and purpose.
“There’s something wrong here,” the physician was thinking, “something woefully wrong. He doesn’t seem to feel the monstrosity of what I’ve almost been charging him with.” Unconsciously he shook his head sadly as he began to speak aloud:
“As I told you before, Felix, with the knowledge I have spent a lifetime of hard work gaining, I don’t need any better evidence than my own eyes can give. I consider it as worthy of confidence as any information I might have from another. That and my own intelligence are the sole ground of my fears. These did have, however, some slight corroboration in the rather mysterious manner and assurances of your friend, Mr. Hugh Gordon.”
At the sound of that name Brand faced sharply round upon the astonished doctor, anger flaming in his face and eyes.
“That man!” he cried. “Are you taking his word against mine? He is my worst enemy, and he will stop at nothing to injure me. He is a thief, a murderer, or would be if he dared. I demand that you tell me what he has been charging me with!”
Dr. Annister stared in amazement at this flare of hostility and wrath. “You mistake me, Felix,” he said quietly, although inwardly he was wondering much as to the cause of the outburst. “I did not say he charged you with anything, nor did he. On the contrary, he seemed to me to be doing his best to execute a friendly office toward you. I thought it strange that he should be so positive you were in no danger of any sort and yet should not know where you were. He seemed sincere and straightforward and the only hypothesis upon which I could reconcile his two statements was one that strengthened what you call my suspicions.”
While the doctor spoke Brand had been moving about with quick steps and sharp turns, scowling and muttering. “Oh, I know the fellow goes about making this pretense of friendship,” he said sullenly, “but there’s no trust to be put in him. He is bent on my ruin. But I’ll get even with him, I’ll down him yet!”
He took another turn or two, apparently endeavoring to get himself under control again, while Dr. Annister regarded him with gray brows wrinkled thoughtfully. He began to feel, uneasily, that there was more underneath this situation than he had guessed.