Gideon raised his eyes from the ring, and met his father’s, in a look quite as hard as the one that challenged him. “I did not—no,” he said deliberately. He took the ring out of Lord Lionel’s hand, and restored it to his desk. He turned the key in the lock of the drawer, and removed it. “A precaution I should have taken earlier,” he remarked.
“Gideon!” Lord Lionel’s voice held a note almost of entreaty. “Be open with me, I implore you! Where is Gilly? ”
“Don’t you mean, sir, what have I done with Gilly?” suggested Gideon sweetly.
“No!” snapped his lordship. “Nothing would make me believe that you would harm a hair of his head! But when I came upon that ring in your desk—Gideon, do you know what is being said in the clubs?”
“Yes, I have not been so much amused this twelve-month,” replied Gideon. “I own, however, that it does not amuse me very much to discover that you, sir, apparently share the town’s suspicions.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, boy!” said his lordship, flushing angrily. “A pretty thing it would be if I were to suspect my own son!”
“Just so, sir.”
“I do not!—Understand, I do not! But how came you by that ring, Gideon?”
“Oh, I drew it from the corpse’s finger, of course, sir!” Gideon said sardonically.
“Stop trifling with me!” thundered his lordship. “I have told you I believe nothing against you! If I was shocked to come upon a ring in your desk which Gilly always wears you can scarcely wonder at it!”