"Do you justify this young man in calling you his father, Farringford?" said Mr. Gray.
"I am sorry to say I cannot. Gentlemen, I have endeavored to act in good faith," replied my father. "I have always found that the truth would serve me better than falsehood."
"Did you call him your son?"
"I did, but used the expression as a kind of harmless fib to carry my purpose with this Lynch, who had robbed the boy of nearly a hundred dollars."
"It is false!" exclaimed Lynch.
"Keep cool, if you please, sir," interposed the sergeant. "We have heard your story, and now we will hear the other side."
"Philip may have deceived me, but I believed that he had been robbed, and I did the best I could to get his money back, after he had pointed out to me the man who took it from him. Certainly he is not my son. I never saw him till yesterday; and I am sorry he has thought it necessary to repeat my fib, or falsehood, if you please," continued Farringford.
"Nevertheless, I hope I shall be able to prove in due time that he is my father," I added.
"But, my lad, everybody knows that Farringford has no children," said Mr. Gray.
"Never mind that now. I want to know whether any robbery has been committed," interposed the sergeant, impatiently.