The two men were left alone. Denis, who had been standing at the open window all this time, with his back to the room, turned round now to see Gardiner on his knees, hunting over the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked, breaking his long silence.
"Looking for my chisel. I don't think I'll leave that for the police to find."
The little doctor's jibe about sal volatile had not been baseless. Denis, though in his youth he had been through a frontier campaign which should have cured him of such weakness, looked and felt rather sick. Gardiner was less sensitive. He pursued his search without qualms. Denis watched him.
"What are you goin' to say to the police when they do come?"
"What you said to Mrs. Trent. You began it, Denis."
"You'll have to give evidence on oath at the inquest."
"That won't trouble my conscience."
"I suppose they'll call me as well."
"Safe to," assented Gardiner. Denis said nothing. The younger man, looking up, asked with a certain hardihood: "Are you going to give me away?"