“I—I don’t know, sir.”
“You don’t know!” echoed the other incredulously. “But you must know what prompted you to do such a foolish thing! Didn’t you know that you would be punished?”
“I suppose so, sir.”
“Had you a grudge against Loring or Dyer?”
“No, sir,” answered Dan earnestly.
“Then you tried to place suspicion on them—why?”
But Dan was silent. Mr. Collins waited a moment, sighed, and shook his head.
“You’re not making it any easier for yourself, Vinton, by refusing to answer my questions. I want to think that the affair was only a thoughtless prank, that you had no mean motives, but you will tell me nothing. When did you buy that paint, and where?”
Dan’s eyes fixed themselves on the floor and he made no reply.
“Surely,” went on Mr. Collins persuasively, “there can be no reason for hiding facts now, Vinton. Come, answer me.”