‘It takes much to convince a father of such an unpleasant truth as that, Charley.’ ‘Not much, if my experience goes for anything.’ ‘I trust it is not typical, Charley.’ ‘I suppose you’re going to stand up for Geoffrey next?’ ‘I have no such intention. But if I did, it would be but to follow your example. We seem to change sides every now and then. You remember how you used to defend Clara when I expressed my doubts about her.’ ‘And wasn’t I right? Didn’t you come over to my side?’ ‘Yes, I did,’ I said, and hastened to change the subject; adding, ‘As for Geoffrey, there is room enough to doubt whether he believes what he says, and that makes a serious difference. In thinking over the affair since you left me, I have discovered further grounds for questioning his truthfulness.’ ‘As if that were necessary!’ he exclaimed, with an accent of scorn.’ But tell me what you mean?’ he added. ‘In turning the thing over in my mind, this question has occurred to me.--He read from the manuscript that oh the blade of the sword, near the hilt, were the initials of Wilfrid Cumbermede. Now, if the sword had never been drawn from the scabbard, how was that to be known to the writer?’ ‘Perhaps it was written about that time,’ said Charley. ‘No; the manuscript was evidently written some considerable time after. It refers to tradition concerning it.’ ‘Then the writer knew it by tradition.’ The moment Charley’s logical faculty was excited his perception was impartial. ‘Besides,’ he went on,’ it does not follow that the sword had really never been drawn before. Mr Close even may have done so, for his admiration was apparently quite as much for weapons themselves as for their history. Clara could hardly have drawn it as she did if it had not been meddled with before.’ The terror lest he should ask me how I came to carry it home without the scabbard hurried my objection. ‘That supposition, however, would only imply that Brotherton might have learned the fact from the sword itself, not from the book. I should just like to have one peep of the manuscript to see whether what he read was all there!’ ‘Or any of it, for that matter,’ said Charley. ‘Only it would have been a more tremendous risk than I think he would have run.’ ‘I wish I had thought of it sooner, though.’