"Is it true that, speaking of this cremation, you said: 'Let him burn; he'll burn in hell anyway'?"
Amos Quadrant flushed deeply, and his face grew stern as he answered:
"I presume you have witnesses who heard the words, therefore it would be futile to deny it. It was a brutal remark, but I made it. I was exasperated by something which Mark had said, and replied in anger."
"It is a sound doctrine, Mr. Quadrant," said the detective, "that words spoken in anger often more truly represent the speaker's feelings than what he says when his tongue is bridled."
"If we take this view, then it is apparent that you did not hold a very high regard for your brother."
"And because of the accident of birth, I was bound to love him? A popular fallacy, Mr. Barnes. He was equally bound, then, to love me, but he did not. Indeed he wronged me most grievously."
Mr. Barnes felt ashamed of his question, as a surgeon often must be sorry to insert the scalpel. To his surprise it elicited no retort. Mr. Quadrant's reply was calmly spoken. All he said was:
"Did she know?" ventured the detective hesitatingly.
There was a painful pause. Mr. Quadrant looked down at the floor, while Mr. Barnes watched him, trying to decide whether the man were acting a part with intent to deceive, as he had announced that he would not hesitate to do; or whether he were telling the truth, in which case the nobility of his character was brought more into perspective.
"Are you sure," said Mr. Barnes after a pause, "that the body taken from the river was that of your brother Rufus?"
"Why do you ask that?" said Mr. Quadrant, on the defensive at once. "Can there be any doubt?"
"Before I reply, let me ask you another question. Did your brother Rufus have a scar on the sole of his foot?"
The other man started perceptibly, and paused some time before answering. Then he asked:
"Mr. Mark Quadrant told me that his brother had such a scar, caused by gashing his foot while in swimming."
"Ah, that is your source of information. Well, when Mark told you that his brother had met with such an accident, he told you the truth."
"But did the accident leave a scar?" Mr. Barnes thought he detected a carefully worded evasive answer.
"Yes, the cut left a bad scar; one easily noticed."