He was doing his best to suppress his agitation, but that strengthened the impression that he had indeed discovered something which he himself honestly believed to be the truth.
There was an immediate alteration in the tone and bearing of his host.
"My dear fellow," he said, "forgive my levity.

If you have really found out anything, it is a miracle; but miracles do happen now and then.
Here's the pond, and there's the boathouse behind those rhododendrons.
Suppose you tell me the rest in the boat?
We needn't keep looking over our shoulders in the middle of the pond!" For an instant Langholm dreamt of the readiest and the vilest resource; in another he remembered, not only that he could swim, but the insidious sympathy for this man which a darker scoundrel had sown in his heart.

It had grown there like Jonah's gourd; only his flippancy affected it; and Steel was far from flippant now.

Langholm signed to him to lead the way, and in a very few minutes they were scaring the wildfowl in mid-water, Steel sculling from the after thwart, while Langholm faced him from the crimson cushions.
"I thought," said the latter, "that I would like to tell you what sort of evidence I could get against him before--before going any further.
I--I thought it would be fair." Steel raised his bushy eyebrows the fraction of an inch.

"It would be fairest to yourself, I agree.