But he must unravel it without doing any hurt to Sylvia.

He could not go too warily--of that he had been sure, ever since Kenyon had refused to speak of it.

There might be some hidden thing which for Sylvia's sake must not be brought to light.
Therefore he must find out the truth without help from any one.

He wondered whether unconsciously Sylvia herself was going to give him the clue.

Was she to tell him what she did not know herself--why Gabriel Strood was now Garratt Skinner?
"Well ?" he repeated.
"As we continued up the hill," she resumed, "my father cut up the tobacco into small pieces with his pocket knife.