contempt of Hyde's attitude.

"Considering the position you're in," he said, turning again to Hyde,
"you must see that it's impossible that your relations should be kept
from knowing. You'll have to give particulars about yourself, sooner or
later. And charges of murder, like this, can't be kept out of the
newspapers."

"Tell me, Hyde!" exclaimed Viner. "Look here, now, to begin with--you
didn't kill this man?"

Hyde shook his head in a puzzled fashion--something was evidently causing
him surprise.

"I didn't know the man was killed, or dead, until they brought me here,
from that pawnbroker's this morning!" he said. Then he laughed almost
contemptuously, and with some slight show of spirit. "Do you think I'd
have been such a fool as to try to pawn or sell a ring that belonged to
a man who'd just been murdered?" he demanded. "I'm not quite such an
ass as that!"

Viner looked round at Drillford.

"There!" he said quietly. "What did I tell you? Isn't that what I said?
You're on the wrong track, Inspector!"

But Drillford, sternly official in manner, shook his head.

"How did he come by the ring, then?" he asked, pointing at his prisoner.
"Let him say!"