You must put it down

　　"'Certainly,' I answered. 'But perhaps you would have the goodnessto let me have the name of the steamer and of the line by which hesailed, together with the date. I have no doubt that I should beable to get a letter through to him.'

　　"My request seemed both to puzzle and to irritate my host. His greateyebrows came down over his eyes, and he tapped his fingersimpatiently on the table. He looked up at last with the expressionof one who has seen his adversary make a dangerous move at chess,and has decided how to meet it.

　　"'Many people, Mr. Dodd,' said he, 'would take offence at yourinfernal pertinacity and would think that this insistence hadreached the point of damned impertinence.'

　　"'You must put it down, sir, to my real love for your son.'"'Exactly. I have already made every allowance upon that score. Imust ask you, however, to drop these inquiries. Every family has itsown inner knowledge and its own motives, which cannot always be madeclear to outsiders, however well-intentioned. My wife is anxious tohear something of Godfrey's past which you are in a position to tellher, but I would ask you to let the present and the future alone, Suchinquiries serve no useful purpose, sir, and place us in a delicate anddifficult position.'

　　"So I came to a dead end, Mr. Holmes. There was no getting pastit. I could only pretend to accept the situation and register a vowinwardly that I would never rest until my friend's fate had beencleared up. It was a dull evening. We dined quietly, the three ofus, in a gloomy faded old room. The lady questioned me eagerly abouther son, but the old man seemed morose and depressed. I was so boredby the whole proceeding that I made an excuse as soon as I decentlycould and retired to my bedroom. It was a large, bare room on theground floor, as gloomy as the rest of the house, but after a yearof sleeping upon the veldt, Mr. Holmes, one is not too particularabout one's quarters. I opened the curtains and looked out into thegarden, remarking that it was a fine night with a bright half-moon.Then I sat down by the roaring fire with the lamp on a table besideme, and endeavoured to distract my mind with a novel. I wasinterrupted, however, by Ralph, the old butler, who came in with afresh supply of coals.

　　"'I thought you might run short in the night-time, sir. It is bitterweather and these rooms are cold.'

　　"He hesitated before leaving the room, and when I looked round hewas standing facing me with a wistful look upon his wrinkled face."'Beg your pardon, sir, but I could not help hearing what you saidof young Master Godfrey at dinner. You know, sir, that my wifenursed him, and so I may say I am his foster-father. It's natural weshould take an interest. And you say he carried himself well, sir?'"'There was never a braver man in the regiment. He pulled me outonce from under the rifles of the Boers, or maybe I should not behere.'