"I shall let you go when you have told me the truth," said Richard calmly.
She grew instantly quiet, and for a minute she appeared to hang a dead weight on his arm. Then her voice came with the whimpering, childlike sound.
"I told them that I had never touched it—that I had asked papa for the money, and he had given it to me," she said.
"I thought so," returned Richard grimly, and he released his hold so quickly that she fell in a limp heap at his feet.
"I wanted it from her own lips, though Mr. Cummins had already told me," he added, as he looked at his nephew.
For a moment Daniel stood there in silence, with his eyes on the gold-topped bottles on Lydia's dressing table. He had heard Alice's fall, but he did not stoop to lift her; he had heard Richard's words, but he did not reply to them. In one instant a violent revulsion—a furious anger against Alice swept over him, and the next he felt suddenly, as in his dream, the little hands pass over his brow and lips.
"She is right about it, Uncle Richard," he said, "I gave her the check."
At the words Richard turned quickly away, but with a shriek of joy, Alice raised herself to her knees, and looked up with shining eyes.
"I told you papa would know! I told you papa would help me!" she cried triumphantly to the old man.
Without looking at her, Richard turned his glance again to his nephew's face, and something that was almost a tremor seemed to pass through his voice.