With utmost good nature he patted Leonie upon the shoulder, and allowed her to take the seat the officer indicated, turning his attention to that individual.
"What is that boy accused of?" he asked. "He is as innocent as I am! Never did a wrong thing in his life!"
"That is no boy!" answered the policeman with a short laugh; "that is a girl."
Mr. Pryor staggered back as though the officer had threatened to arrest him.
"A girl!" he gasped. "Have you all gone mad? Why, that boy is Neil Lowell, and he worked for me as my private secretary. He is the best fellow in existence, and never did a wrong act in his life!"
"She is a girl, for all that!" returned the officer, serenely.
Andrew Pryor sat down very suddenly. He seemed to be utterly overcome by the intelligence he had received.
His eyes were riveted upon Leonie as though they could never be removed.
Then by degrees he began to put certain circumstances together.
He remembered the refusal to attend the stag supper, and a smile came to his face; that was followed by many other minor things that all seemed important now, then his hand came down upon his knee with peculiar force.