"Oh, no! I put it on because after I discovered Miss Chandler to be dishonest I was arrested as an accomplice, and in order not to be forced to tell my story, I ran away. I did it for safety! What I have discovered about my birth, came to me as the result of accident!"
"A remarkably timely accident! If I can curb my curiosity until we get home, I must hear all about where you went when you left my house, and how you happened to be detained. I shall keep you talking for a week."
"There is just one thing that I must do first of all if you will let me," returned Leonie, almost reverently, "and that is to pay a visit to Liz. Poor woman! But for her, I might still have been there in that room surrounded by rats and beaten almost to death by that demon, Mauprat. I have felt within the last few hours as though the life of that helpless child of hers had been the price of my freedom and of Lynde's restoration to his fortune."
"Lynde's restoration?"
"Yes, certainly. And it seems to me that I owe her a debt that never can be repaid for that, not to speak of her great kindness to me. But for her I think I should have gone mad."
"Yes, of course you shall pay the visit. That is all right, but what is this about Lynde's fortune? Surely you know that if you prove yourself the daughter of Roger Pyne the money is yours."
"The money is not mine, sir. My father never even knew of my existence, and I have no more right to the money than you have. Surely a man has the privilege of leaving money that is his where he wishes. But I tell you this, that right or wrong, I would put my hand in the fire and burn it off before I touch a cent of it. It was never intended for me, and I will have nothing to do with it. Please say nothing more about it, but let this settle it forever!"
[CHAPTER XXXIV.]
Notwithstanding the extreme cordiality of her reception by Andrew Pryor, Leonie felt, naturally, some misgivings regarding the welcome she would receive from the feminine portion of the household.