"Why are you here at this hour?" the heiress demanded, haughtily. "Surely you know that the servants are not allowed to be roaming over the house in the middle of the night."
"I am not a servant, Miss Chandler," answered Leonie, with dignity, "but a detective whom your father placed here to locate a thief! I am sorry to say that I have found her."
"What do you mean?"
The tone was haughty enough, but the blue eyes faltered, and the cheeks were white as death.
"I mean," answered Leonie, firmly, "that I shall have to report to Mr. Chandler that the thief whom he has sworn to prosecute is his own daughter."
Leonie laid her hand upon the burglar alarm that the room contained. She had no intention of ringing it, but was simply trying to frighten Miss Chandler into putting the money back, and making a promise that the operation never should be repeated. Much as she loathed the act, much as she despised the girl who could descend to so vile a thing, she had no wish to disgrace her or the family of which she was a member.
But she was unprepared for what occurred.
With a spring like that of a tigress, Evelyn Chandler was upon her, and had seized her hand.
"Do you know what you are doing?" she cried, hoarsely. "You would disgrace me forever! I tell you that you shall not. Let go of that bell, or as Heaven is my witness I will kill you, and escape before it can be answered!"
By the flash of demoniacal light in the blue eyes, Leonie saw that the girl meant what she said. Her hand fell from the bell-cord.