"It was some one—out of the house!"
The pause was so long before the most important word, that when it was spoken Evelyn Chandler almost betrayed herself by a sigh of relief. She knew that her secret was safe, yet there was nothing of gratitude in her feeling toward Leonie. On the contrary, she detested her all the more that she owed it to her.
Behind her relief the sound of the voice of the man who had adopted her came to Evelyn.
"Do you know that your refusal to convict a thief under the circumstances makes you an accessory to his crime, and punishable with him?" he was saying, his eyes steely with anger.
The violet eyes never faltered.
"I beg that you will not do that sir, for—my—father's sake. He is old and—has but—me. Surely you will not——"
"You shall go to jail if you persist in your refusal to answer me!" cried Chandler, without the softening of a muscle in his face. "I will give you until morning to decide."
"It will be useless, I cannot alter my determination. But—is there nothing that you can say? Surely you will pray him only to let me go free?"
She had turned to Evelyn Chandler and extended her arms. The lovely face was quivering with anguish, the eyes glistened with a fire that no tears could quench, the sweet mouth trembled piteously, but Miss Chandler returned the glance with one that was half sneering, wholly defiant.