the white moll-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


of　what　he　meant　to　do；　the　next　thing　most　to　be　desired　was　to
get　rid　of　him。

〃You've　got　the　money。　　That's　what　you　came　for；　wasn't　it？〃　she
suggested　coldly。

He　stared　at　her　for　a　moment；　and　then　his　face　gradually　lost　its
scowl。

〃You're　a　rare　one；　Bertha！〃　he　exclaimed　admiringly。　　〃Yes；　I've
got　the　money　…　and　I'm　going。　　In　fact；　I'm　in　a　hurry；　so　don't
worry！　　You　got　the　dope；　like　everybody　else；　for　to…night；　didn't
you？　　It　was　sent　out　two　hours　ago。〃

The　dope！　　It　puzzled　her　for　the　fraction　of　a　second　…　and　then
she　remembered　the　paper　she　had　thrust　into　the　bodice　of　her
dress。　　She　had　not　read　it。　　She　lunged　a　little　in　the　dark。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　curtly。

〃All　right！〃　he　said…and　moved　toward　the　door。　　〃That　explains　why
I'm　in　a　hurry　…　and　why　I　can't　stop　to　oil　that　grouch　out　of　you。
But　I'll　keep　my　promise　to　you；　too；　old　girl。　　I'll　make　up　the
last　few　days　to　you。　　Have　a　heart；　eh；　Bertha！　　'Night！〃

She　did　not　answer　him。　　It　seemed　as　though　an　unutterable　dread
had　suddenly　been　lifted　from　her；　as　he　passed　out　of　the　door
and　began　to　descend　the　steps　to　the　hall　below。　　Her　〃grouch；〃
he　had　called　it。　　Well；　it　had　served　its　purpose！　　It　was　just
as　well　that　he　should　think　so！　　She　followed　to　the　door；　and
deliberately　slammed　it　with　a　bang。　　And　from　below；　his　laugh；
more　an　amused　chuckle；　echoed　back　and　answered　her。

And　then；　for　a　long　time　she　stood　there　by　the　door；　a　little
weak　with　the　revulsion　of　relief　upon　her；　her　hands　pressed　hard
against　her　temples；　staring　unseeingly　about　the　garret。　　He　was
gone。　　He　filled　her　with　terror。　　Every　instinct　she　possessed；
every　fiber　of　her　being　revolted　against　him。　　He　was　gone。　　Yes；
he　was　gone　…　for　the　time　being。　　But　…　but　what　was　the　end　of
all　this　to　be？〃

She　shook　her　head　after　a　moment；　shook　it　helplessly　and　wearily；
as；　finally；　she　walked　over　to　the　washstand；　took　the　piece　of
paper　from　the　bodice　of　her　dress；　and　spread　it　out　under　the
candle　light。　　A　glance　showed　her　that　it　was　in　cipher。　　There
was　the　stub　of　a　pencil；　she　remembered；　in　the　washstand　drawer；
and；　armed　with　this；　and　a　piece　of　wrapping　paper　that　had　once
enveloped　one　of　Gypsy　Nan's　gin　bottles；　she　took　up　the　candle；
crossed　the　garret；　and　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　the　cot；　placing
the　candle　on　the　chair　in　front　of　her。

If　the　last　three　days　had　been　productive　of　nothing　else；　they
had　at　least　furnished　her　with　the　opportunity　of　studying　the
notebook　she　had　found　in　the　secret　hiding　place；　and　of　making
herself　conversant　with　the　gang's　cipher；　and　she　now　set　to
work　upon　it。　　It　was　a　numerical　cipher。　　Each　letter　of　the
alphabet　in　regular　rotation　was　represented　by　its　corresponding
numeral；　a　zero　was　employed　to　set　off　one　letter　from　another；
and　the　addition　of　the　numerals　between　the　zeros　indicated　the
number　of　the　letter　involved。　　Also；　there　being　but　twenty…six
letters　in　the　alphabet；　it　was　obvious　that　the　addition　of　three
nines；　which　was　twenty…seven；　could　not　represent　any　letter；　and
the　combination　of　999　was　therefore　used　to　precede　any　of　the
arbitrary　groups　of　numerals　which　were　employed　to　express　phrases
and　sentences；　such　as　the　739　that　she　had　found　scrawled　on　the
piece　of　paper　around　her　key　on　the　first　night　she　had　come　here；
and　which；　had　it　been　embodied　in　a　message　and　not　preceded　by
the　999；　would　have　meant　simply　the　addition　of　seven；　three　and
nine；　that　is；　nineteen　…　and　therefore　would　indicate　the
nineteenth　letter　of　the　alphabet；　S。

Rhoda　Gray　copied　the　first　line　of　the　message　on　the　piece　of
wrapping　paper：

　　　321010333203202306663103330111102210444202101112052110761


Adding　the　numerals　between　the　zeros；　and　giving　to　each　its
corresponding　letter；　she　set　down　the　result：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　6010110505022090405014030509014
　　　　　　　　　　　　　f　a　　k　e　e　　v　i　d　e　　n　c　e　i　　n

It　was　then　but　a　matter　of　grouping　the　letters　into　words；　and；
decoded；　the　first　line　read：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fake　evidence　in。。。。。。　　　　　

She　worked　steadily　on。　　It　was　a　lengthy　message；　and　it　took　her
a　long　time。　　It　was　an　hour；　perhaps　more；　after　Danglar　had　gone；
before　she　had　completed　her　task；　and　then；　after　that；　she　sat
for　still　a　long　time　staring；　not　at　the　paper　on　the　chair　before
her；　but　at　the　flickering　shadows　thrown　by　the　candle　on　the
opposite　wall。

Queer　and　strange　were　the　undercurrents　and　the　cross…sections　of
life　that　were　to　be　found；　amazingly　contradictory；　amazingly
incomprehensible；　once　one　scratched　beneath　the　surface　of　the
poverty　and　the　squalor；　and；　yes；　the　crime；　amongst　the　hiving
thousands　of　New　York's　East　Side！　　In　the　days　…　not　so　very　long
ago　…　when；　as　the　White　Moll；　she　had　worked　amongst　these　classes；
she　had　on　one　occasion；　when　he　was　sick；　even　kept　old　Viner　in
food。　　She　had　not；　at　the　time；　failed　to　realize　that　the　man
was　grasping；　rapacious；　even　unthankful；　but　she　had　little　dreamed
that　he　was　a　miser　worth　fifty　thousand　dollars！

Her　mind　swerved　off　suddenly　at　a　tangent。　　The　tentacles　of　this
crime　octopus；　of　which　Danglar　seemed　to　be　the　head；　reached　far
and　into　most　curious　places　to　fasten　and　hold　and　feed　on　the
progeny　of　human　foibles！　　She　could　not　help　wondering　where　the
lair　was　from　which　emanated　the　efficiency　and　system　that；　as
witness　this　code　message　to…night；　kept　its　members；　perhaps　widely
scattered；　fully　informed　of　its　every　movement。

She　shook　her　head。　　That　was　something　she　had　not　yet　learned；
but　it　was　something　she　must　learn　if　ever　she　hoped　to　obtain　the
evidence　that　would　clear　her　of　the　crime　that　circumstances　had
fastened　upon　her。　　And　yet　she　had　made　no　move　in　that　direction；
because　…　well；　because；　so　far；　it　had　seemed　all　she　could　do　to
protect　and　safeguard　herself　in　her　present　miserable　existence
and　surroundings；　which；　abhorrent　as　they　were；　alone　stood　between
her　and　a　prison　cell。

Her　forehead　gathered　into　little　furrows；　and；　reverting　to　the
code　message；　her　thoughts　harked　back　to　a　well…known　crime；　the
authorship　of　which　still　remained　a　mystery；　and　which　had　stirred
the　East　Side　some　two　years　ago。　　A　man　…　in　the　vernacular　of　the
underworld　a　〃stage　hand〃　…　by　the　name　of　Kroner；　credited　with
having　a　large　amount　of　cash；　the　proceeds　of　some　nefarious
transaction；　in　his　possession　on　the　night　in　question；　was　found
murdered　in　his　room　in　an　old　and　tumble…down　tenement　of　unsavory
reputation。　　The　police　net　had　gathered　in　some　of　the　co…tenants
on　suspicion；　Nicky　Viner；　referred　to　in　the　code　message；　amongst
them。　　But　nothing　had　come　of　the　investigation。　　There　had　been
no　charge　of　collusion　between　the　suspects；　but　Perlmer；　a　shyster
lawyer；　had　acted　for　them　all　collectively；　and；　one　and　all；　they
had　been　discharged。　　In　what　degree　Perlmer's　services　had　been　of
actual　value　had　never　been　ascertained；　for　the　police；　through
lack　of　evidence；　had　been　obliged　to　drop　the　case；　but　the
underworld　had　whispered　to　itself。　　There　was　such　a　thing　as
suppressing　evidence；　and　Perlmer　was　known　to　have　the　cunning　of
a　fox；　and　a　code　of　morals　that　never　stood　in　the　way；　or
restricted　him　in　any　manner。

The　code　message　threw　a　new　light　on　all　this。　　Perlmer　must　have
known　that　old　Nicky　Viner　had　money；　for；　according　to　the　code
message；　Perlmer　prepared　a　fake　set　of　affidavits　and　forged　a
chain　of　fake　evidence　with　which　he　had　blackmailed　Nicky　Viner
ever　since；　and　Nicky　Viner；　known　as　a　dissolute；　shady　character；
innocent　enough　of　the　crime；　but　afraid　because　his　possession　of
money　if　made　public　would　tell　against　him；　and　frightened　because
he　had　already　been　arrested　once　on　suspicion　for　that　very　crime；
had　whimpered　…　and　paid。　　And　then；　somehow；　Danglar　and　the　gang
had　discovered　that　the　old；　seedy；　stoop…shouldered；　bearded；
down…at…the…heels　Nicky　Viner　was　not　all　that　he　seemed；　that　he
was　a　miser；　and　had　a　hoard　of　fifty　thousand　dollars　…　and　Danglar
and　the　gang　had　set　out　to　find　that　hoard　and　appropriate　it。
Only　they　had　not　succeeded。　　But　in　their　search　they　had　stumbled
upon　Perlmer's　trail；　and　that　was　the　key　to　the　plan　they　had
afoot　to…night。　　If　Perlmer's　fake　and　manufactured　affidavits　were
clever　enough　and　convincing　enough　to　wring　money　out　of　Viner　for
Perlmer；　they　were　more　than　enough　to　enable　Danglar；　employed　as
Danglar　would　employ　them；　to　wring　from　Nicky　Viner　the　secret　of
where　the　old　miser　hid　his　wealth；　for　Viner　would　understand　that
Danglar　was　not　hampered　by　having　to　safeguard　himself　on　account
of　having　been　originally　connected　with　the　case　in　a　legal
capacity；　or　any　capacity；　and　therefore　in　demanding　all　or　nothing；
would　have　no　cause　for　hesitation；　failing　to　get　what　he　wanted；
in　turning　the　evidence　over　to　the　police。　　In　other　words；　where
Perlmer　had　to　play　his　man　cautiously　and　get　what　he　could；
Danglar　could　go　the　limit　and　get　all。　　As　it　stood；　then；　Danglar
and　the　gang　had　not　found　out　the　location　of　that　hoard；　bu