the white moll-第28节

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〃Say；　wot's　de　row？〃　she　demanded。

The　young　man　grinned。

〃Somebody　pinched　a　million　from　de　old　guy！〃　　He　shifted　his
cigarette　with　a　deft　movement　of　his　tongue　from　one　side　of　his
mouth　to　the　other；　and　grinned　again。　　〃Can　youse　beat　it！
Accordin'　to　him；　he　had　enough　coin　to　annex　de　whole　of　Noo　Yoik！
De　moll's　his　wife。　　He　went　out　to　hell…an'…gone　somewhere　for　a
few　years　huntin'　gold　while　de　old　girl　starved。　　Den　back　he　comes
an'　blows　in　to…day　wid　his　pockets　full；　an'　de　old　girl　grabs　a
handful；　an'　goes　out　to　buy　up　all　de　grub　in　sight　'cause　she
ain't　had　none　for　so　long。　　An'　w'en　she　comes　back　she　finds　de
old　geezer　gagged　an'　tied　in　a　chair；　an'　some　guy's　hit　him　a
crack　on　de　bean　an'　flown　de　coop　wid　de　mazuma。　　But　youse　had
better　get　out　of　here　before　youse　gets　run　over！　　Dis　ain't　no
place　for　an　old　skirt　like　youse。　　De　bulls'11　be　down　here　on　de
hop　in　a　minute；　an'　w'en　dis　mob　starts　sprinklin'　de　street　wid
deir　fleetin'　footsteps；　youse　are　likely　to　get　hurt。　　See？〃　　The
young　man　started　to　force　his　way　through　the　crowd　again。　　〃Youse
had　better　cut　loose；　mother！〃　he　warned　over　his　shoulder。

It　was　good　advice。　　Rhoda　Gray　took　it。　　She　had　scarcely　reached
the　next　block　when　the　crowd　behind　her　was　being　scattered
pell…mell　and　without　ceremony　in　all　directions　by　the　police；　as
the　young　man　had　predicted。　　She　went　on。　　There　was　nothing　that
she　could　do。　　The　man's　face　and　the　woman's　face　haunted　her。
They　had　seemed　stamped　with　such　abject　misery　and　despair。　　But
there　was　nothing　that　she　could　do。　　It　was　one　of　those　sore　and
grievous　cross…sections　out　of　the　lives　of　the　swarming　thousands
down　here　in　this　quarter　which　she　knew　so　intimately　and　so　well。
And　there　were　so　many；　many　of　those　cross…sections！　　Once；　in　a
small；　pitifully　meager　and　restricted　way；　she　had　been　able　to
help　some　of　these　hurt　lives；　but　now　…　　Her　lips　tightened　a
little。　　She　was　going　to　Shluker's　junk　shop。

Her　forehead　gathered　in　little　furrows　as　she　walked　along。　　She
had　weighed　the　pros　and　cons　of　this　visit　a　hundred　times　already
during　the　day；　but　even　so；　instinctively　to　reassure　herself　lest
some　apparently　minor；　but　nevertheless　fatally　vital；　point　might
have　been　overlooked；　her　mind　reverted　to　it　again。　　From　Shluker's
viewpoint；　whether　Gypsy　Nan　was　in　the　habit　of　mingling　with　or
visiting　the　other　members　of　the　gang　or　not　…　a　matter　upon　which
she　could　not　even　hazard　a　guess　…　her　visit　to…night　must　appear
entirely　logical。　　There　was　last　night　…　and；　a　natural　corollary；
her　equally　natural　anxiety　on　her　supposed　husband's　account；
providing；　of　course；　that　Shluker　was　aware　that　Gypsy　Nan　was
Danglar's　wife。　　But　even　if　Shluker　did　not　know　that；　he　knew
at　least　that　Gypsy　Nan　was　one　of　the　gang；　and；　as　such；　he　must
equally　accept　it　as　natural　that　she　should　be　anxious　and　disturbed
over　what　had　happened。　　She　would　be　on　safe　ground　either　way。
She　would　pretend　to　know　only　what　had　appeared　in　the　papers；　in
other　words；　that　the　police；　attracted　to　the　spot　by　the　sound　of
revolver　shots；　had　found　Danglar　handcuffed　to　the　fire　escape　of
a　well…known　thieves'　resort　in　an　all　too　well…known　and
questionable　locality。

A　smile　came　spontaneously。　　It　was　quite　true。　　That　was　where　the
Adventurer　had　left　Danglar　…　handcuffed　to　the　fire　escape！　　The
smile　vanished。　　The　humor　of　the　situation　was　not　long…lived；　it
ended　there。　　Danglar　was　as　cunning　as　the　proverbial　fox；　and
Danglar；　at　that　moment；　in　desperate　need　of　explaining　his
predicament　in　some　plausible　way　to　the　police；　had；　as　the
expression　went；　run　true　to　form。　　Danglar's　story；　as　reported　by
the　papers；　even　rose　above　his　own　high…water　mark　of　vicious
cunning；　because　it　played　upon　a　chord　that　appealed　instantly　to
the　police；　and　it　rang　true；　not　only　because　what　the　police
could　find　out　about　him　made　it　likely；　but　also　because　it
contained　a　modicum　of　truth　in　itself；　and；　furthermore；　Danglar
had　scored　on　still　another　count　in　that　his　story　must　stimulate
the　police　into　renewed　activities　as　his　unsuspecting　allies　in
the　one　thing；　the　one　aim　and　object　that；　at　that　moment；　must
obsess　him　above　all　others　…　the　discovery　of　herself；　the　White
Moll。

It　was　ingeniously　simple；　Danglar's　smooth　and　oily　lie！　　He　had
been　walking　along　the　street；　he　had　stated；　when　he　saw　a　woman；
as　she　passed　under　a　street　lamp；　who　he　thought　resembled　the
White　Moll。　　To　make　sure；　he　followed　her　…　at　a　safe　distance；
as　he　believed。　　She　entered　the　tenement。　　He　hesitated。　　He　knew
the　reputation　of　the　place；　which　bore　out　his　first　impression
that　the　woman　was　the　one　he　thought　she　was；　but　he　did　not　want
to　make　a　fool　of　himself　by　calling　in　the　police　until　he　was
positive　of　her　identity；　so　he　finally　followed　her　inside；　and
heard　her　go　upstairs；　and　crept　up　after　her　in　the　dark。　　And
then；　suddenly；　he　was　set　upon　and　hustled　into　a　room。　　It　was
the　White　Moll；　all　right；　and　the　shots　came　from　her　companion；
a　man　whom　he　described　minutely　…　the　description　being　that　of
the　Adventurer；　of　course。　　They　seemed　to　think　that　he；　Danglar；
was　a　plain…clothes　man；　and　tried　to　sicken　him　of　his　job　by
frightening　him。　　And　then　they　forced　him　through　the　window　and
down　the　fire　escape；　and　fastened　him　there　with　handcuffs　to
mock　the　police；　and　the　White　Moll's　companion　had　deliberately
fired　some　more　shots　to　make　sure　of　bringing　the　police　to　the
scene；　and　then　the　two　of　them　had　run　for　it。

Rhoda　Gray's　eyes　darkened　angrily。　　The　newspapers　said　that
Danglar　had　been　temporarily　held　by　the　police；　though　his　story
was　believed　to　be　true；　for　certainly　the　man　would　make　no　mistake
as　to　the　identity　of　the　White　Moll；　since　his　life；　what　the
police　could　find　out　about　it；　coincided　with　his　own　statements；
and　he　would　naturally　therefore　have　seen　her　many　times　in　the
Bad　Lands　when　she　was　working　there　under　cover　of　her　despicable
role　of　sweet　and　innocent　charity。　　Danglar　had　made　no　pretensions
to　self…righteousness　…　he　was　too　cute　for　that。　　He　admitted　that
he　had　no　〃specific　occupation；〃　that　he　hung　around　the　gambling
hells　a　good　deal；　that　he　followed　the　horses　…　that；　frankly；　he
lived　by　his　wits。　　He　had　probably　given　some　framed…up　address　to
the　police；　but；　if　so；　the　papers　had　not　stated　where　it　was。
Rhoda　Gray's　face；　under　the　grime　of　Gypsy　Nan's　disguise；　grew
troubled　and　perplexed。　　Neither　had　the　papers；　even　the　evening
papers；　stated　whether　Danglar　had　as　yet　been　released　…　they　had
devoted　the　rest　of　their　space　to　the　vilification　of　the　White
Moll。　　They　had　demanded　in　no　uncertain　tones　a　more　conclusive
effort　on　the　part　of　the　authorities　to　bring　her；　and　with　her
now　the　man　in　the　case；　as　they　called　the　Adventurer；　to
justice；　and。。。

The　thought　of　the　Adventurer　caused　her　mind　to　swerve　sharply　off
at　a　tangent。　　Where　he　had　piqued　and　aroused　her　curiosity　before；
he　now；　since　last　night；　seemed　more　complex　a　character　than　ever。
It　was　strange；　most　strange；　the　way　their　lives；　his　and　hers；　had
become　interwoven！　　She　had　owed　him　much；　but　last　night　she　had
repaid　him　and　squared　accounts。　　She　had　told　him　so。　　She　owed　him
nothing　more。　　If　a　sense　of　gratitude　had　once　caused　her　to　look
upon　him　with　…　with　…　　She　bit　her　lips。　　What　was　the　use　of　that？
Had　it　become　so　much　a　part　of　her　life；　so　much　a　habit；　this
throwing　of　dust　in　the　eyes　of　others；　this　constant　passing　of
herself　off　for　some　one　else；　this　constant　deception；　warranted
though　it　might　be；　that　she　must　now　seek　to　deceive　herself！　　Why
not　frankly　admit　to　her　own　soul；　already　in　the　secret；　that　she
cared　in　spite　of　herself　…　for　a　thief？　　Why　not　admit　that　a　great
hurt　had　come；　one　that　no　one　but　herself　would　ever　know；　a　hurt
that　would　last　for　always　because　it　was　a　wound　that　could　never
be　healed？

A　thief！　　She　loved　a　thief。　　She　had　fought　a　bitter；　stubborn
battle　with　her　common　sense　to　convince　herself　that　he　was　not
a　thief。　　She　had　snatched　hungrily　at　the　incident　that　centered
around　those　handcuffs；　so　opportunely　produced　from　the　Adventurer's
pocket。　　She　had　tried　to　argue　that　those　handcuffs　not　only
suggested；　but　proved；　he　was　a　police　officer　in　disguise；　working
on　some　case　in　which　Danglar　and　the　gang　had　been　mixed　up；　and；
as　she　tried　to　argue　in　this　wise；　she　tried　to　shut　her　eyes　to
the　fact　that　the　same　pocket　out　of　which　the　handcuffs　came　was
at　exactly　the　same　moment　the　repository　of　as　many　stolen
banknotes　as　it　would　hold。　　She　had　tried　to　argue　that　the　fact
that　he　was　so　insistently　at　work　to　defeat　Danglar's　plans　was　in
his　favor；　but　that　argument；　like　all　others；　came　quickly　and
miserably　to　grief。　　Where　the　〃leak〃　was；　as　Danglar　called　it；
that　supplied　the　Adventurer　with　foreknowledge　of　the　gang's
movements；　she　had　no　idea；　save　that　perhaps　the　Adventurer　and
some　traitor　in　the　gang　were　in　collusion　for　their　own　ends　…　and
that