the white moll-第25部分

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She　drew　back　a　little　toward　the　cot　bed　against　the　wall；　drew
back　to　give　him　free　passage　to　the　door　when　he　should　return
again；　her　eyes　still　holding　on　the　far　end　of　the　garret；　where；
with　the　slope　of　the　roof；　the　ceiling　was　no　more　than　shoulder
high。　　There　seemed　something　horribly　weird　and　grotesque　in　the
scene　before　her。　　He　had　pushed　the　narrow　trap…door　in　the　ceiling
upward；　and　had　thrust　candle　and　head　through　the　opening；　and　the
faint　yellow　light；　seeping　back　and　downward　in　flickering；
uncertain　rays；　suggested　the　impression　of　a　gruesome；　headless
figure　standing　there　hazily　outlined　in　the　surrounding　murk。　　It
chilled　her；　she　clutched　at　her　shawl；　drew　it　more　closely　about
her；　and　edged　still　nearer　to　the　wall。

And　then　Danglar　closed　the　trap…door　again；　and　came　back　with　the
candle　in　one　hand；　and　one　of　the　bulky　packages　of　banknotes　from
the　hiding　place　in　the　other。　　He　set　the　candle　down　on　the
washstand；　and　began　to　distribute　the　money　through　his　various
pockets。

He　was　smiling　with　curious　complacency。

〃It　was　your　job　to　play　the　spider　to　the　White　Moll　if　she　ever
showed　up　again　here　in　your　parlor；〃　he　said。　　〃Maybe　somebody
tipped　her　off　to　keep　away；　maybe　she　was　too　wily；　but；　anyway；
since　you　have　not　sent　out　any　word；　it　is　evident　that　our　little
plans　along　that　line　didn't　work；　since　she　has　failed　to　come　back
to　pay　a　call　of　gratitude　to　you。　　I　don't　suppose　there's　anything
to　add　to　that；　eh；　Bertha？　　No　report　to　make？〃

〃No；〃　said　Rhoda　Gray　shortly。　　〃I　haven't　any　report　to　make。〃

〃Well；　no　matter！〃　said　Danglar。　　He　laughed　out　shortly。　　〃There
are　other　ways！　　She's　had　her　fling　at　our　expense；　it's　her　turn
to　pay　now。〃　　He　laughed　again　…　and　in　the　laugh　now　there　was
something　both　brutal　in　its　menace；　and　sinister　in　its　suggestion
of　gloating　triumph。

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　demanded　Rhoda　Gray　quickly。　　〃What　are　you
going　to　do？〃

〃Get　her！〃　said　Danglar。　　The　man's　passion　flamed　up　suddenly；　he
spoke　through　his　closed　teeth。　　〃Get　her！　　I　made　her　a　little
promise。　　I'm　going　to　keep　it！　　Understand？〃

〃You've　been　saying　that　for　quite　a　long　time；〃　retorted　Rhoda
Gray　coolly。　　〃But　the　'getting'　has　been　all　the　other　way　so　far。
How　are　you　going　to　get　her？〃

Danglar's　little　black　eyes　narrowed；　and　he　thrust　his　head　forward
and　out　from　his　shoulders　savagely。　　In　the　flickering　candle
light；　with　contorted　face　and　snarling　lips；　he　looked　again　the
beast　to　which　she　had　once　likened　him。

〃Never　mind　how　I'm　going　to　get　her！〃　he　flung　out；　with　an　oath。
〃I　told　you　I'd　been　busy。　　That's　enough！　　You'll　see

Rhoda　Gray；　in　the　semi…darkness；　shrugged　her　shoulders。　　Was　the
man；　prompted　by　rage　and　fury；　simply　making　wild　threats；　or　had
he　at　last　some　definite　and　perhaps　infallible　plan　that　he
purposed　putting　into　operation？　　She　did　not　know；　and；　much　as　it
meant　to　her；　she　did　not　dare　take　the　risk　of　arousing　suspicion
by　pressing　the　question。　　Failing；　then；　to　obtain　any　intimation
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：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　F