the white moll-第29部分

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could　disclose　herself　as　the　White　Moll　there　again　to…night　if
the　actual　necessity　arose；　for　surely　crooks；　pokegetters；
shillabers　and　lags　though　they　were；　and　though　the　place　teemed
with　the　dregs　of　the　underworld；　no　one　of　them；　even　for　the
reward　that　might　be　offered；　would　inform　against　her　to　the　police！
And　yet　…　again　the　mental　pendulum　swung　the　other　way　…　she　was
not　so　confident　of　that　as　she　would　like　to　be。　　In　a　general　way
there　could　be　no　question　but　that　she　could　count　on　the　loyalty
of　those　who　lived　there；　but　there　were　always　those　upon　whom　one
could　never　count；　those　who　were　dead　to　all　sense　of　loyalty；　and
alive　only　to　selfish　gain　and　interest　…　a　human　trait　that；　all
too　unfortunately；　was　not　confined　to　those　alone　who　lived　in　that
shadowland　outside　the　law。　　Her　face；　beneath　the　thick　veil；
relaxed　a　little。　　Well；　she　certainly　did　not　intend　to　make　a　test
case　of　it　and　disclose　herself　there　as　the　White　Moll；　if　she
could　help　it！　　She　would　enter　the　tenement　unnoticed　if　she　could；
and　make　her　way　to　Nicky　Viner's　two　miserable　rooms　on　the　second
floor　as　secretively　as　she　could。　　And；　knowing　the　place　as　she
did；　she　was　quite　satisfied　that；　if　she　were　careful　enough　and
cautious　enough；　she　could　both　enter　and　leave　without　being
seen　by　any　one　except；　of　course；　Nicky　Viner。

She　walked　on　quickly。　　Five　minutes；　ten　minutes　passed；　and　now；
in　a　narrow　street；　lighted　mostly　by　the　dull；　yellow　glow　that
seeped　up　from　the　sidewalk　through　basement　entrances；　queer　and
forbidding　portals　to　sinister　interiors；　or　filtered　through　the
dirty　windows　of　uninviting　little　shops　that　ran　the　gamut　from
Chinese　laundries　to　oyster　dens；　she　halted；　drawn　back　in　the
shadows　of　a　doorway；　and　studied　a　tenement　building　that　was
just　ahead　of　her。　　That　was　where　old　Nicky　Viner　lived。　　A　smile
of　grim　whimsicality　touched　her　lips。　　Not　a　light　showed　in　the
place　from　top　to　bottom。　　From　its　exterior　it　might　have　been
uninhabited；　even　long　deserted。　　But　to　one　who　knew；　it　was　quite
the　normal　condition；　quite　what　one　would　expect。　　Those　who　lived
there　confined　their　activities　mostly　to　the　night；　and　their
exodus　to　their　labors　began　when　the　labors　of　the　world　at　large
ended　…　with　the　fall　of　darkness。

For　a　little　while　she　watched　the　place；　and　kept　glancing　up　and
down　the　street；　and　then；　seizing　her　opportunity　when　for　half　a
block　or　more　the　street　was　free　of　pedestrians；　she　stole　forward
and　reached　the　tenement　door。　　It　was　half　open；　and　she　slipped
quickly　inside　into　the　hall。

She　stood　here　for　a　moment　motionless；　listening；　striving　to
accommodate　her　eyes　to　the　darkness；　and　instinctively　her　hand
went　to　her　pocket　for　the　reassuring　touch　of　her　revolver。　　It
was　black　back　there　in　the　hallway　of　Gypsy　Nan's　lodging；　she　had
not　thought　that　any　greater　degree　of　blackness　could　exist；　but
it　was　blacker　here。　　Only　the　sense　of　touch　promised　to　be　of　any
avail。　　If　one　could　have　moved　as　noiselessly　as　a　shadow　moves；
one　could　have　passed　another　within　arm's…length　unseen。　　And　so
she　listened；　listened　intently。　　And　there　was　very　little　sound。
Once　she　detected　a　footstep　from　the　interior　of　some　room　as　it
moved　across　a　bare　floor；　once　she　heard　a　door　creak　somewhere
upstairs；　and　once；　from　some　indeterminate　direction；　she　thought
she　heard　voices　whispering　together　for　a　moment。

She　moved　suddenly　then；　abruptly；　almost　impulsively；　but　careful
not　to　make　the　slightest　noise。　　She　dared　not　remain　another
instant　inactive。　　It　was　what　she　had　expected；　what　she　had
counted　upon　as　an　ally；　this　darkness；　but　she　was　not　one　who
laughed；　even　in　daylight；　at　its　psychology。　　It　was　beginning
to　attack　her　now；　her　imagination　to　magnify　even　the　actual
dangers　that　she　knew　to　be　around　her。　　And　she　must　fight　it　off
before　it　got　a　hold　upon　her；　and　before　panic　voices　out　of　the
blackness　began　to　shriek　and　clamor　in　her　ears；　as　she　knew　they
would　do　with　pitifully　little　provocation；　urging　her　to　turn　and
flee　incontinently。

The　staircase；　she　remembered；　was　at　her　right；　and　feeling　out
before　her　with　her　hands；　she　reached　the　stairs；　and　began　to
mount　them。　　She　went　slowly；　very　slowly。　　They　were　bare；　the
stairs；　and　unless　one　were　extremely　careful　they　would　creak　out
through　the　silence　with　a　noise　that　could　be　heard　from　top　to
bottom　of　the　tenement。　　But　she　was　not　making　any　noise；　she
dared　not　make　any　noise。

Halfway　up　she　halted　and　pressed　her　body　close　against　the　wall。
Was　that　somebody　coming？　　She　held　her　breath　in　expectation。
There　wasn't　a　sound　now；　but　she　could　have　sworn　she　had　heard
a　footstep　on　the　hallway　above；　or　on　the　upper　stairs。　　She　bit
her　lips　in　vexation。　　Panic　noises！　　That's　what　they　were！　　That；
and　the　thumping　of　her　heart！　　Why　was　it　that　alarms　and
exaggerated　fancies　came　and　tried　to　unnerve　her？　　What；　after　all；
was　there　really　to　be　afraid　of？　　She　had　almost　a　clear　two　hours
before　she　need　even　anticipate　any　actual　danger　here；　and；　if
Nicky　Viner　were　in；　she　would　be　away　from　the　tenement　again　in
another　fifteen　minutes　at　the　latest。

Rhoda　Gray　went　on　again；　and　gaining　the　landing；　halted　once　more。
And　here　she　smiled　at　herself　with　the　tolerant　chiding　she　would
have　accorded　a　child　that　was　frightened　without　warrant。　　She
could　account　for　those　whisperings　and　that　footstep　now。　　The　door
to　the　left；　the　one　next　to　Nicky　Viner's　squalid；　two…room
apartment；　was　evidently　partially　open；　and　occasionally　some　one
moved　within；　and　the　voices　came　from　there　too；　and；　low…toned　to
begin　with；　were　naturally　muffled　into　whispers　by　the　time　they
reached　her。

She　had　only；　then；　to　step　the　five　or　six　feet　across　the　narrow
hall　in　order　to　reach　Nicky　Viner's　door；　and　unless　by　some
unfortunate　chance　whoever　was　in　that　room　happened　to　come　out
into　the　hall　at　the　same　moment；　she　would　…　Yes；　it　was　all　right！
She　was　trying　Nicky　Viner's　door　now。　　It　was　unlocked；　and　as　she
opened　it　for　the　space　of　a　crack；　there　showed　a　tiny　chink　of
light；　so　faint　and　meager　that　it　seemed　to　shrink　timorously　back
again　as　though　put　to　rout　by　the　massed　blackness　…　but　it　was
enough　to　evidence　the　fact　that　Nicky　Viner　was　at　home。　　It　was
all　simple　enough　now。　　Old　Viner　would　undoubtedly　make　some
exclamation　at　her　sudden　and　stealthy　entrance；　but　once　she　was
inside　without　those　in　the　next　room　either　having　heard　or　seen
her；　it　would　not　matter。

Another　inch　she　pushed　the　door　open；　another　…　and　then　another。
And　then　quickly；　silently；　she　tip…toed　over　the　threshold　and
closed　the　door　softly　behind　her。　　The　light　came　from　the　inner
room　and　shone　through　the　connecting　door；　which　was　open；　and
there　was　movement　from　within；　and　a　low；　growling　voice；　petulant；
whining；　as　though　an　old　man　were　mumbling　complainingly　to　himself。
She　smiled　coldly。　　It　was　very　like　Nicky　Viner　…　it　was　a　habit
of　his　to　talk　to　himself；　she　remembered。　　And；　also；　she　had　never