the white moll-第42部分

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〃Beat　it！〃

Commotion　came　now；　cries　and　footsteps　from　around　that　corner　in
the　passage。　　The　Pug　grasped　her　by　the　shoulders；　and　rushed　her
back　into　the　cellar。　　She　was　conscious；　it　seemed；　only　in　a　dazed
and　mechanical　way。　　There　were　men　in　the　passage　running　toward
them　…　and　then　the　passage　had　disappeared。　　Pinkie　Bonn　had　shut
the　connecting　door。

〃Hop　it　like　blazes！〃　whispered　the　Pug；　as　they　ran　for　the　faint
glimmer　of　light　that　located　the　cellar　exit。　　〃Separate　de　minute
we're　outside！〃　he　ordered。　　〃Dere's　murder　in　dere。　　Pete　shot
Marny。　　I　put　Pete　to　sleep　wid　a　punch　on　de　jaw；　but　de　bunch
knows　now　some　one　else　was　dere；　an'　Pete'll　swear　it　was　us；
though　he　don't　know　who　we　was　dat　did　de　shootin'。　　I　gotta　make
dis　straight　right　off　de　bat　wid　Danglar。〃　　His　whispering　voice
was　labored；　panting；　they　were　climbing　up　the　steps　now。　　〃Youse
take　de　money　to　my　room；　Pinkie；　an'　wait　fer　me。　　I　won't　be　much
more'n　half　an　hour。　　Nan；　youse　beat　it　fer　yer　garret；　an'　stay
dere！〃

They　were　outside。　　The　Pug　had　disappeared　in　the　darkness。　　Pinkie
was　closing；　and　evidently　fastening；　the　trap…door。

〃The　other　way；　Nan！〃　he　flung　out；　as　she　started　to　run。　　〃That
takes　you　to　the　other　street；　an'　they　can't　get　around　that　way
without　goin'　around　the　whole　block。　　Me　for　a　fence　I　knows　about；
an'　we　gives　'em　the　merry　laugh！　　Go　on！〃

She　ran　…　ran　breathlessly；　stumbling；　half　falling；　her　hands
stretched　out　before　her　to　serve　almost　in　lieu　of　eyes；　for　she
could　make　out　scarcely　anything　in　front　of　her。　　She　emerged　upon
a　street。　　It　seemed　abnormal；　the　quiet；　the　lack　of　commotion；　the
laughter；　the　unconcern　in　the　voices　of　the　passers…by　among　whom
she　suddenly　found　herself。　　She　hurried　from　the　neighborhood。


XI。　　THE　DOOR　ACROSS　THE　HALL

It　was　many　blocks　away　before　calmness　came　again　to　Rhoda　Gray；
and　before　it　seemed；　even；　that　her　brain　would　resume　its　normal
functions；　but　with　the　numbed　horror　once　gone；　there　came　in　its
place；　like　some　surging　tide；　a　fierce　virility　that　would　not　be
denied。　　The　money！　　The　old　couple　on　that　doorstep；　stripped　of
their　all！　　Wasn't　that　one　reason　why　she　had　gone　on　with　Pinkie
Bonn　and　the　Pug？　　Hadn't　she　seen　a　way；　or　at　least　a　chance；
to　get　that　money　back？

Rhoda　Gray　looked　quickly　about　her。　　On　the　corner　ahead　she　saw
a　drug　store；　and　started　briskly　in　that　direction。　　Yes；　there
was　a　way！　　The　idea　had　first　come　to　her　from　the　Pug's　remark
to　Shluker　that；　after　they　had　secured　the　money；　Pinkie　would
return　with　it　to　the　Pug's　room；　while　the　Pug　would　go　and
square　things　with　Danglar。　　And　also；　at　the　same　time；　that　same
remark　of　the　Pug's　had　given　rise　to　a　hope　that　she　might　yet
trace　Danglar　to　night　through　the　Pug　…　but　the　circumstances　and
happenings　of　the　last　few　minutes　had　shattered　that　hope　utterly。
And　so　there　remained　the　money。　　And；　as　she　had　walked　with　Pinkie
and　the　Pug　a　little　while　ago；　knowing　that　Pinkie　would；　if　they
were　successful；　carry　the　money　back　to　the　Pug's　room；　just　as
was　being　done　now　precisely　in　accordance　with　the　Pug's　original
intentions；　she　had　thought　of　the　Adventurer。　　It　had　seemed　the
only　way　then；　it　seemed　the　only　way　now　…　despite　the　fact　that
she　would　be　hard　put　to　it　to　answer　the　Adventurer　if　he　thought
to　ask　her　how；　or　by　what　means；　she　was　in　possession　of　the
information　that　enabled　her　to　communicate　with　him。　　But　she　must
risk　that　…　put　him　off；　if　necessary；　through　the　plea　of　haste；
and　on　the　ground　that　there　was　not　time　to…night　for　an　unnecessary
word。　　He　had　given　her；　believing　her　to　be　Gypsy　Nan；　his　telephone
number；　which　she；　in　turn；　was　to　transmit　to　the　White　Moll　…　in
other　words；　herself！　　But　the　White　Moll；　so　he　believed；　had　never
received　that　message　…　and　it　must　of　necessity　be　as　the　White
Moll　that　she　must　communicate　with　him　to…night！　　It　would　be　hard
to　explain　…　she　meant　to　evade　it。　　The　one　vital　point　was　that
she　remembered　the　telephone　number　he　had　given　her　that　night　when
he　and　Danglar　had　met　in　the　garret。　　She　was　not　likely　to　have
forgotten　it！

Rhoda　Gray；　alias　Gypsy　Nan；　scuffled　along。　　Was　she　inconsistent？
The　Adventurer　would　be　in　his　element　in　going　to　the　Pug's　room；
and　in　relieving　Pinkie　Bonn　of　that　money；　but　the　Adventurer；　too；
was　a　thief…wasn't　he？　　Why；　then；　did　she　propose；　for　her　mind
was　now　certainly　made　up　as　to　her　course　of　action；　to　trust　a
thief　to　recover　that　money　for　her？

She　smiled　a　little　wearily　as　she　reached　the　drug　store；　stepped
into　the　telephone　booth；　and　gave　central　her　call。　　Trust　a　thief！
No；　it　wasn't　because　her　heart　prompted　her　to　believe　in　him；　it
was　because　her　head　assured　her　she　was　safe　in　doing　so。　　She
could　trust　him　in　an　instance　such　as　this　because　…　well；　because
once　before；　for　her　sake　he　had　foregone　the　opportunity　of
appropriating　a　certain　diamond　necklace　worth　a　hundred　times　the
sum　that　she　would　ask　him　…　yes；　if　necessary；　for　her　sake　…　to
recover　to…night。　　There　was　no。。。

She　was　listening　in　a　startled　way　now　at　the　instrument。　　Central
had　given　her　〃information〃；　and　〃information〃　was　informing　her
that　the　number　she　had　asked　for　had　been　disconnected。

She　hung　up　the　receiver；　and　went　out　again　to　the　street　in　a
dazed　and　bewildered　way。　　And　then　suddenly　a　smile　of　bitter
self…derision　crossed　her　lips。　　She　had　been　a　fool！　　There　was　no
softer　word　…　a　fool！　　Why　had　she　not　stopped　to　think？　　She
understood　now！　　On　the　night　the　Adventurer　had　confided　that
telephone　number　to　her　as　Gypsy　Nan；　he　had　had　every　reason　to
believe　that　Gypsy　Nan　would；　as　she　had　already　apparently　done；
befriend　the　White　Moll　even　to　the　extent　of　accepting　no　little
personal　risk　in　so　doing。　　But　since　then　things　had　taken　a　very
different　turn。　　The　White　Moll　was　now　held　by　the　gang；　of　which
Gypsy　Nan　was　supposed　to　be　a　member；　to　be　the　one　who　had　of　late
profited　by　the　gang's　plans　to　the　gang's　discomfiture；　and　the
Adventurer　was　ranked　but　little　lower　in　the　scale　of　hatred；　since
they　counted　him　to　be　the　White　Moll's　accomplice。　　Knowing　this；
therefore；　the　first　thing　the　Adventurer　would　naturally　do　would
be　to　destroy　the　clew；　in　the　shape　of　that　telephone　number；　that
would　lead　to　his　whereabouts；　and　which　he　of　course　believed　he
had　put　into　the　gang's　hands　when　he　had　confided　in　Gypsy　Nan。
Had　he　not　told　her；　no　later　than　last　night；　that　Gypsy　Nan　was
her　worst　enemy？　　He　did　not　know；　did　he；　that　Gypsy　Nan　and　the
White　Moll　were　one！　　And　so　that　telephone　had　been　disconnected
…　and　to…night；　now；　just　when　she　needed　help　at　a　crucial　moment；
when　she　had　counted　upon　the　Adventurer　to　supply　it；　there　was　no
Adventurer；　no　means　of　reaching　him；　and　no　means　any　more　of
knowing　where　he　was！

Rhoda　Gray　walked　on　along　the　street；　her　lips　tight；　her　face
drawn　and　hard。　　Failing　the　Adventurer；　there　remained　…　the　police。
If　she　telephoned　the　police　and　sent　them　to　the　Pug's　room；　they
wou