RhodaGray’sface，underthegrimeofGypsyNan’sdisguise，grewtroubledandperplexed。Neitherhadthepapers，eventheeveningpapers，statedwhetherDanglarhadasyetbeenreleased-theyhaddevotedtherestoftheirspacetothevilificationoftheWhiteMoll。Theyhaddemandedinnouncertaintonesamoreconclusiveeffortonthepartoftheauthoritiestobringher，andwithhernowthemaninthecase，astheycalledtheAdventurer，tojustice，and……
ThethoughtoftheAdventurercausedhermindtoswervesharplyoffatatangent。Wherehehadpiquedandarousedhercuriositybefore，henow，sincelastnight，seemedmorecomplexacharacterthanever。
Itwasstrange，moststrange，thewaytheirlives，hisandhers，hadbecomeinterwoven！Shehadowedhimmuch；butlastnightshehadrepaidhimandsquaredaccounts。Shehadtoldhimso。Sheowedhimnothingmore。Ifasenseofgratitudehadoncecausedhertolookuponhimwith-with-Shebitherlips。Whatwastheuseofthat？
Haditbecomesomuchapartofherlife，somuchahabit，thisthrowingofdustintheeyesofothers，thisconstantpassingofherselfoffforsomeoneelse，thisconstantdeception，warrantedthoughitmightbe，thatshemustnowseektodeceiveherself！Whynotfranklyadmittoherownsoul，alreadyinthesecret，thatshecaredinspiteofherself-forathief？Whynotadmitthatagreathurthadcome，onethatnoonebutherselfwouldeverknow，ahurtthatwouldlastforalwaysbecauseitwasawoundthatcouldneverbehealed？
Athief！Shelovedathief。Shehadfoughtabitter，stubbornbattlewithhercommonsensetoconvinceherselfthathewasnotathief。Shehadsnatchedhungrilyattheincidentthatcenteredaroundthosehandcuffs，soopportunelyproducedfromtheAdventurer’spocket。Shehadtriedtoarguethatthosehandcuffsnotonlysuggested，butproved，hewasapoliceofficerindisguise，workingonsomecaseinwhichDanglarandtheganghadbeenmixedup；and，asshetriedtoargueinthiswise，shetriedtoshuthereyestothefactthatthesamepocketoutofwhichthehandcuffscamewasatexactlythesamemomenttherepositoryofasmanystolenbanknotesasitwouldhold。ShehadtriedtoarguethatthefactthathewassoinsistentlyatworktodefeatDanglar’splanswasinhisfavor；butthatargument，likeallothers，camequicklyandmiserablytogrief。Wherethe“leak“was，asDanglarcalledit，thatsuppliedtheAdventurerwithforeknowledgeofthegang’smovements，shehadnoidea，savethatperhapstheAdventurerandsometraitorinthegangwereincollusionfortheirownends-andthatcertainlydidnotlifttheAdventurertoanyhigherplane，orwashfromhimthestigmaofthief。
Sheclenchedherhands。Itwasallanattemptatargumentwithoutthebasisofasinglelogicalpremise。Itwassillyandchildish！
Whyhadn’tthemanbeenanordinary，plain，commonthiefandcriminal-andlookedlikeone？Shewouldneverhavebeenattractedtohimtheneventhroughgratitude！Whyshouldhehaveallthegracesandear-marksofbreeding？Whyshouldhehavealltheappearancesofgentleman？Itseemedaneedlesslycruelandadditionalblowthatfatehaddealther，whenalreadyshewaslivingthroughdaysandnightsoffear，ofhorror，oftrepidation，sogreatthatattimesitseemedshewouldliterallyloseherreason。Ifhehadnotlooked，yes，andattimes，acted，somuchlikeathorough-bredgentleman，therewouldneverhavecometoherthishurt，thisgulfbetweenthemthatcouldnotnowbespanned，andinapersonalwayshewouldneverhavecaredbecausehewas-athief。
Hermentalsoliloquyendedabruptly。Shehadreachedthenarrowdrivewaythatledin，betweenthetwoblocksofdown-at-the-heelstenements，tothecourtyardattherearthatharboredShluker’sjunkshop。Andnow，unlikethatothernightwhenshehadfirstpaidavisittotheplace，shemadenoeffortatconcealmentassheenteredthedriveway。Shewalkedquickly，andassheemergedintothecourtyarditselfshesawalightinthewindowofthejunkshop。
RhodaGraynoddedherhead。Itwasstillquiteearly，stillalmosttwilight-notmorethaneighto’clock。Backthere，onthatsqualiddoorstepwheretheoldwomanandtheoldmanhadstood，ithadstillbeenquitelight。Thelongsummereveninghadservedatleasttosear，somehow，thosetwofacesuponhermind。Itwassingularthattheyshouldintrudethemselvesatthismoment！Shehadbeenthinking，hadn’tshe，thatatthishourshemightnaturallyexpecttofindShlukerstillinhisshop？Thatwaswhyshehadcomesoearly-sinceshehadnotcaredtocomeinfulldaylight。Well，ifthatlightmeantanything，hewasthere。
Shefeltherpulsequickenperceptiblyasshecrossedthecourtyard，andreachedtheshop。Thedoorwasopen，andshesteppedinside。
Itwasadingyplace，filthy，andlittered，withouttheslightestattemptatorder，withaheterogeneouscollectionof，itseemed，everyarticleonecouldthinkof，fromscrapsofoldironandbundlesofragstocast-offfurniturethatwasinanappallingstateofdissolution。Thelight，thatofasingleanddimincandescent，camefromtheinteriorofwhatwasapparentlythe“office“oftheestablishment，asmall，glassed-inpartitionaffair，atthefarendoftheshop。
Herfirstimpressionhadbeenthattherewasnooneintheshop，butnow，fromtheothersideoftheglasspartition，shecaughtsightofabaldhead，andbecameawarethatapairofblackeyeswerefixedsteadilyuponher，andthattheoccupantwasbeckoningtoherwithhishandtocomeforward。
Shescuffledslowly，butwithouthesitation，uptheshop。SheintendedtoemploythevernacularthatwaspartofthedisguiseofGypsyNan。IfShluker，forthatwascertainlyShlukerthere，gavetheslightestindicationthathetookitamiss，herexplanationwouldcomegliblyandlogicallyenough-shehadtobecareful；howwasshesupposedtoknowwhethertherewasanyoneelseabout，ornot！
“’Ello！“shesaidcurtly，asshereachedthedoorwayofthelittleoffice，andpausedonthethreshold。Shiftylittleblackeyesmethers，asthebaldheadfringedwithuntrimmedgrayhair，wasliftedfromabattereddesk，andthewizenedfaceofanoldmanwasdisclosedundertheraysofthetin-shadedlamp。Hegrinnedsuddenly，showingdiscoloredteeth-andinstinctivelyshedrewbackalittle。
Hewasanuninvitingandexceedinglydisreputableoldcreature。
“You，eh，Nan！“hegrunted。“Soyou’vecometoseeoldJakeShluker，haveyou？’Tain’toftenyoucome！Andwhat’sbroughtyou，eh？“
“Icanread，can’tI？“RhodaGrayglancedfurtivelyaroundher，thenleanedtowardtheother。“Say，wot’sdelay？Ibeenscaredstiffallday。Isdatstraightwotdepaperssaidaboutyouse-know-whogettin’pinched？“
AscowlsettledoverShluker’sfeaturesashenodded。
“Yes；it’sstraightenough，“heanswered。“Damn’em，oneandall！
Buttheylethimoutagain。“
“Dat’sdestuff！“applaudedRhodaGrayearnestly。“Whereishe，den？“
Shlukershookhishead。
“Hedidn’tsay，“saidShluker。
“Hedidn’tsay？“echoedRhodaGray，alittletartly。“Wotd’yousemean，hedidn’tsay？Haveyouseseenhim？“
Shlukerjerkedhishandtowardthetelephoneinstrumentonthedesk。
“Hewastalkin’tomealittlewhileago。“
“Well，den“-RhodaGrayriskedamoreperemptorytone-“whereishe？“
Shlukershookhisheadagain。
“Idunno，“hesaid。“I’mtellin’you，hedidn’tsay。“
RhodaGraystudiedthewizenedandrepulsiveoldcreature，that，huddledinhischairinthedirty，boxed-inlittleoffice，madeherthinkofsomecraftyoldspiderlurkinginitswebforunwaryprey。
Wasthemanlyingtoher？Washeinanydegreesuspicious？Whyshouldhebe？Hehadgivennottheslightestsignthatheruncouthlanguagewaseitherunexpectedorunnecessary。PerhapstoShluker，andperhapstoalltherestofthegang-exceptDanglar！-GypsyNanwasacceptedatfacevalueasjustGypsyNan；and，ifthatwereso，theideaofplayingupanaturalwifelyanxietyonDanglar’sbehalfcouldnotbeusedunlessShlukergaveheraleadinthatdirection。But，allthatapart，shewasgettingnowhere。Shebitherlipsindisappointment。ShehadcountedagreatdealonthisShlukerhere，andShlukerwasnotprovingthefountofinformation，farfromit，thatshehadhopedhewould。
Shetriedagain-evenmoreperemptorilythanbefore。
“Aw，openup！“shesnapped。“Wot’sdeusebein’aclam！Youseheardme，didn’tyouse？Whereishe？“
Shlukerleanedabruptlyforward，andlookedatherinasuddenlyperturbedway。
“isthereanythingwrong？“heaskedinatense，loweredvoice。
“Whatmakesyousoanxioustoknow？“
RhodaGraylaughedshortly。
“Nothin’！“sheansweredcoolly。“Itoldyouseonce，didn’tI？I
gotascarereadin’dempapers-an’Iain’toverityet。Dat’swotIwanttoknowfor，an’youseseemafraidtoopenup！“
Shlukersankbackagaininhischairwithanairofrelief。
“Oh！“heejaculated。“Well，that’sallright，then。Youwerebeginningtogivemeascare，too。Iain’tplayin’theclam，andIdunnowhereheis；butIcantellyouthere’snothingtoworryyouanymoreabouttherestofit。HewasaftertheWhiteMolllastnight，anditdidn’tcomeoff。Theypulledoneonhiminstead，andfastenedhimtothefireescapethewaythepaperssaid。SkeenyandtheCricket，whowereinontheplaywithhim，didn’thavetimetogethimloosebeforethebullsgotthere。SoDanglartoldthemtobeatit，andhehandedthecopsthestorythatwasinthepapers。
Hegotawaywithit，allright，andtheyletgohimto-day；buthephonedalittlewhileagothattheywerestillstickin’aroundkindofclosetohim，andthatIwastopassthewordthatthelidwastogodowntightforthenextfewdays，and-“
Shlukerstoppedabruptlyasthetelephonerang，andreachedfortheinstrument。
RhodaGrayfumbledunnecessarilywithhershawl，astheotheransweredthecall。Failure！Acuriousbitternesscametoher。Herplanthen，forto-nightitleast，wasafailure。ShlukerdidnotknowwhereDanglarwas。Shewasquiteconvincedofthat。Shlukerwas-Sheglancedsuddenlyatthewizenedlittleoldman。Fromanordinarytone，Shluker’svoicehadrisensharplyinprotestaboutsomething。Shelistenednow:
