Andsoitseemedthatshehadtherighttohope，eventhoughtherewerestillsomanythingsshedidnotknow，thatifsheallowedhermindtodwelluponthatphaseofit，itstaggeredher-wherethosecodemessagescamefrom，andhow；whyRoughRorkeofheadquartershadnevermadeasignsincethatfirstnight；whytheoriginalGypsyNan，whowasdeadnow，hadbeenforcedintohidingwiththedeathpenaltyofthelawhangingoverher；whyDanglar，thoughGypsyNan’shusband，wascomparativelyfree。These，andamyriadotherthings！ButshecountednowuponherknowledgeoftheAdventurer’ssecrettoforcefromhimeverythingheknew；and，withthattoworkon，aconfessionfromsomeofthegangincorroborationthatwouldprovetheauthorshipofthecrimeofwhichshehadseeminglybeencaughtintheactofcommitting。
Yes，shewasbeginningtoseethewayatlast-throughtheAdventurer。Itseemedasureandcertainway。IfshepresentedherselfbeforehimasGypsyNan，whomhebelievedtobenotonlyoneofthegang，butactuallyDanglar’swife，andlethimknowthatshewasawareofthedualrolehewasplaying，andthattheinformationhethusacquiredasthePugheturnedtohisownaccountandtotheundoingofthegang，hemustofnecessitybeathermercy。Hermercy！Whatexquisiteirony！Hermercy！Themanherheartloved；thethiefhercommonsenseabhorred！Whatirony！
Whenshe，too，playedadoublerole；whenintheirothercharacters，thatoftheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll，heandshewerelinkedtogetherbythegangasconfederates，whereas，intruth，theywerewiderapartthanthepolesoftheearth！
Hermercy！Howmercifulwouldshebe-tothethiefsheloved？Heknew，hemustknow，alltheinnersecretsofthegang。Shesmiledwanlynowasshereachedthelanding。Wouldheknowthatinthelastanalysisherthreatwouldbeonlyanidleone；that，thoughherfuture，hersafety，herlifedependedonobtainingtheevidenceshefelthecouldsupply，herthreatwouldbeempty，andthatshewaspowerless-becauseshelovedhim。Buthedidnotknowshelovedhim-shewasGypsyNan。Ifshekepthersecret，ifhedidnotpenetrateherdisguiseasshehadpenetratedhis，ifshewereGypsyNanandDanglar’swifetohim，herthreatwouldbevalidenough，and-andhewouldbeathermercy！
Aflush，halfshamed，halfangry，dyedthegrimethatwaspartofGypsyNan’sdisguiseuponherface。Whatwasshesayingtoherself？
Whatwasshethinking？Thathedidnotknowshelovedhim！Howwouldhe？Howcouldhe？Hadaword，anact，asinglelookofhersevergivenhimahintthat，whenshehadbeenwithhimastheWhiteMoll，shecared！Itwasunjust，unfair，toflingsuchatauntatherself。Itseemedasthoughshehadlostnearlyeverythinginlife，butshehadnotyetlostherwomanlinessandherpride。
Shehadcertainlylosthersenses，though！Evenifthatword，thatlook，thatacthadpassedbetweenthem，betweentheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll，hestilldidnotknowthatGypsyNanwastheWhiteMoll-andthatwastheonethingnowthathemustnotknow，and……
RhodaGrayhaltedsuddenly，andstaredalongthehallwayaheadofher，anduptheshort，ladder-likestepsthatledtothegarret。
Herears-orwasitfancy？-hadcaughtwhatsoundedlikealowknockingupthereuponherdoor。Yes，itcameagainnowdistinctly。
Itwasduskoutside；inhere，inthehall，itwasalmostdark。Hereyesstrainedthroughthemurk。Shewasnotmistaken。Somethingdarkerthanthesurroundingdarkness，aform，movedupthere。
Theknockingceased，andnowtheformseemedtobenddownandgropealongthefloor；andthen，aninstantlater，itbegantodescendtheladder-likesteps-andabruptlyRhodaGray，too，movedforward。Itwasn’tDanglar。Thatwaswhathadinstantlytakenholdofhermind，andsheknewasuddenreliefnow。Themanonthestairs-shecouldseethatitwasamannow-thoughhemovedsilently，swayedinagrotesquelyjerkywayasthoughhewerelame。Itwasn’tDanglar！
ShewouldgotoanylengthtotrackDanglartohislair；butnothere-hereinthedarkness-hereinthegarret。Hereshewasafraidofhimwithadeadlyfear；herealonewithhimtherewouldbeathousandchancesofexposureincidenttotheslightestintimacyhemightshowthewomanwhomhebelievedtobehiswife-athousandchanceshereagainsthardlyoneinanyotherenvironmentorsituation。Butthemanonthestairswasn’tDanglar。
Shehaltednowandutteredasharpexclamation，asthoughshehadcaughtsightofthemanforthefirsttime。
Theother，too，hadhalted-atthefootofthestairs。Aplaintivedrawlreachedher:
“Don’tscreech，Bertha！It’sonlyyourdevotedbrother-in-law。
Curseyourinfernalladder，andmytwistedback！“
Danglar’sbrother！Bertha！Shesnatchedinstantlyatthecuewithaninwardgaspofthankfulness。ShewouldnotmakethemistakeofusingthevernacularbehindwhichGypsyNanshelteredherself。HerewassomeonewhoknewthatGypsyNanwasbutarole。Butshehadtorememberthathervoicewasslightlyhoarse；thathervoice，atleast，couldnotsacrificeitsdisguisetoanyone。Danglarhadbeenalittlesuspiciousofituntilshehadexplainedthatshewassufferingfromacold。
“Oh！“shesaidcalmly。“It’syou，isit？Andwhatbroughtyouhere？“
“Whatdoyousuppose？“hecomplainedirritably。“Thesameoldthing，allI’mgoodfor-towriteoutcodemessagesanddeliverthemlikeanerrandboy！It’sasweetjob，isn’tit？How’dyouliketobeadeformedlittlecripple？“
Shedidnotansweratonce。Thenightseemedsuddenlytobeopeningsomestrange，evenpremonitory，vista。Thecodemessages！Theirmodeofdelivery！Herewastheanswer！
“MaybeI’dlikeitbetterthanbeingGypsyNan！“sheflungbacksignificantly。
Helaughedoutsharply。
“I’dliketotradewithyou，“hesaid，aquicknoteofgenuineenvyinhisvoice。“Youcanpitchawayyourclothes；Ican’tpitchawayacrookedspine。And，anyway，afterto-night，you’llbelivingswellagain。
Sheleanedtowardhim，staringathiminthesemi-darkness。Thatpremonitoryvistawaswidening；hiswordsseemedsuddenlytosetherbrainintumult。Afterto-night！Shewastoresume，afterto-night，thecharacterthatwassupposedtolaybehindthedisguiseofGypsyNan！Shewastoresumehersupposedlytruecharacter-thatofPierreDanglar’swife！
“Whatdoyoumean？“shedemandedtensely。
“Aw，comeon！“hesaidabruptly。“Thisisn’ttheplacetotalk。
Pierrewantsyouatonce。That’swhatthemessagewasfor。I
thoughtyouwereout，andIleftitintheusualplacesoyou’dgetittheminuteyougotbackandcomealongover。So，comeonnowwithme。“
Hewasmovingdownthehallway，blotchinglikesomemisshapentoadintheshadowylight，lurchinginhiswalk，thatwas，nevertheless，almostuncannilynoiseless。Mechanicallyshefollowedhim。Shewastryingtothink；strivingfranticallytobringherwitstoplayonthissuddenandunexpecteddenouement。ItwasobviousthathewastakinghertoDanglar。ShehadstrivendesperatelylastnighttorunDanglartoearthinhislair。Andherewasaself-appointedguide！Andyetheremotionsconflictedandherbrainwasconfused。
Itwaswhatshewanted，whatthroughbittertravailofmindshehaddecidedmustbehercourse；butshefoundherselfshrinkingfromitwithdreadandfearnowthatitpromisedtobecomeareality。ItwasnotlikelastnightwhenofherowninitiativeshehadsoughttotrackDanglar，forthenshehadstartedoutwithacertainfreedomofactionthatheldinreserveafreedomtoretreatifitbecamenecessary。To-nightitwasasthoughsheweredeprivedofthatfreedom，andbeingledintowhatonlytooeasilymightdevelopintoatrapfromwhichshecouldnotretreatorescape。
Supposesherefusedtogo？
Theyhadreachedthestreetnow，andnowsheobtainedabetterviewofthemisshapenthingthatlurchedjerkilyalongbesideher。Themanwasdeformed，miserablydeformed。Hewalkedmostcuriously，halfbentover；andonearm，theleft，seemedtoswinghelplessly，andthelefthandwaslikeawitheredthing。Hereyessoughttheother’sface。Itwasanoldface，mucholderthanDanglar’s，anditwaswhiteandpinchedanddrawn；andinthedarkeyes，astheysuddenlydartedaglanceather，shereadasullen，bitterbroodinganddiscontent。Sheturnedherheadaway。Itwasnotapleasantface；itstruckherasbeingbothmorbidandcrueltoadegree。
Supposesherefusedtogo？
“Whatdidyoumeanby’afterto-night’？“sheaskedagain。
“You’llsee，“heanswered。“Pierre’lltellyou。You’reinluck，that’sall。Thewholethingthathaskeptyouundercoverhasbustwideopenyourway，andyouwin。AndPierre’sgoingthroughforaclean-up。To-morrowyoucanswellaroundinalimousineagain。Andmaybeyou’llcomearoundandtakemeforadrive，ifIdressup，andpromisetohideinacornerofthebackseatso’stheywon’tseeyourhandsomefriend！“
Thecreatureflungabittersmileather，andlurchedon。
Hehadtoldherwhatshewantedtoknow-morethanshehadhopedfor。ThemysterythatsurroundedthecharacterofGypsyNan，theevidenceofthecrimeatwhichthewomanwhohadoriginatedthatrolehadhintedonthenightshedied，andwhichmustnecessarilyinvolveDanglar，washers，RhodaGray’s，nowforthetaking。AswellgoandgiveherselfuptothepoliceastheWhiteMollandhavedonewithitall，astorefusetoseizetheopportunitywhichfate，evidentlyinakindliermoodtowardhernow，wasofferingheratthisinstant。ItpromisedhertheholduponDanglarthatsheneededtoforceanavowalofherowninnocence，theveryholdthatshehadbutafewminutesbeforebeenhopingshecouldobtainthroughtheAdventurer。
Therewasnolongeranyquestionastowhethershewouldgoornot。
Herhandgropeddownundertheshabbyblackshawlintothewide，voluminouspocketofhergreasyskirt。Yes，herrevolverwasthere。
Sheknewitwasthere，butthetouchofherfingersuponitseemedtobringasenseofreassurance。Shewasperhapsstakingherallinaccompanyingthiscripplehereto-night-shedidnotneedtobetoldthat-buttherewasawayofescapeatthelastifshewerecorneredandcaught。Herfingersplayedwiththeweapon。IftheworstcametotheworstshewouldneverbeatDanglar’smercywhileshepossessedthatrevolverand，iftheneedcame，turnedituponherself
