You’reanicelot，youare！Andnowyoucomesneakinghereandcallmealiar！How’dyougettothisshed，anyway？“
Danglarpushedhishandinaheavy，confusedwayacrosshiseyes。
“MyGod！“hesaidheavily。“Sothat’sit，isit？“Hisvoicebecamesuddenlyconciliatinginitstones。“Lookhere，Bertha，oldgirl，don’tgetsore。Ididn’tunderstand，see？Andtherewasawholelotthatlookedqueer。WeevenlostthejewelsatoldLuertz’slastnight。Doyouknowwhothatwomanwas？ItwastheWhiteMoll！SheledusachasealloverLongIsland，and-“
“TheWhiteMoll！“ejaculatedRhodaGray。Andthenherlaugh，shortandjeering，rangout。Thetableswereturned。Shehadhimonthedefensivenow。“Youneedn’ttellmeIShegotawayagain，ofcourse！
Whydon’tyouhireadetectivetohelpyou？Youmakemeweary！So，itwastheWhiteMoll，wasit？Well，I’mlistening-onlyI’dliketoknowfirsthowyougotheretothisshed。“
“There’snothinginthat！“heansweredimpatiently。“There’ssomethingmoreimportanttotalkabout。Iwascomingovertothegarret，andjustasIreachedthecornerIsawyougointothelane。
Ifollowedyou；that’sallthereistothat。“
“Oh！“shesniffed。Shestaredathimforamoment。Therewassomethinginwhichtherewastheuttermostofironynow，itseemed，inthismeetingbetweenthem。Lastnightshehadstriventomeethimalone，andshehadmeanttodevoteto-nighttothesamepurpose；andshewasherewithhimnow，andinaplacethanwhich，inherwildesthopes，shecouldhaveimaginedonenobettersuitedtothereckoningshewouldhavedemandedandforced。Andshewashelpless，powerlesstomakeuseofit。Shewasunarmed。Herrevolverwasgone。Withoutthattoprotecther，atanintimationthatshewastheWhiteMollshewouldneverleavetheshedalive。Thespotwouldbequiteasidealunderthosecircumstancesforhim，asitwouldhavebeenunderothercircumstancesforher。Sheshruggedhershoulders。Danglar’scontinuedsilenceevidentlyinvitedfurthercommentonherpart。“Oh！“
shesniffedagain。“AndIsuppose，then，thatyouhavebeenchasingtheWhiteMolleversincelastnightateleven，andthat’swhyyoudidn’tgetaroundsoonertoallaymyfears，eventhoughyouknewI
mustbehalfmadwithanxietyatthewaythingsbrokelastnight。
She’llhaveusdownandoutforkeepsifyouhaven’tgotbrainsenoughtobeather。Howmuchlongeristhisthinggoingon？“
Danglar’slittleblackeyesnarrowed。Shecaughtasuddenglintoftriumphinthem。ItwasDanglarnowwholaughed。
“Notmuchlonger！“Hisvoicewasarrogantwithmalicioussatisfaction。“Theluckhadtoturn，hadn’tit？Well，it’sturned！
I’vegottheWhiteMollatlast！“
Shefeltthecolorleaveherface。Itseemedasthoughsomethinghadclosedwithanicyclutchuponherheart。Shehadheardaright，hadn’tshe？-thathehadsaidhehadgottheWhiteMollatlast。
Andtherewasnomistakingthemansssinisterdelightinmakingthatannouncement。Hadshebeenpremature，terriblypremature，inassuringherselfthatheridentitywasstillsafeasfarashewasconcerned？Diditmeanthat，afterall，hehadbeenplayingatcat-and-mousewithher，asshehadatfirstfeared？
“You-you’vegottheWhiteMoll？“Sheforcedthewordsfromherlips，strivingtokeephervoicesteadyandincontrol，andtoinfuseintoitanironicalincredulity。
“Sure！“hesaidcomplacently。“Theshowdowncomesto-night。Inanotherhourorsowe’llhaveherwherewewanther，and-“
“Oh！“Shelaughedalmosthystericallyinrelief。“Ithoughtso！
Youhaven’tgotheryet。You’reonlygoingtogether-inanotherhourorso！Youmakemetired！It’salwaysin’anotherhourorso’
withyou-anditnevercomesoff！“
Danglarscowledatherunderthetaunt。
“It’llcomeoffthistime！“hesnarledinsavagemenace。“Youholdthattongueofyours！Yes，it’llcomeoff！Andwhenitdoes“-asweepoffurysenttheredintohisworkingface-“I’llkeepthepromiseImadeheronce-thatshe’dwishshehadneverbeenborn！
D’yehear，Bertha？“
“Ihear，“shesaidindifferently。“Butwouldyoumindtellingmehowyouaregoingtodoit？Imightbelieveyouthen-perhaps！“
“Damnyou，Bertha！“heexploded。“SometimesI’dliketowringthatprettyneckofyours；andsometimes！“-hemovedsuddenlytowardher-“Iwouldsellmysoulforyou，and-“
Sheretreatedfromhimcoolly。
“Nevermindaboutthat！Thisisn’talovescene！“shepurredcaustically。“Andasfortheother，saveitfortheWhiteMoll。
Whatmakesyouthinkyou’vegotheratlast？“
“Idon’tthink-Iknow。“Hestoodgnawingathislips，eyingheruncertainly，halfangrily，halfhungrily。Andthenheshruggedhisshoulders。“Listen！“hesaid。“I’vegotsomeoneelse，too！AndIknownowwheretheleakthat’squeeredeveryoneofourgamesandputtheWhiteMollwisetoeveryoneofourplansbeforehandhascomefrom。Iguessyou’llbelievemenow，won’tyou？We’vegotthatdudepalofhersfasteneduptighterthanthenighthefastenedmewithhiscursedhandcuffs！Doyouknowwhothatsamedudepalis？“
Helaughedinanugly，immoderateway。“Youdon’t，ofcourse，soI’lltellyou。It’sthePug！“RhodaGraydidnotanswer。Itwasgrowingdarkhereintheshednow-perhapsthatwaswhytheman’sformblendedsuddenlyintothedoorwayandwall，andblurredbeforeher。Shetriedtothink，butthereseemedtohavefallenuponheranumbedandagonizedstupefaction。Therewasnoconfusingthisissue。DanglarhadfoundoutthattheAdventurerwasthePug。Anditmeant-oh，whatdiditmean？Theywouldkillhim。Ofcourse，theywouldkillhim！TheAdventurer，discovered，wouldbesaferatthemercyofapackofstarvedpumas，and……
“Ithoughtthatwouldholdyou！“saidDanglarwithbrutalserenity。
“That’swhyIdidn’tgetaroundtillnow。Ididn’tgetbackfromthatchaseuntildaylight-theshe-fiendstoleourcar-andthenIwenttobedtogetalittlesleep。Aboutthreeo’clockthisafternoonPinkieBonnwokemeup。Hewashalfbattywithexcitement。
HesaidhewasoverinthetenementinthePug’sroom。ThePugwasn’tin，andPinkiewaswaitingforhim，andthenallofasuddenheheardawomanscreaminglikemadfromsomewhere。Hewenttothedoorandlookedout，andsawamandashoutofaroomacrossthehall，andburstinthedoorofthenextroom。Therewasawomanintherewithherclothesonfire。She’dupsetacoal-oilstove，orsomething。ThemanPinkiehadseenbeatsthefireout，andeverybodyinthetenementbeginstocollectaroundthedoor。AndthenPinkiegoespop-eyed。Theman’sfacewasthefaceoftheWhiteMoll’sdudepal-buthehadonthePug’sclothes。Pinkie’sawiseguy。Heslipsawaytomewithoutgettinghimselfinthelimelightorspillinganybeans。AndIdidn’taskhimifhe’dbeenpunchingtheneedleagainovertime，either。ItfittedlikeaglovewithwhathappenedatoldLuertz’slastnight。Youdon’tknowaboutthat。
Pinkieandthisdouble-crossingsnitchwentthere-andonlyfoundanotefromtheWhiteMoll。He’dtippedheroffbefore，ofcourse，andthenotemadeanicelittleplayso’she’dbesafehimselfwithus。Well，that’saboutall。Wehadtogethim-wherewewantedhim-andwegothim。WewaiteduntilheshowedupagainasthePug，andthenweputoveraframe-updealonhimthatgothimtogoovertothatoldironplantinHarlem，youknow，behindJakeMalley’ssaloon，wherewehaditfixedtohandCloranhislastnight-andthePug’stherenow。He’snicelygagged，andtied，andquitesafe。Theplant’sbeenshutdownforthelasttwomonths，andthere’sonlythewatchmanthere，andhe’s’squared。’WegavethePugtwohoursofsolitaryconfinementtothinkitoverandcomeacross。WejustaskedhimfortheWhiteMoll’saddress，so’swecouldgetherandthesparklerssheswipedatOldLuertz’splacelastnight。“
StillRhodaGraydidnotspeakforamoment。Sheseemedtobeheldinthrallbybothterrorandasickeningdismay。Itdidnotseemreal，hersurroundingshere，thisman，andthevoicethatwasgloatinglypronouncingthedeathsentenceuponthemanwhohadcomeunbiddenintoherlife，andintoherheart，themansheloved。
Yes，sheunderstood！Danglar’swordshadbeenplainenough。TheAdventurerhadbeentrapped-notthroughDanglar’scunning，orlackofcunningontheAdventurer’sownpart，butthroughforceofcircumstancesthathadcausedhimtoflingallthoughtofself-considerationtothewindsinanefforttosaveanother’slife。
Herhands，hiddeninthefoldsofherskirt，clencheduntiltheyhurt。Anditwasanotherself，itseemed，subconsciouslyenactingtheroleofGypsyNan，aliasDanglar’swife，whospokeatlast。
“Youareafool！Youareallfools！“shecriedtempestuously。
“Whatdoyouexpecttogainbythat？DoyouimagineyoucanmakethePugcomeacrosswithanyinformationbyathreattokillhimifhedoesn’t？Youtriedthatonce。Youhadhimcold，oratleastyouthoughtyouhad，andsodidhe，thatnightinoldNickyViner’sroom，andhelaughedatyouevenwhenheexpectedyoutofirethenextsecond。He’snotlikelytohavechangedanysincethen，ishe？“
“No，“saidDanglar，withaviciouschuckle；“andthat’swhyI’mnottryingthesamegametwice。That’swhywe’vegothimoverintheoldironplantnow。“
TherewassomethingshedidnotlikeinDanglar’svoice，somethingofominousassurance，somethingthatstartledher。
“Whatdoyoumean？“shedemandedsharply。
“It’salonelyplace，“saidDanglarcomplacently。“There’snoonearoundbutthewatchman，andhe’sanoldfriendofShluker’s；andit’ssoroomyovertherethatnoonecouldexpecthimtobeeverywhereatonce。See？Thatlet’shimout。He’sbeenwellgreased，andhewon’tknowanything。Don’tyouworry，oldgirl！
