第6章
Andnow，inthedarknessagain，shereachedthedoorwayoftheshop。Shehadnotmadeanynoise。Sheassuredherselfofthat。
Shehadneverknownthatshecouldmovesosilentlybefore-and-and-Yes，shewouldfightdownthispanicthatwasseizingher！
Shewould！Itwouldonlytakeaminutenow-justanotherminute-if-ifshewouldonlykeepherheadandhernerve。ThatwaswhatGypsyNanhadsaid。Sheonlyneededtokeephernerve。Shehadneverlostitinthefaceofmanyareallyseriousdangerwhenwithherfather-whyshouldshenow，whentherewasnothingbutthesilenceandthedarknesstobeafraidof！
Theflashlightwentonagain，itsraycreepinginquisitivelynowalongtherearwalloftheshop。Itheldfinallyonanescritoireoverinthefarcorneratherright。
Oncemorethelightwentout。Shemovedswiftlyacrossthefloor，andinamomentmorewasbendingovertheescritoire。Andnow，withherbodyhidingtheflashlight’sraysfromthefrontwindows，sheexaminedthedesk。Itwasanold-fashioned，spindle-leggedaffair，withanestofpigeonholesandmultifariouslittledrawers。
Oneofthedrawers，widerthananyoftheothers，andinthecenter，wasobviouslytheonetowhichGypsyNanreferred。Shepulledoutthedrawer，andintheactofreachinginside，suddenlydrewbackherhand。Whatwasthat？Instinctivelysheswitchedofftheflashlight，andstoodtenseandrigidinthedarkness。
Aminutepassed-another。Stillshelistened。
Therewasnosound-unless-unlessshecouldactuallyhearthebeatingofherheart。Fancy！Imagination！Thedarknessplayedstrangetricks！It-itwasn’tsoeasytokeepone’snerve。Shecouldhaveswornthatshehadheardsomesortofmovementbacktheredowntheshop。
Angrywithherself，shethrustherhandintotheopeningnowandfelthurriedlyaround。Yes，thereitwas！Herfingerstouchedwhatwasevidentlyalittleknoborbutton。Shepresseduponit。
Therewasafaint，answeringclick。Sheturnedontheflashlightagain。Whathadbeforeappearedtobenothingbutoneofthewide，pearlinlaidpartitionsbetweentwoofthesmallerdrawers，wasprotrudinginvitinglyoutwardnowbythematterofaninchorso。
RhodaGraypulleditopen。Itwasveryshallow，scarcelythree-quartersofaninchindepth，butitwasquitelongenough，andquitewideenoughforitspurpose！Inside，therelayalittlepileofbanknotes，banknotesofverylargedenomination-theoneontopwasathousand-dollarbill。
Shereachedinandtookoutthemoney-andthenfromRhodaGray’slipstherecamealittlecry，theflashlightdroppedfromherhandandsmashedtothefloor，andshewasclingingdesperatelytotheedgeoftheescritoireforsupport。Theshopwasfloodedwithlight。
Overbythesidewall，onehandstillontheelectric-lightswitch，theotherholdingaleveledrevolver，stoodaman。
Andthenthemanspoke-withanoath-withcuriousamazement:
“MyGod-awoman！“
Shedidnotspeak，orstir。Itseemedasthoughnotfear，buthorrornow，heldherpowerlesstomoveherlimbs。Herfirstswiftbrain-flashhadbeenthatitwasoneofGypsyNan’saccompliceshereaheadoftheappointedtime。Thatwouldhavegivenhercause，alltoomuchofcause，forfear；butitwasnotoneofGypsyNan’saccomplices，and，farworsethanthefearofanyphysicalattackuponher，wasthesenseofruinanddisasterthattherealizationofaquitedifferentandmoredesperatesituationbroughthernow。
Sheknewtheman。Shehadseenthosesquare，heavy，clampedjawsscoresoftimes。Thosesharp，restlessblackeyesunderover-hanging，shaggyeyebrowswerefamiliartothewholeEastSide。
ItwasRorke-“Rough“Rorke，ofheadquarters。
Hecametowardher，andhalfwayacrosstheroomanotherexclamationburstfromhislips；butthistimeitheldajeer，andinthejeerasortofcynicalandsavagetriumph。
“TheWhiteMoll！“
Hewasclosebesidehernow，andnowhesnatchedfromherhandthebanknotesthat，allunconsciously，shehadstillbeenclutchingtightly。
“Sothisiswhatallthesweetcharity’sbeenabout，eh？“hesnapped。“TheWhiteMoll，theLittleSaintoftheEastSide，thatlendsahelpinghandtothecrookstoget’embackonthestraightandnarrowagain！TheWhiteMoll-hell！Youcrookedlittledevil！“
Againshedidnotanswer。Hermindwasclearnow，brutallyclear，brutallykeen，brutallyvirile。Whatwasthereforhertosay？
Shewascaughthereatoneo’clockinthemorningafterbreakingintotheplace，caughtred-handedintheveryactoftakingthemoney。Whatstorycouldshetellthatwouldclearherofthat！
Thatshehadtakenitsothatitwouldn’tbestolen，andthatshewasgoingtogiveitbackinthemorning？Wasthereanybodyintheworldcredulousenoughtobelieveanythinglikethat！TellGypsyNan’sstory，allthathadhappenedto-night？Yes，shemighthavetoldthatto-morrow，aftershehadreturnedthemoney，andbeenbelieved。Butnow-no！Itwouldevenmakeherappearinastillworselight。TheywouldcreditherwithbeingamemberofthisverygangtowhichGypsyNanbelonged，oneinthesecretsofanorganizedbandofcriminals，whowastryingtoclearherownskirtsattheexpenseofherconfederates。Everything，everyactofhersto-night，pointedtothatconstructionbeingplaceduponherstory，pointedtoduplicity。WhyhadshehiddentheidentityofGypsyNan？
Whyhadshenottoldthepolicethatacrimewastobecommitted，andleftittothepolicetofrustrateit？Itwouldfitinwiththestory，ofcourse-butthestorywastheresultofhavingbeencaughtintheactofstealingtwentythousanddollarsincash！Whatwastheretosay-and，aboveall，tothisman，whosereputationforcallousbrutalityinthehandlingofthosewhofellintohishandshadearnedhimthesobriquetof“Rough“Rorke？Sickatheart，desperate，butwithherhandsclenchednow，shestoodthere，whilethemanfeltunceremoniouslyoverherclothingforaconcealedweapon。
Findingnone，hestooped，pickeduptheflashlight，testedit，andfounditbrokenfromitsfall。
“Toobadyoubustthis，we’llhavetogooutinthedarkafterI
switchoffthelight，“hesaidwithunpleasantfacetiousness。“I
didn’thaveonewithme，ortimetogetone，whenIgottippedofftherewassomethingdoinghereto-night。“Hecaughtherungentlybythearm。“Well，comealong，myprettylady！This’llmakeastir，thiswill！TheWhiteMoll！“Heledhertotheelectric-lightswitch，turnedoffthelight，and，withhisgrasptightuponher，madeforthefrontdoor。Hechuckledinasinistermanner。“Say，you’reaprize，youare！Andprettyclever，too，aren’tyou？I
wasn’tlookingforawomantopullthis。TheWhiteMoll！Somesaint！“
RhodaGrayshivered。Disgrace，ruin，staredherintheface。A
seaoffacesinacourtroom，morbidfaces，hideousfaces，leeredather。Graywallsrosebeforeher，wallsthatshutoutsunshineandhope，pitiless，coldthingsthatseemedtofreezethebloodinherveins。Andto-night，injustafewminutesmore-acell！
Fromthestreetoutsidecamethesoundofsomeonemakingacheery，butevidentlyasomewhatinebriated，attempttowhistlesomeragtimeair。Itseemedtoenhancehermisery，toenhancebycontrastinitscare-freecheerinessthedespairandmiserythatwereeatingintohersoul。Herhandsclenchedandunclenched。Iftherewereonlyachance-somewhere-somehow！Ifonlyshewerenotawoman！Ifshecouldonlyfightthishulkingformthatgrippedsobrutallyatherarm！
RoughRorkeopenedthedoor，andpulledherouttothestreet。Sheshrankbackinstinctively。Itwasquitelightherefromanearbystreetlamp，andtheownerofthewhistle，ayoungman，fashionablydressed，decidedlyunsteadyonhislegs，andjustoppositethedoorastheycameout，hadstoppedbothhiswhistleandhisprogressalongthestreettostareatthemowlishly。
“’Ullo！“saidtheyoungmanthickly。“What’shallthisabout-eh？
What’shyoutwodoinginthatplacethistimeofnight-eh？“
“Beatit！“orderedRoughRorkecurtly。
“That’shallright。“Theyoungmancamenearer。Hebalancedhimselfwithdifficulty，butuponhimthereappearedtohavedescendedsuddenlyavastdignity。“I’m-hic-law-’bidingcitizen。Gottaknow。Gottashowme。Damnfunny-comingoutoftherethistimeofnight！Eh-what’shtheidea？“
RoughRorke，withhisfreehand，grabbedtheyoungmanbytheshoulderangrily。
“Mindyourownbusiness，oryou’llgetintotrouble！“heraspedout。
“I’manofficer，andthiswomanisunderarrest。Beatit！D’yehear？Beatit-orI’llrunyouin，too！“
“Isthat’shso！“Theyoungman’stonesexpressedafuddleddefiance。
Herockedonhisfeetandstaredfromonetotheother。“Shay，isthat’shso！Youwill-eh？Gottashowme。HowdoIknowyou’re-hic-officer？Eh？Morelikelydamnedthiefyourself！I-“
Theyoungmanlurchedsuddenlyandviolentlyforward，breakingRoughRorke’sgriponRhodaGray-and，ashisarmssweptouttograspatthedetectiveinanapparentlywildefforttopreservehisbalance，RhodaGrayfeltaquick，significantpushuponhershoulder。
Forthespaceoftimeittakesawatchtotickshestoodstartledandamazed，andthen，likeaflash，shewasspeedingdownthestreet。
Aroarofrage，aburstofunbridledprofanitywentupfromRoughRorkebehindher；itwasmingledwithequallyangryvituperationintheyoungman’svoice。Shelookedbehindher。Thetwomenwereswayingaroundcrazilyineachother’sarms。Sheranon-fasterthanshehadeverruninherlife。Thecornerwasnotfarahead。