第9章
“YouhelpedhertogetawayfromRoughRorkelastnight，“hesaidgently。“Well，sodidI。IamveryanxioustofindtheWhiteMoll，and，asIknowofnootherwayexceptthroughyou，Ihavegottomakeyoubelieveinme，ifIcan。Listen，mydearlady-anddon’tlookatmesosuspiciously。IhavealreadyadmittedthatIhavetakenlibertieswiththelaw。LetmeaddnowthatlastnighttherewasalittlefortuneofquiteafewthousanddollarsthatIhadalreadymadeupmymindwasasgoodasinmypocket。Iwasonmywaytogetit-thenewspaperwillalreadyhavegivenyouthedetails-whenIfoundthatIhadbeenforestalledbytheyounglady，who，thepaperssay，isknownastheWhiteMoll。“Hesmiledwhimsically。“Eventhoughonemightbeaslickcrookasyousuggest，itisnoreasonwhyheshouldfailinhisdutytohimself-asagentleman。Whatothercoursewasopentome？Idiscoveredaverycharmingyoungladyinthegripofahulkingpolicebrute。
Shealso，apparently，tooklibertieswiththelaw。Therewasabondbetweenus。I-er-tookituponmyselftodowhatIcould。
And，besides，IwasnotinsensibletothefactthatIwasunderacertainobligationtoher，quixoticasitmaysound，inviewofthefactthatwewereevidentlycompetitorsafterthesamegame。
Yousee，ifshehadnotforestalledmeandbeencaughtherself，Ishouldmostcertainlyhavewalkedintothetrapthatourfriendofheadquartershadprepared。I-er-asIsay，didwhatIcould。
Shegotaway；butsomehowRoughRorkelaterdiscoveredherhereinthisroom，Iunderstandthathewasnothappyovertheresult；that，thankstoyou，sheescapedagain，andhasnotbeenheardofsince。
RhodaGraydroppedherchininhergrime-smearedhand，staringspeculativelyattheother。Themansatthere，apparentlyaself-confessedcrookandcriminal，but，also，hesatthereasthemantowhomsheowedthefactthatatthepresentmomentshewasnotbehindprisonbars。Heproclaimedhimselfinthesamebreathbothathiefandagentleman，asfarasshecouldmakeout。Theywerecharacteristicswhich，untilnow，shehadneverassociatedtogether；butnow，curiouslyenough，theydidnotseemsoutterlyatvariance。Ofcoursetheywereatvariance，mustofnecessitybeso；butinthepersonalityofthismantheincongruityseemedsomehowlost。Perhapsitwasasenseofgratitudetowardhimthatmodifiedherviews。Helookedagentleman。Therewassomethingabouthimthatappealed。Thegrayeyesseemedfullofcool，confident，self-possession；and，quietashismannerwas，shesensedalatentdynamicsomethinglurkingnearthesurfaceallthetime-thatshewasconsciousshewouldmuchprefertohaveenlistedonherbehalfthanagainsther。Thestrong，firmchinborethisout。
Hewasnothandsome，but-withasortofmentaljerk，sheforcedhermindbacktothestarkrealitiesofhersurroundings。Shecouldnotthankhimforwhathehaddonelastnight。ShecouldnottellhimthatshewastheWhiteMoll。ShecouldonlyplayouttheroleofGypsyNanuntil-until-Herhandtightenedwithafierce，involuntarypressureuponherchinuntilitbroughtaphysicalhurt。
Untilwhat？Godaloneknewwhattheendofthismiserable，impossiblehorror，inwhichshefoundherselfengulfed，wouldbe！
Hereyessoughthisfaceagain。TheAdventurerwastactfullyengagedincarefullysmoothingoutthefingersofhisyellowgloves。
Thiefandgentleman，whateverhemightbe，whateverhemightchoosetocallhimself，what，exactly，wasitthathadbroughthimhereto-night？TheWhiteMoll，hehadsaid；butwhatdidhewantwiththeWhiteMoll？
Heansweredherunspokenquestionnow，almostasthoughhehadreadherthoughts。
“Sheisveryclever，“hesaidquietly。“Shemustbeexceedinglyclevertohavebeatenthepolicethewayshehasforthelastfewyears；and-er-Iworshipattheshrineofcleverness-especiallyifitbeawoman’s。TheideastruckmelastnightthatifsheandIshould-er-poolourresources，weshouldnothavetocomplainofthereward。“
“Oh，soyousewantstoworkwidher，eh？“sniffedRhodaGray。“Sodat’sit，isit？“
“Partially，“hesaid。“But，quiteapartfromthat，thereasonI
wanttofindherisbecausesheisinverygreatdanger。Cleverassheis，itisaverydifferentmatterto-daynowthatthepolicehavefoundherout。Shehasbeenforcedintohiding，and，ifaloneandwithoutanyfriendtohelpher，hersituation，toputitmildly，mustbedesperateintheextreme。Youbefriendedherlastnight，andIhonoryoufortheunselfishnesswithwhichyoulaidyourselfopentothefutureattentionsofthatanimalRorke，butthatveryfacthasdeprivedherofwhatmightotherwisehavebeenarefugeandaquitesecureretreatherewithyou。Idonotwishtointrude，orforcemyselfuponher，butIbelieveIcouldbeofverymaterialhelp，andsoIhavecometoyou，asIhavesaid，becauseyouaretheonlysourcethroughwhichIcanhopetofindher，andbecause，throughyouractoflastnight，Iknowyoutobeatrustworthy，and，perhaps，evenanintimate，friendofhers。“
“Aw，goon！“saidRhodaGray，aliasGypsyNan，deprecatingly。“Datdon’tprovenothin’！I’dhavedoneasmuchforastraycatifdebullswaschasm’her。See？Itoldyouseonceyousehaddewrongnumber。Shedidn’tleavenoaddress。Dat’sflat，an’dat’sdeendofit。“
“I’msorry，“saidtheAdventurergravely。“PerhapsIhaven’tmadeoutagoodenoughcase。Orperhaps，evenbelievingme，youconsiderthattheWhiteMoll，andnotyourself，shouldbethejudgeastowhethermyservicesareacceptableornot？“
“Yousecandopeitoutanywayyouselikes，“saidRhodaGrayindifferently。“Met’roat’sgettin’hoarsetellin’yousedere’snothin’doin’！“
“I’msorry，“saidtheAdventureragain。Hesmiledsuddenly，andtuckinghisglovesintohispocket，leanedforwardandtoreoffasmallpiecefromthemarginofthenewspaperonthefloor-buthisheadthewhilewasnowcockedinacuriouslisteningattitudeinthedirectionofthedoor。“Youwillpardonme，mydearlady，ifI
confessthat，inspiteofwhatyousay，IstillharborthebeliefthatyouknowwheretoreachtheWhiteMoll；andso-“Hestoppedabruptly，andshefoundhisglance，sharpandcritical，uponher。
“Youareexpectingavisitor，perhaps？“heinquiredsoftly。
RhodaGraystaredingenuineperplexity。
“Wot’sdeanswer？“shedemanded。
“Thereissomeoneonthestairs，“repliedtheAdventurer。
RhodaGraylistened-andherperplexitydeepened。Shecouldhearnothing。
“Yousemusthavegoodears！“shescoffed。
“Ihave，“returnedtheAdventurercoolly。“MyhearingisoneoftheresourcesthatIwantedtopoolwiththeWhiteMoll。“
“Well，den，mabbeit’sRoughRorke。“Hertonestillhelditsscoffingnote；butherwordsvoicedthegenuineenough，thathadcomeflashinguponher。“An’ifitis，afterlastnight，an’hefindsyousean’metogether，dere’llbe-“
“Mydearlady，“interposedtheAdventurercalmly，“ifthereweretheremotestpossibilitythatitcouldbeRoughRorke，Iwouldnotbehere。“
“Wotdoyousemean？“Shehadunconsciouslytoweredhervoice。
TheAdventurershruggedhisshoulderswhimsically。Hehadlaidthepieceofpaperonhisknee，and，withasmallgoldpencilwhichhehadtakenfromhispocket，waswritingsomethinguponit。
“ThefactthatIcanassureyouthat，whoeverelseitmaybe，thepersonoutsidetherecannotbeRoughRorke，issimplyaproofthat，ifIhadtheopportunity，IcouldbeofrealassistancetotheWhiteMoll，“hesaidimperturbably。“Well“-agrimlittlesmileflickeredsuddenlyacrosshislips-“doyouhearanyonenow？“
Quitelow，butquiteunmistakably，theshort，ladder-likestepsjustoutsidethedoorwerevoicingacreakyprotestnowassomeonemountedthem。RhodaGraydidnotmove。Itseemedasthoughshecouldhearthesuddenthumpingofherownheart。Whowasitthistime？Howwasshetoact？Whatwasshetosay？Itwassoeasytomakethesinglelittleslipofwordormannerthatwouldspellruinanddisaster。
“Rubberheelsandrubbersoles，“murmuredtheAdventurer。“But，atthat，itisextremelywelldone。“HeheldoutthetornpieceofpapertoRhodaGray。
“If“-hesmiledsignificantly-“if，byanygoodfortune，youseetheWhiteMollagain，pleasegiveherthisandletherdecideforherself。Itisatelephonenumber。Shecanalwaysreachmetherebyaskingfor-theAdventurer。“Hewasstillextendingthepieceofpaper。“Quick！“hewhispered，asthedoorknobrattled。
MechanicallyRhodaGraythrustthepaperintothepocketofherskirt。Thedoorswungopen。Atallman，welldressed，asfarascouldbeseenintheuncertainlight，aslouchhatpulledfardownoverhiseyes，stoodonthethreshold，surveyingtheinteriorofthegarret。
TheAdventurerrosecomposedlytohisfeet-andmovedslightlybackoutofthedirectradiusofthecandlelight。
Therewassilenceforamoment，andthenthemaninthedoorwaylaughedunpleasantly。
“Hello！“heflungoutharshly。“Who’sthedude，Nan？“
RhodaGray，ontheedgeofthebed，shruggedhershoulders。TheAdventurerwasstandingquiteathisease，hissofthattuckedunderhisrightarm，hishandthrustintothesidepocketofhiscoat。Shecouldnolongerseehisfacedistinctly。
“Well？“Therewasasnarlintheman’svoiceasheadvancedfromthedoorway。“Youheardme，didn’tyou？Whoishe？“
“Whydon’tyouseaskhimyerself？“inquiredRhodaGraytruculently。
“Idunno。“
“Youdon’t，eh？“ThemanhadhaltedclosetowherethecandlestoodonthefloorbetweenhimselfandtheAdventurer。“Well，then，Iguesswe’llfindout！“HewaspeeringintheAdventurer’sdirection，andnowtherecameasuddensavagescowltohisface。
“ItseemstomeI’veseenthoseclothessomewherebefore，andI