第12章

Andtherewasnotamomenttolose。Thethoughtmadeherfrantic。

OverherownclothessheputonagainGypsyNan’sgreasyskirt，anddrewonagain，overherownsilkones，GypsyNan’scoarsestockings。

SheputonGypsyNan’sheavyanddisreputableboots，andthrewtheoldshawlagainoverherheadandshoulders。Andthen，withherhat-forthesmallshapeofwhichshebreathedaprayerofthankfulness！-andherownshoesunderherarmandcoveredbytheshawl，shetookthecandleagain，closedthetrap-door，andsteppedovertothewashstand。Here，shedampenedarag，thatdiddutyasafacecloth，andthrustitintoherpocket；then，blowingoutthecandle，shegropedherwaytothedoor，lockeditbehindher，andwithoutanyattemptatsecrecymadeherwaydownstairs。

VI。THERENDEZVOUS

RhodaGray’smovementswerealittleunsteadyasshesteppedoutonthesidewalk。GypsyNan’sacceptedinebrietywasnotwithoutitscompensation。Itenabledher，assheswayedforamoment，toscrutinizethestreetinalldirections。WereanyofRoughRorke’smenwatchingthehouse？Shedidnotknow；sheonlyknewthatasfarasshehadbeenabletodiscover，shehadnotbeenfollowedwhenshehadgoneoutthatafternoon。Upthestreet，toherright，therewereafewpedestrians；toherleft，asfarasthecorner，theblockwasclear。Sheturnedinthelatterdirection。ShehadnoticedthatafternoonthattherewasalanebetweenGypsyNan’shouseandthecorner；shegainedthisandslippedintoitunobserved。

Andnow，inthecomparativedarkness，shehurriedhersteps。

SomewherehereinthelaneshewouldmakethetransformationfromGypsyNantotheWhiteMollcomplete；itrequiredonlysomeplaceinwhichshecouldwithsafetyleavethegarmentsthatshediscarded，and-Yes，thiswoulddo！Atumble-downoldshed，itsbattereddoorhalfopen，ampleproofthattheplacewasindisuse，intersectedthelineofhighboardfenceonherright。

Shestoleinside。Itwasutterlydark，butshehadnoneedforlight。Itwasamatterofperhapsthreeminutes；andthen，therevolvertransferredtothepocketofherjacket，thestainsremovedfromherfacebytheaidofthedampcloth，herhandsneatlyglovedinblackkid，theskirt，boots，stockings，shawl，spectaclesandwigofGypsyNancarefullypiledtogetherandhiddeninaholeundertherottingboardsofthefloor，behindthedoor，sheemergedastheWhiteMoll，andwentonagain。

Butattheendofthelane，whereitmetacrossstreet，andthestreetlampflungoutanominouschallenge，and，dimthoughitwas，seemedtoglarewiththebrightnessofdaylight，shefalteredforamomentanddrewback。SheknewwhereShluker’splacewas，becausesheknew，asfewknewit，everynookandcrannyintheEastSide，anditwasalongwaytothatoldjunkshop，almostovertotheEastRiver，and-andtherewouldbelightslikethisoneherethatbarredherexitfromthelane，thousandsofthem，lightsalltheway，and-andouttheretheyweresearchingeverywhere，pitilessly，fortheWhiteMoll。

Andthen，withherlipstightened，thestraightlittleshouldersthrownresolutelyback，sheslippedfromthelanetothesidewalk，and，huggingtheshadowsofthebuildings，startedforward。

Shewasalertnowinmindandbody，everyfacultystrainedandintension。Itwasalongway，anditwouldtakeagreatwhile-bywidedetours，bylanesandalleyways，foronlyonthosestreetsthatwererelativelydesertedandpoorlylightedwouldshedaretrustherselftotheopen。Andasshewentalong，nowskirtingthesideofastreet，nowthroughsomeblackcourtyard，nowforcedtotakeafence，andtakingitwiththeagilitybornoftheopen，athleticlifeshehadledwithherfatherintheminingcampsofSouthAmerica，nowhidingatthemouthofalanewaitingherchancetocrossanintersectingstreetwhensomerecedingfootstepshouldhavediedaway，theterrorofdelaycamegrippingatherheartwithanicyclutch，submergingthefearofpersonalperilintheagonyofdreadthat，withherprogresssoslow，shewould，afterall，betoolate。Andattimesshealmostcriedoutinhervexationanddespair，asonce，whencrouchedbehindadoor-stoop，apoliceman，nottwoyardsfromher，stoodandtwirledhisnightstickunderthestreetlampwhiletheminutesspedandracedthemselvesaway。

Whenshecouldrun，sheranuntilitseemedherlungsmustburst，butitwasslowprogressatbest，andalwaystheterrorgrewuponher。HadDanglarmetthemenyetwhohadlootedthemillionaire’ssafe？HadhealreadyjoinedSkeenyinthatoldroombehindShluker’splace？HadtheSparrow-Shewouldnotlethermindframethatquestioninconcretewords。TheSparrow！HisrealnamewasMartin，MartinFinch-Marty，forshort。Timeswithoutnumbershehadvisitedthesickandwidowedmother-whiletheSparrowhadservedatwo-years’sentenceforhisfirstconvictioninsafe-breaking。

TheSparrow，fromafirst-classchauffeurmechanic，hadshowedsignsofbecomingafirst-classcracksman，itwastrue；buttheSparrowwasyoung，andshehadneverbelievedthathewasinherentlybad。

Heropinionhadbeenconfirmedwhen，somesixmonthsago，onhisrelease，listeningbothtoherownpleadingsandtothoseofhismother，theSparrowhadswornthathewouldsticktothe“straightandnarrow。“AndHayden-Bond，themillionaire，referredtobyagoodmanypeopleaseccentric，hadfurtherprovedhisclaimstoeccentricityintheeyesofagoodmanypeoplebygivingaprisonbirdachancetomakeanhonestliving，andhadengagedtheSparrowashischauffeur。Itwasavileandanabominablethingthattheyweredoing，eveniftheyhadnotplannedtoculminateitwithmurder。

WhatchancewouldtheSparrowhavehad！

Ithadtakenalongtime。Shedidnotknowhowlong，as，atlast，shestoleunnoticedintoablackandnarrowdrivewaythatledin，betweentwoblocksofdown-at-the-heelstenements，toacourtyardintherear。Shlukerhadhisjunkshophere。Herlipspursedupasthoughdefiantofatingeofperplexitythathadsuddenlytakenpossessionofher。ShedidnotknowShluker，oranythingaboutShluker’splaceexceptitslocality；butsurely“theoldroombehindShluker’s“wasdirectionenough，and-Shehadjustemergedfromtheendofthedrivewaynow，andnow，startled，sheturnedherheadquickly，assheheardabriskstepturninginfromthestreetbehindher。Butinthedarknessshecouldseenoone，andsatisfied，therefore，thatsheinturnhadnotbeenseen，shemovedswiftlytooneside，andcroucheddownagainsttherearwallofoneofthetenements。Alongmoment，thatseemedaneternity，passed，andthenaman’sformcameoutfromthedriveway，andstartedacrossthecourtyard。

Shedrewinherbreathsharply，acuriousminglingofreliefandasuddenpanicfearuponher。Itwasnotsodarkinthecourtyardasithadbeeninthedriveway，and，unlessshewerestrangelymistakenthatformouttherewasDanglar’s。Shewatchedhimasheheadedtowardasmallbuildingthatloomeduplikeablack，irregularshadowacrossthecourtyard，andwhichwasShluker’sshop-watchedhiminatense，fascinatedway。Shewasintime，then-only-onlysomehownowherlimbsseemedtohavebecomeweakandpowerless。Itseemedsuddenlyasthoughshecravedwithallhersoultheprotectingshadowsofthetenement，andthateveryimpulsebadeherclingthere，flattenedagainstthewall，untilshecouldmakeherescape。Shewasafraidnow；sheshrankfromthenextstep。

Itwasn’tillogical。Shehadsetoutwithapurposeinview，andshehadnotbeenblindtothedangerthatsheran，buttheprospectiveandmentalencounterwithdangerdidnotholdtheterrorthatthetangible，concreteandactualpresenceofthatperildid-andthatwasDanglarthere。

Shefeltherfacewhiten，andshefeltthetremorofherlips，tightlyastheyweredrawntogether。Yes，shewasafraid，afraidineveryfiberofherbeing，buttherewasadifference，wasn’tthere，betweenbeingafraidandbeingacoward？Hersmall，glovedhandsclenched，herlipspartedslightly。Shelaughedalittlenow，low，withoutmirth。Uponwhatshedidordidnotdo，uponthemarginbetweenfearandcowardiceasappliedtoherself，therehungaman’slife。DanglarwasdisappearingaroundthesideofShluker’sshop。Shemovedoutfromthewall，andswiftly，silently，crossedthecourtyard，gainedthesideofthejunkshopinturn，skirtedit，andhalted，listening，peeringaroundher，asshereachedtherearcornerofthebuilding。Adoorclosedsomewhereaheadofher；fromabove，upstairs，faintstreaksoflightshowedthroughtheintersticesofashutteredwindow。

Shecreptforwardnow，huggingtherearwall，reachedadoor-theone，obviously，throughwhichDanglarhaddisappeared，andwhichshehadheardasitwasclosed-triedthedoor，founditunlocked，and，noiselessly，inchbyinch，pusheditopen；andamomentlater，steppingoverthethreshold，shecloseditsoftlybehindher。A

dullglowoflight，emanatingevidentlyfromanopendoorabove，disclosedtheupperportionofastairwayoveronherleft，butapartfromthattheplacewasinblackness，andsavethatsheknew，ofcourse，shewasintherearofShluker’sjunkshop，shecouldformnoideaofhersurroundings。Butshecould，atlast，hear。

Voices，oneofwhichsherecognizedasDanglar’s，thoughshecouldnotdistinguishthewords，reachedherfromupstairs。

Slowly，withinfinitecare，shecrossedtothestairs，andonhandsandkneesnow，lestsheshouldmakeasound，begantocrawlupward。

Andalittlewayup，panicfearseizeduponheragain，andherheartstoodstill，andsheturnedamiserablefaceinthedarknessbacktowardthedoorbelow，andfoughtagainsttheimpulsetoretreatagain。

AndthensheheardDanglarspeak，andfromhernewvantagepointhiswordscametoherdistinctlythistime:

“Goodwork，Skeeny！You’vegottheSparrownicelytrussedup，I

see。Well，he’lldoasheisforawhilethere。Itoldtheboystoholdoffabit。It’ssafertowaitanhourortwoyet，beforemovinghimawayfromhereandbumpinghimoff。“

“Twojobsinsteadofone！“asurlyvoiceanswered。“Wemightjustaswellhavefinishedhimandslippedhimawayforkeepswhenwefirstgotourhooksonhim。“

“Gotalittlesickofyourwood-carving，whileyoustuckaroundbyyourlonesomeandwatchedhim-eh？“Danglar’stoneswerejocularlyfacetious。“Don’tgrouch，Skeeny！We’renotkillingforfun-itdoesn’tpay。SupposinganythinghadbrokenwronguptheAvenue-eh？

Wewouldn’thavehadourfriendtheSparrowthereforthenexttimewetriedit！“

Therewassomethingabhorrentlycallousinthelaughthatfollowed。

ItseemedtofanintoflameasmolderingfireofpassionateangerinRhodaGray’ssoul。Andbeforeitpanicfled。Herhandfeltupwardforthenextstair-tread，andshecreptonagain，asafaceseemedtorisebeforeher-nottheSparrow’sface-awoman’sface。