the white moll-第17章

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that　he　was　a　miser　worth　fifty　thousand　dollars！

Her　mind　swerved　off　suddenly　at　a　tangent。　　The　tentacles　of　this
crime　octopus；　of　which　Danglar　seemed　to　be　the　head；　reached　far
and　into　most　curious　places　to　fasten　and　hold　and　feed　on　the
progeny　of　human　foibles！　　She　could　not　help　wondering　where　the
lair　was　from　which　emanated　the　efficiency　and　system　that；　as
witness　this　code　message　to…night；　kept　its　members；　perhaps　widely
scattered；　fully　informed　of　its　every　movement。

She　shook　her　head。　　That　was　something　she　had　not　yet　learned；
but　it　was　something　she　must　learn　if　ever　she　hoped　to　obtain　the
evidence　that　would　clear　her　of　the　crime　that　circumstances　had
fastened　upon　her。　　And　yet　she　had　made　no　move　in　that　direction；
because　…　well；　because；　so　far；　it　had　seemed　all　she　could　do　to
protect　and　safeguard　herself　in　her　present　miserable　existence
and　surroundings；　which；　abhorrent　as　they　were；　alone　stood　between
her　and　a　prison　cell。

Her　forehead　gathered　into　little　furrows；　and；　reverting　to　the
code　message；　her　thoughts　harked　back　to　a　well…known　crime；　the
authorship　of　which　still　remained　a　mystery；　and　which　had　stirred
the　East　Side　some　two　years　ago。　　A　man　…　in　the　vernacular　of　the
underworld　a　〃stage　hand〃　…　by　the　name　of　Kroner；　credited　with
having　a　large　amount　of　cash；　the　proceeds　of　some　nefarious
transaction；　in　his　possession　on　the　night　in　question；　was　found
murdered　in　his　room　in　an　old　and　tumble…down　tenement　of　unsavory
reputation。　　The　police　net　had　gathered　in　some　of　the　co…tenants
on　suspicion；　Nicky　Viner；　referred　to　in　the　code　message；　amongst
them。　　But　nothing　had　come　of　the　investigation。　　There　had　been
no　charge　of　collusion　between　the　suspects；　but　Perlmer；　a　shyster
lawyer；　had　acted　for　them　all　collectively；　and；　one　and　all；　they
had　been　discharged。　　In　what　degree　Perlmer's　services　had　been　of
actual　value　had　never　been　ascertained；　for　the　police；　through
lack　of　evidence；　had　been　obliged　to　drop　the　case；　but　the
underworld　had　whispered　to　itself。　　There　was　such　a　thing　as
suppressing　evidence；　and　Perlmer　was　known　to　have　the　cunning　of
a　fox；　and　a　code　of　morals　that　never　stood　in　the　way；　or
restricted　him　in　any　manner。

The　code　message　threw　a　new　light　on　all　this。　　Perlmer　must　have
known　that　old　Nicky　Viner　had　money；　for；　according　to　the　code
message；　Perlmer　prepared　a　fake　set　of　affidavits　and　forged　a
chain　of　fake　evidence　with　which　he　had　blackmailed　Nicky　Viner
ever　since；　and　Nicky　Viner；　known　as　a　dissolute；　shady　character；
innocent　enough　of　the　crime；　but　afraid　because　his　possession　of
money　if　made　public　would　tell　against　him；　and　frightened　because
he　had　already　been　arrested　once　on　suspicion　for　that　very　crime；
had　whimpered　…　and　paid。　　And　then；　somehow；　Danglar　and　the　gang
had　discovered　that　the　old；　seedy；　stoop…shouldered；　bearded；
down…at…the…heels　Nicky　Viner　was　not　all　that　he　seemed；　that　he
was　a　miser；　and　had　a　hoard　of　fifty　thousand　dollars　…　and　Danglar
and　the　gang　had　set　out　to　find　that　hoard　and　appropriate　it。
Only　they　had　not　succeeded。　　But　in　their　search　they　had　stumbled
upon　Perlmer's　trail；　and　that　was　the　key　to　the　plan　they　had
afoot　to…night。　　If　Perlmer's　fake　and　manufactured　affidavits　were
clever　enough　and　convincing　enough　to　wring　money　out　of　Viner　for
Perlmer；　they　were　more　than　enough　to　enable　Danglar；　employed　as
Danglar　would　employ　them；　to　wring　from　Nicky　Viner　the　secret　of
where　the　old　miser　hid　his　wealth；　for　Viner　would　understand　that
Danglar　was　not　hampered　by　having　to　safeguard　himself　on　account
of　having　been　originally　connected　with　the　case　in　a　legal
capacity；　or　any　capacity；　and　therefore　in　demanding　all　or　nothing；
would　have　no　cause　for　hesitation；　failing　to　get　what　he　wanted；
in　turning　the　evidence　over　to　the　police。　　In　other　words；　where
Perlmer　had　to　play　his　man　cautiously　and　get　what　he　could；
Danglar　could　go　the　limit　and　get　all。　　As　it　stood；　then；　Danglar
and　the　gang　had　not　found　out　the　location　of　that　hoard；　but　they
had　found　out　where　Perlmer　kept　his　spurious　papers　…　stuffed　in
at　the　back　of　the　bottom　drawer　of　his　desk　in　his　office；
practically　forgotten；　practically　useless　to　Perlmer　any　more；　for；
having　once　shown　them　to　Viner；　there　was　no　occasion　to　call　them
into　service　again　unless　Viner　showed　signs　of　getting　a　little
out　of　hand　and　it　became　necessary　to　apply　the　screws　once　more。

For　the　rest；　it　was　a　very　simple　matter。　　Perlmer　had　an　office
in　a　small　building　on　lower　Sixth　Avenue；　and　it　was　his　custom
to　go　to　his　office　in　the　evenings　and　remain　there　until　ten
o'clock　or　so。　　The　plan　then；　according　to　the　code　message；　was
to　loot　Perlmer's　desk　some　time　after　the　man　had　gone　home　for
the　night；　and　then；　at　midnight；　armed　with　the　false　documents；
to　beard　old　Nicky　Viner　in　his　miserable　quarters　over　on　the　East
Side；　and　extort　from　the　old　miser　the　neat　little　sum　that　Danglar
estimated　would　amount　to　some　fifty　thousand　dollars　in　cash。

Rhoda　Gray's　face　was　troubled　and　serious。　　She　found　herself
wishing　for　a　moment　that　she　had　never　decoded　the　message。　　But
she　shook　her　head　in　sharp　self…protest　the　next　instant。　　True；
she　would　have　evaded　the　responsibility　that　the　criminal　knowledge
now　in　her　possession　had　brought　her；　but　she　would　have　done　so；
in　that　case；　deliberately　at　the　expense　of　her　own　self…respect。
It　would　not　have　excused　her　in　her　own　soul　to　have　sat　staring
at　a　cipher　message　that　she　was　satisfied　was　some　criminal　plot；
and　have　refused　to　decode　it　simply　because　she　was　afraid　a　sense
of　duty　would　involve　her　in　an　effort　to　frustrate　it。　　To　have
sat　idly　by　under　those　circumstances　would　have　been　as
reprehensible　…　and　even　more　cowardly　…　than　it　would　be　to　sit
idly　by　now　that　she　knew　what　was　to　take　place。　　And　on　that
latter　score　to…night　there　was　no　argument　with　herself。　　She
found　herself　accepting　the　fact　that　she　would　act；　and　act
promptly；　as　the　only　natural　corollary　to　the　fact　that　she　was
in　a　position　to　do　so。　　Perhaps　it　was　that　way　to…night；　not　only
because　she　had　on　a　previous　occasion　already　fought　this　principle
of　duty　out　with　herself；　but　because　to…night；　unlike　that　other
night；　the　way　and　the　means　seemed　to　present　no　insurmountable
difficulties；　and　because　she　was　now　far　better　prepared；　and　free
from　all　the　perplexing；　though　enormously　vital；　little　details
that　had　on　the　former　occasion　reared　themselves　up　in　mountainous
aspect　before　her。　　The　purchase　of　a　heavy　veil；　for　instance；　the
day　after　the　Hayden…Bond　affair；　would　enable　her　now　to　move　about
the　city　in　the　clothes　of　the　White　Moll　practically　at　will　and
without　fear　of　detection。　　And；　further；　the　facilities　for　making
that　change；　the　change　from　Gypsy　Nan　to　the　White　Moll；　were　now
already　at　hand　…　in　the　little　old　shed　down　the　lane。

And　as　far　as　any　actual　danger　that　she　might　incur　to…night　was
concerned；　it　was　not　great。　　She　was　not　interested　in　the　fifty
thousand　dollars　in　an　intrinsic　sense；　she　was　interested　only　in
seeing　that　old　Nicky　Viner；　unappealing；　yes；　and　almost　repulsive
both　in　personality　and　habits　as　the　man　was；　was　not　blackmailed
out　of　it；　that　Danglar；　yes；　and　hereafter；　Perlmer　too；　should
not　prey　like　vultures　on　the　man；　and　rob　him　of　what　was
rightfully　his。　　If；　therefore；　she　secured　those　papers　from
Perlmer's　desk；　it　automatically　put　an　end　to　Danglar's　scheme
to…night；　and　if；　later；　she　saw　to　it　that　those　papers　came　into
Viner's　possession；　that；　too；　automatically　ended　Perlmer's
persecutions。　　Indeed；　there　seemed　little　likelihood　of　any　danger
or　risk　at　all。　　It　could　not　be　quite　ten　o　clock　yet；　and　it　was
not　likely　that　whoever　was　delegated　by　Danglar　to　rob　Perlmer's
office　would　go　there　much　before　eleven　anyway；　since　they　would
naturally　allow　for　the　possibility　that　Perlmer　might　stay　later
in　his　office　than　usual；　a　contingency　that　doubtless　accounted
for　midnight　being　set　as　the　hour　at　which　they　proposed　to　lay
old　Nicky　Viner　by　the　heels。　　Therefore；　it　seemed　almost　a
certainty　that　she　would　reach　there；　not　only　first；　but　with
ample　time　at　her　disposal　to　secure　the　papers　and　get　away　again
without　interruption。　　She　might　even；　perhaps；　reach　the　office
before　Perlmer　himself　had　left　…　it　was　still　quite　early　enough
for　that　…　but　in　that　case　she　need　only　remain　on　watch　until
the　lawyer　had　locked　up　and　gone　away。　　Nor　need　even　the　fact
that　the　office　would　be　locked　dismay　her。　　In　the　secret
hiding…place　here　in　the　garret；　among　those　many　other　evidences
of　criminal　activity；　was　the　collection　of　skeleton　keys；　and　…　she
was　moving　swiftly　around　the　attic　now；　physically　as　active　as　her
thoughts。

It　was　not　like　that　other　night。　　There　were　few　preparations　to
make。　　She　had　only　to　secure　the　keys　and　a　flashlight；　and　to
take　with　her　the　damp　cloth　that　would　remove　the　grime　streaks
from　her　face；　and　the　box　of　composition　that　would　enable　her　to
replace　them　when　she　came　back　…　and　five　minutes　later　she　was
on　the　street；　making　her　way　toward　the　lane；　and；　specifically；
toward　the　deserted　shed　where　she　had　hidden　away　her　own　clothing。


IX。　　ROOM　NUMBER　ELEVEN

Another　five　minutes；　and　in　her　own　personality　now；　a　slim；　trim
figure；　neatly　gloved；　the　heavy　veil　affording　ample　protection　to
her　features；　Rhoda　Gray　emerged　from　the　shed　and　the　lane；　and
started　rapidly　toward　lower　Sixth　Avenue。　　And　as　she　walked；　her
mind；　released　for　the　moment　from　the　consideration　of　her
immediate　venture；　began　again；　as　it　had　so　many　times　in　the　last
three　days；　its　striving　and　its　searching　after　some　loophole　of
escape　from　her　own　desperate　situation。　　But　only；　as　it　ever　did；
confusion　came　…　a　chaos　of　things；　contributory　things　and
circumstances；　and　the　personalities　of　those　with　whom　this
impossible　existence　had　thrown　her　into　contact。　　Little　by　little
she　was　becoming　acquainted　with　the　personnel　of　the　gang　…　in　an
impersonal　way；　mostly。　　Apart　from　Danglar；　there　was　Shluker；　who
must　of　necessity　be　one　of　them；　and　Skeeny；　the　man　who　had　been
with　Danglar　in　Shluker's　room；　and　the　Cricket；　whom　she　had　never
seen；　and　besides　these；　there　were　those　who　were　mentioned　in　the
cipher　message　to…night；　and　detailed　to　the　performance　of　the
various　acts　and　scenes　that　were　to　lead　up　to　the　final　climax
…　which；　she　supposed；　was　the　object　and　reason　for　the　cipher
message；　in　order　that　even　those　not　actually　employed　might　be
thoroughly　conversant　with　the　entire　plan；　and　ready　to　act
intelligently　if　called　upon。　　For　there　were　others；　of　course；　as
witness　herself；　or；　rather；　Gypsy　Nan；　whose　personality　she　had
so　unwillingly　usurped。

It　was　vital；　necessary；　that　she　should　know　them　all；　and　more
than　in　that　impersonal　way；　if　she　counted　upon　ever　freeing
herself　of　the　guilt　attributed　to　her。　　For　she　could　see　no　other
way　but　one　…　that　of　exposing　and　provi