The White Moll

第31章

Andsoitseemedthatshehadtherighttohope,eventhoughtherewerestillsomanythingsshedidnotknow,thatifsheallowedhermindtodwelluponthatphaseofit,itstaggeredher-wherethosecodemessagescamefrom,andhow;whyRoughRorkeofheadquartershadnevermadeasignsincethatfirstnight;whytheoriginalGypsyNan,whowasdeadnow,hadbeenforcedintohidingwiththedeathpenaltyofthelawhangingoverher;whyDanglar,thoughGypsyNan’shusband,wascomparativelyfree。These,andamyriadotherthings!ButshecountednowuponherknowledgeoftheAdventurer’ssecrettoforcefromhimeverythingheknew;and,withthattoworkon,aconfessionfromsomeofthegangincorroborationthatwouldprovetheauthorshipofthecrimeofwhichshehadseeminglybeencaughtintheactofcommitting。

Yes,shewasbeginningtoseethewayatlast-throughtheAdventurer。Itseemedasureandcertainway。IfshepresentedherselfbeforehimasGypsyNan,whomhebelievedtobenotonlyoneofthegang,butactuallyDanglar’swife,andlethimknowthatshewasawareofthedualrolehewasplaying,andthattheinformationhethusacquiredasthePugheturnedtohisownaccountandtotheundoingofthegang,hemustofnecessitybeathermercy。Hermercy!Whatexquisiteirony!Hermercy!Themanherheartloved;thethiefhercommonsenseabhorred!Whatirony!

Whenshe,too,playedadoublerole;whenintheirothercharacters,thatoftheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll,heandshewerelinkedtogetherbythegangasconfederates,whereas,intruth,theywerewiderapartthanthepolesoftheearth!

Hermercy!Howmercifulwouldshebe-tothethiefsheloved?Heknew,hemustknow,alltheinnersecretsofthegang。Shesmiledwanlynowasshereachedthelanding。Wouldheknowthatinthelastanalysisherthreatwouldbeonlyanidleone;that,thoughherfuture,hersafety,herlifedependedonobtainingtheevidenceshefelthecouldsupply,herthreatwouldbeempty,andthatshewaspowerless-becauseshelovedhim。Buthedidnotknowshelovedhim-shewasGypsyNan。Ifshekepthersecret,ifhedidnotpenetrateherdisguiseasshehadpenetratedhis,ifshewereGypsyNanandDanglar’swifetohim,herthreatwouldbevalidenough,and-andhewouldbeathermercy!

Aflush,halfshamed,halfangry,dyedthegrimethatwaspartofGypsyNan’sdisguiseuponherface。Whatwasshesayingtoherself?

Whatwasshethinking?Thathedidnotknowshelovedhim!Howwouldhe?Howcouldhe?Hadaword,anact,asinglelookofhersevergivenhimahintthat,whenshehadbeenwithhimastheWhiteMoll,shecared!Itwasunjust,unfair,toflingsuchatauntatherself。Itseemedasthoughshehadlostnearlyeverythinginlife,butshehadnotyetlostherwomanlinessandherpride。

Shehadcertainlylosthersenses,though!Evenifthatword,thatlook,thatacthadpassedbetweenthem,betweentheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll,hestilldidnotknowthatGypsyNanwastheWhiteMoll-andthatwastheonethingnowthathemustnotknow,and……

RhodaGrayhaltedsuddenly,andstaredalongthehallwayaheadofher,anduptheshort,ladder-likestepsthatledtothegarret。

Herears-orwasitfancy?-hadcaughtwhatsoundedlikealowknockingupthereuponherdoor。Yes,itcameagainnowdistinctly。

Itwasduskoutside;inhere,inthehall,itwasalmostdark。Hereyesstrainedthroughthemurk。Shewasnotmistaken。Somethingdarkerthant

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