the white moll-第11章
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floor。 He raised them now significantly to hers。
〃You helped her to get away from Rough Rorke last night；〃 he said
gently。 〃Well； so did I。 I am very anxious to find the White Moll；
and； as I know of no other way except through you； I have got to
make you believe in me； if I can。 Listen； my dear lady … and don't
look at me so suspiciously。 I have already admitted that I have
taken liberties with the law。 Let me add now that last night there
was a little fortune of quite a few thousand dollars that I had
already made up my mind was as good as in my pocket。 I was on my
way to get it … the newspaper will already have given you the
details … when I found that I had been forestalled by the young
lady； who； the papers say； is known as the White Moll。〃 He smiled
whimsically。 〃Even though one might be a slick crook as you
suggest； it is no reason why he should fail in his duty to himself
… as a gentleman。 What other course was open to me？ I discovered
a very charming young lady in the grip of a hulking police brute。
She also； apparently； took liberties with the law。 There was a
bond between us。 I … er … took it upon myself to do what I could。
And； besides； I was not insensible to the fact that I was under a
certain obligation to her； quixotic as it may sound； in view of
the fact that we were evidently competitors after the same game。
You see； if she had not forestalled me and been caught herself；
I should most certainly have walked into the trap that our friend
of headquarters had prepared。 I … er … as I say； did what I could。
She got away； but somehow Rough Rorke later discovered her here in
this room； I understand that he was not happy over the result； that；
thanks to you； she escaped again； and has not been heard of since。
Rhoda Gray dropped her chin in her grime…smeared hand； staring
speculatively at the other。 The man sat there； apparently a
self…confessed crook and criminal； but； also； he sat there as the
man to whom she owed the fact that at the present moment she was
not behind prison bars。 He proclaimed himself in the same breath
both a thief and a gentleman； as far as she could make out。 They
were characteristics which； until now； she had never associated
together； but now； curiously enough； they did not seem so utterly
at variance。 Of course they were at variance； must of necessity
be so； but in the personality of this man the incongruity seemed
somehow lost。 Perhaps it was a sense of gratitude toward him that
modified her views。 He looked a gentleman。 There was something
about him that appealed。 The gray eyes seemed full of cool；
confident； self…possession； and； quiet as his manner was； she
sensed a latent dynamic something lurking near the surface all the
time … that she was conscious she would much prefer to have enlisted
on her behalf than against her。 The strong； firm chin bore this out。
He was not handsome； but … with a sort of mental jerk； she forced
her mind back to the stark realities of her surroundings。 She could
not thank him for what he had done last night。 She could not tell
him that she was the White Moll。 She could only play out the role
of Gypsy Nan until … until … Her hand tightened with a fierce；
involuntary pressure upon her chin until it brought a physical hurt。
Until what？ God alone knew what the end of this miserable；
impossible horror； in which she found herself engulfed； would be！
Her eyes sought his face again。 The Adventurer was tactfully
engaged in carefully smoothing out the fingers of his yellow gloves。
Thief and gentleman； whatever he might be； whatever he might choose
to call himself； what； exactly； was it that had brought him here
to…night？ The White Moll； he had said； but what did he want with
the White Moll？
He answered her unspoken question now； almost as though he had read
her thoughts。
〃She is very clever；〃 he said quietly。 〃She must be exceedingly
clever to have beaten the police the way she has for the last few
years； and … er … I worship at the shrine of cleverness … especially
if it be a woman's。 The idea struck me last night that if she and
I should … er … pool our resources； we should not have to complain
of the reward。〃
〃Oh； so youse wants to work wid her； eh？〃 sniffed Rhoda Gray。 〃So
dat's it； is it？〃
〃Partially；〃 he said。 〃But； quite apart from that； the reason I
want to find her is because she is in very great danger。 Clever
as she is； it is a very different matter to…day now that the police
have found her out。 She has been forced into hiding； and； if alone
and without any friend to help her； her situation； to put it mildly；
must be desperate in the extreme。 You befriended her last night；
and I honor you for the unselfishness with which you laid yourself
open to the future attentions of that animal Rorke； but that very
fact has deprived her of what might otherwise have been a refuge and
a quite secure retreat here with you。 I do not wish to intrude； or
force myself upon her； but I believe I could be of very material
help； and so I have come to you； as I have said； because you are the
only source through which I can hope to find her； and because；
through your act of last night； I know you to be a trustworthy； and；
perhaps； even an intimate； friend of hers。〃
〃Aw； go on！〃 said Rhoda Gray； alias Gypsy Nan； deprecatingly。 〃Dat
don't prove nothin'！ I'd have done as much for a stray cat if de
bulls was chasm' her。 See？ I told youse once youse had de wrong
number。 She didn't leave no address。 Dat's flat； an' dat's de end
of it。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 said the Adventurer gravely。 〃Perhaps I haven't made
out a good enough case。 Or perhaps； even believing me； you consider
that the White Moll； and not yourself； should be the judge as to
whether my services are acceptable or not？〃
〃Youse can dope it out any way youse likes；〃 said Rhoda Gray
indifferently。 〃Me t'roat's gettin' hoarse tellin' youse dere's
nothin' doin'！〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 said the Adventurer again。 He smiled suddenly； and
tucking his gloves into his pocket； leaned forward and tore off a
small piece from the margin of the newspaper on the floor … but his
head the while was now cocked in a curious listening attitude in the
direction of the door。 〃You will pardon me； my dear lady； if I
confess that； in spite of what you say； I still harbor the belief
that you know where to reach the White Moll； and so …〃 He stopped
abruptly； and she found his glance； sharp and critical； upon her。
〃You are expecting a visitor； perhaps？〃 he inquired softly。
Rhoda Gray stared in genuine perplexity。
〃Wot's de answer？〃 she demanded。
〃There is some one on the stairs；〃 replied the Adventurer。
Rhoda Gray listened … and her perplexity deepened。 She could hear
nothing。
〃Youse must have good ears！〃 she scoffed。
〃I have；〃 returned the Adventurer coolly。 〃My hearing is one of
the resources that I wanted to pool with the White Moll。〃
〃Well； den； mabbe it's Rough Rorke。〃 Her tone still held its
scoffing note； but her words voiced the genuine enough； that had
come flashing upon her。 〃An' if it is； after last night； an' he
finds youse an' me together； dere'll be …〃
〃My dear lady；〃 interposed the Adventurer calmly； 〃if there were
the remotest possibility that it could be Rough Rorke； I would not
be here。〃
〃Wot do youse mean？〃 She had unconsciously towered her voice。
The Adventurer shrugged his shoulders whimsically。 He had laid the
piece of paper on his knee； and； with a small gold pencil which he
had taken from his pocket； was writing something upon it。
〃The fact that I can assure you that； whoever else it may be； the
person outside there cannot be Rough Rorke； is simply a proof that；
if I had the opportunity； I could be of real assistance to the White
Moll；〃 he said imperturbably。 〃Well〃 … a grim little smile flickered
suddenly across his lips … 〃do you hear any one now？〃
Quite low； but quite unmistakably； the short； ladder…like steps just
outside the door were voicing a creaky protest now as some one
mounted them。 Rhoda Gray did not move。 It seemed as though she
could hear the sudden thumping of her own heart。 Who was it this
time？ How was she to act
