the white moll-第25章

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before　the　door　of　Room　Number　Eleven。

A　moment　she　hung　there；　listening；　then　she　slipped　the　skeleton
keys　from　her　pocket；　and；　in　the　act　of　inserting　one　of　them
tentatively　into　the　keyhole；　she　tried　the　door　…　and　with　a　little
gasp　of　surprise　returned　the　keys　hurriedly　to　her　pocket。　　The
door　was　unlocked；　it　had　even　opened　an　inch　already　under　her　hand。

Again　she　looked　around　her；　a　little　startled　now；　and　instinctively
her　hand　in　her　pocket　exchanged　the　keys　for　her　revolver。　　But　she
saw　nothing；　heard　nothing；　and　it　was　certainly　dark　inside　there；
and　therefore　only　logical　to　conclude　that　the　room　was　unoccupied。

Reassured；　she　pushed　the　door　cautiously　and　noiselessly　open；　and
stepped　inside；　and　closed　the　door　behind　her。　　She　stood　still　for
an　instant；　and　then　the　round；　white　ray　of　her　flashlight　went
dancing　inquisitively　around　the　office。　　It　was　a　medium…sized　room；
far　from　ornate　in　its　appointments；　bare　floored；　the　furniture　of
the　cheapest　…　Perlmer's　clientele　did　not　insist　on　oriental　rugs
and　mahogany！

Her　appraisal　of　the　room；　however；　was　but　cursory。　　She　was
interested　only　in　the　flat…topped　desk　in　front　of　her。　　She
stepped　quickly　around　it　…　and　stopped…and　a　low　cry　of　dismay　came
from　her　as　she　stared　at　the　floor。　　The　lower　drawer　had　been
completely　removed；　and　now　lay　upturned　beside　the　swivel　chair；
its　contents　strewn　around　in　all　directions。

And　for　a　moment　she　stared　at　the　scene；　nonplused；　discomfited。
She　had　been　so　sure　that　she　would　be　first　…　and　she　had　not　been
first。　　There　was　no　need　to　search　amongst　those　papers　on　the
floor。　　They　told　their　own　story。　　The　ones　she　wanted　were　already
gone。

In　a　numbed　way；　mechanically；　she　retreated　to　the　door；　and；　with
the　flashlight　playing　upon　it；　she　noticed　for　the　first　time　that
the　lock　had　been　roughly　forced。　　It　was　but　corroborative　of　the
despoiled　drawer；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　obvious　reason　why　the
door　had　not　been　relocked　when　whoever　had　come　here　had　gone　out
again。

Whoever　had　come　here！　　She　could　have　laughed　out　hysterically。
Was　there　any　doubt　as　to　who　it　was？　　One　of　Danglar's　emissaries；
the　Cricket；　perhaps…or　perhaps　even　Danglar　himself！　　They　had
seen　to　it　that　lack　of　prompt　action；　at　least；　would　not　be　the
cause　of　marring　their　plans。

A　little　dazed；　overwrought；　confused　at　the　ground　being　cut　from
under　her　where　she　had　been　so　confident　of　a　sure　footing；　she
made　her　way　out　of　the　building；　and　to　the　street　…　and　for　a
block　walked　almost　aimlessly　along。　　And　then　suddenly　she　turned
hurriedly　into　a　cross　street；　and　headed　over　toward　the　East　Side。
The　experience　had　not　been　a　pleasant　one；　and　it　had　upset　most
thoroughly　all　her　calculations；　but　it　was　very　far；　after　all；
from　being　disastrous。　　It　meant　simply　that　she　must　now　find
Nicky　Viner　himself　and　warn　the　man；　and　there　was　ample　time　in
which　to　do　that。　　The　code　message　specifically　stated　midnight
as　the　hour　at　which　they　proposed　to　favor　old　Viner　with　their
unhallowed　attentions；　and　as　it　was　but　a　little　after　ten　now；
she　had　nearly　a　full　two　hours　in　which　to　accomplish　what　should
not　take　her　more　than　a　few　minutes。

Rhoda　Gray's　lips　tightened　a　little；　as　she　hurried　along。　　Old
Nicky　Viner　still　lived　in　the　same　disreputable　tenement　in　which
he　had　lived　on　the　night　of　that　murder　two　years　ago；　and　she
could　not　ward　off　the　thought　that　it　had　been　…　yes；　and　was　…　an
ideal　place　for　a　murder；　from　the　murderer's　standpoint！　　The
neighborhood　was　one　of　the　toughest　in　New　York；　and　the　tenement
itself　was　frankly　nothing　more　than　a　den　of　crooks。　　True；　she
had　visited　there　more　than　once；　had　visited　Nicky　Viner　there；
but　she　had　gone　there　then　as　the　White　Moll；　to　whom　even　the
most　abandoned　would　have　touched　his　cap。　　To…night　it　was　very
different　…　she　went　there　as　a　woman。　　And　yet；　after　all　…　she
amended　her　own　thoughts；　smiling　a　little　seriously　…　surely　she
could　disclose　herself　as　the　White　Moll　there　again　to…night　if
the　actual　necessity　arose；　for　surely　crooks；　pokegetters；
shillabers　and　lags　though　they　were；　and　though　the　place　teemed
with　the　dregs　of　the　underworld；　no　one　of　them；　even　for　the
reward　that　might　be　offered；　would　inform　against　her　to　the　police！
And　yet　…　again　the　mental　pendulum　swung　the　other　way　…　she　was
not　so　confident　of　that　as　she　would　like　to　be。　　In　a　general　way
there　could　be　no　question　but　that　she　could　count　on　the　loyalty
of　those　who　lived　there；　but　there　were　always　those　upon　whom　one
could　never　count；　those　who　were　dead　to　all　sense　of　loyalty；　and
alive　only　to　selfish　gain　and　interest　…　a　human　trait　that；　all
too　unfortunately；　was　not　confined　to　those　alone　who　lived　in　that
shadowland　outside　the　law。　　Her　face；　beneath　the　thick　veil；
relaxed　a　little。　　Well；　she　certainly　did　not　intend　to　make　a　test
case　of　it　and　disclose　herself　there　as　the　White　Moll；　if　she
could　help　it！　　She　would　enter　the　tenement　unnoticed　if　she　could；
and　make　her　way　to　Nicky　Viner's　two　miserable　rooms　on　the　second
floor　as　secretively　as　she　could。　　And；　knowing　the　place　as　she
did；　she　was　quite　satisfied　that；　if　she　were　careful　enough　and
cautious　enough；　she　could　both　enter　and　leave　without　being
seen　by　any　one　except；　of　course；　Nicky　Viner。

She　walked　on　quickly。　　Five　minutes；　ten　minutes　passed；　and　now；
in　a　narrow　street；　lighted　mostly　by　the　dull；　yellow　glow　that
seeped　up　from　the　sidewalk　through　basement　entrances；　queer　and
forbidding　portals　to　sinister　interiors；　or　filtered　through　the
dirty　windows　of　uninviting　little　shops　that　ran　the　gamut　from
Chinese　laundries　to　oyster　dens；　she　halted；　drawn　back　in　the
shadows　of　a　doorway；　and　studied　a　tenement　building　that　was
just　ahead　of　her。　　That　was　where　old　Nicky　Viner　lived。　　A　smile
of　grim　whimsicality　touched　her　lips。　　Not　a　light　showed　in　the
place　from　top　to　bottom。　　From　its　exterior　it　might　have　been
uninhabited；　even　long　deserted。　　But　to　one　who　knew；　it　was　quite
the　normal　condition；　quite　what　one　would　expect。　　Those　who　lived
there　confined　their　activities　mostly　to　the　night；　and　their
exodus　to　their　labors　began　when　the　labors　of　the　world　at　large
ended　…　with　the　fall　of　darkness。

For　a　little　while　she　watched　the　place；　and　kept　glancing　up　and
down　the　street；　and　then；　seizing　her　opportunity　when　for　half　a
block　or　more　the　street　was　free　of　pedestrians；　she　stole　forward
and　reached　the　tenement　door。　　It　was　half　open；　and　she　slipped
quickly　inside　into　the　hall。

She　stood　here　for　a　moment　motionless；　listening；　striving　to
accommodate　her　eyes　to　the　darkness；　and　instinctively　her　hand
went　to　her　pocket　for　the　reassuring　touch　of　her　revolver。　　It
was　black　back　there　in　the　hallway　of　Gypsy　Nan's　lodging；　she　had
not　thought　that　any　greater　degree　of　blackness　could　exist；　but
it　was　blacker　here。　　Only　the　sense　of　touch　promised　to　be　of　any
avail。　　If　one　could　have　moved　as　noiselessly　as　a　shadow　moves；
one　could　have　passed　another　within　arm's…length　unseen。　　And　so
she　listened；　listened　intently。　　And　there　was　very　little　sound。
Once　she　detected　a　footstep　from　the　interior　of　some　room　as　it
moved　across　a　bare　floor；　once　she　heard　a　door　creak　somewhere
upstairs；　and　once；　from　some　indeterminate　direction；　she　thought
she　heard　voices　whispering　together　for　a　moment。

She　moved　suddenly　then；　abruptly；　almost　impulsively；　but　careful
not　to　make　the　slightest　noise。　　She　dared　not　remain　another
instant　inactive。　　It　was　what　she　had　expected；　what　she　had
counted　upon　as　an　ally；　this　darkness；　but　she　was　not　one　who
laughed；　even　in　daylight；　at　its　psychology。　　It　was　beginning
to　attack　her　now；　her　imagination　to　magnify　even　the　actual
dangers　that　she　knew　to　be　around　her。　　And　she　must　fight　it　off
before　it　got　a　hold　upon　her；　and　before　panic　voices　out　of　the
blackness　began　to　shriek　and　clamor　in　her　ears；　as　she　knew　they
would　do　with　pitifully　little　provocation；　urging　her　to　turn　an