the white moll-第27章
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and； as you so delicately put it； get out。〃 He slipped the papers；
with a philosophic shrug of his shoulders； into his inside coat
pocket； and took a backward step toward the door。 〃I bid you
good…night； then； Mr。 Viner。 The papers； as you state； are doubtless
of no value to you； so you can； of course； have no objection to my
handing them over to the police； who …〃
〃No； no！ Wait！ Wait！〃 the other whispered wildly。 〃Wait！〃
〃Ah！〃 murmured the Adventurer。
〃I … I'll〃 … the bent old figure was clawing at his beard … 〃I'll …〃
〃Buy them？〃 suggested the Adventurer pleasantly。
〃Yes； I'll … I'll buy them。 I … I've got a little money； only a
little； all I've been able to save in years； a … a hundred dollars。
〃How much did you say？〃 inquired the Adventurer coldly。
〃Two hundred。〃 The voice was a maudlin whine。
The Adventurer took another backward step toward the door。
〃Three hundred！〃
Another step。
〃Five … a thousand！〃
The Adventurer laughed suddenly。
〃That's better！〃 he said。 〃Where you keep a thousand； you keep the
rest。 Where is the thousand； Mr。 Viner？〃
The bent figure hesitated a moment； and then； with what sounded like
a despairing cry； pointed to the table。
〃It's there；〃 he whimpered。 〃God's curses on you； for the thief
you are。〃
Rhoda Gray found her eyes fixed in sudden； strained fascination on
the table … as； she imagined； the Adventurer's were too。 It was
bare of any covering； nor were there any articles on its surface；
nor； as far as she could see； was there any drawer。 And now the
Adventurer； his right hand still in his coat pocket； and bulging
there where she knew quite well it grasped his revolver； stepped
abruptly to the table； facing the other with the table between them。
The bent old figure still hesitated； and then； with the despairing
cry again； grasped at the top of the table； and jerked it toward
him。 The surface seemed to slide sideways a little way； a matter
of two or three inches； and then stick there； but the Adventurer；
in an instant； had thrust the fingers of his left hand into the
crevice。 He drew out a number of loose banknotes； and thrust
his fingers in again for a further supply。
〃Open it wider！〃 he commanded curtly。
〃I … I'm trying to；〃 the other mumbled； and bent down to peer under
the table。 〃It's stuck。 The catch is underneath； and …〃
It seemed to Rhoda Gray； gazing into that dimly lighted room； as
though she were suddenly held spellbound as in some horrible and
amazing trance。 Like a hideous jack…in…the…box the gray head popped
above the level of the table again； and quick as a flash； a revolver
was thrust into the Adventurer's face； and the Adventurer； caught at
a disadvantage；； since his hand in his coat pocket was below the
intervening table top； stood there as though instantaneously
transformed into some motionless； inanimate thing； his fingers still
gripping at another sheaf of banknotes that he had been in the act
of scooping out from the narrow aperture。
And then again Rhoda Gray stared； and stared now as though bereft
of her senses； and upon her crept； cold and deadly； a fear and a
terror that seemed to engulf her very soul itself。 That head that
looked like a jack…in…the…box was gone； the gray beard seemed
suddenly to be shorn away； and the gray hair too； and to fall and
flutter to the table； and the bent shoulders were not bent any more；
and it wasn't Nicky Viner at all … only a clever； a wonderfully
clever； impersonation that had been helped out by the poor and
meager light。 And terror gripped at her again； for it wasn't Nicky
Viner。 Those narrowed eyes； that leering； gloating face； those
working lips were Danglar's。
And； as from some far distance； dulled because her consciousness
was dulled； she heard Danglar speak。
〃Perhaps you'll take your hand out of that right…hand coat pocket
of yours now！〃 sneered Danglar。 〃And take it out … empty！〃
The Adventurer's face； as nearly as Rhoda Gray could see； had not
moved a muscle。 He obeyed now； coolly； with a shrug of his
shoulders。
Danglar appeared to experience no further trouble with the surface
of the table now。 He suddenly jerked it almost off； displaying
what Rhoda Gray now knew to be the remainder of the large package
of banknotes he had taken from the garret earlier in the evening。
〃Help yourself to the rest！〃 he invited caustically。 〃There isn't
fifty thousand there； but you are quite welcome to all there is … in
return for those papers。
The Adventurer was apparently obsessed with an inspection of his
finger nails； he began to polish those of one hand with the palm
of the other。
〃Quite so； Danglar！〃 he said coolly。 〃I admit it … I am ashamed
of myself。 I hate to think that I could be caught by you； but I
suppose I can find some self…extenuating circumstances。 You seem
o have risen to an amazingly higher order of intelligence。 In fact；
for you； Danglar； it is not at all bad！〃 He went on polishing his
nails。 〃Would you mind taking that thing out of my face？ Even you
ought to be able to handle it effectively a few inches farther away。〃
Under the studied insult Danglar's face had grown a mottled red。
〃Damn you！〃 he snarled。 〃I'll take it away when I get good and
ready； and by that time I'll have you talking out of the other side
of your mouth！ See？ Do you know what you're up against； you slick
dude？〃
〃I have a fairly good imagination；〃 replied the Adventurer smoothly。
〃You have； eh？〃 mimicked Danglar wickedly。 〃Well； you don't need
to imagine anything！ I'll give you the straight goods so's there
won't be any chance of a mistake。 And never mind about the higher
order of intelligence！ It was high enough； and a little to spare；
to make you walk into the trap！ I hoped I'd get you both； you and
your she…pal； the White Moll； that you'd come here together … but
I'm not kicking。 It's a pretty good start to get you！〃
〃Is it necessary to make a speech？〃 complained the Adventurer
monotonously。 〃I can't help listening； of course。〃
〃You can make up your mind for yourself when I'm through … whether
it's necessary or not！〃 retorted Danglar viciously。 〃I've got a
little proposition to put up to you； and maybe it'll help you to
add two and two together if I let you see all the cards。 Understand？
You've had your run of luck lately； quite a bit of it； haven't you；
you and the White Moll？ Well； it's my turn now！ You've been
queering our game to the limit； curse you！〃 Danglar thrust his
working face a little farther over the table； and nearer to the
Adventurer。 〃Well； what was the answer？ Where did you get the dope
you made your plays with？ It was a cinch； wasn't it； that there was
a leak somewhere in our own crowd？〃 He laughed out suddenly。 〃You
poor fool！ Did you think you could pull that sort of stuff forever？
Did you？ Well； then； how do you like the 'leak' to…night？ You get
the idea； don't you？ Everybody； every last soul that is in with us；
got the details of what they thought was a straight play to…night
… and it leaked to you； as I knew it would； and you walked into the
trap； as I knew you would； because the bait was good and juicy； and
looked the easiest thing to annex that ever happened。 Fifty thousand
dollars！ Fifty thousand … nothing！ All you had to do was to get a
few papers that it wouldn't bother any crook to get； even a near
… crook like you； and then come here and screw the money out of a
helpless old man； who was supposed to have been discovered to be a
miser。 Easy； wasn't it？ Only Nicky Viner wasn't a miser！ We chose
Nicky because of what happened two years ago。 It made things look
pretty near right； didn't it？ Looked straight； that part about
Perlmer； too； didn't it？ That was the come…on。 Perlmer never saw
those papers you've got there in your pocket。 I doped them out；
and we planted them nice and handy where you could get them without
much trouble in the drawer of Perlmer's desk； and …〃
〃It's a long story；〃 interrupted the Adventurer； with quiet
insolence。
〃It's got a short ending；〃 said Danglar； with an ugly leer。 〃We
could have bumped you off when you went for those papers； but if
you w
