within the law-第15章

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〃Well；　Joe；　who's　the　skirt？〃　　this　person　demanded；　as　the　man　and　his　charge　halted　before　her。　　Then；　abruptly；　the　round；　baby…like　face　of　the　woman　puckered　in　amazement。　　Her　voice　rose　shrill。　　〃My　Gawd；　if　it　ain't　Mary　Turner！〃　

At　that；　the　newcomer's　eyes　opened　swiftly　to　their　widest；　and　she　stared　astounded　in　her　turn。

〃Aggie！〃　she　cried。



CHAPTER　VII。　WITHIN　THE　LAW。　

In　the　time　that　followed；　Mary　lived　in　the　flat　which　Aggie　Lynch　occupied　along　with　her　brother；　Jim；　a　pickpocket　much　esteemed　among　his　fellow　craftsmen。　　The　period　wrought　transformations　of　radical　and　bewildering　sort　in　both　the　appearance　and　the　character　of　the　girl。　　Joe　Garson；　the　forger；　had　long　been　acquainted　with　Aggie　and　her　brother；　though　he　considered　them　far　beneath　him　in　the　social　scale；　since　their　criminal　work　was　not　of　that　high　kind　on　which　he　prided　himself。　　But；　as　he　cast　about　for　some　woman　to　whom　he　might　take　the　hapless　girl　he　had　rescued；　his　thoughts　fell　on　Aggie；　and　forthwith　his　determination　was　made；　since　he　knew　that　she　was　respectable；　viewed　according　to　his　own　peculiar　lights。　　He　was　relieved　rather　than　otherwise　to　learn　that　there　was　already　an　acquaintance　between　the　two　women；　and　the　fact　that　his　charge　had　served　time　in　prison　did　not　influence　him　one　jot　against　her。　On　the　contrary；　it　increased　in　some　measure　his　respect　for　her　as　one　of　his　own　kind。　　By　the　time　he　had　learned　as　well　of　her　innocence；　he　had　grown　so　interested　that　even　her　folly；　as　he　was　inclined　to　deem　it；　did　not　cause　any　wavering　in　his　regard。

Now；　at　last；　Mary　Turner　let　herself　drift。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　she　had　abandoned　herself　to　fate　in　that　hour　when　she　threw　herself　into　the　river。　Afterward；　without　any　volition　on　her　part；　she　had　been　restored　to　life；　and　set　within　an　environment　new　and　strange　to　her；　in　which　soon；　to　her　surprise；　she　discovered　a　vivid　pleasure。　　So；　she　fought　no　more；　but　left　destiny　to　work　its　will　unhampered　by　her　futile　strivings。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life；　thanks　to　the　hospitality　of　Aggie　Lynch；　secretly　reinforced　from　the　funds　of　Joe　Garson；　Mary　found　herself　living　in　luxurious　idleness；　while　her　every　wish　could　be　gratified　by　the　merest　mention　of　it。　　She　was　fed　on　the　daintiest　of　fare；　for　Aggie　was　a　sybarite　in　all　sensuous　pleasures　that　were　apart　from　sex。　She　was　clothed　with　the　most　delicate　richness　for　the　first　time　as　to　those　more　mysterious　garments　which　women　love；　and　she　soon　had　a　variety　of　frocks　as　charming　as　her　graceful　form　demanded。　　In　addition；　there　were　as　many　of　books　and　magazines　as　she　could　wish。　　Her　mind；　long　starved　like　her　body；　seized　avidly　on　the　nourishment　thus　afforded。　　In　this　interest；　Aggie　had　no　sharewas　perhaps　a　little　envious　over　Mary's　absorption　in　printed　pages。　　But　for　her　consolation　were　the　matters　of　food　and　dress；　and　of　countless　junketings。　　In　such　directions；　Aggie　was　the　leader；　an　eager；　joyous　one　always。　　She　took　a　vast　pride　in　her　guest；　with　the　unmistakable　air　of　elegance；　and　she　dared　to　dream　of　great　triumphs　to　come；　though　as　yet　she　carefully　avoided　any　suggestion　to　Mary　of　wrong…doing。

In　the　end；　the　suggestion　came　from　Mary　Turner　herself；　to　the　great　surprise　of　Aggie；　and；　truth　to　tell；　of　herself。

There　were　two　factors　that　chiefly　influenced　her　decision。　The　first　was　due　to　the　feeling　that；　since　the　world　had　rejected　her；　she　need　no　longer　concern　herself　with　the　world's　opinion；　or　retain　any　scruples　over　it。　　Back　of　this　lay　her　bitter　sentiment　toward　the　man　who　had　been　the　direct　cause　of　her　imprisonment；　Edward　Gilder。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　the　general　warfare　against　the　world　might　well　be　made　an　initial　step　in　the　warfare　she　meant　to　wage；　somehow；　some　time；　against　that　man　personally；　in　accordance　with　the　hysterical　threat　she　had　uttered　to　his　face。

The　factor　that　was　the　immediate　cause　of　her　decision　on　an　irregular　mode　of　life　was　an　editorial　in　one　of　the　daily　newspapers。　　This　was　a　scathing　arraignment　of　a　master　in　high　finance。　　The　point　of　the　writer's　attack　was　the　grim　sarcasm　for　such　methods　of　thievery　as　are　kept　within　the　law。　　That　phrase　held　the　girl's　fancy；　and　she　read　the　article　again　with　a　quickened　interest。　　Then；　she　began　to　meditate。　She　herself　was　in　a　curious；　indeterminate　attitude　as　far　as　concerned　the　law。　　It　was　the　law　that　had　worked　the　ruin　of　her　life；　which　she　had　striven　to　make　wholesome。　　In　consequence；　she　felt　for　the　law　no　genuine　respect；　only　detestation　as　for　the　epitome　of　injustice。　　Yet；　she　gave　it　a　superficial　respect；　born　of　those　three　years　of　suffering　which　had　been　the　result　of　the　penalty　inflicted　on　her。　　It　was　as　an　effect　of　this　latter　feeling　that　she　was　determined　on　one　thing　of　vital　importance：　that　never　would　she　be　guilty　of　anything　to　pit　her　against　the　law's　decrees。　She　had　known　too　many　hours　of　anguish　in　the　doom　set　on　her　life　because　she　had　been　deemed　a　violator　of　the　law。　　No；　never　would　she　let　herself　take　any　position　in　which　the　law　could　accuse　her。。。。　But　there　remained　the　fact　that　the　actual　cause　of　her　long　misery　was　this　same　law；　manipulated　by　the　man　she　hated。　　It　had　punished　her；　though　she　had　been　without　fault。　　For　that　reason；　she　must　always　regard　it　as　her　enemy；　must；　indeed；　hate　it　with　an　intensity　beyond　wordswith　an　intensity　equal　to　that　she　bore　the　man；　Gilder。　　Now；　in　the　paragraph　she　had　just　read　she　found　a　clue　to　suggestive　thought；　a　hint　as　to　a　means　by　which　she　might　satisfy　her　rancor　against　the　law　that　had　outraged　herand　this　in　safety　since　she　would　attempt　nought　save　that　within　the　law。

Mary's　heart　leaped　at　the　possibility　back　of　those　three　words；　〃within　the　law。〃　　She　might　do　anything；　seek　any　revenge；　work　any　evil；　enjoy　any　mastery；　as　long　as　she　should　keep　within　the　law。　　There　could　be　no　punishment　then。　　That　was　the　lesson　taught　by　the　captain　in　high　finance。　　He　was　at　pains　always　in　his　stupendous　robberies　to　keep　within　the　law。　　To　that　end；　he　employed　lawyers　of　mighty　cunning　and　learning　to　guide　his　steps　aright　in　such　tortuous　paths。

There；　then；　was　the　secret。　　Why　should　she　not　use　the　like　means？　　Why；　indeed？　　She　had　brains　enough　to　devise；　surely。　　Beyond　that；　she　needed　only　to　keep　her　course　most　carefully　within　those　limits　of　wrong…doing　permitted　by　the　statutes。　　For　that；　the　sole　requirement　would　be　a　lawyer　equally　unscrupulous　and　astute。　　At　once；　Mary's　mind　was　made　up。　　After　all；　the　thing　was　absurdly　simple。　　It　was　merely　a　matter　for　ingenuity　and　for　prudence　in　alliance。。。。　Moreover；　there　would　come　eventually　some　adequate　device　against　her　arch…enemy；　Edward　Gilder。

Mary　meditated　on　the　idea　for　many　days；　and　ever　it　seemed　increasingly　good　to　her。　　Finally；　it　developed　to　a　point　where　she　believed　it　altogether　feasible；　and　then　she　took　Joe　Garson　into　her　confidence。　　He　was　vastly　astonished　at　the　outset　and　not　quite　pleased。　　To　his　view；　this　plan　offered　merely　a　fashion　of　setting　difficulties　in　the　way　of　achievement。　　Presently；　however；　the　sincerity　and　persistence　of　the　girl　won　him　over。　　The　task　of　convincing　him　would　have　been　easier　had　he　himself　ever　known　the　torment　of　serving　a　term　in　prison。　　Thus　far；　however；　the　forger　had　always　escaped　the　penalty　for　his　crimes；　though　often　close　to　conviction。　　But　Mary's　arguments　were　of　a　compelling　sort　as　she　set　them　forth　in　detail；　and　they　made　their　appeal　to　Garson；　who　was　by　no　means　lacking　in　a　shrewd　native　intelligence。　　He　agreed　that　the　experiment　should　be　made；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　he　felt　no　particular　enthusiasm　over　the　proposed　scheme　of　working。　　It　is　likely　that　his　own　strong　feeling　of　attraction　toward　the　girl　whom　he　had　saved　from　death；　who　now　appeared　before　him　as　a　radiantly　beautiful　young　woman；　was　more　persuasive　than　the　excellent　ideas　which　she　presented　so　emphatically；　and　with　a　logic　so　impressive。

An　agreement　was　made　by　which　Joe　Garson　and　certain　of　his　more　trust