“Thisisyourchance，Danglar！Ididn’twastethetimetobringyoualongbecauseitaffordedmeanyamusement。They’vefoundtheirheadsatlast，andgonetothenextwindow，insteadofwastingtimeonthatdoor。Theycan’treachthefireescapethere，butiftheyfireasingleshot-yougoout！You’dbettertellthemso-andtellthemquick！“
AndthenDanglar’svoiceshriekedoutinsudden，forGod’ssake，don’tfire！“
Theywereallonthelowerplatformtogethernow。TheAdventurerwaspressingthemuzzleofhisrevolverintothesmallofDanglar’sback，andwasstillsupportingthemanbythecollarofhiscoat。
“Ithink，“saidtheAdventurerabruptly，“thatwecannowdispensewithMr。Danglar’sservices，andIamsurealittlecoolnightairouthereonthefireescapewilldohimgood。MissGray-wouldyoumind？-there’sapairofhandcuffsinmyleft-handcoatpocket。“
Handcuffs！Shecouldhavelaughedoutidiotically。Handcuffs！
TheyseemedthemostincongruousthingsintheworldfortheAdventurertohave，and-Shefeltmechanicallyinhispocket，andhandedthemtohim。
TherewasaclickasacuffwassnappedoverDanglar’swrist，anotherastheothercuffwassnappedshutaroundtheironhand-railingofthefireescape。TheactseemedtoarouseDanglar，bothmentallyandphysically。Hetoreandwrenchedatthesteellinksnow，andburstsuddenly，raving，intooaths。
“Holdyourtongue，Danglar！“orderedtheAdventurerincoldmenace；
andastheother，cowed，obeyed，theAdventurerswunghimselfovertheplatformanddroppedtotheground。“Come，MissGray。Drop！
I’llcatchyou！“hecalledinalowvoice。“Onesteptakesusaroundthecornerofthetenementintothelane，andMr。Danglarwon’tletthemfireatusbeforewecanmakethat-whenwecouldstillfireathim！“
Sheobeyedhim，swingingatarm’s-length。Shefelthishandsfoldaboutherinafirmgraspassheletgoherhold，andshecaughtherbreathsuddenly，shedidnotknowwhy，andfeltthehotbloodsweepherface-andthenshewasstandingontheground。
“Now！“hewhispered。“Together！“
Theyspedaroundthecornerofthetenement。AyellfromDanglarfollowedthem。Anechoingyellfromaboveanswered-andthenafusilladeofabortiveshots，andthesoundasofbootheelsclatteringontheironrungsofthefireescape；andthen，morefaintly，fortheywereputtingdistancebehindthemasfastastheycouldrun，anexcitedoutburstofprofanityandexclamations。
“Theywon’tfollow！“pantedtheAdventurer。“Thoseshotsoftheirsoutdoorswillhavealarmedthepolice，andthey’lltryandgetDanglarfreefirst。It’sluckyyourshotinsidewasn’theardbythepatrolmanonthebeat。Iwasafraidofthat。Butwe’resafenow-fromDanglar’scrowd，atleast。“
Butstilltheyran。Theycrossedanintersectingstreet，andcontinuedonalongthelane；thenswervingintothenextintersectingstreet，moderatedtheirpacetoarapidwalk-andstoppedfinallyonlyasRhodaGraydrewsuddenlyintotheshadowsofanotheralley-way，andheldoutherhand。Theywerebothsafenow，ashehadsaid。Andthereweresomanyreasonswhy，thoughherresolutionfalteredalittle，sheshouldgotherestofthewayalone。Shewasnotsurethatshetrustedthisstrange“gentleman，“whowasathiefwithhispocketscrammedevennowwiththemoneythathadluredhimalmosttohisdeath；but，too，shewasnotaltogethersurethatshedistrustedhim。Butallthatwassecondary。Shemust，assoonasshecould，getbacktoGypsyNan’sgarret。Likethatothernight，shedarednottaketheriskthatDanglar，byanychance，mightreturnthere-andfindhergoneafterwhathadjusthappened。Themanwouldbebesidehimselfwithfury，suspiciousofeverything-andsuspicionwouldbefatalinitsconsequencesforher。Andsoshemustgo。AndshecouldnotbecomeGypsyNanagainwiththeAdventurerlookingon！
“Weparthere，“shesaidalittleunsteadily。“Good-night！“
“Oh，Isay，MissGray！“heprotestedquickly。“Youdon’tmeanthat！
Why，lookhere，Ihaven’thadachancetotellyouwhatIthink，orwhatIfeel，aboutwhatyou’vedoneto-night-forme。“
Sheshookherhead。
“Thereisnothingyouneedsay，“sheansweredquietly。“Weareonlyquits。Youhavedonequiteasmuchforme。“
“But，seehere，MissGray！“hepleaded。“Can’twecometosomeunderstanding？Weseemtohaveajollylotincommon。Isitquitenecessary，reallynecessary，thatyoushouldkeepmeoffatarm’s-length？Couldn’tyouletdownthebarsjustalittle？
Couldn’tyoutellme，forinstance，whereIcouldfindyouincaseof-realnecessity？“
Sheshookherheadagain。
“No，“shesaid。“Itisimpossible。“
Hedrewalittlecloser。Asuddenearnestnessdeepenedhisvoice，madeitraspalittle，asthoughitwerenotwhollywithincontrol。
“Andsuppose，MissGray，thatIrefusetoleaveyou，ortoletyougo，nowthatIhaveyouhere，unlessyougivememoreofyourconfidence？Whatthen？“
“Theothernight，“shesaidslowly，“youinformedme，amongotherthings，thatyouwereagentleman。Ibelievedtheotherthings。“
Hedidnotanswerforamoment-andthenhesmiledwhimsically。
“Youscore，MissGray，“hemurmured。
“Goodnight，then！“shesaidagain。“Iwillgobythealleyhere；
youbythestreet。“
“No！Wait！“hesaidgravely。“Ifnothingwillchangeyourmind-andIshallnotbeimportunate，for，aswehavemetthreetimesnowthroughthesamepeculiarchainofcircumstances，Iknowweshallmeetagain-Ihavesomethingtotellyou，beforeyougo。
Asyoualreadyknow，IwenttoGypsyNan’sthenightafterIfirstsawyou，becauseIfeltyouneededhelp。Iwentthereinthehopethatshewouldknowwheretofindyou，and，failinginthat，Ileftamessageforyouinthehopethat，sinceshehadtrickedRorkeinyourbehalf，youwouldfindmeansofcommunicatingwithheragain。
Butallthatisentirelychangednow。YourparticipationinthatHayden-BondaffairtheothernightmakesGypsyNan’splacethelastinallNewYorktowhichyoushouldgo。“
RhodaGraystaredthroughthesemi-darkness，suddenlystartled，searchingtheAdventurer’sface。
“Whatdoyoumean？“shedemandedquickly。
“Justthis，“heanswered。“ThatwherebeforeIhopedyouwouldgothere，IhavespentnearlyallthetimesincetheninhauntingthevicinityofGypsyNan’shousetowarnyouawayincaseyoushouldtrytoreachher。“
“I-Idon’tunderstand，“shesaidalittleuncertainly。
“Itissimpleenough，“hesaid。“GypsyNanisnowoneofthoseyouhavemosttofear。GypsyNanismerelyadisguise。SheisnomoreGypsyNanthanyouare。“
RhodaGraycaughtherbreath。
“NotGypsyNan！“sherepeated-andfoughttokeephervoiceincontrol。“Whoisshe，then？“
TheAdventurerlaughedshortly。
“Sheisquitecloselyconnectedwiththatgentlemanweleftairinghimselfonthefireescape，“hesaidgrimly。“GypsyNanisDanglar’swife。“
Itwasverystrange，verycurious-thealleywayseemedsuddenlytoberevolvingaroundandaround，anditseemedtobringheragiddinessandafaintness。TheAdventurerwasstandingtherebeforeher，butshedidnotseehimanymore；shecouldonlysee，asfromabrinkuponwhichshetottered，agulf，abysmalinitshorror，thatyawnedbeforeher。
“Thankyou-thankyouforthewarning。“Wasthathervoicespeakingsocalmlyanddispassionately？“Iwillrememberit。ButImustgonow。Good-nightagain！“
Hesaidsomething。Shedidnotknowwhat。Sheonlyknewthatshewashurryingalongthealleywaynow，andthathehadmadenoefforttostopher，andthatshewasgratefultohimforthat，andthathercomposure，strainedtothebreakingpoint，wouldhavegivenawayifshehadremainedwithhimanotherinstant。Danglar’swife！Itwasdarkhereinthealley-way，andshedidnotknowwhereitledto。
Butdiditmatter？Andshestumbledasshewentalong。Butitwasnotthephysicalinabilitytoseethatmadeherstumble-itwasabrain-blindnessthatfoggedhersoulitself。Hiswife！GypsyNanwasDanglar’swife。
XI。SOMEOFTHELESSERBREED
Danglar’swife！Ithadbeenanightofhorror；anightwithoutsleep；anight，afterthegutteringcandlehadgoneout，whentheblacknessofthegarretpossessedaddedterrorscreatedbyanimaginationwhichranriot，andwhichshecouldnotcontrol。Shecouldhavefledfromit，screaminginpanic-strickenhysteria-buttherehadbeennootherplaceassafeasthatwas。Safe！Thewordseemedtoreachtheuttermostdepthsofirony。Safe！Well，itwastrue，wasn’tit？
Shehadnotwantedtoreturnthere；hersoulitselfhadrevoltedagainstit；butshehaddaredtodonothingelse。Andallthroughthatnight，huddledontheedgeofthecotbed，herfingersclingingtenaciouslytoherrevolverasthoughafraidforevenaninstanttorelinquishitfromhergrasp，listening，listening，alwayslisteningforafootstepthatmightcomeupfromthatdarkhallbelow，thefootstepthatwouldclimaxalltheterrorsthathadsurgeduponher，hermindhadkeptonreiterating，alwaysreiteratingthosewordsoftheAdventurer-“GypsyNanisDanglar’swife。“
