Theywalkedonrapidly；thelurchingfigurebesidehercoveringthegroundatanastoundingrateofspeed。Themanmadenoefforttotalk。Shewasgladofit。Sheneednotbesoanxiouslyonherguardaswouldbethecaseifaconversationwerecarriedon，andshe，whoknewsomuchandyetsopitifullylittle，mustweighhereveryword，andfeelherwaywitheverysentence。Andbesides，too，itgavehertimetothink。Whereweretheygoing？Whatsortofaplacewasit，thisheadquartersofthegang？Foritmustbetheheadquarters，sinceitwasfromtherethecodemessageswouldnaturallyemanate，andthisdeformedcreature，fromwhathehadsaid，wasthe“secretary“ofthenefariouscliquethatwasruledbyhisbrother。Andwasluckreallywithheratlast？SupposeshehadbeenbutafewminuteslaterinreachingGypsyNan’shouse，andhadfound，insteadofthismanhere，onlythenoteinstructinghertogoandmeetDanglar！Whatwouldshehavedone？Whatexplanationcouldshehavemadeforhernonappearance？Herhandswouldhavebeentied。Shewouldhavebeenhelpless。Shecouldnothaveansweredthesummons，forshecouldhavehadnoideawherethisgang-lairwas；andthenotecertainlywouldnotcontainsuchdetailsasstreetandnumber，whichshewasobviouslysupposedtoknow。Shesmiledalittlegrimlytoherself。Yes，itseemedasthoughfortunewerebeginningtosmileuponheragain-fortune，atleast，hadsuppliedherwithaguide。
Thetwistedfigurewalkedontheinsideofthesidewalk，andcuriouslyseemedtoseekasmuchaspossibletheprotectingshadowsofthebuildings，andinvariablyshrankbackoutofthewayofthepassers-bytheymet。Shewatchedhimnarrowlyastheywentalong。
Whatwasheafraidof？Recognition？Itpuzzledherforatime，andthensheunderstood:Itwasnotfearofrecognition；thesullen，almostbelligerentstarewithwhichhemettheeyesofthosewithwhomhecameintoclosecontactbeliedthat。Themanwasmorbidly，abnormallysensitiveofhisdeformity。
TheyturnedatlastintooneoftheEastSidecrossstreets，andherguidehaltedfinallyonacornerinfrontofalittleshopthatwasclosedanddark。Shestaredcuriouslyasthemanunlockedthedoor。Perhaps，afterall，shehadbeenwoefullymistaken。Itdidnotlookatallthekindofplacewherecrimesthatranthegamutofthedecaloguewerehatched，atallthesortofplacethatwasthecouncilchamberofperhapsthemostcunning，certainlythemostcold-bloodedandunscrupulous，bandofcrooksthatNewYorkhadeverharbored。Andyet-whynot？Wasn’ttheretheessenceofcunninginthatveryfact？Whowouldsuspectanythingofthesortfromaramshackle，two-storylittlehouselikethis，whosefrontwasawoe-begonelittlestore，theproceedsofwhichmightjustbarelykeepthebodyandsoulofitsproprietortogether？
Themanfumbledwiththelock。Therewasnotasinglelightshowingfromtheplace，butinthedwindlingraysofadistantstreetlampshecouldseethemeagerwindowdisplaythroughthefilthy，unwashedpanes。Itwasevidentlyacheapandtawdrynotionstore，wellsuitedtoitslocality。Thereweretoysofthecheapestvariety，stationeryofthesamegrade，cheappipes，cigarettes，tobacco，candy-apackageofneedles。
“Goonin！“gruntedtheman，ashepushedthedoor-whichseemedtoshriekoutundulyonitshinges-wideopen。“Ifanybodyseesthedooropen，they’llbearoundwantingtobuyapaperofpins-curse’em！-andIain’topento-night。“Hesnarledasheshutandlockedthedoor。“Pierresaysyou’regrouchingaboutyourgarret。Howaboutme，andthisjob？Yougetoutofyoursto-nightforkeeps。Whataboutme？Ican’tdoanythingbutactasadamnedblindfortherestofyouwiththisfoolstore。justbecauseIwasbornafreakthateverygutter-snipeonthestreetyellsat！“
RhodaGraydidnotanswer。
“Well，goon！“snappedtheman。“Whatareyoustandingtherefor？
Onewouldthinkyou’dneverbeenherebefore！“
Goon！Where？Shehadnotthefaintestidea。Itwasquitedarkinsidehereintheshop。Shecouldbarelymakeouttheoutlineoftheother’sfigure。
“You’reinasweettemperto-night，aren’tyou？“shesaidtartly。
“Goon，yourself！I’mwaitingforyoutogetthroughyourspeech。“
Hemovedbrusquelypasther，withanangrygrunt。RhodaGrayfollowedhim。Theypassedalongashort，narrowspace，evidentlybetweenalowcounterandashelvedwall，andthenthemanopenedadoor，and，shuttingitagainbehindthem，movedforwardoncemore。
Shecouldscarcelyseehimatallnow；itwasmorethesoundofhisfootstepsthananythingelsethatguidedher。Andthensuddenlyanotherdoorwasopened，andasoft，yellowlightstreamedoutthroughthedoorway，andshefoundthatshewasstandinginaninterveningroombetweentheshopandtheroomaheadofher。Shefeltherpulsequicken，anditseemedasthoughherheartbegantothumpalmostaudibly。Danglar！ShecouldseeDanglarseatedatatableinthere。Sheclenchedherhandsunderhershawl。Shewouldneedallherwitsnow。Sheprayedthattherewasnottoomuchlightinthatroomyonder。
Themanwiththewitheredhandhadpassedthroughintotheotherroom。Sheheardthemtalkingtogether，asshefollowed。Sheforcedherselftowalkwithasnearlyaleisurelydefiantairasshecould。ThelasttimeshehadbeenwithDanglar-asGypsyNan-shehad，inself-protection，forbiddingintimacy，playedupwhathecalledher“grouch“athisneglectofher。
Shepausedinthedoorway。Halfwayacrosstheroom，atthetable，Danglar’sgaunt，swarthyfaceshowedundertheraysofashadedoillamp。Behindherspectacles，shemethissmall，blackferreteyessteadily。
“Hello，Bertha！“hecalledoutcheerily。“How’stheoldgirlto-night？“Herosefromhisseattocometowardher。“Andhow’sthecold？“
RhodaGrayscowledathim。
“Worse！“shesaidcurtly-andhoarsely。“Andalotyoucare！I
couldhavediedinthathole，forallyouknew！Shepushedhimirritablyaway，ashecamenearher。“Yes，that’swhatIsaid！
Andyouneedn’tstartanycooinggamenow！Getdowntocases！“
Shejerkedherhandtowardthetwistedfigurethathadslouchedintoachairbesidethetable。“Hesaysyou’vegotitdopedouttopullsomethingthatwillletmeoutofthisGypsyNanstunt。
Anotherbubble，Isuppose！“Sheshruggedhershoulders，glancedaroundher，and，locatingachair-nottoonearthetable-seatedherselfindifferently。“I’mgettingsickofbubbles！“sheannouncedinsolently。“What’sthisone？“
Hestoodthereforamomentbitingathislips，hesitantbetweenangerandtolerantamusement；andthen，thelatterevidentlygainingtheascendency，hetooshruggedhisshoulders，andwithalaughreturnedtohischair。
“You’rearareone，Bertha！“hesaidcoolly。“Ithoughtyou’dbewildwithdelight。Iguessyou’resick，allright-becauseusuallyyou’reprettysensible。I’vetriedtotellyouthatitwasn’tmyfaultIcouldn’tgonearyou，andthatIhadtokeepawayfrom-“
“What’stheuseofgoingoverallthatagain？“sheinterruptedtartly。“IguessI-“
“Oh，allright！“saidDanglarhurriedly。“Don’tstartarow！Afterto-nightI’veanideayou’llbesweetenoughtoyourhusband，andI’mwillingtowait。Mattymaybehasn’ttoldyouthewholeofit。“
Matty！Sothatwasthedeformedcreature’sname。Sheglancedathim。Hewasgrinningbroadly。Afamilysquabbleseemedtoaffordhimamusement。Hereyesshiftedandmadeacircuitoftheroom。Itwaspoverty-strickeninappearance，bare-floored，withthescantiestandcheapestoffurnishings，itsonewindowtightlyshuttered。
“Maybenot，“shesaidcarelessly。
“Well，then，listen，Bertha！“Danglar’svoicewasloweredearnestly。
“We’veuncoveredtheNabob’sstuff！Doyougetme？Everylastoneofthesparklers！“
RhodaGray’seyeswentbacktothedeformedcreatureatDanglar’sside，asthemanlaughedoutabruptly。
“Yes，“grinnedMattyDanglar，“andtheyweren’tintheemptymoney-beltthatyoubeatitwithlikeascaredcataftercroakingDeemer！“
Howqueeranddimthelightseemedtogosuddenly-orwasitablurbeforeherowneyes？Shesaidnothing。Hermindseemedtobegropingitswayoutofdarknesstowardsomefaintgleamoflightshowinginthefardistance。SheheardDanglarorderhisbrothersavagelytoholdhistongue。Thatwascurious，too，becauseshewasgratefulfortheman’sgibe。GypsyNan，inherproperperson，hadmurderedamannamedDeemerinanefforttosecure-Danglar’svoicecameagain:
“Well，to-nightwe’llgetthatstuff，allofit-it’sworthacoolhalfmillion；andto-nightwe’llgetMr。House-DetectiveCloranforkeeps-bumphimoff。Thatcleanseverythingup。Howdoesthatstrikeyou，Bertha？“
RhodaGray’shandsunderhershawllockedtightlytogether。Herpremonitionhadnotbetrayedher。Shewasfacetofaceto-nightwiththebeginningoftheend。
“Itsoundsfine！“shesaidderisively。
Danglar’seyesnarrowedforaninstant；andthenhelaughed。
“You’rearareone，Bertha！“heejaculatedagain。“Youdon’tseemtoputmuchstockinyourhusbandlately。“
“WhyshouldI？“sheinquiredimperturbably。“Thingshavebeenbreakingfine，haven’tthey？-onlynotforus！“Sheclearedherthroatasthoughitwereanefforttotalk。“I’mnotgoingcrazywithjoytillI’vebeenshown。“
Danglarleanedsuddenlyoverthetable。
“Well，comeandlookatthecards，then，“hesaidimpressively。
