Shootdelightonagain，an’let’sgetbackondejob。An’yousecantakeaturndistimepushin’deknots，Pinkie；mabbeyouse’llhavebetterluck。“
Thelightwentonagain。Bothmencamebackacrosstheroom，andnowPinkieBonnkneltatthewallwhilethePugleanedoverthewashstandwatchinghim。PinkieBonnwasnotimmediatelysuccessful；
thePug’snerves，ofwhichhehadcomplained，appearedshortlytogetthebetterofhim。
“FerGawd’ssake，hurryup！“heurgedirritably。“Orelselemmetakeanothercrackatit，Pinkie，an’……
Alow，triumphantexclamationcamefromPinkieBonn，asthesmalldoorinthewallswungsuddenlyopen。
“Theresheis，mybucko！“hegrinned。“Someniftyvault，eh？Theoldguy-“Hestopped。Hehadthrustinhishand，anddrawnitoutagain。Hisfingersgrippedasheetofnotepaper-buthewasseeminglyunconsciousofthatfact。Hewasleaningforward，staringintotheaperture。“It’sempty！“hechoked。
“Wot’sdat？“criedthePug，andsprangtohiscompanion’sside。
“Youse’recrazy，Pinkie！Hethrusthisheadtowardtheopening-andthenturnedandstaredforamomenthelplesslyatPinkieBonn。
“Sohelpme！“hesaidheavily。“It’s-it’sempty。“Heshookhisfistsuddenly。“DeCrab’shandedusone，dat’swot！ButdeCrab’llgethisfer-“
“Itwasn’ttheCrab！“PinkieBonnwasstutteringhiswords。Hestood，jawsdropped，hiseyesgluednowonthepaperinhishand。
ThePug，hisfaceworking，thepersonificationofbaffledrageandintolerance，leeredatPinkieBonn。“Well，whowasit，den？“hesnarled。
PinkieBonnlickedhislips。
“TheWhiteMoll！“Helickedhislipsagain。
“DeWhiteMoll！“echoedthePugincredulously。
“Yes，“saidPinkieBonn。“Listentowhat’sonthispaperthatI
fishedoutofthereIListen！She’sgotallthenerveofthedevil！
’Withthanks，andmymostgratefulappreciation-theWhiteMoll。’“
ThePugsnatchedthepaperfromPinkieBonn’shand，asthoughtoassurehimselfthatitwastrue。RhodaGraysmiledfaintly。Itwasgoodacting，veryexcellentlydone-seeingthatthePughadwrittenthenoteandplaceditinthehidingplacehimself！
“MyGod！“mumbledPinkieBonnthickly。“Iain’tafraidofmostthings，butI’mgettin’scaredofher。Sheain’thuman。Lastnightyouknowwhathappened，andthenightbefore，and-“Hegulpedsuddenly。“Let’sgetoutofhere！“hesaidhurriedly。
ThePugmadenoreply，exceptforamutteredgrowlofassentandanodofhishead。
Thetwomencrossedtheroom。Thelightwentout。Theirfootstepsechoedbackastheydescendedthestairs，thendiedaway。
AndthenRhodaGraymovedforthefirsttime。Shebrushedasidethecretonnehanging，rantothewashstand，possessedherselfofthepackageshehadseenthePugplacethere，andthenmadeherway，cautiousnowofthes1ightestsound，downstairs。
Shetriedthedoorthatledintothesecondhandshopfromthehall，founditunlocked，andwithalittlegaspofreliefslippedthrough，andcloseditgentlybehindher。Shedidnotdareriskthefrontentrance。PinkieBonnandthePugwerenotfarenoughawayyet，andshedidnotdarewaituntiltheywere。ToobulkytotaketheriskofattemptingtoconcealitabouthispersonwhilewithPinkieBonn，thePug，itwasobvious，wouldcomebackaloneforthatpackage，anditwasequallyobviousthathewouldnotbelongindoingso。TherewasoldLuertz’sreturnthathewouldhavetoanticipate。ItwouldnottakewitsnearlysosharpasthosepossessedbythePugtofindanexcuseforseparatingpromptlyfromPinkieBonn！
RhodaGraygropedherwaydowntheshop，gropedherwaytoabackdoor，unboltedit，workingbythesenseoftouch，andletherselfoutintoabackyard。Fiveminuteslatershewasblocksaway，andhurryingrapidlybacktowardthedesertedshedinthelanebehindGypsyNan’sgarret。
Herlipsformedintoatightlittlecurveasshewentalong。Therewasstillworktodoto-night-ifthispackagereallycontainedthestolenlegacyofgemsleftbyAngelJack。Shehadfirstofalltoreachaplacewhereshecouldexaminethepackagewithsafety；
thenaplacetohideitwhereitwouldbesecure；andthen-Danglar！
Shegainedthelane，stolealongit，anddisappearedintotheshedthroughthebrokendoorthathung，partiallyopen，onsagginghinges。
Hereshesoughtacorner，andcroucheddownsothatherbodywouldsmotheranyreflectionfromherflashlight。Andnow，eagerly，feverishly，shebegantoundothepackage；andthen，amomentlater，shegazed，stupefiedandamazed，atwhatlaybeforeher。Preciousstones，scoresofthem，nestledonabedofcotton；theywereofallcolorsandofallsizes-buteachoneofthemseemedtopulsateandthrob，andfromsomewondrous，gloriousdepthofitsowntoflingbackfromthewhiterayuponitathousandraysinreturn，asthoughintoithadbeenbreathedalivingandimmortalfire。
AndRhodaGray，crouchedthere，stared-untilsuddenlyshegrewafraid，andsuddenlywithashuddershewrappedthepackageupagain。
Thesewerethestonesforwhosefabulousworththewomanwhosepersonalityshe，RhodaGray，hadusurped，hadmurderedaman；thesewerethestoneswhichwereindirectlytheinstrumentality-sincebutforthemGypsyNanwouldneverhaveexisted-thatmadeher，RhodaGray，to-night，now，atthisverymoment，ahuntedthing，homeless，friendless，fightingforherverylifeagainstpoliceandunderworldalike！
Sheroseabruptlytoherfeet。Shehadnolongeranyneedofaflashlight。Therewasevenlightofasortintheplace-shecouldseethestarsthroughthejaggedholesintheroof，andthroughoneofthese，too，themoonlightstreamedin。Theshedwasallbutcrumblinginaheap。Underfoot，whathadoncebeenflooring，wasnowbutrotting，brokenboards。Underoneofthese，besidetheclothingofGypsyNanwhichshehaddiscardedbutalittlewhilebefore，shedepositedthepackage；thensteppedoutintothelane，andfromtheretothestreetagain。
Andnowshebecamesuddenlyconsciousofagreatandalmostoverpoweringphysicalweariness。Shedidnotquiteunderstandatfirst，unlessitwastobeattributedtothereactionfromthelastfewhours-andthen，smilingwanlytoherself，sheremembered。Fortwonightsshehadnotslept。Itseemedverystrange。Thatwasit，ofcourse，thoughshewasnotintheleastsleepynow-justtired，justnearthebreakingpoint。
Butshemustgoon。To-nightwastheend，anyhow。To-night，failingtokeepherappointmentas“Bertha，“thecrashmustcome；butbeforeitcame，astheWhiteMoll，armedwiththeknowledgeofthecrimethathaddrivenDanglar’swifeintohiding，andwhichwasDanglar’scrimetoo，andwiththeevidenceintheshapeofthosejewelsinherpossession，sheandDanglarwouldmeetsomewhere-alone。Beforethelawgothim，whenhewouldbeclose-mouthedandstrugglingwithallhiscunningtokeeptheevidenceofothercrimesfrompilingupagainsthimanddamningwhatevermeagerchanceshemighthavetoescapethepenaltyforDeemer’smurder，shemeant-yes，evenifshepretendedtocompoundafelonywithhim-toforceortoinveiglefromhim，itmatteredlittlewhich，aconfessionoftheauthorshipanddetailsoftheschemetorobSkarbolovthatnightwhenshe，RhodaGray，inanswertoadyingwoman’spleading，hadtriedtoforestalltheplan，andhadbeencaught，apparently，intheveryactofcommittingtherobberyherself！Withthatconfessioninherpossession，withtheidentityoftheunknownwomanwhohaddiedinthehospitalthatnightestablished，herownstorywouldbebelieved。
Andso，ifshewereweary，whatdiditmatter？Itwasonlyuntilmorning。DanglarwasattheSilverSphinxnowwiththemanhemeantthatsheshouldhelphimmurder，only-onlythatplanwouldfail，becausetherewouldbeno“Bertha“tolurethemantohisdeath，andshe，RhodaGray，hadonlytokeeptrackofDanglaruntilsomewhere，wherehelivedperhaps，sheshouldhavethatfinalscene，thatfinalreckoningwithhimalone。
ItwasalongwaytotheSilverSphinx，whichsheknew，aseveryoneintheunderworld，andeveryoneinNewYorkwhowasaddictedtoslummingknew，wasacombinationdance-hallandrestaurantintheChathamSquaredistrict。Shetriedtofindataxi，butwithoutavail。Aclockinajeweler’swindowwhichshepassedshowedherthatitwastenminutesaftereleven。Shehadhadnoideathatitwassolate。Ateleven，Danglarhadsaid。Danglarwouldbegrowingrestive！Shetooktheelevated。IfshecouldrisktheprotectionofherveilintheSilverSphinx，shecouldriskitequallyinanelevatedtrain！
But，inspiteoftheelevated，itwas，sheknew，wellontowardshalfpastelevenwhenshefinallycamedownthestreetinfrontoftheSilverSphinx。Fromunderherveil，sheglanced，halfcuriously，halfinasortofgrimirony，atthetaxislinedupbeforethedancehall。Thetwoleadingcarswerenottaxisatall，thoughtheyboretheear-marks，withtheirregisters，ofbeingpublicvehiclesforhire；theywerelarge，roomy，powerful，andlooked，withtheirhoodsup，likeprivatelyownedmotors。Well，itwasoflittleaccount！Sheshruggedhershoulders，as-shemountedthestepsofthedance-hall。Neither“Bertha“norCloranwouldusethosecarsto-night！
XVII。THESILVERSPHINX
ABedlamofnoisesmoteRhodaGray’searsassheenteredtheSilverSphinx。Ajazzbandwasinfullswing；onthepolishedsectionofthefloorinthecenter，apackedmassofhumanityswirledandgyratedandwriggledinthecontortionsofthe“latest“dance，andlaughedandhowledimmoderately；andaroundthesidesoftheroom，thewaitersrushedthiswayandthatamongstthecrowdedtables，moppingattheirfaceswiththeiraprons。Itseemedasthoughconfusionitselfheldsway！
RhodaGrayscannedtheoccupantsofthetables。TheSilverSphinxwasparticularlyriotousto-night，wasn’tit？Yes，sheunderstood！
Agreatmanyofthemenwerewearinglittlebadges。Somesocietyorotherwascelebrating-andwasdoingitwithabandon。Mostofthemenwerehalfdrunk。Itwascertainlyafree-and-easynight！
Everythingwent！
