ItwasmanyblocksawaybeforecalmnesscameagaintoRhodaGray，andbeforeitseemed，even，thatherbrainwouldresumeitsnormalfunctions；butwiththenumbedhorroroncegone，therecameinitsplace，likesomesurgingtide，afiercevirilitythatwouldnotbedenied。Themoney！Theoldcoupleonthatdoorstep，strippedoftheirall！Wasn’tthatonereasonwhyshehadgoneonwithPinkieBonnandthePug？Hadn’tsheseenaway，oratleastachance，togetthatmoneyback？
RhodaGraylookedquicklyabouther。Onthecorneraheadshesawadrugstore，andstartedbrisklyinthatdirection。Yes，therewasaway！TheideahadfirstcometoherfromthePug’sremarktoShlukerthat，aftertheyhadsecuredthemoney，PinkiewouldreturnwithittothePug’sroom，whilethePugwouldgoandsquarethingswithDanglar。Andalso，atthesametime，thatsameremarkofthePug’shadgivenrisetoahopethatshemightyettraceDanglartonightthroughthePug-butthecircumstancesandhappeningsofthelastfewminuteshadshatteredthathopeutterly。
Andsothereremainedthemoney。And，asshehadwalkedwithPinkieandthePugalittlewhileago，knowingthatPinkiewould，iftheyweresuccessful，carrythemoneybacktothePug’sroom，justaswasbeingdonenowpreciselyinaccordancewiththePug’soriginalintentions，shehadthoughtoftheAdventurer。Ithadseemedtheonlywaythen；itseemedtheonlywaynow-despitethefactthatshewouldbehardputtoittoanswertheAdventurerifhethoughttoaskherhow，orbywhatmeans，shewasinpossessionoftheinformationthatenabledhertocommunicatewithhim。Butshemustriskthat-puthimoff，ifnecessary，throughthepleaofhaste，andonthegroundthattherewasnottimeto-nightforanunnecessaryword。Hehadgivenher，believinghertobeGypsyNan，histelephonenumber，whichshe，inturn，wastotransmittotheWhiteMoll-inotherwords，herself！ButtheWhiteMoll，sohebelieved，hadneverreceivedthatmessage-anditmustofnecessitybeastheWhiteMollthatshemustcommunicatewithhimto-night！Itwouldbehardtoexplain-shemeanttoevadeit。TheonevitalpointwasthatsherememberedthetelephonenumberhehadgivenherthatnightwhenheandDanglarhadmetinthegarret。Shewasnotlikelytohaveforgottenit！
RhodaGray，aliasGypsyNan，scuffledalong。Wassheinconsistent？
TheAdventurerwouldbeinhiselementingoingtothePug’sroom，andinrelievingPinkieBonnofthatmoney；buttheAdventurer，too，wasathief-wasn’the？Why，then，didshepropose，forhermindwasnowcertainlymadeupastohercourseofaction，totrustathieftorecoverthatmoneyforher？
Shesmiledalittlewearilyasshereachedthedrugstore，steppedintothetelephonebooth，andgavecentralhercall。Trustathief！
No，itwasn’tbecauseherheartpromptedhertobelieveinhim；itwasbecauseherheadassuredhershewassafeindoingso。Shecouldtrusthiminaninstancesuchasthisbecause-well，becauseoncebefore，forhersakehehadforegonetheopportunityofappropriatingacertaindiamondnecklaceworthahundredtimesthesumthatshewouldaskhim-yes，ifnecessary，forhersake-torecoverto-night。Therewasno……
Shewaslisteninginastartledwaynowattheinstrument。Centralhadgivenher“information“；and“information“wasinformingherthatthenumbershehadaskedforhadbeendisconnected。
Shehungupthereceiver，andwentoutagaintothestreetinadazedandbewilderedway。Andthensuddenlyasmileofbitterself-derisioncrossedherlips。Shehadbeenafool！Therewasnosofterword-afool！Whyhadshenotstoppedtothink？Sheunderstoodnow！OnthenighttheAdventurerhadconfidedthattelephonenumbertoherasGypsyNan，hehadhadeveryreasontobelievethatGypsyNanwould，asshehadalreadyapparentlydone，befriendtheWhiteMolleventotheextentofacceptingnolittlepersonalriskinsodoing。Butsincethenthingshadtakenaverydifferentturn。TheWhiteMollwasnowheldbythegang，ofwhichGypsyNanwassupposedtobeamember，tobetheonewhohadoflateprofitedbythegang’splanstothegang’sdiscomfiture；andtheAdventurerwasrankedbutlittlelowerinthescaleofhatred，sincetheycountedhimtobetheWhiteMoll’saccomplice。Knowingthis，therefore，thefirstthingtheAdventurerwouldnaturallydowouldbetodestroytheclew，intheshapeofthattelephonenumber，thatwouldleadtohiswhereabouts，andwhichheofcoursebelievedhehadputintothegang’shandswhenhehadconfidedinGypsyNan。
Hadhenottoldher，nolaterthanlastnight，thatGypsyNanwasherworstenemy？Hedidnotknow，didhe，thatGypsyNanandtheWhiteMollwereone！Andsothattelephonehadbeendisconnected-andto-night，now，justwhensheneededhelpatacrucialmoment，whenshehadcountedupontheAdventurertosupplyit，therewasnoAdventurer，nomeansofreachinghim，andnomeansanymoreofknowingwherehewas！
RhodaGraywalkedonalongthestreet，herlipstight，herfacedrawnandhard。FailingtheAdventurer，thereremained-thepolice。
IfshetelephonedthepoliceandsentthemtothePug’sroom，theywouldofacertaintyrecoverthemoney，andwithequalcertaintyrestoreittoitsrightfulowners。ShehadalreadythoughtofthatwhenshehadbeenwithPinkieandthePug，andhadbeenloatheventhentotakesuchastepbecauseitseemedtospellruintoherownpersonalplans；butnowtherewasanotherreason，andonefarmorecogent，whysheshouldnotdoso。Therehadbeenmurdercommittedbackthereinthatundergrounddrug-dive，andofthatmurderPinkieBonnwasinnocent；butifPinkiewerefoundinpossessionofthatmoney，andFrenchPete，tosavehisownskinfromtheconsequencesofagreatercrime，admittedtoitsoriginaltheft，Pinkiewouldbeconvictedoutofhand，forthereweretheothersinthatdive，whohadcomerunningalongthepassage，totestifythatanattackhadbeenmadeonthedoorofFrenchPeteandMarnyDay’sroom，andthatthethievesandmurderershadfledthroughthecellarandescaped。
Herlipspressedhardertogether。AndsotherewasnoAdventureruponwhomshecouldcall，andnopolice，andnooneinallthemillionsinthisgreatpulsingcitytowhomshecouldappeal；andsothereremainedonly-herself。
Well，shecoulddoit，couldn’tshe？NotasGypsyNan，ofcourse-butastheWhiteMoll。Itwouldbeworthit，wouldn’tit？Ifsheweresincere，andnotamoralhypocriteinhersympathyforthosetwooutragedoldpeopleinthetwilightoftheirlives，andifshewerenotamoralcoward，thereremainednoquestionastowhatherdecisionshouldbe。
Hermindbegantomulloverthedetails。Subconsciously，sincethemomentshehadmadeherescapefromthatcellar，shefoundnowthatshehadbeenwalkinginthedirectionofthegarretthatshelteredherasGypsyNan。InanotherfiveminutesshecouldreachthatdesertedshedinthelanebehindGypsyNan’shousewhereherownclotheswerehidden，anditwouldtakeherbutaveryfewminutesmoretoeffectthetransformationfromGypsyNantotheWhiteMoll。Andthen，inanothertenminutes，sheshouldbebackagainatthePug’sroom。ThePughadsaidhewouldnotbemuchmorethanhalfanhour，but，asnearlyasshecouldcalculateit，thatwouldstillgiveherfromfivetotenminutesalonewithPinkieBonn。Itwasenough-morethanenough。TheprestigeoftheWhiteMollwoulddotherest。ArevolverinthehandsoftheWhiteMollwouldinsureinstantandobedientrespectfromPinkieBonn，oranyothermemberofthegangundersimilarconditions。Andso-andso-it-wouldnotbedifficult。Onlytherewasaqueerflutteringatherheartnow，andherbreathcameinhard，shortlittleinhalations。Andshespokesuddenlytoherself:
“I’mglad，“shewhispered，“I’mgladIsawthosetwooldfacesonthatdoorstep，because-because，ifIhadn’t，I-Iwouldbeafraid。“
Theminutespassed。Thedissolutefigureofanoldhagdisappeared，likeadeepershadowintheblacknessofalane，throughthebrokendoorofadesertedshed；presentlyaslim，neatlittlefigure，heavilyveiled，emerged。Againtheminutespassed。AndnowtheveiledfigureletherselfinthroughthebackdoorofthePug’slodginghouse，andstolesoftlydownthedarkhall，andhaltedbeforethePug’sdoor。ItwastheWhiteMollnow。
Fromunderthedoor，attheill-fittingthreshold，thereshowedathinlineoflight。RhodaGray，withherearagainstthedoorpanel，listened。Therewasnosoundofvoicesfromwithin。PinkieBonn，then，wasstillalone，andstillwaitingforthePug。Sheglancedsharplyaroundher。Therewasonlydarkness。Herglovedrighthandwashiddeninthefoldsofherskirt；sheraisedherlefthandandknockedsoftlyuponthedoor-tworaps，onerap，tworaps。Sherepeatedit。AndasithadbeenwithShluker，soitwasnowwithher。Afootstepcrossedthefloorwithin，thekeyturnedinthelock，andthedoorwasflungopen。
“Allright，Pug，“saidPinkieBonn，“I-“
Theman’swordsendedinagaspofsurprisedamazement。Withaquickstepforward，RhodaGraywasintheroom。Herrevolver，suddenlyoutflung，coveredtheother；andherfreehand，reachingbehindher，closedandlockedthedooragain。
TherewasanalmoststupidlookofbewildermentonPinkieBonn’sface。
RhodaGraythrewbackherveil。
“MyGawd！“mumbledPinkieBonn-andlickedhislips。“TheWhiteMoll！“
“Yes！“saidRhodaGraytersely。“Putyourhandsupoveryourheadandgooverthereandstandagainstthewall-withyourfacetoit！“
PinkieBonn，likeanautomatonmovedpurelybymechanicalmeans，obeyed。
RhodaGrayfollowedhim，andwiththemuzzleofherrevolverpressedintothesmalloftheman’sback，feltrapidlyoverhisclotheswithherlefthandforthebulgeofhisrevolver。Shefoundandpossessedherselfoftheweapon，and，steppingback，orderedhimtoturnaroundagain。
“Ihaven’tmuchtime，“shesaidicily。“I’lltroubleyounowforthecashyoutookfromMarnyDayandFrenchPete。“
“MyGawd！“hemumbledagain。“Youknowaboutthat！“
“Quick！“shesaidimperatively。“Putitonthetablethere，andthengobackagaintothewall！“
PinkieBonnfumbledinhispocket。Hisfacewaswhite，almostchalkywhite，anditheldfear；butitsdominantexpressionwasoneofhelplessstupefaction。Heplacedthesheafofbanknotesonthetable，andshuffledbackagaintothewall。
RhodaGraypickedupthemoney，andretreatedtothedoor。Stillfacingtheman，workingwithherlefthandbehindherback，sheunlockedthedooragain，andthistimeremovedthekeyfromthelock。
