Andtheywerestillwithher，thosewords。Daylighthadcomeagain，andpassedagain，anditwaseveningoncemore；butthosewordsremained，insensibletochange，immutableintheirforeboding。AndRhodaGray，asGypsyNan，shudderednowasshescuffledalongashabbystreetdeepintheheartoftheEastSide。ShewasDanglar’swife-byproxy。Atdawnthatmorningwhenthegrayhadcomecreepingintothemiserableatticthroughthesmallanddirtywindowpanes，shehadfallenonherkneesandthankedGodshehadbeensparedthatfootstep。Itwasstrange！ShehadpouredouthersoulinpassionatethankfulnessthenthatDanglarhadnotcome-andnowshewasdeliberatelyonherwaytoseekDanglarhimself！Butthedaylighthaddonemorethandispersetheactual，physicaldarknessofthepastnight；ithadbrought，ifnotameasureofrelief，atleastasenseofguidance，andthefinaldecision，perilousthoughitwas，whichshemeantnowtoputintoexecution。
　　Therewasnootherway-unlessshewerewillingtoadmitdefeat，togiveupeverything，herowngoodname，herfather’sname，torunfromitallandlivehenceforthinhidinginsomeobscureplacefaraway，brandedinthelifeshewouldhaveleftbehindherasadespicablecriminalandthief。Andshecouldnot，wouldnot，dothiswhileherintuition，atleast，inspiredherwiththefaithtobelievethattherewasstillachanceofclearingherself。Itwasthethrowofthedice，perhaps-buttherewasnootherway。
　　Danglar，andthosewithhim，wereatthebottomofthecrimeofwhichshewasheldguilty。Shecouldnotgoonasshehadbeendoing，merelyinthehopeofstumblinguponsomeclewthatwouldservetoexonerateher。Therewasnottimeenoughforthat。
　　Danglar’strapsetforherselfandtheAdventurerlastnightinoldNickyViner’sroomprovedthat。AndthefactthatthewomanwhohadoriginallymasqueradedasGypsyNan-asshe，RhodaGray，wasmasqueradingnow-wasDanglar’swife，proveditathousandfoldmore。Shecouldnolongerremainpassive，arguingwithherselfthatittookallherwitsandallhereffortstomaintainherselfintheroleofGypsyNan，whichtemporarilywasallthatstoodbetweenherandprisonbars。Todosomeantthecertaintyofdisastersoonerorlater，andifitmeantthat，theneedforimmediateactionofanoffensivesortwasimperative。
　　Andsohermindwasmadeup。HeronlychancewastofindherwayintothefullintimacyofthecriminalbandofwhichDanglarwasapparentlythehead；tosearchoutitslairanditspersonnel；toreachtotheheartofit；toknowDanglar’sprivatemovements，andtodiscoverwherehelivedsothatshemightwatchhim。Itsurelywasnotsuchahopelesstask！True，sheknewbynameandsightscarcelymorethanthreeofthiscrimeclique，butatleastshehadastartingpointfromwhichtowork。TherewasShluker’sjunkshopwhereshehadturnedthetablesonDanglarandSkeenyonthenighttheyhadplannedtomaketheSparrowtheirpawn。Itwasobvious，therefore，thatShlukerhimself，theproprietorofthejunkshop，wasoneoftheorganization。ShewasgoingtoShluker’snow。
　　RhodaGrayhaltedsuddenly，andstaredwonderinglyalittlewayuptheblockaheadofher。Asthoughbymagicacrowdwascollectingaroundthedoorwayofapoverty-stricken，tumble-downframehousethatmadethecornerofanalleyway。Andwherebutaninstantbeforethestreet’sjostlinghumanityhadbeenimmersedinitswranglingwiththepush-cartmenwholinedthecurb，thecartswerenowdesertedbyeveryonesavetheirowners，whosecautionexceededtheircuriosity-andthecrowdgrewmomentarilylargerinfrontofthehouse。
　　ShedrewGypsyNan’sblack，greasyshawlalittlemorecloselyaroundhershoulders，andmovedforwardagain。Andnow，ontheoutskirtsofthecrowd，shecouldseequiteplainly。Thereweretwoorthreelowstepsthatleduptothedoorway，andamanandwomanwerestandingthere。Thewomanwaswretchedlydressed，butwithmoststrangeincongruitysheheldinherhand，obviouslysubconsciously，obviouslyquiteobliviousofit，ahugebasketfulltooverflowingwith，asnearlyasRhodaGraycouldjudge，allsortsofpurchases，asthoughoutofthemidstofabjectpovertyagoldenshowerhadsuddenlydescendeduponher。Andshewasgray，andwellbeyondmiddleage，andcryingbitterly；andherfreehand，whethertosupportherselforwiththeinstinctiveideaofsupportinghercompanion，wasclutchedtightlyaroundtheman’sshoulders。Andthemanrockedunsteadilyuponhisfeet。Hewastallandangular，andolderthanthewoman，andcadaverousoffeature，andmiserablythinofshoulder，andbloodtrickledoverhisforeheadanddownoneashen，hollowcheek-andabovetheexcitedexclamationsofthecrowdRhodaGrayheardhimcough。
　　RhodaGrayglancedaroundher。Wherescarcelyasecondbeforeshehadbeenontheouterfringeofthecrowd，shenowappearedtobeintheverycenterofit。Womenwerepushingupbehindher，womenwhoworeshawlsasshedid，onlytheshawlsweremostlyofgaudycolors；andmenpushedupbehindher，mostlymenofswarthycountenance，whoworecircletsofgoldintheirears；and，brushingherskirts，seekingvantagepoints，ragged，ill-cladchildrenwriggledandwormedtheirwaydeeperintothepress。Itwasacrowdcomposedalmostentirelyoftheforeignelementwhichinhabitedthatquarter-andthecrowdchatteredandgesticulatedwithever-increasingviolence。Shedidnotunderstand。Andshecouldnotseesowellnow。Thatpitifultableauinthedoorwaywasbeingshutoutfromherbyaman，directlyinfrontofher，whohadhoistedahalf-nakedtotofthreeorfourtoareservedseatuponhishead。
　　Andthenayoungman，onewhom，fromheryearsintheBadLandsastheWhiteMoll，sherecognizedasahanger-onatagamblinghellintheChathamSquaredistrict，cametowardher，plowinghisway，contemptuousofobstructions，outofthecrowd。
　　RhodaGray，asGypsyNan，hailedhimoutofthecornerofhermouth。
　　“Say，wot’sderow？“shedemanded。
　　Theyoungmangrinned。
　　“Somebodypinchedamillionfromdeoldguy！“Heshiftedhiscigarettewithadeftmovementofhistonguefromonesideofhismouthtotheother，andgrinnedagain。“Canyousebeatit！
　　Accordin’tohim，hehadenoughcointoannexdewholeofNooYoik！
　　Demoll’shiswife。Hewentouttohell-an’-gonesomewhereforafewyearshuntin’goldwhiledeoldgirlstarved。Denbackhecomesan’blowsinto-daywidhispocketsfull，an’deoldgirlgrabsahandful，an’goesouttobuyupalldegrubinsight’causesheain’thadnoneforsolong。An’w’enshecomesbackshefindsdeoldgeezergaggedan’tiedinachair，an’someguy’shithimacrackondebeanan’flowndecoopwiddemazuma。Butyousehadbettergetoutofherebeforeyousegetsrunover！Disain’tnoplaceforanoldskirtlikeyouse。Debulls’11bedownhereondehopinaminute，an’w’endismobstartssprinklin’destreetwiddeirfleetin’footsteps，yousearelikelytogethurt。See？“Theyoungmanstartedtoforcehiswaythroughthecrowdagain。“Yousehadbettercutloose，mother！“hewarnedoverhisshoulder。
　　Itwasgoodadvice。RhodaGraytookit。Shehadscarcelyreachedthenextblockwhenthecrowdbehindherwasbeingscatteredpell-mellandwithoutceremonyinalldirectionsbythepolice，astheyoungmanhadpredicted。Shewenton。Therewasnothingthatshecoulddo。Theman’sfaceandthewoman’sfacehauntedher。
　　Theyhadseemedstampedwithsuchabjectmiseryanddespair。Buttherewasnothingthatshecoulddo。Itwasoneofthosesoreandgrievouscross-sectionsoutofthelivesoftheswarmingthousandsdownhereinthisquarterwhichsheknewsointimatelyandsowell。
　　Andthereweresomany，manyofthosecross-sections！Once，inasmall，pitifullymeagerandrestrictedway，shehadbeenabletohelpsomeofthesehurtlives，butnow-Herlipstightenedalittle。ShewasgoingtoShluker’sjunkshop。
　　Herforeheadgatheredinlittlefurrowsasshewalkedalong。Shehadweighedtheprosandconsofthisvisitahundredtimesalreadyduringtheday；butevenso，instinctivelytoreassureherselflestsomeapparentlyminor，butneverthelessfatallyvital，pointmighthavebeenoverlooked，hermindrevertedtoitagain。FromShluker’sviewpoint，whetherGypsyNanwasinthehabitofminglingwithorvisitingtheothermembersofthegangornot-amatteruponwhichshecouldnotevenhazardaguess-hervisitto-nightmustappearentirelylogical。Therewaslastnight-and，anaturalcorollary，herequallynaturalanxietyonhersupposedhusband’saccount，providing，ofcourse，thatShlukerwasawarethatGypsyNanwasDanglar’swife。ButevenifShlukerdidnotknowthat，heknewatleastthatGypsyNanwasoneofthegang，and，assuch，hemustequallyacceptitasnaturalthatsheshouldbeanxiousanddisturbedoverwhathadhappened。Shewouldbeonsafegroundeitherway。
　　Shewouldpretendtoknowonlywhathadappearedinthepapers；inotherwords，thatthepolice，attractedtothespotbythesoundofrevolvershots，hadfoundDanglarhandcuffedtothefireescapeofawell-knownthieves’resortinanalltoowell-knownandquestionablelocality。
　　Asmilecamespontaneously。Itwasquitetrue。ThatwaswheretheAdventurerhadleftDanglar-handcuffedtothefireescape！Thesmilevanished。Thehumorofthesituationwasnotlong-lived；itendedthere。Danglarwasascunningastheproverbialfox；andDanglar，atthatmoment，indesperateneedofexplaininghispredicamentinsomeplausiblewaytothepolice，had，astheexpressionwent，runtruetoform。Danglar’sstory，asreportedbythepapers，evenroseabovehisownhigh-watermarkofviciouscunning，becauseitplayeduponachordthatappealedinstantlytothepolice；anditrangtrue，notonlybecausewhatthepolicecouldfindoutabouthimmadeitlikely，butalsobecauseitcontainedamodicumoftruthinitself；and，furthermore，Danglarhadscoredonstillanothercountinthathisstorymuststimulatethepoliceintorenewedactivitiesashisunsuspectingalliesintheonething，theoneaimandobjectthat，atthatmoment，mustobsesshimaboveallothers-thediscoveryofherself，theWhiteMoll。
　　Itwasingeniouslysimple，Danglar’ssmoothandoilylie！Hehadbeenwalkingalongthestreet，hehadstated，whenhesawawoman，asshepassedunderastreetlamp，whohethoughtresembledtheWhiteMoll。Tomakesure，hefollowedher-atasafedistance，ashebelieved。Sheenteredthetenement。Hehesitated。Heknewthereputationoftheplace，whichboreouthisfirstimpressionthatthewomanwastheonehethoughtshewas；buthedidnotwanttomakeafoolofhimselfbycallinginthepoliceuntilhewaspositiveofheridentity，sohefinallyfollowedherinside，andheardhergoupstairs，andcreptupafterherinthedark。Andthen，suddenly，hewassetuponandhustledintoaroom。ItwastheWhiteMoll，allright；andtheshotscamefromhercompanion，amanwhomhedescribedminutely-thedescriptionbeingthatoftheAdventurer，ofcourse。Theyseemedtothinkthathe，Danglar，wasaplain-clothesman，andtriedtosickenhimofhisjobbyfrighteninghim。Andthentheyforcedhimthroughthewindowanddownthefireescape，andfastenedhimtherewithhandcuffstomockthepolice，andtheWhiteMoll’scompanionhaddeliberatelyfiredsomemoreshotstomakesureofbringingthepolicetothescene，andthenthetwoofthemhadrunforit。
　　RhodaGray’seyesdarkenedangrily。ThenewspaperssaidthatDanglarhadbeentemporarilyheldbythepolice，thoughhisstorywasbelievedtobetrue，forcertainlythemanwouldmakenomistakeastotheidentityoftheWhiteMoll，sincehislife，whatthepolicecouldfindoutaboutit，coincidedwithhisownstatements，andhewouldnaturallythereforehaveseenhermanytimesintheBadLandswhenshewasworkingthereundercoverofherdespicableroleofsweetandinnocentcharity。Danglarhadmadenopretensionstoself-righteousness-hewastoocuteforthat。Headmittedthathehadno“specificoccupation，“thathehungaroundthegamblinghellsagooddeal，thathefollowedthehorses-that，frankly，helivedbyhiswits。Hehadprobablygivensomeframed-upaddresstothepolice，but，ifso，thepapershadnotstatedwhereitwas。