Andsoitseemedthatshehadtherighttohope，eventhoughtherewerestillsomanythingsshedidnotknow，thatifsheallowedhermindtodwelluponthatphaseofit，itstaggeredher-wherethosecodemessagescamefrom，andhow；whyRoughRorkeofheadquartershadnevermadeasignsincethatfirstnight；whytheoriginalGypsyNan，whowasdeadnow，hadbeenforcedintohidingwiththedeathpenaltyofthelawhangingoverher；whyDanglar，thoughGypsyNan’shusband，wascomparativelyfree。These，andamyriadotherthings！ButshecountednowuponherknowledgeoftheAdventurer’ssecrettoforcefromhimeverythingheknew；and，withthattoworkon，aconfessionfromsomeofthegangincorroborationthatwouldprovetheauthorshipofthecrimeofwhichshehadseeminglybeencaughtintheactofcommitting。
　　Yes，shewasbeginningtoseethewayatlast-throughtheAdventurer。Itseemedasureandcertainway。IfshepresentedherselfbeforehimasGypsyNan，whomhebelievedtobenotonlyoneofthegang，butactuallyDanglar’swife，andlethimknowthatshewasawareofthedualrolehewasplaying，andthattheinformationhethusacquiredasthePugheturnedtohisownaccountandtotheundoingofthegang，hemustofnecessitybeathermercy。Hermercy！Whatexquisiteirony！Hermercy！Themanherheartloved；thethiefhercommonsenseabhorred！Whatirony！
　　Whenshe，too，playedadoublerole；whenintheirothercharacters，thatoftheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll，heandshewerelinkedtogetherbythegangasconfederates，whereas，intruth，theywerewiderapartthanthepolesoftheearth！
　　Hermercy！Howmercifulwouldshebe-tothethiefsheloved？Heknew，hemustknow，alltheinnersecretsofthegang。Shesmiledwanlynowasshereachedthelanding。Wouldheknowthatinthelastanalysisherthreatwouldbeonlyanidleone；that，thoughherfuture，hersafety，herlifedependedonobtainingtheevidenceshefelthecouldsupply，herthreatwouldbeempty，andthatshewaspowerless-becauseshelovedhim。Buthedidnotknowshelovedhim-shewasGypsyNan。Ifshekepthersecret，ifhedidnotpenetrateherdisguiseasshehadpenetratedhis，ifshewereGypsyNanandDanglar’swifetohim，herthreatwouldbevalidenough，and-andhewouldbeathermercy！
　　Aflush，halfshamed，halfangry，dyedthegrimethatwaspartofGypsyNan’sdisguiseuponherface。Whatwasshesayingtoherself？
　　Whatwasshethinking？Thathedidnotknowshelovedhim！Howwouldhe？Howcouldhe？Hadaword，anact，asinglelookofhersevergivenhimahintthat，whenshehadbeenwithhimastheWhiteMoll，shecared！Itwasunjust，unfair，toflingsuchatauntatherself。Itseemedasthoughshehadlostnearlyeverythinginlife，butshehadnotyetlostherwomanlinessandherpride。
　　Shehadcertainlylosthersenses，though！Evenifthatword，thatlook，thatacthadpassedbetweenthem，betweentheAdventurerandtheWhiteMoll，hestilldidnotknowthatGypsyNanwastheWhiteMoll-andthatwastheonethingnowthathemustnotknow，and……
　　RhodaGrayhaltedsuddenly，andstaredalongthehallwayaheadofher，anduptheshort，ladder-likestepsthatledtothegarret。
　　Herears-orwasitfancy？-hadcaughtwhatsoundedlikealowknockingupthereuponherdoor。Yes，itcameagainnowdistinctly。
　　Itwasduskoutside；inhere，inthehall，itwasalmostdark。Hereyesstrainedthroughthemurk。Shewasnotmistaken。Somethingdarkerthanthesurroundingdarkness，aform，movedupthere。
　　Theknockingceased，andnowtheformseemedtobenddownandgropealongthefloor；andthen，aninstantlater，itbegantodescendtheladder-likesteps-andabruptlyRhodaGray，too，movedforward。Itwasn’tDanglar。Thatwaswhathadinstantlytakenholdofhermind，andsheknewasuddenreliefnow。Themanonthestairs-shecouldseethatitwasamannow-thoughhemovedsilently，swayedinagrotesquelyjerkywayasthoughhewerelame。Itwasn’tDanglar！
　　ShewouldgotoanylengthtotrackDanglartohislair；butnothere-hereinthedarkness-hereinthegarret。Hereshewasafraidofhimwithadeadlyfear；herealonewithhimtherewouldbeathousandchancesofexposureincidenttotheslightestintimacyhemightshowthewomanwhomhebelievedtobehiswife-athousandchanceshereagainsthardlyoneinanyotherenvironmentorsituation。Butthemanonthestairswasn’tDanglar。
　　Shehaltednowandutteredasharpexclamation，asthoughshehadcaughtsightofthemanforthefirsttime。
　　Theother，too，hadhalted-atthefootofthestairs。Aplaintivedrawlreachedher:
　　“Don’tscreech，Bertha！It’sonlyyourdevotedbrother-in-law。
　　Curseyourinfernalladder，andmytwistedback！“
　　Danglar’sbrother！Bertha！Shesnatchedinstantlyatthecuewithaninwardgaspofthankfulness。ShewouldnotmakethemistakeofusingthevernacularbehindwhichGypsyNanshelteredherself。HerewassomeonewhoknewthatGypsyNanwasbutarole。Butshehadtorememberthathervoicewasslightlyhoarse；thathervoice，atleast，couldnotsacrificeitsdisguisetoanyone。Danglarhadbeenalittlesuspiciousofituntilshehadexplainedthatshewassufferingfromacold。
　　“Oh！“shesaidcalmly。“It’syou，isit？Andwhatbroughtyouhere？“
　　“Whatdoyousuppose？“hecomplainedirritably。“Thesameoldthing，allI’mgoodfor-towriteoutcodemessagesanddeliverthemlikeanerrandboy！It’sasweetjob，isn’tit？How’dyouliketobeadeformedlittlecripple？“
　　Shedidnotansweratonce。Thenightseemedsuddenlytobeopeningsomestrange，evenpremonitory，vista。Thecodemessages！Theirmodeofdelivery！Herewastheanswer！
　　“MaybeI’dlikeitbetterthanbeingGypsyNan！“sheflungbacksignificantly。
　　Helaughedoutsharply。
　　“I’dliketotradewithyou，“hesaid，aquicknoteofgenuineenvyinhisvoice。“Youcanpitchawayyourclothes；Ican’tpitchawayacrookedspine。And，anyway，afterto-night，you’llbelivingswellagain。
　　Sheleanedtowardhim，staringathiminthesemi-darkness。Thatpremonitoryvistawaswidening；hiswordsseemedsuddenlytosetherbrainintumult。Afterto-night！Shewastoresume，afterto-night，thecharacterthatwassupposedtolaybehindthedisguiseofGypsyNan！Shewastoresumehersupposedlytruecharacter-thatofPierreDanglar’swife！
　　“Whatdoyoumean？“shedemandedtensely。
　　“Aw，comeon！“hesaidabruptly。“Thisisn’ttheplacetotalk。
　　Pierrewantsyouatonce。That’swhatthemessagewasfor。I
　　thoughtyouwereout，andIleftitintheusualplacesoyou’dgetittheminuteyougotbackandcomealongover。So，comeonnowwithme。“
　　Hewasmovingdownthehallway，blotchinglikesomemisshapentoadintheshadowylight，lurchinginhiswalk，thatwas，nevertheless，almostuncannilynoiseless。Mechanicallyshefollowedhim。Shewastryingtothink；strivingfranticallytobringherwitstoplayonthissuddenandunexpecteddenouement。ItwasobviousthathewastakinghertoDanglar。ShehadstrivendesperatelylastnighttorunDanglartoearthinhislair。Andherewasaself-appointedguide！Andyetheremotionsconflictedandherbrainwasconfused。
　　Itwaswhatshewanted，whatthroughbittertravailofmindshehaddecidedmustbehercourse；butshefoundherselfshrinkingfromitwithdreadandfearnowthatitpromisedtobecomeareality。ItwasnotlikelastnightwhenofherowninitiativeshehadsoughttotrackDanglar，forthenshehadstartedoutwithacertainfreedomofactionthatheldinreserveafreedomtoretreatifitbecamenecessary。To-nightitwasasthoughsheweredeprivedofthatfreedom，andbeingledintowhatonlytooeasilymightdevelopintoatrapfromwhichshecouldnotretreatorescape。
　　Supposesherefusedtogo？
　　Theyhadreachedthestreetnow，andnowsheobtainedabetterviewofthemisshapenthingthatlurchedjerkilyalongbesideher。Themanwasdeformed，miserablydeformed。Hewalkedmostcuriously，halfbentover；andonearm，theleft，seemedtoswinghelplessly，andthelefthandwaslikeawitheredthing。Hereyessoughttheother’sface。Itwasanoldface，mucholderthanDanglar’s，anditwaswhiteandpinchedanddrawn；andinthedarkeyes，astheysuddenlydartedaglanceather，shereadasullen，bitterbroodinganddiscontent。Sheturnedherheadaway。Itwasnotapleasantface；itstruckherasbeingbothmorbidandcrueltoadegree。
　　Supposesherefusedtogo？
　　“Whatdidyoumeanby’afterto-night’？“sheaskedagain。
　　“You’llsee，“heanswered。“Pierre’lltellyou。You’reinluck，that’sall。Thewholethingthathaskeptyouundercoverhasbustwideopenyourway，andyouwin。AndPierre’sgoingthroughforaclean-up。To-morrowyoucanswellaroundinalimousineagain。Andmaybeyou’llcomearoundandtakemeforadrive，ifIdressup，andpromisetohideinacornerofthebackseatso’stheywon’tseeyourhandsomefriend！“
　　Thecreatureflungabittersmileather，andlurchedon。
　　Hehadtoldherwhatshewantedtoknow-morethanshehadhopedfor。ThemysterythatsurroundedthecharacterofGypsyNan，theevidenceofthecrimeatwhichthewomanwhohadoriginatedthatrolehadhintedonthenightshedied，andwhichmustnecessarilyinvolveDanglar，washers，RhodaGray’s，nowforthetaking。AswellgoandgiveherselfuptothepoliceastheWhiteMollandhavedonewithitall，astorefusetoseizetheopportunitywhichfate，evidentlyinakindliermoodtowardhernow，wasofferingheratthisinstant。ItpromisedhertheholduponDanglarthatsheneededtoforceanavowalofherowninnocence，theveryholdthatshehadbutafewminutesbeforebeenhopingshecouldobtainthroughtheAdventurer。
　　Therewasnolongeranyquestionastowhethershewouldgoornot。
　　Herhandgropeddownundertheshabbyblackshawlintothewide，voluminouspocketofhergreasyskirt。Yes，herrevolverwasthere。
　　Sheknewitwasthere，butthetouchofherfingersuponitseemedtobringasenseofreassurance。Shewasperhapsstakingherallinaccompanyingthiscripplehereto-night-shedidnotneedtobetoldthat-buttherewasawayofescapeatthelastifshewerecorneredandcaught。Herfingersplayedwiththeweapon。IftheworstcametotheworstshewouldneverbeatDanglar’smercywhileshepossessedthatrevolverand，iftheneedcame，turnedituponherself