the white moll-第22部分
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in an instant； had thrust the fingers of his left hand into the
crevice。 He drew out a number of loose banknotes； and thrust
his fingers in again for a further supply。
〃Open it wider！〃 he commanded curtly。
〃I … I'm trying to；〃 the other mumbled； and bent down to peer under
the table。 〃It's stuck。 The catch is underneath； and …〃
It seemed to Rhoda Gray； gazing into that dimly lighted room； as
though she were suddenly held spellbound as in some horrible and
amazing trance。 Like a hideous jack…in…the…box the gray head popped
above the level of the table again； and quick as a flash； a revolver
was thrust into the Adventurer's face； and the Adventurer； caught at
a disadvantage；； since his hand in his coat pocket was below the
intervening table top； stood there as though instantaneously
transformed into some motionless； inanimate thing； his fingers still
gripping at another sheaf of banknotes that he had been in the act
of scooping out from the narrow aperture。
And then again Rhoda Gray stared； and stared now as though bereft
of her senses； and upon her crept； cold and deadly； a fear and a
terror that seemed to engulf her very soul itself。 That head that
looked like a jack…in…the…box was gone； the gray beard seemed
suddenly to be shorn away； and the gray hair too； and to fall and
flutter to the table； and the bent shoulders were not bent any more；
and it wasn't Nicky Viner at all … only a clever； a wonderfully
clever； impersonation that had been helped out by the poor and
meager light。 And terror gripped at her again； for it wasn't Nicky
Viner。 Those narrowed eyes； that leering； gloating face； those
working lips were Danglar's。
And； as from some far distance； dulled because her consciousness
was dulled； she heard Danglar speak。
〃Perhaps you'll take your hand out of that right…hand coat pocket
of yours now！〃 sneered Danglar。 〃And take it out … empty！〃
The Adventurer's face； as nearly as Rhoda Gray could see； had not
moved a muscle。 He obeyed now； coolly； with a shrug of his
shoulders。
Danglar appeared to experience no further trouble with the surface
of the table now。 He suddenly jerked it almost off； displaying
what Rhoda Gray now knew to be the remainder of the large package
of banknotes he had taken from the garret earlier in the evening。
〃Help yourself to the rest！〃 he invited caustically。 〃There isn't
fifty thousand there； but you are quite welcome to all there is … in
return for those papers。
The Adventurer was apparently obsessed with an inspection of his
finger nails； he began to polish those of one hand with the palm
of the other。
〃Quite so； Danglar！〃 he said coolly。 〃I admit it … I am ashamed
of myself。 I hate to think that I could be caught by you； but I
suppose I can find some self…extenuating circumstances。 You seem
o have risen to an amazingly higher order of intelligence。 In fact；
for you； Danglar； it is not at all bad！〃 He went on polishing his
nails。 〃Would you mind taking that thing out of my face？ Even you
ought to be able to handle it effectively a few inches farther away。〃
Under the studied insult Danglar's face had grown a mottled red。
〃Damn you！〃 he snarled。 〃I'll take it away when I get good and
ready； and by that time I'll have you talking out of the other side
of your mouth！ See？ Do you know what you're up against； you slick
dude？〃
〃I have a fairly good imagination；〃 replied the Adventurer smoothly。
〃You have； eh？〃 mimicked Danglar wickedly。 〃Well； you don't need
to imagine anything！ I'll give you the straight goods so's there
won't be any chance of a mistake。 And never mind about the higher
order of intelligence！ It was high enough； and a little to spare；
to make you walk into the trap！ I hoped I'd get you both； you and
your she…pal； the White Moll； that you'd come here together … but
I'm not kicking。 It's a pretty good start to get you！〃
〃Is it necessary to make a speech？〃 complained the Adventurer
monotonously。 〃I can't help listening； of course。〃
〃You can make up your mind for yourself when I'm through … whether
it's necessary or not！〃 retorted Danglar viciously。 〃I've got a
little proposition to put up to you； and maybe it'll help you to
add two and two together if I let you see all the cards。 Understand？
You've had your run of luck lately； quite a bit of it； haven't you；
you and the White Moll？ Well； it's my turn now！ You've been
queering our game to the limit； curse you！〃 Danglar thrust his
working face a little farther over the table； and nearer to the
Adventurer。 〃Well； what was the answer？ Where did you get the dope
you made your plays with？ It was a cinch； wasn't it； that there was
a leak somewhere in our own crowd？〃 He laughed out suddenly。 〃You
poor fool！ Did you think you could pull that sort of stuff forever？
Did you？ Well； then； how do you like the 'leak' to…night？ You get
the idea； don't you？ Everybody； every last soul that is in with us；
got the details of what they thought was a straight play to…night
… and it leaked to you； as I knew it would； and you walked into the
trap； as I knew you would； because the bait was good and juicy； and
looked the easiest thing to annex that ever happened。 Fifty thousand
dollars！ Fifty thousand … nothing！ All you had to do was to get a
few papers that it wouldn't bother any crook to get； even a near
… crook like you； and then come here and screw the money out of a
helpless old man； who was supposed to have been discovered to be a
miser。 Easy； wasn't it？ Only Nicky Viner wasn't a miser！ We chose
Nicky because of what happened two years ago。 It made things look
pretty near right； didn't it？ Looked straight； that part about
Perlmer； too； didn't it？ That was the come…on。 Perlmer never saw
those papers you've got there in your pocket。 I doped them out；
and we planted them nice and handy where you could get them without
much trouble in the drawer of Perlmer's desk； and …〃
〃It's a long story；〃 interrupted the Adventurer； with quiet
insolence。
〃It's got a short ending；〃 said Danglar； with an ugly leer。 〃We
could have bumped you off when you went for those papers； but if
you went that far you'd come farther； and that wasn't the place to
do it； and we couldn't cover ourselves there the way we could here。
This is the place。 We brought that trick table here a while ago；
as soon as we had got rid of Nicky Viner。 That was the only bit of
stage setting we had to do to make the story ring true right up to
the curtain； in case it was necessary。 It wouldn't have been
necessary if you and the White Moll had both come together； for
then you would neither of you have got any further than that other
room。 It would have ended there。 But we weren't taking any chances。
I'll pay you the compliment of admitting that we weren't counting on
getting you off your guard any too easily if； as it happened； you
came alone； for； being alone； or if either of you were alone； there
was that little proposition that had to be settled； instead of just
knocking you on the head out there in the dark in that other room；
and so； as I say； we weren't overlooking any bets on account of the
little trouble it took to plant that table and the money。 We tried
to think of everything！〃 Danglar paused for a moment to mock the
Adventurer with narrowed eyes。 〃That's the story； here's the end。
I hoped I'd get you both together； you and the White Moll。 I didn't。
But I've got you。 I didn't get you both … and that's what gives you
a chance for your life； because she's worth more to us than you are。
If you'd been together； you would have gone out…together。 As it is；
I'll see that you don't do any more harm anyway； but you get one
chance。 Where is she？ If you answer that； you will； of course；
answer a minor question and locate that 'leak'； for me； that I was
speaking about a moment ago。 But we'll take the main thing first。
And you can take your choice between a bullet and a straight answer。
Where is the White Moll？〃
Rhoda Gray's hand felt Out along the wall for support。 Was this a
dream； some ghastly； soul…terrifying nightmare！ Danglar！ Those
working lips！ That callous viciousness； that leer in the degenerate
face。 It seemed to bring a weakness to her limbs； and seek to rob
her of the strength to stand。 She could not even hope against hope；
she knew that Danglar was in deadly earnest。 Danglar would not have
the slightest compunction； let alone hesitation； in carrying out his
threat。 Terrified now； her eyes sought the Adventurer。 Didn't the
Adventurer know Danglar as she knew him； didn't he realize that
there was deadly earnestness behind Danglar's words？ Was the man
mad； that he stood there utterly unmoved； as though he had no
consideration on earth other than those carefully manicured finger
nails of his！
And then Danglar spoke again。
〃Do you notice anything special about this gun I'm holding on you？〃
he demanded； in low menace。
The Adventurer did not even look up。
〃Oh； yes；〃 he said indifferently。 〃I fancy you got it out of a dime
novel； didn't you？ One of those silencer things。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Danglar grimly； 〃one of those silencer things。 Where is
she？〃
The Adventurer made no answer。
The color in Danglar's face deepened。
〃I'll make things even a little plainer to you；〃 he said with brutal
coolness。 〃There are two men in our organization from whom it is
absolutely impossible that that leak could have come。 Those two
men followed you from Perlmer's office to this place。 They are in
the next room now waiting for me to get through with you； and ready
for anything if they are needed。 But they won't be needed。 That's
not the way it works out。 This gun won't make much noise； and it
isn't likely to arouse the inmates of this dive； but even if it
does； it doesn't matter very much … we aren't going out by the front
door。 The two of them； the minute they hear the shot； slip in here；
and lock the door … you see it's got a good； husky bolt on it … and
then we beat it by the fire escape that runs past that window there。
Get the idea？ And don't kid yourself into thinking that I am taking
any risk with the consequences on account of the coroner hav
