Danglar　could　go　the　limit　and　get　all。　　As　it　stood；　then；　Danglar
  and　the　gang　had　not　found　out　the　location　of　that　hoard；　but　they
  had　found　out　where　Perlmer　kept　his　spurious　papers　…　stuffed　in
  at　the　back　of　the　bottom　drawer　of　his　desk　in　his　office；
  practically　forgotten；　practically　useless　to　Perlmer　any　more；　for；
  having　once　shown　them　to　Viner；　there　was　no　occasion　to　call　them
  into　service　again　unless　Viner　showed　signs　of　getting　a　little
  out　of　hand　and　it　became　necessary　to　apply　the　screws　once　more。
  For　the　rest；　it　was　a　very　simple　matter。　　Perlmer　had　an　office
  in　a　small　building　on　lower　Sixth　Avenue；　and　it　was　his　custom
  to　go　to　his　office　in　the　evenings　and　remain　there　until　ten
  o'clock　or　so。　　The　plan　then；　according　to　the　code　message；　was
  to　loot　Perlmer's　desk　some　time　after　the　man　had　gone　home　for
  the　night；　and　then；　at　midnight；　armed　with　the　false　documents；
  to　beard　old　Nicky　Viner　in　his　miserable　quarters　over　on　the　East
  Side；　and　extort　from　the　old　miser　the　neat　little　sum　that　Danglar
  estimated　would　amount　to　some　fifty　thousand　dollars　in　cash。
  Rhoda　Gray's　face　was　troubled　and　serious。　　She　found　herself
  wishing　for　a　moment　that　she　had　never　decoded　the　message。　　But
  she　shook　her　head　in　sharp　self…protest　the　next　instant。　　True；
  she　would　have　evaded　the　responsibility　that　the　criminal　knowledge
  now　in　her　possession　had　brought　her；　but　she　would　have　done　so；
  in　that　case；　deliberately　at　the　expense　of　her　own　self…respect。
  It　would　not　have　excused　her　in　her　own　soul　to　have　sat　staring
  at　a　cipher　message　that　she　was　satisfied　was　some　criminal　plot；
  and　have　refused　to　decode　it　simply　because　she　was　afraid　a　sense
  of　duty　would　involve　her　in　an　effort　to　frustrate　it。　　To　have
  sat　idly　by　under　those　circumstances　would　have　been　as
  reprehensible　…　and　even　more　cowardly　…　than　it　would　be　to　sit
  idly　by　now　that　she　knew　what　was　to　take　place。　　And　on　that
  latter　score　to…night　there　was　no　argument　with　herself。　　She
  found　herself　accepting　the　fact　that　she　would　act；　and　act
  promptly；　as　the　only　natural　corollary　to　the　fact　that　she　was
  in　a　position　to　do　so。　　Perhaps　it　was　that　way　to…night；　not　only
  because　she　had　on　a　previous　occasion　already　fought　this　principle
  of　duty　out　with　herself；　but　because　to…night；　unlike　that　other
  night；　the　way　and　the　means　seemed　to　present　no　insurmountable
  difficulties；　and　because　she　was　now　far　better　prepared；　and　free
  from　all　the　perplexing；　though　enormously　vital；　little　details
  that　had　on　the　former　occasion　reared　themselves　up　in　mountainous
  aspect　before　her。　　The　purchase　of　a　heavy　veil；　for　instance；　the
  day　after　the　Hayden…Bond　affair；　would　enable　her　now　to　move　about
  the　city　in　the　clothes　of　the　White　Moll　practically　at　will　and
  without　fear　of　detection。　　And；　further；　the　facilities　for　making
  that　change；　the　change　from　Gypsy　Nan　to　the　White　Moll；　were　now
  already　at　hand　…　in　the　little　old　shed　down　the　lane。
  And　as　far　as　any　actual　danger　that　she　might　incur　to…night　was
  concerned；　it　was　not　great。　　She　was　not　interested　in　the　fifty
  thousand　dollars　in　an　intrinsic　sense；　she　was　interested　only　in
  seeing　that　old　Nicky　Viner；　unappealing；　yes；　and　almost　repulsive
  both　in　personality　and　habits　as　the　man　was；　was　not　blackmailed
  out　of　it；　that　Danglar；　yes；　and　hereafter；　Perlmer　too；　should
  not　prey　like　vultures　on　the　man；　and　rob　him　of　what　was
  rightfully　his。　　If；　therefore；　she　secured　those　papers　from
  Perlmer's　desk；　it　automatically　put　an　end　to　Danglar's　scheme
  to…night；　and　if；　later；　she　saw　to　it　that　those　papers　came　into
  Viner's　possession；　that；　too；　automatically　ended　Perlmer's
  persecutions。　　Indeed；　there　seemed　little　likelihood　of　any　danger
  or　risk　at　all。　　It　could　not　be　quite　ten　o　clock　yet；　and　it　was
  not　likely　that　whoever　was　delegated　by　Danglar　to　rob　Perlmer's
  office　would　go　there　much　before　eleven　anyway；　since　they　would
  naturally　allow　for　the　possibility　that　Perlmer　might　stay　later
  in　his　office　than　usual；　a　contingency　that　doubtless　accounted
  for　midnight　being　set　as　the　hour　at　which　they　proposed　to　lay
  old　Nicky　Viner　by　the　heels。　　Therefore；　it　seemed　almost　a
  certainty　that　she　would　reach　there；　not　only　first；　but　with
  ample　time　at　her　disposal　to　secure　the　papers　and　get　away　again
  without　interruption。　　She　might　even；　perhaps；　reach　the　office
  before　Perlmer　himself　had　left　…　it　was　still　quite　early　enough
  for　that　…　but　in　that　case　she　need　only　remain　on　watch　until
  the　lawyer　had　locked　up　and　gone　away。　　Nor　need　even　the　fact
  that　the　office　would　be　locked　dismay　her。　　In　the　secret
  hiding…place　here　in　the　garret；　among　those　many　other　evidences
  of　criminal　activity；　was　the　collection　of　skeleton　keys；　and　…　she
  was　moving　swiftly　around　the　attic　now；　physically　as　active　as　her
  thoughts。
  It　was　not　like　that　other　night。　　There　were　few　preparations　to
  make。　　She　had　only　to　secure　the　keys　and　a　flashlight；　and　to
  take　with　her　the　damp　cloth　that　would　remove　the　grime　streaks
  from　her　face；　and　the　box　of　composition　that　would　enable　her　to
  replace　them　when　she　came　back　…　and　five　minutes　later　she　was
  on　the　street；　making　her　way　toward　the　lane；　and；　specifically；
  toward　the　deserted　shed　where　she　had　hidden　away　her　own　clothing。
  IX。　　ROOM　NUMBER　ELEVEN
  Another　five　minutes；　and　in　her　own　personality　now；　a　slim；　trim
  figure；　neatly　gloved；　the　heavy　veil　affording　ample　protection　to
  her　features；　Rhoda　Gray　emerged　from　the　shed　and　the　lane；　and
  started　rapidly　toward　lower　Sixth　Avenue。　　And　as　she　walked；　her
  mind；　released　for　the　moment　from　the　consideration　of　her
  immediate　venture；　began　again；　as　it　had　so　many　times　in　the　last
  three　days；　its　striving　and　its　searching　after　some　loophole　of
  escape　from　her　own　desperate　situation。　　But　only；　as　it　ever　did；
  confusion　came　…　a　chaos　of　things；　contributory　things　and
  circumstances；　and　the　personalities　of　those　with　whom　this
  impossible　existence　had　thrown　her　into　contact。　　Little　by　little
  she　was　becoming　acquainted　with　the　personnel　of　the　gang　…　in　an
  impersonal　way；　mostly。　　Apart　from　Danglar；　there　was　Shluker；　who
  must　of　necessity　be　one　of　them；　and　Skeeny；　the　man　who　had　been
  with　Danglar　in　Shluker's　room；　and　the　Cricket；　whom　she　had　never
  seen；　and　besides　these；　there　were　those　who　were　mentioned　in　the
  cipher　message　to…night；　and　detailed　to　the　performance　of　the
  various　acts　and　scenes　that　were　to　lead　up　to　the　final　climax
  …　which；　she　supposed；　was　the　object　and　reason　for　the　cipher
  message；　in　order　that　even　those　not　actually　employed　might　be
  thoroughly　conversant　with　the　entire　plan；　and　ready　to　act
  intelligently　if　called　upon。　　For　there　were　others；　of　course；　as
  witness　herself；　or；　rather；　Gypsy　Nan；　whose　personality　she　had
  so　unwillingly　usurped。
  It　was　vital；　necessary；　that　she　should　know　them　all；　and　more
  than　in　that　impersonal　way；　if　she　counted　upon　ever　freeing
  herself　of　the　guilt　attributed　to　her。　　For　she　could　see　no　other
  way　but　one　…　that　of　exposing　and　proving　the　guilt　of　this　vile
  clique　who　now　surrounded　her；　and　who　had　actually　instigated　and
  planned　the　crime　of　which　she　was　accused。　　And　it　was　not　an　easy
  task！
  And　then　there　were　those　outside　this　unholy　circle　who　kept
  forcing　their　existence　upon　her　consciousness；　because　they；　too；
  played　an　intimate　part　in　the　sordid　drama　which　revolved　around
  her；　and　whose　end　she　could　not　foresee。　　There　was；　for　instance
  …　the　Adventurer。　　She　drew　in　her　breath　quickly。　　She　felt　the
  color　creep　slowly　upward；　and　tinge　her　throat　and　cheeks　…　and
  then　the　little　chin；　strong　and　firm；　was　lifted　in　a　sort　of
  self…defiant　challenge。　　True；　the　man　had　been　a　great　deal　in
  her　thoughts；　but　that　was　only　because　her　curiosity　was　piqued；
  and　because　on　two　occasions　now　she　had　had　very　real　cause　for
  gratitude　to　him。　　If　it　had　not　been　for　the　Adventurer；　she
  would　even　now　be　behind　prison　bars。　　Why　shouldn't　she　think　of
  him？　　She　was　not　an　ingrate！　　Why　shouldn't　she　be　interested？
  There　was　something　piquantly　mysterious　about　the　man　…　who　called
  himself　an　adventurer。　　She　would　even　have　given　a　good　deal　to
  know　who　he　really　was；　and　how　he；　too；　came　to　be　so　conversant
  with　Danglar's　plans　as　fast　as　they　were　matured；　and　why；　on
  those　two　particular　occasions；　he　had　not　only　gone　out　of　his
  way　to　be　of　service　to　her；　but　had　done　so　at　very　grave　risk　to
  himself。　　Of　course；　she　was　interested　in　him　…　in　that　way。　　How
  could　she　help　it？　　But　in　any　other　way　…　the　little　chin　was
  still　tilted　defiantly　upward　…　even　the　suggestion　was　absurd。
  The　man　might　be　chivalrous；　courageous；　yes；　outwardly；　even　a
  gentleman　in　both　manner　and　appearance；　he　might　be　all　those
  things；　and；　indeed；　was　…　but　he　was　a　thief；　a　professional
  thief　and　crook。　　It　seemed　very　strange；　of　course；　but　she　was
  judging　him；　not　alone　from　the　circumstances　under　which　they　had
  met　and　been　together；　but　from　what　he　had　given　her　to　underst