“No，Iamnot，“sherepliedcoolly。“Farfromit！TherewasmoneystolenthatIcannotreplace，andthetheftofthemoneywouldbeputuponthesameinnocentshoulders。IseenootherwaythantheoneIhavementioned。Ifwhoeverrunsintothisroomispermittedtogetaglimpseofme，andisgiventheimpressionthatthenecklace，whichIshallleaveonthefloor，wasdroppedinmyhaste，thesuppositionremainsthat，atleast，Igotawaywiththemoney。
Iamcertainlynottheinnocentmanwhohasbeenusedasthepawn；
andifIamrecognizedastheWhiteMoll，whatdoesitmatter-afterlastnight？“
Hetookasteptowardherimpetuously-andstoppedquiteasimpetuously。Herrevolverhadswungtoalevelwithhishead。
“Pardonme！“hesaid。
“Notatall！“shesaidcaustically。
Forthefirsttime，asshewatchedhimwarily，theAdventurerappearedtolosesomeofhisself-assurance。Heshiftedalittleuneasilyonhisfeet，andthecornersofhiseyespuckeredintoanestofperturbedwrinkles。
“Isay，MissGray，youcan’tmeanthis！“beprotested。“You’renotserious！“
“IhavetoldyouthatIam，“sheansweredsteadily。“ThosethreeminutesthatIgaveyouaregoingfast。“
“Thenlookhere！“heexclaimedearnestly。“I’lltellyousomething。
IsaidIhadbeentryingtofindyouto-night。Itwasthetruth。
IwenttoGypsyNan’s-andmighthavebeensparedmypains。I
toldheraboutlastnight，andthatIknewyouwereindanger，andthatIwantedtohelpyou。ImentionthissothatyouwillunderstandthatIamnotjustspeakingonthespurofthemoment，nowthatIhaveanopportunityofrepeatingthatofferinperson。“
Shelookedathimimpassivelyforamoment。HehadneglectedtostatethathehadalsotoldGypsyNanhedesiredtoenterintoapartnershipwithher-incrime。
“Itisverykindofyou，“shesaidsweetly。“Ipresume，then，thatyouhavesomesuggestiontomake？“
“Onlywhatany-mayIsayit？-gentlemanwouldsuggestunderthecircumstances。Itisfartoodangerousathingforawomantoattempt；itwouldbemuchlessdangerousforme。Irealizethatyouareinearnestnow，andIwillagreetocarryoutyourplanineverydetailonceIamsatisfiedthatyouaresafelyaway。“
“Theideabeing，“sheobservedmonotonously，“that，beingsafelyaway，andthenecklacebeingleftsafelyonthefloor，youareleftsafelyinpossessionof-thenecklace。Well，myansweris-no！“
Hisfacehardenedalittle。
“I’msorry，then，“hesaid。“Forinthatcase，insofarasyourprojectisconcerned，I，too，mustsay-no！“
Itwasanimpasse。Shestudiedhisface，thestrongjawsetalittlenow，thelipsmoldedinsternerlines，andforallheroutwardshowofcomposure，sheknewasickdismay。Andforamomentsheneithermovednorspoke。Whathewoulddonext，shedidnotknow；butsheknewquitewellthathehadnottheslightestintentionofleavingherhereundisturbedtocarryoutherplan，unless-unless，somehow，shecouldoutwithim。Shebitherlipsagain。Andtheninspirationcame。Sheturned，andwithasuddenleapgainedthewall，andthenextinstant，holdinghimbackwithherrevolverasshereachedupwithherlefthand，shecaughtatthegreatmetalshieldwithitsencirclingclusterofsmallarms，andwrencheditfromitsfastenings。Itcrashedtothefloorwithadininfernalthat，inthenightsilence，wentracketingthroughthehouselikethereverberationsofanexplosion。
“MyGod，whathaveyoudone！“hecriedouthoarsely。
“WhatIsaidI’ddo！“sheanswered。Shewaswhite-faced，frightenedatherownact，fightingtomaintainhernerve。“You’llgonow，I
imagine！“sheflungathimpassionately。“Youhaven’tmuchtime。“
“No！“hesaid。Hiscomposurewasinstantlyatcommandagain。“No，“
herepeatedsteadily；“notuntilafteryouhavegone。Irefuse-positively-toletyourunanysuchriskasthat。Itisfartoodangerous。“
“Yes，youwill！“sheburstoutwildly。“Youwill！Youmust！Youshall！I-I-“Thehouseitselfseemedsuddenlytohaveawakened。
Fromabovedoorsopenedandclosed。Indistinctlytherecamethesoundofavoice。Sheclenchedherhandinanguisheddesperation。
“Go，you-youcoward！“shewhisperedfrantically。
“MissGray，forGod’ssake，doasItellyou！“hesaidbetweenhisteeth。“Youdon’trealizethedanger。It’snotthepursuit。Theyarenotcomingdownhereunarmedafterthatracket。Iknowthatyoucameinbythatdoorthere。Gooutthatway。Iwillplaythegameforyou。Iswearit！“
Therewerefootsteps，plainlyaudiblenow，outinthemainhall。
“Quick！“heurged。“Arewebothtobecaught？See！“Hebackedsuddenlytowardthewindow。
“See！Iamtoofarawaynowtotouchthatnecklacebeforetheygethere。Throwitdown，andgetbehindtheportiereofthereardoor！“
Mechanicallyshewasretreating。Theywerealmostattheotherdoornow，thosefootstepsoutsideinthemainhall。Withabackwardspringshereachedtheportiere。Thedoorhandleacrosstheroomrattled。SheglancedattheAdventurer。Hewasclosetothewindow。
Itwastrue，hecouldnotgetthenecklaceandatthesametimehopetoescape。Shewhippeditfromherpocket，tosseditfromhertothefloorneartheplush-linedcase-andslippedbehindtheportiere。
Thedooroppositetoherwaswrenchedviolentlyopen。Shecouldseethroughthecorneroftheportiere。Therewasasharp，excitedexclamation，asagray-hairedman，inpajamas，evidentlyMr。
Hayden-Bondhimself，sprangintotheroom。Hewasfollowedbyanothermaninequaldishabille。
AndtheAdventurerwasleapingforthewindow。
Therewasablindingflash，theroarofareport，asthemillionaireflunguparevolverandfired；itwasechoedbythesplatterandtinkleoffallingglass。TheAdventurerwasastridethewindowsillnow，hisfacedeliberatelyandunmistakablyinview。
“Afoottoohigh，andabittotheright！“saidtheAdventurerdebonairly-andthewindowsillwasempty。
RhodaGraystolesilentlythroughthedoorwaybehindher。Shecouldhearthemillionaireandhiscompanion，thebutler，probably，rushacrossthelibrarytothewindow。Asshegainedthepantry，sheheardanothershot。Tight-lipped，usingherflashlight，sheranthroughthekitchen。Inamomentmore，shewasstandingatthegaragedoor，listening，peeringfurtivelyoutside。Thestreetitselfwasempty；therewereshouts，though，fromthedirectionoftheAvenue。Shesteppedoutonthesidestreet，andwalkingcomposedlythatshemightnotattractattention，thoughveryimpulseurgedhertorunwithfrantichaste，shereachedthecornerandthewaitingtaxicab。ShegavethechauffeuranaddressthatwouldbringhertothestreetintherearofGypsyNan’sandwithinreachofthelanewhereshehadleftherclothes，and，withaninjunctiontohurry，sprangintothecab。
Andthenforalongtimeshesattherewithherhandstightlyclaspedinherlap。Hermind，herbrain，herverysoulitselfseemedinchaosandturmoil。TherewastheSparrow，whowassafe；
andDanglar，whowouldmoveheavenandhelltogethernow；andtheAdventurer，who-Hermindseemedtogropearoundincycles；
itseemedtomoilonandonandarriveatnothing。TheAdventurerhadplayedthegame-perhapsbecausehehadhadto；buthehadnotriskedthatrevolvershotinhersteadbecausehehadhadto。
Whowashe？Howhadhecomethere？Howhadhefoundherthere？
Howhadheknownthatshehadenteredbythatreardoorbehindtheportiere？Sherememberedhowthathehadofferednotasingleexplanation。
Almostmechanicallyshedismissedthetaxiwhenatlastitstopped；
andalmostmechanically，asGypsyNan，sometenminuteslater，sheletherselfintothegarret，andlightedthecandle。Shewasconscious，asshehidtheWhiteMoll’sclothesaway，thatshewasthankfulshehadregainedinsafetyeventhequestionablesanctuaryofthiswretchedplace；but，strangely，thoughtsofherownperilseemedsomehowtobetemporarilyrelegatedtothebackground。
Sheflungherselfdownonthebed-itwasnotGypsyNan’shabittoundress-andblewoutthelight。Butshecouldnotsleep。Andhourafterhourinthedarknessshetossedunrestfully。Itwasverystrange！Itwasnotasithadbeenlastnight。Itwasnottheimpotent，franticrebellionagainstthehorrorsofherownsituation，northefearandterrorofit，thatobsessedherto-night。ItwastheAdventurerwhoplaguedher。
VIII。THECODEMESSAGE
Itwasstrange！Moststrange！Threedayshadpassed，andtoGypsyNan’slodgingnoonehadcome。Thesmallcrackunderthepartitionthathadbeenimpressedintoserviceasaletter-boxhadremainedempty。Therehadbeennomessages-nothing-onlyasinister，broodingisolation。SincethenightRhodaGrayhadleftDanglar，balked，almostamadmaninhisfury，inthelittleroomoverShluker’sjunkshop，Danglarhadnotbeenseen-northeAdventurer-norevenRoughRorke。Heronlyvisitantsincethenhadbeenanuglypremonitionofimpendingperil，whichcameandstalkedlikeahideousghostaboutthebareandmiserablegarret，andwhichwokeheratnightwithitswhisperingvoice-whichwasthevoiceofintuition。