“Pullyourchairuptothetable，andI’lltellyou。“
RhodaGraytiltedherchair，instead，nonchalantlybackagainstthewall-itwasquitelightenoughwhereshewas！
“Icanhearyoufromhere，“shesaidcoolly。“I’mnotdeaf，andI
guessMatty’ssuiteissafeenoughsothatyouwon’thavetowhisperallthetime！“
Thedeformedcreatureatthetablechortledagain。
Danglarscowled。
“Damnyou，Bertha！“heflungoutsavagely。“Icouldwringthatneckofyourssometimes，and-“
“Iknowyoucould，Pierre，“sheinterposedsweetly。“That’swhatI
likeaboutyou-you’resoconsiderateofme！Butsupposeyougetdowntocases。What’sthestoryaboutthosesparklers？Andwhat’sthegamethat’sgoingtoletmeshedthisGypsyNanstuffforkeeps？“
“I’lltellher，Pierre，“grinnedthedeformedone。“It’llkeepyoutwofromspittingatoneanother；andneitherofyouhavegotallnighttostickaroundhere。“Heswunghiswitheredhandsuddenlyacrossthetable，andassuddenlyallfacetiousnesswasgonebothfromhisvoiceandmanner。“Say，youlistenhard，Bertha！WhatPierre’stellingyouisstraight。Youandhimcankissandmakeupto-morroworthenextday，orwheneveryoudamnedplease；butto-nightthereain’tanymoretimeforscrapping。Now，listen！
Ihandedyouarapaboutbeatingitwiththeemptymoney-beltthenightyoucroakedDeemerwithanoverdoseofknockoutdropsintheprivatedining-roomupattheHotelMarwitz，butyouforgetthat！Iain’tforstartinganyargumentaboutthat。Noneofusblamesyou。Wethoughtthestuffwasinthebelt，too。Andnoneofusblamesyouformakingamistakeandgoingtoostrongwiththedrops，either；anybodymightdothat。AndI’llsaynowthatItakemyhatofftoyouforthewayyoulockedCloranintotheroomwiththedeadman，andmadeyourescapewhenCloranhadyoudeadtorightsforthemurder；andI’llsay，too，thatthewayyou’veplayedGypsyNanandsavedyourskin，andourstoo，isasslickapieceofworkashaseverbeenpulledintheunderworld。Thatputsusstraight，youandme，don’tit，Bertha？“
RhodaGrayblinkedatthemanthroughherspectacles；herbrainwaswhirlinginamadturmoil。“Ialwayslikedyou，Matty，“shewhisperedsoftly。
Danglarwaslollingbackinhischair，blowingsmokeringsintotheair。Shecaughthiseyesfixedquizzicallyuponher。
“Goon，Matty！“heprompted。“You’llhaveherinagoodhumor，ifyou’renotcareful！“
“Wewereplayingmoreorlessblindafterthat。“Thewitheredhandtracedanaimlesspatternonthetablewithitscrookedandhalf-closedfingers，andtheman’sfacewaspuckeredintoashrewd，reminiscentscowl。“Thepaperscouldn’tgetaleadonthemotiveforthemurder，andthepoliceweren’ttalkingforpublication。NotawordabouttheRajah’sjewels。Washingtonsawtothat！Ayoungpotentate’sson，practicallytheguestofthecountry，touringaboutinaspecialforthesakeofhiseducation，anddashednear’endingitintheriveroutWestifithadn’tbeenfortherescueyouknowabout，wouldn’tlookwellinprint；sotherewasn’tanythingsaidabouttheslatherofgemsthatwastherewardofheroismfromagratefulnabob，andwedidn’tgetanyhelpthatway。AllweknewwasthatDeemercameEastwiththejewels，presumablytocashinonthem，anditlookedasthoughDeemer“wereprettyclever；thatheworethemoney-beltforastall，andthathehadthesparklerssafesomewhereelseallthetime。AndIguessweallgottofiguringitthatway，becausethefactthatnothingwassaidaboutanytheftwasstrictlyalongthelinesthepolicewereworkinganyway，andawasatoss-upthattheyhadn’tfoundthestuffamonghiseffects。Getme？“
Gethim！Thiswasn’treal，wasit，thisroomhere；thosetwofiguressittingthereunderthatshadedlamp？Somethingcold，anicygrip，seemedtoseizeatherheart，asinasurgetheresweptuponherthefullappreciationofherperilthroughtheseconfidencestowhichshewaslistening。Aword，inact，someslightestthing，mightsoeasilybetrayher；andthen-Herfingersundertheshawlandinsidethewidepocketofhergreasyskirt，clutchedatherrevolver。ThankGodforthat！Itwouldatleastbemerciful！Shenoddedherheadmechanically。
“Butthepolicedidn’tfindthejewels-becausetheyweren’ttheretobefound。Somebodygotinaheadofus。Pinched’em，understand，maybeonlyafewhoursbeforeyougotinyourlastplay，and，fromthewayyousayDeemeracted，beforehewaswisetothefactthathe’dbeenrobbed。“
RhodaGrayletherchaircomesharplydowntothefloor。Shemustplayherroleof“Bertha“nowassheneverhadbefore。Herewasaquestionthatshecouldnotonlyaskwithsafety，butonethatwasobviouslyexpected。
“Whowasit？“shedemandedbreathlessly。
“She’scomingtolife！“murmuredDanglar，throughahazeofcigarettesmoke。“Ithoughtyou’dwakeupafterawhile，Bertha。Thisisthebignight，oldgirl，asyou’llfindoutbeforewe’rethrough。“
“Whowasit？“sherepeatedwithwell-simulatedimpatience。
“Iguessshe’lllistentomenow，“saidDanglar，withalittlechuckle。“Don’tover-taxyourselfanymore，Matty。I’lltellyou，Bertha；anditwillperhapsmakeyoufeelbettertoknowittooktheslickestdipNewYorkeverknewtobeatyoutothetape。ItwasAngelJack，aliastheGimp。“
“Howdoyouknow？“RhodaGraydemanded。
“Because，“saidDanglar，andlightedanothercigarette，“hediedyesterdayafternoonupinSingSing。“
Shecouldaffordtoshowherfrankbewilderment。Herbrowsknittedintofurrows，asshestaredatDanglar。
“You-youmeanheconfessed？“shesaid。
“TheAngel？Never！“Danglarlaughedgrimly，andshookhishead。
“Nothinglikethat！Itwasaquestionofplayingone’fence’againstanother。YouknowthatWitzer，who’shandledallourjewelryforus，hasbeenonthelook-outforanystonesthatmighthavecomefromthatcollection。Well，thisafternoonhepassedthewordtomethathe’dbeenofferedthefinestunsetemeraldhe’deverseen，andthatithadcometohimthrougholdJakeLuertz’srunner，averyinnocent-facedyoungmanwhoisknowntothetradeastheCrab。“
Danglarpaused-andlaughedagain。UnconsciouslyRhodaGraydrewhershawlalittlecloserabouthershoulders。Itseemedtobringachillintotheroom，thatlaugh。Oncebefore，onanothernight，Danglarhadlaughed，and，withhispartedlips，shehadlikenedhimtoabeastshowingitsfangs。Helookeditnowmorethanever。Forallhiseaseofvoiceandmanner，hewasindeadlyearnest；andiftherewasmerrimentinhislaugh，itbutseemedtoenhancethemenaceandthepromiseofunholypurposethatlurkedinthecoldglitterofhissmall，blackeyes。
“Itdidn’ttakelongtogetholdoftheCrab“-Danglarwasrubbinghishandstogethersoftly-“andtheemeraldwithhim。Wegothimwherewecouldputthescrewsonwithoutarousingtheneighborhood。“
“Anothermurder，Isuppose！“RhodaGrayflungoutthewordscrossly。
“Oh，no，“saidDanglarpleasantly。“Hesquealedbeforeitcametothat。He’snonetheworseforwear，andhe’llbeturnedlooseinanotherhourorso，assoonaswe’rethroughatoldJakeLuertz’s。
He’snomoregoodtous。Hecameacrossallright-afterhewasproperlyfrightened。He’sbeenwitholdJakeasasortoffamiliarforthelastsixyears，and-“
“He’dhavesoldhissoulout，hewassoscared！“Thewitheredhandonthetabletwitched；thedeformedcreature’sfacewastwistedintoagrimace；andthemanwaschucklingwithunhallowedmirth，asthoughunable。tocontainhimselfat，presumably，therecollectionofascenewhichhehadwitnessedhimself。“Hewasdownonhiskneesandclawingoutwithhishandsformercy，andhesquealedlikearat。’It’sthesixthpanelinthebedroomupstairs，’hesays；
’it’sallthere。ButforGod’ssakedon’ttellJakeItold。It’sthesixthpanel。Presstheknotinthesixthpanelthat-’“Hestoppedabruptly。
Danglarhadpulledouthiswatchandwithexaggeratedpatiencewascirclingthecrystalwithhisthumb。
“Areyouallthrough，Matty？“heinquiredmonotonously。“Ithinkyousaidsomethingalittlewhileagoaboutwastingtime。Bertha’slookingbored；and，besides，she’sgotalittlejobofherownonforto-night。“Hejerkedhiswatchbackintohispocket，andturnedtoRhodaGrayagain。“TheonlyonewhoknewallthedetailsAngelJack，andhe’llnevertellnowbecausehe’sdead。WhetherhecamedownfromtheWestwithDeemerornot，orhowhegotwisetothestones，Idon’tknow。Buthegotthestones，allright。Andthenhetumbledtothefactthatthepolicewerepushinghimhardforanotherjobhewas’wanted’for，andhehadtogetthosestonesoutofsightinahurry。HemadeapackageofthemandslippedthemtooldLuertz，whohadalwaysdonehisbusinessforhim，tokeepforhim；andbeforehecouldduck，thebullshadhimforthatotherjob。
AngelJackwentuptheriver。See？OldJakedidn’tknowwhatwasinthatpackage；butheknewbetterthantomonkeywithit，becausehealwaysthoughtsomethingofhisownskin。HeknewAngelJack，andheknewwhatwouldhappenifhedidn’thavethatpackagereadytohandbackthedayAngelJackgotoutofSingSing。Understand？
ButyesterdayAngelJackdied-withoutawill；andoldJakeappointedhimselfsoleexecutor-withoutbonds！Heopenedthatpackage，figuredhe’dbeginturningitintomoney-andthat’showwegetourownbackagain。OldJakewillgetafakemessageto-nightcallinghimoutofthehouseonanerranduptown；andaboutteno’clockPinkieBonnandthePugwillpayavisitthereinhisabsence，and-well，itlooksgood，don’tit，Bertha，aftertwoyears？“
RhodaGraywascroucheddowninherchair。Sheshruggedhershouldersnow，andinfusedasullennoteintohervoice。
“Yes，it’sfine！“shesniffed。“I’llberollinginwealthinmygarret-whichwilldomealotofgood！Thatdoesn’tseparatemefromtheserags，andthehellI’velived，doesit-aftertwoyears？“
“I’mcomingtothat，“saidDanglar，withhisshort，gratinglaugh。