within the law-第24部分

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〃I'm　working　for　the　good　of　New　York　City；〃　he　answered　venomously。

Mary　let　a　ripple　of　cadenced　laughter　escape　her。

〃Since　when？〃　　she　questioned。

A　little　smile　twisted　the　lips　of　the　District　Attorney；　but　he　caught　himself　quickly；　and　spoke　with　stern　gravity。

〃Miss　Turner；　I　think　you　will　find　that　a　different　tone　will　serve　you　better。〃

〃Oh；　let　her　talk；〃　Burke　interjected　angrily。　　〃She's　only　got　a　few　minutes　anyway。〃

Mary　remained　unperturbed。

〃Very　well；　then；〃　she　said　genially；　〃let　us　be　comfortable　during　that　little　period。〃　　She　made　a　gesture　of　invitation　toward　chairs；　which　Burke　disdained　to　accept；　but　Demarest　seated　himself。

〃You'd　better　be　packing　your　trunk；〃　the　Inspector　rumbled。

〃But　why？〃　　Mary　inquired；　with　a　tantalizing　assumption　of　innocence。　　〃I'm　not　going　away。〃

〃On　the　Twentieth　Century　Limited；　this　afternoon；〃　the　Inspector　declared；　in　a　voice　of　growing　wrath。

〃Oh；　dear；　no！〃　Mary's　assertion　was　made　very　quietly；　but　with　an　underlying　firmness　that　irritated　the　official　beyond　endurance。

〃I　say　yes！〃　The　answer　was　a　bellow。

Mary　appeared　distressed；　not　frightened。　　Her　words　were　an　ironic　protest　against　the　man's　obstreperous　noisiness；　no　more。

〃I　thought　you　wanted　quiet　words　with　me。〃

Burke　went　toward　her；　in　a　rage。

〃Now；　look　here；　Mollie〃　he　began　harshly。

On　the　instant；　Mary　was　on　her　feet；　facing　him；　and　there　was　a　gleam　in　her　eyes　as　they　met　his　that　bade　him　pause。

〃Miss　Turner；　if　you　don't　mind。〃　　She　laughed　slightly。　　〃For　the　present；　anyway。〃　　She　reseated　herself　tranquilly。

Burke　was　checked；　but　he　retained　his　severity　of　bearing。

〃I'm　giving　you　your　orders。　　You　will　either　go　to　Chicago；　or　you'll　go　up　the　river。〃

Mary　answered　in　a　voice　charged　with　cynicism。

〃If　you　can　convict　me。　　Pray；　notice　that　little　word　'if'。〃

The　District　Attorney　interposed　very　suavely。

〃I　did　once；　remember。〃

〃But　you　can't　do　it　again；〃　Mary　declared；　with　an　assurance　that　excited　the　astonishment　of　the　police　official。

〃How　do　you　know　he　can't？〃　　he　blustered。

Mary　laughed　in　a　cadence　of　genial　merriment。

〃Because；〃　she　replied　gaily；　〃if　he　could；　he　would　have　had　me　in　prison　some　time　ago。〃

Burke　winced；　but　he　made　shift　to　conceal　his　realization　of　the　truth　she　had　stated　to　him。

〃Huh！〃　he　exclaimed　gruffly。　　〃I've　seen　them　go　up　pretty　easy。〃

Mary　met　the　assertion　with　a　serenity　that　was　baffling。

〃The　poor　ones；〃　she　vouchsafed；　〃not　those　that　have　money。　　I　have　money；　plenty　of　moneynow。〃

〃Money　you　stole！〃　the　Inspector　returned；　brutally。

〃Oh；　dear；　no！〃　Mary　cried；　with　a　fine　show　of　virtuous　indignation。

〃What　about　the　thirty　thousand　dollars　you　got　on　that　partnership　swindle？〃　　Burke　asked；　sneering。　　〃I　s'pose　you　didn't　steal　that！〃　

〃Certainly　not；〃　was　the　ready　reply。　　〃The　man　advertised　for　a　partner　in　a　business　sure　to　bring　big　and　safe　returns。　　I　answered。　　The　business　proposed　was　to　buy　a　tract　of　land；　and　subdivide　it。　　The　deeds　to　the　land　were　all　forged；　and　the　supposed　seller　was　his　confederate；　with　whom　he　was　to　divide　the　money。　We　formed　a　partnership；　with　a　capital　of　sixty　thousand　dollars。　　We　paid　the　money　into　the　bank；　and　then　at　once　I　drew　it　out。　　You　see；　he　wanted　to　get　my　money　illegally；　but　instead　I　managed　to　get　his　legally。　　For　it　was　legal　for　me　to　draw　that　moneywasn't　it；　Mr。　Demarest？〃　

The　District　Attorney　by　an　effort　retained　his　severe　expression　of　righteous　disapprobation；　but　he　admitted　the　truth　of　her　contention。

〃Unfortunately；　yes；〃　he　said　gravely。　　〃A　partner　has　the　right　to　draw　out　any；　or　all；　of　the　partnership　funds。〃

〃And　I　was　a　partner；〃　Mary　said　contentedly。　　〃You；　see；　Inspector；　you　wrong　meyou　do；　really！　I'm　not　a　swindler；　I'm　a　financier。〃

Burke　sneered　scornfully。

〃Well；〃　he　roared；　〃you'll　never　pull　another　one　on　me。　　You　can　gamble　on　that！〃　

Mary　permitted　herself　to　laugh　mockingly　in　the　face　of　the　badgered　official。

〃Thank　you　for　telling　me；〃　she　said；　graciously。　〃And　let　me　say；　incidentally；　that　Miss　Lynch　at　the　present　moment　is　painlessly　extracting　ten　thousand　dollars　from　General　Hastings　in　a　perfectly　legal　manner；　Inspector　Burke。〃

〃Well；　anyhow；〃　Burke　shouted；　〃you　may　stay　inside　the　law；　but　you've　got　to　get　outside　the　city。〃　　He　tried　to　employ　an　elephantine　bantering　tone。　　〃On　the　level；　now；　do　you　think　you　could　get　away　with　that　young　Gilder　scheme　you've　been　planning？〃　

Mary　appeared　puzzled。

〃What　young　Gilder　scheme？〃　　she　asked；　her　brows　drawn　in　bewilderment。

〃Oh；　I'm　wiseI'm　wise！〃　the　Inspector　cried　roughly。　〃The　answer　is；　once　for　all；　leave　town　this　afternoon；　or　you'll　be　in　the　Tombs　in　the　morning。〃

Abruptly；　a　change　came　over　the　woman。　　Hitherto；　she　had　been　cynical；　sarcastic；　laughing；　careless；　impudent。　　Now；　of　a　sudden；　she　was　all　seriousness；　and　she　spoke　with　a　gravity　that；　despite　their　volition；　impressed　both　the　men　before　her。

〃It　can't　be　done；　Inspector；〃　she　said；　sedately。

The　declaration；　simple　as　it　was；　aroused　the　official　to　new　indignation。

〃Who　says　it　can't？〃　　he　vociferated；　overflowing　with　anger　at　this　flouting　of　the　authority　he　represented。

Mary　opened　a　drawer　of　the　desk；　and　took　out　the　document　obtained　that　morning　from　Harris；　and　held　it　forth。

〃This；〃　she　replied；　succinctly。

〃What's　this？〃　　Burke　stormed。　　But　he　took　the　paper。

Demarest　looked　over　the　Inspector's　shoulder；　and　his　eyes　grew　larger　as　he　read。　　When　he　was　at　an　end　of　the　reading；　he　regarded　the　passive　woman　at　the　desk　with　a　new　respect。

〃What's　this？〃　　Burke　repeated　helplessly。　　It　was　not　easy　for　him　to　interpret　the　legal　phraseology。　Mary　was　kind　enough　to　make　the　document　clear　to　him。

〃It's　a　temporary　restraining　order　from　the　Supreme　Court；　instructing　you　to　let　me　alone　until　you　have　legal　proof　that　I　have　broken　the　law。。。。　Do　you　get　that；　Mr。　Inspector　Burke？〃　

The　plethoric　official　stared　hard　at　the　injunction。

〃Another　new　one；〃　he　stuttered　finally。　　Then　his　anger　sought　vent　in　violent　assertion。　　〃But　it　can't　be　done！〃　he　shouted。

〃You　might　ask　Mr。　Demarest；〃　Mary　suggested；　pleasantly；　〃as　to　whether　or　not　it　can　be　done。　　The　gambling　houses　can　do　it；　and　so　keep　on　breaking　the　law。　　The　race　track　men　can　do　it；　and　laugh　at　the　law。　　The　railroad　can　do　it；　to　restrain　its　employees　from　striking。　　So；　why　shouldn't　I　get　one；　too？　　You　see；　I　have　money。　　I　can　buy　all　the　law　I　want。　　And　there's　nothing　you　can't　do　with　the　law；　if　you　have　money　enough。。。。　Ask　Mr。　Demarest。　　He　knows。〃

Burke　was　fairly　gasping　over　this　outrage　against　his　authority。

〃Can　you　beat　that！〃　he　rumbled　with　a　raucously　sonorous　vehemence。　　He　regarded　Mary　with　a　stare　of　almost　reverential　wonder。　　〃A　crook　appealing　to　the　law！〃　

There　came　a　new　note　into　the　woman's　voice　as　she　answered　the　gibe。

〃No；　simply　getting　justice；〃　she　said　simply。　　〃That's　the　remarkable　part　of　it。〃　　She　threw　off　her　serious　air。　　〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　she　concluded；　〃what　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃　

Burke　explained。

〃This　is　what　I'm　going　to　do　about　it。　　One　way　or　another；　I'm　going　to　get　you。〃

The　District　Attorney；　however；　judged　it　advisable　to　use　more　persuasive　methods。

〃Miss　Turner；〃　he　said；　with　an　appearance　of　sincerity；　〃I'm　going　to　appeal　to　your　sense　of　fair　play。〃

Mary's　shining　eyes　met　his　for　a　long　moment；　and　before　the　challenge　in　hers；　his　fell。　　He　remembered　then　those　doubts　that　had　assailed　him　when　this　girl　had　been　sentenced　to　prison；　remembered　the　half…hearted　plea　he　had　made　in　her　behalf　to　Richard　Gilder。

〃That　was　killed；〃　Mary　said；　〃killed　four　years　ago。〃

But　Demarest　persisted。　　Influence　had　been　brought　to　bear　on　him。　　It　was　for　her　own　sake　now　that　he　urged　her。

〃Let　young　Gilder　alone。〃

Mary　laughed　again。　　But　there　was　no　hint　of　joyousness　in　the　musical　tones。　　Her　answer　was　frankbrutally　frank。　　She　had　nothing　to　conceal。

〃His　father　sent　me　away　for　three　yearsthree　years　for　something　I　didn't　do。　　Well；　he's　got　to　pay　for　it。〃

By　this　time；　Burke；　a　man　of　superior　intelligence；　as　one　must　be　to　reach　such　a　position　of　authority；　had　come　to　realize　that　here　was　a　case　not　to　be　carried　through　by　blustering；　by　intimidation；　by　the　rough　ruses　familiar　to　the　force。　　Here　was　a　woman　of　extraordinary　intelligence；　as　well　as　of　peculiar　personal　charm；　who　merely　made　sport　of　his　fulminations；　and　showed　herself　essentially　armed　against　anything　he　might　do；　by　a　court　injunction；　a　thing　unheard　of　until　this　moment　in　the　case　of　a　common　crook。　　It　dawned　upon　him　that　this　was；　indeed；　not　a　common　crook。　　Moreover；　there　had　grown　in　him　a　certain　admiration　for　the　ingenuity　and　resource　of　this　woman；　though　he　retained　all　his　rancor　against　one　who　dared　thus　to　resist　the　duly　constituted　authority。　So；　in　the　end；　he　spoke　to　her　frankly；　without　a　trace　of　his　former　virulence；　with　a　very　real；　if　rugged；　sincerity。

〃Don't　fool　yourself；　my　girl；〃　he　said　in　his　huge　voice；　which　was　now　modulated　to　a　degree　that　made　it　almost　unfamiliar　to　himself。　　〃You　can't　go　through　with　this。　　There's　always　a　weak　link　in　the　chain　somewhere。　　It's　up　to　me　to　find　it；　and　I　will。〃

His　candor　moved　her　to　a　like　honesty。

〃Now；〃　she　said；　and　there　was　respect　in　the　glance　she　gave　the　stalwart　man；　〃now　you　really　sound　dangerous。〃

There　came　an　interruption；　alike　unexpected　by　all。　Fannie　appeared　at　the　door。

〃Mr。　Edward　Gilder　wishes　to　see　you；　Miss　Turner；〃　she　said；　with　no　appreciation　of　anything　dynamic　in　the　announcement。　　〃Shall　I　show　him　in？〃　

〃Oh；　certainly；〃　Mary　answered；　with　an　admirable　pretense　of　indifference；　while　Burke　glared　at　Demarest；　and　the　District　Attorney　appeared　ill　at　ease。

〃He　shouldn't　have　come；〃　Demarest　muttered；　getting　to　his　feet；　in　reply　to　the　puzzled　glance　of　the　Inspector。

Then；　while　Mary　sat　quietly　in　her　chair　at　the　desk；　and　the　two　men　stood　watching　doubtfully　the　door；　the　maid　appe