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"Eh?" startled. "Of course you saw," she insisted. "Saw? No. Saw what?" "Why.... Perhaps I am mistaken, but I thought you knew and trusted to your likeness to Mr. Maitland...." Anisty frowned, collecting himself, bewildered. "What are you driving at, anyhow?" he demanded roughly. "Didn't you see the detectives? I should have thought your man would have warned you.
Maitland could have blessed his hot-headed Irish stupidity for the delay he was causing. Already Anisty was on his feet again, blind with rage and crouching as if ready to spring, only restrained by the sight of his own revolver, steady and threatening in Maitland's hand. For the least part of a second the young man hesitated, choosing his way.
At another time, and with another man, Anisty would not have ventured to play his catch so roughly; but, as he had reckoned, the comfortable state of mind induced by an unexpected addition to his income and a quart of champagne, had dulled the official apprehensions of Sergeant Hickey.
Anisty permitted himself the slightest of smiles, pausing on the stoop to draw on the chamois gloves. As he did so his eye flickered disinterestedly over the personality of a man standing on the opposite walk and staring at the apartment house.
He pulled himself together with an effort. "Excuse me, Mr. Maitland," he stammered, "I wasn't lookin' for yeh." "To the contrary, I gather from your greeting that you were expecting our friend, Mr. Anisty?" And the grey man smiled. Hickey smiled in sympathy, but with less evident relish of the situation's humor. "That's right," he admitted.
And not a word, not a whisper, not a sound until I call you!" She gave him one frightened and piteous glance, then, unquestioning, slipped quietly behind the portieres. To Anisty, again: "Turn your pockets out!" commanded Maitland. "Quick, you fool! The police are below; your freedom depends on your haste." Anisty's hands flew to his pockets, emptying their contents on the floor.
After which depression came, with the consciousness that she was gone, for ever removed beyond his reach and influence, and that by her own wilful act. It was her intelligible wish that they should never meet again, for, having accomplished her errand, she had flown from the possibility of his thanks. It was so clear, now! He perceived it all, plainly. And Anisty had followed. Poor little woman!
An instant later Anisty caught her by the arm and, roughly now and without wasting speech, hurried her into the next room. Then, releasing her, he turned up the lights and, passing to the windows, threw two or three of them wide; for the air in the room was stale and lifeless. "And now," said the criminal in a tone of satisfaction, "now we can talk business, my dear."
As Anisty, he would put himself in a position to earn her friendship, to gain perhaps her confidence, to learn something of her necessities, to aid and protect her from the consequences of her misdeeds; possibly to sum up to divert her footsteps to the paths of a calling less hazardous and more honorable. Worthy ambition: to reform a burglar!
She had such faith in his tender and gentle kindness now.... She had divined so clearly the motive that had permitted Anisty's escape in order that she might be saved, not alone from Anisty, not alone from the shame of imprisonment, but from herself as well from herself as Maitland knew her.
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