ot a single light showing from
the place, but in the dwindling rays of a distant street lamp she could
see the meager window display through the filthy, unwashed panes. It was
evidently a cheap and tawdry notion store, well suited to its locality.
There were toys of the cheapest variety, stationery of the same grade,
cheap pipes, cigarettes, tobacco, candy--a package of needles.

"Go on in!" grunted the man, as he pushed the door--which seemed to
shriek out unduly on its hinges--wide open. "If anybody sees the door
open, they'll be around wanting to buy a paper of pins--curse 'em!--and
I ain't open to-night." He snarled as he shut and locked the door.
"Pierre says you're grouching about your garret. How about me, and this
job? You get out of yours to-night for keeps. What about me? I can't do
anything but act as a damned blind for the rest of you with this fool
store, just because I was born a freak that every gutter-snipe on the
street yells at!"

Rhoda Gray did not answer.

"Well, go on!" snapped the man. "What are you standing there for? One
would think you'd never been here before!"

Go on! Where? She had not the faintest idea. It was quite dark inside
here in the shop. She could barely make out the outline of the other's
figure.

"You're in a sweet temper to-night, aren't you?" she said tartly. "Go
on, yourself! I'm waiting for you to get through your speech."

He moved brusquely past her, with an angry grunt. Rhoda Gray followed
him. They passed along a short, narrow space, evidently between a
low counter and a shelved wall, and then the man opened a door, and,
shutting it again behind them, moved forward once more. She could
scarcely see him at all now; it was more the sound of his footsteps
than anything else that guided her. And then suddenly another door was
opened, and a soft, yellow light streamed out through the doorway, and
she found that she was standing in an intervening room between the shop
and the room ahead of her. She felt her pulse quicken, and it seemed as
though her heart began to thump almost audibly. Danglar! She could see
Danglar seated at a table in there. She clenched her hands under her
shawl. She would need all her wits now. She prayed that there was not
too much light in that room yonder.

XV. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER

The man with the withered hand had passed through into the other room.
She heard them talking together, as she followed. She forced herself to
walk with as ne