y, the thumb and
forefinger of the Adventurer's left hand had closed on the candle wick
and snuffed it out, and the garret was in darkness.

There was a savage oath, a snarl of rage from the man whom the
Adventurer had addressed as Danglar; then an instant s silence; and then
the Adventurer's voice--from the doorway:

"I beg of you not to vent your disappointment on the lady--Danglar. I
assure you that she is in no way responsible for my visit here, and, as
far as that goes, never saw me before in her life. Also, it is only fair
to tell you, in case you should consider leaving here too hurriedly,
that I am really not at all a bad shot--even in the dark. I bid you
good-night, Danglar--and you my dear lady!"

Danglar's voice rose again in a flood of profane rage. He stumbled and
moved around in the dark.

"Damn it!" he shouted. "Where are the matches? Where's the lamp? This
cursed candle's put enough to the bad already! Do you hear? Where's the
lamp?"

"It's over dere on de floor, bust to pieces," mumbled Rhoda Gray.
"Youse'll find the matches on de washstand, an--"

"What's the idea?" There was a sudden, steel-like note dominating the
angry tones. "What are you handing me that hog-wash language for? Eh?
It's damned queer! There's been damned queer doings around here ever
since last night! See? What's the idea?"

Rhoda Gray felt her face whiten in the darkness. It was the slip she
had feared; the slip that she had had to take the chance of making, and
which, if it were not retrieved, and instantly retrieved, now that it
was made, meant discovery, and after that--She shivered a little.

"You needn't lose your head, just because you've lost your temper!" she
said tartly, in a guarded whisper. "The door into the hall is still wide
open, isn't it?"

"Oh, all right!" he said, his tones a sort of sullen admission that her
retort was justified. "But even now your voice sounds off color."

Rhoda Gray bridled.

"Does it?" she snapped at him. "I've got a cold. Maybe you'd get one
too, and maybe your voice would be off color, if you had to live in a
dump like this, and--"

"Oh, all right, all right!" he broke in hurriedly. "For Heaven's sake
don't start a row! Forget it! See? Forget it!" He walked over to the
door, peered out, swore savagely to himself, shut the door, held the
candle up to circle the garret, and scowled as its rays fell upon the
shattered pieces of the lamp in the corner then, returning, he set the
c