by Leroy Scott
In the meanwhile there had been a session between Maggie and theDuchess. At about the time Barney had whispered his unlipped news toGavegan, Maggie, breathless with her frantic haste though she had madethe journey in a taxicab, entered the familiar room behind the pawnshop.
"Good-evening, Maggie." The voice was casual, indifferent, thoughat that moment there was no person that the Duchess, pondering herproblems, more wished to see. "Sit down. What's the matter?"
"The police know Larry is in New York and are after him!"
"How do you know?"
Rapidly Maggie told of the happenings in her sitting-room, and of Barneyand Old Jimmie starting out to warn Gavegan. The Duchess heard everyword, but most of her faculties were concentrated upon a reexaminationof Maggie and upon those questions which had been troubling her allevening and for these many days. Was there good in Maggie? Was shejustified in longer suppressing the truth of Maggie's parentage?
"Why are you telling me all this?" the Duchess asked, when Maggie hadfinished her rapid recital.
"Why! Isn't it plain? I want you to get warning to Larry that the policeare after him!"
"Why not do it yourself?"
"I'm going out where he is to-morrow, but that may be too late."
Maggie gave her other reasons, such as they were. The old woman's eyesnever left Maggie's flushed face, and yet never showed any interest.
"I thought you were tied up with Barney and Old Jimmie," the Duchesscommented. "Why are you going against them in this, and trying to helpLarry?"
"What's the difference why I'm doing it," Maggie cried with feverishimpatience, "so long as I'm trying to help him out of this!"
"Don't you realize," continued the calm old voice, "that Larry mustalready know, as a matter of course, that the police and all the oldcrowd are after him?"
"Perhaps he does, and perhaps he doesn't. All the same, he should knowfor certain! The big point is, will you get Larry word?"
A moment passed and the Duchess did not speak. In fact this time she hadnot heard Maggie, so intent was she in trying to look through Maggie'sdark, eager eyes to the very core of Maggie's being.
"Will you get Larry word?" Maggie repeated impatiently.
The Duchess came out of her study. There was a sudden thrill within her,but it did not show in her voice.
"Yes."
"At once?"
"As soon as telling him will do any good. And now you better hurry backto your hotel, if you don't want Barney and Old Jimmie to suspect whatyou've been up to. Though why you still want to hang on to that pair,knowing what they are, is more than I can guess."
She stood up. "Wait a minute," she said as Maggie started for the door.Maggie turned back, and for another moment the Duchess silently peereddeep into Maggie's eyes. Then she said shortly, almost sharply: "At yourage I was twice as pretty as you are--and twice as clever--and I playedmuch the same game. Look what I got out of life!... Good-night." Andabruptly the Duchess wheeled about and mounted the stairway.
Twenty minutes later Maggie was back at the Grantham, her absenceunobserved. Though palpitant over Larry's fate, she had the satisfactionof having achieved with Larry's grandmother what she had set forth toachieve. She did not know, could not know, that what she had accepted asher achievement was inconsequential compared to what had actually beenachieved by her spontaneous appearance before the troubled Duchess.