Greatly comforted, though eager for news of the chase, Barney started on his evening’s routine of visiting the gayer restaurants.  Business is business, and a man suffers when he neglects it.  True, this was a neat proposition which he had in hand; but that would soon be cleaned up, and Businessman Barney desired to be all ready to move forward into further enterprises.

In the meanwhile there had been a session between Maggie and the Duchess.  At about the time Barney had whispered his unlipped news to Gavegan, Maggie, breathless with her frantic haste though she had made the journey in a taxicab, entered the familiar room behind the pawnshop.

“Good-evening, Maggie.”  The voice was casual, indifferent, though at that moment there was no person that the Duchess, pondering her problems, 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 Barney and Old Jimmie starting out to warn Gavegan.  The Duchess heard every word, but most of her faculties were concentrated upon a reexamination of Maggie and upon those questions which had been troubling her all evening and for these many days.  Was there good in Maggie?  Was she justified in longer suppressing the truth of Maggie’s parentage?

“Why are you telling me all this?” the Duchess asked, when Maggie had finished her rapid recital.

“Why!  Isn’t it plain?  I want you to get warning to Larry that the police are 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 eyes never left Maggie’s flushed face, and yet never showed any interest.

“I thought you were tied up with Barney and Old Jimmie,” the Duchess commented.  “Why are you going against them in this, and trying to help Larry?”

“What’s the difference why I’m doing it,” Maggie cried with feverish impatience, “so long as I’m trying to help him out of this!”

“Don’t you realize,” continued the calm old voice, “that Larry must already know, as a matter of course, that the police and all the old crowd are after him?”

“Perhaps he does, and perhaps he doesn’t.  All the same, he should know for certain!  The big point is, will you get Larry word?”

A moment passed and the Duchess did not speak.  In fact this time she had not heard Maggie, so intent was she in trying to look through Maggie’s dark, 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 back to your hotel, if you don’t want Barney and Old Jimmie to suspect what you’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.”