with a sense of dignity and power, of opportunity and emancipation, seemed a labyrinth with many warrens where vice and crime and sorrow could hide.  In front of the station the traffic was already crushing the snow into filth.  They passed the spot where, the night before, the carriage had stopped, where Ditmar had bidden her good-bye.  Something stirred within her, became a shooting pain....  She asked Mr. Tiernan what he intended to do.

“I’m going right after the man, if he’s here in the city,” he told her.  And they boarded a street car, which almost immediately shot into the darkness of the subway.  Emerging at Scollay Square, and walking a few blocks, they came to a window where guns, revolvers, and fishing tackle were displayed, and on which was painted the name, “Timothy Mulally.”  Mr. Tiernan entered.

“Is Tim in?” he inquired of one of the clerks, who nodded his head towards the rear of the store, where a middle-aged, grey-haired Irishman was seated at a desk under a drop light.

“Is it you, Johnny?” he exclaimed, looking up.

“It’s meself,” said Mr. Tiernan.  “And this is Miss Bumpus, a young lady friend of mine from Hampton.”

Mr. Mulally rose and bowed.

“How do ye do, ma’am,” he said.

“I’ve got a little business to do for her,” Mr. Tiernan continued.  “I thought you might offer her a chair and let her stay here, quiet, while I was gone.”

“With pleasure, ma’am,” Mr. Mulally replied, pulling forward a chair with alacrity.  “Just sit there comfortable—­no one will disturb ye.”

When, in the course of half an hour, Mr. Tiernan returned, there was a grim yet triumphant look in his little blue eyes, but it was not until Janet had thanked Mr. Mulally for his hospitality and they had reached the sidewalk that he announced the result of his quest.

“Well, I caught him.  It’s lucky we came when we did—­he was just going out on the road again, up to Maine.  I know where Miss Lise is.”

“He told you!” exclaimed Janet.

“He told me indeed, but it wasn’t any joy to him.  He was all for bluffing at first.  It’s easy to scare the likes of him.  He was as white as his collar before I was done with him.  He knows who I am, all right he’s heard of me in Hampton,” Mr. Tiernan added, with a pardonable touch of pride.

“What did you say?” inquired Janet, curiously.

“Say?” repeated Mr. Tiernan.  “It’s not much I had to say, Miss Janet.  I was all ready to go to Mr. Gillmount, his boss.  I’m guessing he won’t take much pleasure on this trip.”

She asked for no more details.

CHAPTER XIII