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〃I'll get Red Hannigan；〃 the Duchess said briefly。 〃What do you want with him？〃
〃Have him come to the Hotel Granthamroom eleven…forty…twoat eight…fifteen sharp！〃
〃He'll be there；〃 said the Duchess。
There followed a swirling taxi…ride back to the Grantham； and a rapid change into her most fetching evening gown （she had not even a thought of dinner） to play her bold part in the drama which she was excitedly writing in her mind and for which she had just engaged her cast。 She was on fire with terrible suspense： would the other actors play their parts as she intended they should？would her complicated drama have the ending she was hoping for？
Had she been in a more composed； matter…of…fact state of mind； this play which she was staging would have seemed the crudest； most impossible melodramaa thing both too absurd and too dangerous for her to risk。 But Maggie was just then living through one of the highest periods of her life； she cared little what happened to her。 And it is just such moods that transform and elevate what otherwise would be absurd to the nobly serious； that changes the impossible into the possible； just as an exalted mood or mind is； or was； the primary difference between Hamlet； or Macbeth； or Lear； and any of the forgotten Bowery melodramas of a generation now gone。
She had been dressed for perhaps ten nervous minutes when the bell rang。 She admitted a slight； erect； well…dressed； middle…aged man with a lean； thin…lipped face and a cold； hard； conservative eye： a man of the type that you see by the dozens in the better hotels of New York； and seeing them you think； if you think of them at all； that here is the canny president of some fair…sized bank who will not let a client borrow a dollar beyond his established credit； or that here is the shrewd but unobtrusive power behind some great industry of the Middle West。
〃I'm Hannigan；〃 he announced briefly。 〃I know you're Old Jimmie Carlisle's girl。 The Duchess told me you wanted me on something big。 What's the idea？〃
〃You want to get Larry Brainard； don't you？or whoever it was that squealed on you？〃
There was a momentary gleam in the hard； gray eyes。 〃I do。〃
〃That's why you're here。 In a little over an hour； if you stay quiet in the background； you'll have what you want。〃
〃You've got a swell…looking lay…out here。 What's going to be pulled off？〃
〃It's not what I might tell you that's going to help you。 It's what you hear and see。〃
〃All right；〃 said the thin…lipped man。 〃I'll pass the questions； since the Duchess told me to do as you said。 She's square； even if she does have a grandson who's a stool。 I suppose I'm to be out of sight during whatever happens？〃
〃Yes。〃
In the room there were two spacious closets； as is not infrequent in the better class of modern hotels； and it had been these two closets which had been the practical starting…point of Maggie's development of Dick Sherwood's proposition。 To one of these she led Hannigan。
〃You'll be out of sight here； and you'll get every word。〃
He stepped inside； and she closed the door。 Also she took the precaution of locking it。 She wished Hannigan to hear； but she wished no such contretemps as Hannigan bursting forth and spoiling her play when it had reached only the middle of its necessary action。
Barlow came promptly at half…past eight。 He brought news which for a few moments almost completely upset Maggie's delicately balanced structure。
〃I know who you are now；〃 he said brusquely。 〃And part of your game's cold before you start。〃
〃Why？What part？〃
〃Just after you left Headquarters Officer Gavegan showed up。 He had this Larry Brainard in towhad pinched him out on Long Island。〃
This announcement staggered Maggie； for the moment made all her strenuous planning seem to have lost its purpose。 In her normal condition she might either have given up or betrayed her real intent。 But just now； in her super…excited state； in which she felt she was fighting desperately for others； she was acting far above her ordinary capacity； and she was making decisions so swift that they hardly seemed to proceed from conscious thought。 So Barlow； vigilant watcher of faces that he was； saw nothing unusual in her expression or manner。
〃What did you do with him？〃 she asked。
〃Left him with Gaveganand with Casey； who had just come in。 Trailing with Brainard was a swell named Hunt； cussing mad。 He was snorting around about being pals with most of the magistrates； and swore he'd have Brainard out on bail inside an hour。 But what he does don't make any difference to me。 Your proposition seems to me dead cold； since I've already got Brainard； and got him right。 I wouldn't have bothered to have come here at all except for something you let drop about the pals he might have been working with these last few months。〃
〃That's exactly it；〃 she caught him up。 〃I never thought that you'd catch Larry Brainard here。 How could I； when； if you know me as you say； you also know that he and I are in different campsare fighting each other？ What's going to happen here is something that will show you the people Larry Brainard's been mixed up withthat will turn up for you the people you want。〃
〃But what's going to happen？〃 Barlow demanded。
To this Maggie answered in much the same strain she had used with Hannigan a few minutes earlier。 〃I told you down at Headquarters that everything that's important you'll learn by being present when the thing actually happened。 What I tell you doesn't count for muchit might not be true。 It's what you see and hear for yourself when things begin to happen。 You're to wait in here。〃 She led him to the second large closet and opened the door。
〃See here；〃 he demanded； 〃are you framing something on me？〃
〃How can I； in a big hotel like this？ And even if I were to try； you'd certainly make me pay for it later。 Besides； you've got a gun。 Please go in quick； I'm expecting the people here any minute。 And don't make a sound that might arouse their suspicions and queer everything。〃
He entered； and she closed the door。 So carefully that he did not hear it； she locked the door； no more than in Hannigan's case did she want Barlow to come bungling into a scene before it had reached its climax。
All was now ready for the curtain to rise。 Quivering all through she waited for Barney Palmer； whose entrance was to open her drama。 She glanced at her wrist…watch which she had left upon the little lacquered writing…table。 Ten minutes of nine。 Ten more minutes to wait。 She felt far more of sickening suspense than ever did any young playwright on the opening night of his first play。 For she was more than merely playwright。 In her desperate； overwrought determination Maggie had assumed for herself the super…mortal role of dea ex machina。 And in those moments of tense waiting Maggie； who so feverishly loathed all she had been； was not at all sure whether she was going to succeed in her part of goddess from the machine。
At five minutes to nine there was a ring。 She gave a little jump at the sound。 That was Barney。 Though generally when Barney came he used the latch…key which his assumed dear cousinship； and the argued possibility of their being out and thus causing him to wait around in discomfort； Miss Grierson's sense of propriety had unbent far enough to permit him to possess。 The truth was； of course； that Barney had desired the key so that he might have most private conferences with Maggie； at any time necessity demanded； without the stolidly conscientious Miss Grierson ever knowing what had happened and being therefore unable to give dangerous testimony。
Maggie crossed and opened the door。 But instead of Barney Palmer； it was Larry who stepped in。 He quickly closed the door behind him。
〃Larry！〃 she cried startled。 〃Whywhy； I thought the police had you！〃
〃They did。 But Hunt was with me； and he got hold of a magistrate who would have made Hunt a present of the Tombs and Police Headquarters if he had owned them。〃
〃Then you're out on bail？〃
〃Got out about ten minutes ago。 Hunt didn't have any property he could put up as security； so he 'phoned my grandmother。 She walked in with an armload of deeds。 Why； she must own as much property in New York as the Astor Estate。〃
〃Larry； I'm so glad！〃 And then； remembering what； according to her plan； was due to begin to happen almost any moment； she exclaimed in dismay： 〃But； Larry； oh； why did you come here now！〃
〃I wanted to knowyou understandwhat you had decided to do after learning about your father。 And I wanted to tell you that； after all my great boasts to you； I seem to have failed in every boast。 Item one； the police have got me。 Item two； since the police have got me； my old pals will also most likely get me。 Item three； when I was arrested at Cedar Crest Miss Sherwood learned that I had known you all along and believes I was part of a conspiracy to clean out the family； so she chucked meand I've lost what I believed my big chance to make good。 So； you see； Maggie； it looks as if you were right when you predicted that I was going to fail in everything I said I was going to do。〃
〃LarryMiss Sherwood believes that！〃 she breathed。 And then she remembered again； and caught his arm with sudden energy。 〃Larry； you must