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then shut in his face。
〃I did not recognize you at all！〃 she cried； standing off。 〃I
shouldn't have known you on the street。 And it is so simple。 What
a wonderful man you are！〃
〃For an old codger？〃 Cutty's heart registered another sizable bump。
Kitty laughed。 〃Never call yourself old to me again。 Are you
always doing these things？〃
〃Well； I keep moving。 I suspected something like this might happen。
Those two will go to the Tombs to await deportation if they are
aliens。 Perhaps we can dig something out of them relative to this
man Gregor。 Anyhow； we'll try。〃
〃Cutty； I saw a man in the court with a pocket lamp before I went
to bed。 He was hunting for something。〃
〃I didn't find anything but a lot of fresh food someone had thrown
out。〃
〃It was you； then？〃
〃Yes。 There was a vague possibility that your protege might have
thrown out something valuable during the struggle。〃
〃What？〃
〃Lord knows！ A queer business； Kitty； you've lugged me into … my
own！ And there is one thing I want you to remember particularly：
Life means nothing to the men opposed； neither chivalry nor ethics。
Annihilation is their business。 They don't want civilization； they
want chaos。 They have lost the sense of comparisons or they would
not seek to thrust Bolshevism down the throats of the rest of the
world。 They say democracy has failed； and their substitute is murder
and loot。 Kitty； I want you to leave this roost。〃
〃I shall stay until my lease expires。〃
〃Why？ In the face of real danger？〃
〃Because I intend to； Cutty … unless you kidnap me。〃
〃Have you any good reason？〃
〃You'll laugh； but something tells me to stay here。〃
But Cutty did not laugh。 〃Very well。 Tomorrow an assistant janitor
will be installed。 His name is Antonio Bernini。 Every night he
will whistle up the tube。 Whistle back。 If you are going out for
the evening notify him where you intend to go and when you expect
to be back。 A wire from your bed to his cot will be installed。 In
danger； press the button。 That's the best I can do for you； since
you decide to stick。 I don't believe anything more will happen
to…night； but from now on you will be watched。 Never come directly
to my apartment。 Break your journey two or three times with taxis。
Always use Elevator Four。 The boy is mine； belongs to the service。
So our Bolshevik friends won't gather anything about you from him。〃
As a matter of fact； Cutty had now come to the conviction that it
would be well to let Kitty remain here as a lure。 He had urged her
to leave； and she had refused； so his conscience was tolerably clear。
Besides； she would henceforth be guarded with a ceaseless efficiency
second only to that which encompasses a President of the United
States。 Always some man of the service would be watching those
who watched her。 This was going to develop into a game of small
nets； one or two victims at a time。 Because these enemies of
civilization lacked coherence in action there would be slim chance
of rounding them up in bulk。 But from now on men would vanish … one
here； a pair there； perhaps on occasion four or five。 And those who
had known them would know them no more。 The policy would be that
employed by the British in the submarine campaign … mysterious
silence after the evanishment。
〃It's all so exciting！〃 said Kitty。 〃But that poor old man Gregor！
He had a wonderful violin； Cutty； and sometimes I used to hear him
play folklore music … sad； haunting melodies。〃
〃We'll know in a little while what's become of him。 I doubt there
is a foreign organization in the city that hasn't one or more of
our men on the inside。 A word will be dropped somewhere。 I'm
rarely active on this side of the Atlantic； and what I'm doing now
is practically due to interest。 But every active operative in New
York； Boston； Philadelphia； and Chicago is on the lookout for a
man who； if left free； will stir up a lot of trouble。 He has
leadership； this Boris Karlov； a former intimate here of Trotzky's。
We have reason to believe that he slipped through the net in San
Francisco。 Probably under a cleverly forged passport。 Now please
describe the man who came in with the policeman。 I haven't had
time to make inquiries at the precinct； where they will have a
minute description of him。〃
〃He made me think of a gorilla； just as I told you。 His face was
pretty well banged up。 Naturally I did not notice any scar。 A
dreadfully black beard； shaven。〃
〃Squat； powerful； like a gorilla。 Lord； I wish I'd had a glimpse
of him！ He's one of the few topnotchers I haven't met。 He's the
spark； the hand on the plunger。 The powder is all ready in this
land of ours； our job is to keep off the sparks until we can spread
the stuff so it will only go puff instead of bang。 This man Karlov
is bad medicine for democracy。 Poor devil！〃
〃Why do you say that？〃
〃Because I'm honestly sorry for them。 This fellow Karlov has
suffered。 He is now a species of madman nothing will cure。 He and
his kind have gained their ends in Russia； but the impetus to kill
and burn and loot is still unchecked。 Sorry； yes； but we can't have
them here。 They remind me of nothing so much as those blind deep…sea
monsters in one of Kipling's tales； thrown up into air and sunlight
by a submarine volcano； slashing and bellowing。 But we can't have
them here any longer。 Keep those revolvers under your pillow。 All
you have to do is to point。 Nobody will know that you can't shoot。
And always remember； we're watching over you。 Good…night。〃
〃Mouquin's for lunch？〃
〃Well； I'll be hanged！ But it can't be； Kitty。 You and I must not
be seen in public。 If that was Karlov you will be marked； and so
will any one who travels with you。〃
〃Good gracious！〃
〃Fact。 But come up to the roost … changing taxis … to…morrow at
five and have tea。〃
Down in the street Cutty bore into the slanting rain； no longer a
drizzle。 With his hands jammed in his side pockets and his gaze
on the sparkling pavement he continued downtown； in a dangerously
ruminative frame of mind； dangerous because had he been followed he
would not have known it。
Molly Conover's girl！ That afternoon it had been Tommy Conover's
girl； now she was Molly's。 It occurred to him for the first time
that he was one of those unfortunate individuals who are always able
to open the door to Paradise for others and are themselves forced to
remain outside。 Hadn't he introduced Conover to Molly； and hadn't
they fallen in love on the spot？ Too old to be a hero and not old
enough to die。 He grinned。 Some day he would use that line。
Of course it wasn't Kitty who set this peculiar cogitation in motion。
It wasn't her arms and the perfume of her hair。 The actual thrill
had come from a recrudescence of a vanished passion； anyhow； a
passion that had been held suspended all these years。 Still； it
offered a disquieting prospect。 He was sensible enough to realize
that he would be in for some confusion in trying to disassociate the
phantom from the quick。
Most pretty young women were flitter…flutters； unstable； shallow；
immature。 But this little lady had depth； the sense of the li