within the law-第14部分

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n　which　the　law　could　accuse　her。。。。　But　there　remained　the　fact　that　the　actual　cause　of　her　long　misery　was　this　same　law；　manipulated　by　the　man　she　hated。　　It　had　punished　her；　though　she　had　been　without　fault。　　For　that　reason；　she　must　always　regard　it　as　her　enemy；　must；　indeed；　hate　it　with　an　intensity　beyond　wordswith　an　intensity　equal　to　that　she　bore　the　man；　Gilder。　　Now；　in　the　paragraph　she　had　just　read　she　found　a　clue　to　suggestive　thought；　a　hint　as　to　a　means　by　which　she　might　satisfy　her　rancor　against　the　law　that　had　outraged　herand　this　in　safety　since　she　would　attempt　nought　save　that　within　the　law。

Mary's　heart　leaped　at　the　possibility　back　of　those　three　words；　〃within　the　law。〃　　She　might　do　anything；　seek　any　revenge；　work　any　evil；　enjoy　any　mastery；　as　long　as　she　should　keep　within　the　law。　　There　could　be　no　punishment　then。　　That　was　the　lesson　taught　by　the　captain　in　high　finance。　　He　was　at　pains　always　in　his　stupendous　robberies　to　keep　within　the　law。　　To　that　end；　he　employed　lawyers　of　mighty　cunning　and　learning　to　guide　his　steps　aright　in　such　tortuous　paths。

There；　then；　was　the　secret。　　Why　should　she　not　use　the　like　means？　　Why；　indeed？　　She　had　brains　enough　to　devise；　surely。　　Beyond　that；　she　needed　only　to　keep　her　course　most　carefully　within　those　limits　of　wrong…doing　permitted　by　the　statutes。　　For　that；　the　sole　requirement　would　be　a　lawyer　equally　unscrupulous　and　astute。　　At　once；　Mary's　mind　was　made　up。　　After　all；　the　thing　was　absurdly　simple。　　It　was　merely　a　matter　for　ingenuity　and　for　prudence　in　alliance。。。。　Moreover；　there　would　come　eventually　some　adequate　device　against　her　arch…enemy；　Edward　Gilder。

Mary　meditated　on　the　idea　for　many　days；　and　ever　it　seemed　increasingly　good　to　her。　　Finally；　it　developed　to　a　point　where　she　believed　it　altogether　feasible；　and　then　she　took　Joe　Garson　into　her　confidence。　　He　was　vastly　astonished　at　the　outset　and　not　quite　pleased。　　To　his　view；　this　plan　offered　merely　a　fashion　of　setting　difficulties　in　the　way　of　achievement。　　Presently；　however；　the　sincerity　and　persistence　of　the　girl　won　him　over。　　The　task　of　convincing　him　would　have　been　easier　had　he　himself　ever　known　the　torment　of　serving　a　term　in　prison。　　Thus　far；　however；　the　forger　had　always　escaped　the　penalty　for　his　crimes；　though　often　close　to　conviction。　　But　Mary's　arguments　were　of　a　compelling　sort　as　she　set　them　forth　in　detail；　and　they　made　their　appeal　to　Garson；　who　was　by　no　means　lacking　in　a　shrewd　native　intelligence。　　He　agreed　that　the　experiment　should　be　made；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　he　felt　no　particular　enthusiasm　over　the　proposed　scheme　of　working。　　It　is　likely　that　his　own　strong　feeling　of　attraction　toward　the　girl　whom　he　had　saved　from　death；　who　now　appeared　before　him　as　a　radiantly　beautiful　young　woman；　was　more　persuasive　than　the　excellent　ideas　which　she　presented　so　emphatically；　and　with　a　logic　so　impressive。

An　agreement　was　made　by　which　Joe　Garson　and　certain　of　his　more　trusted　intimates　in　the　underworld　were　to　put　themselves　under　the　orders　of　Mary　concerning　the　sphere　of　their　activities。　　Furthermore；　they　bound　themselves　not　to　engage　in　any　devious　business　without　her　consent。　　Aggie；　too；　was　one　of　the　company　thus　constituted；　but　she　figured　little　in　the　preliminary　discussions；　since　neither　Mary　nor　the　forger　had　much　respect　for　the　intellectual　capabilities　of　the　adventuress；　though　they　appreciated　to　the　full　her　remarkable　powers　of　influencing　men　to　her　will。

It　was　not　difficult　to　find　a　lawyer　suited　to　the　necessities　of　the　undertaking。　　Mary　bore　in　mind　constantly　the　high

financier's　reliance　on　the　legal　adviser　competent　to　invent　a　method　whereby　to　baffle　the　law　at　any　desired　point；　and　after　judicious　investigation　she　selected　an　ambitious　and　experienced　Jew　named　Sigismund　Harris；　just　in　the　prime　of　his　mental　vigors；　who　possessed　a　knowledge　of　the　law　only　to　be　equalled　by　his　disrespect　for　it。　　He　seemed；　indeed；　precisely　the　man　to　fit　the　situation　for　one　desirous　of　outraging　the　law　remorselessly；　while　still　retaining　a　place　absolutely　within　it。

Forthwith；　the　scheme　was　set　in　operation。　　As　a　first　step；　Mary　Turner　became　a　young　lady　of　independent　fortune；　who　had　living　with　her　a　cousin；　Miss　Agnes　Lynch。　　The　flat　was　abandoned。　　In　its　stead　was　an　apartment　in　the　nineties　on　Riverside　Drive；　in　which　the　ladies　lived　alone　with　two　maids　to　serve　them。　　Garson　had　rooms　in　the　neighborhood；　but　Jim　Lynch；　who　persistently　refused　the　conditions　of　such　an　alliance；　betook　himself　afar；　to　continue　his　reckless　gathering　of　other　folk's　money　in　such　wise　as　to　make　him　amenable　to　the　law　the　very　first　time　he　should　be　caught　at　it。

A　few　tentative　ventures　resulted　in　profits　so　large　that　the　company　grew　mightily　enthusiastic　over　the　novel　manner　of　working。　　In　each　instance；　Harris　was　consulted；　and　made　his　confidential　statement　as　to　the　legality　of　the　thing　proposed。　　Mary　gratified　her　eager　mind　by　careful　studies　in　this　chosen　line　of　nefariousness。　　After　a　few　perfectly　legal　breach…of…promise　suits；　due　to　Aggie's　winsome　innocence　of　demeanor；　had　been　settled　advantageously　out　of　court；　Mary　devised　a　scheme　of　greater　elaborateness；　with　the　legal　acumen　of　the　lawyer　to　endorse　it　in　the　matter　of　safety。

This　netted　thirty　thousand　dollars。　　It　was　planned　as　the　swindling　of　a　swindlerwhich；　in　fact；　had　now　become　the　secret　principle　in　Mary's　morality。

A　gentleman　possessed　of　some　means；　none　too　scrupulous　himself；　but　with　high　financial　aspirations；　advertised　for　a　partner　to　invest　capital　in　a　business　sure　to　bring　large　returns。　　This　advertisement　caught　the　eye　of　Mary　Turner；　and　she　answered　it。　　An　introductory　correspondence　encouraged　her　to　hope　for　the　victory　in　a　game　of　cunning　against　cunning。　　She　consulted　with　the　perspicacious　Mr。　Harris；　and　especially　sought　from　him　detailed　information　as　to　partnership　law。　　His　statements　gave　her　such　confidence　that　presently　she　entered　into　a　partnership　with　the　advertiser。　　By　the　terms　of　their　agreement；　each　deposited　thirty　thousand　dollars　to　the　partnership　account。　This　sum　of　sixty　thousand　dollars　was　ostensibly　to　be　devoted　to　the　purchase　of　a　tract　of　land；　which　should　afterward　be　divided　into　lots；　and　resold　to　the　public　at　enormous　profit。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　advertiser　planned　to　make　a　spurious　purchase　of　the　tract　in　question；　by　means　of　forged　deeds　granted　by　an　accomplice；　thus　making　through　fraud　a　neat　profit　of　thirty　thousand　dollars。　　The　issue　was；　however；　disappointing　to　him　in　the　extreme。　　No　sooner　was　the　sixty　thousand　dollars　on　deposit　in　the　bank　than　Mary　Turner　drew　out　the　whole　amount；　as　she　had　a　perfect　right　to　do　legally。　　When　the　advertiser　learned　of　this；　he　was；　naturally　enough；　full　to　overflowing　with　wrath。　　But　after　an　interview　with　Harris　he　swallowed　this　wrath　as　best　he　might。　　He　found　that　his　adversary　knew　a　dangerous　deal　as　to　his　various　swindling　operations。　　In　short；　he　could　not　go　into　court　with　clean　hands；　which　is　a　prime　stipulation　of　the　lawthough　often　honored　in　the　breach。　　But　the　advertiser's　hands　were　too　perilously　filthy；　so　he　let　himself　be　mulcted　in　raging　silence。

The　event　established　Mary　as　the　arbiter　in　her　own　coterie。　　Here　was；　in　truth；　a　new　game；　a　game　most　entertaining；　and　most　profitable；　and　not　in　the　least　risky。　　Immediately　after　the　adventure　with　the　advertiser；　Mary　decided　that　a　certain　General　Hastings　would　make　an　excellent　sacrifice　on　the　altar　of　justiceand　to　her　own　financial　profit。　　The　old　man　was　a　notorious　roue；　of　most　unsavory　reputation　as　a　destroyer　of　innocence。　　It　was　probable　that　he　would　easily　fall　a　victim　to　the　ingenuous　charms　of　Aggie。　As　for　that　precocious　damsel；　she　would　run　no　least　risk　of　destruction　by　the　satyr。　　So；　presently；　there　were　elaborate　plottings。　　General　Hastings　met　Aggie　in　the　most　casual　way。　　He　was　captivated　by　her　freshness　and　beauty；　her　demureness；　her　ignorance　of　all　things　vicious。　　Straightway；　he　set　his　snares；　being　himself　already　limed。　　He　showered　every　gallant　attention　on　the　naive　bread…and…butter　miss；　and　succeeded　gratifyingly　soon　in　winning　her　heartto　all　appearance。　　But　he　gained　nothing　more；　for　the　coy　creature　abruptly　developed　most　effective　powers　of　resistance　to　every　blandishment　that　went　beyond　strictest　propriety。　　His　ardor　cooled　suddenly　when　Harris　filed　the　papers　in　a　suit　for　ten　thousand　dollars　damages　for　breach　of　promise。

Even　while　this　affair　was　still　in　the　course　of　execution；　Mary　found　herself　engaged　in　a　direction　that　offered　at　least　the　hope　of　attaining　her　great　desire；　revenge　against　Edward　Gilder。　　This　opportunity　came　in　the　person　of　his　son；　Dick。　　After　much　contriving；　she　secured　an　introduction　to　that　young　man。　　Forthwith；　she　showed　herself　so　deliciously　womanly；　so　intelligent；　so　daintily　feminine；　so　singularly　beautiful；　that　the　young　man　was　enamored　almost　at　once。　　The　fact　thrilled　Mary　to　the　depths　of　her　he