drumming of his pulses.

"Dan is Maitland's front name, also," he remarked absently.

"I thought as much," she responded, quietly speculative.

The burglar hardly heard. It has been indicated that he was quick-witted,
because he had to be, in the very nature of his avocation. Just now his
brain was working rather more rapidly than usual, even: which was one
reason why the light had leaped into his eyes.

It was very plain--to a deductive reasoner--from the girl's attitude toward
him that she had fallen into relations of uncommon friendliness with this
Maitland, young as Anisty believed their acquaintance to be. There had
plainly been a flirtation--wherein lay the explanation of Maitland's
forbearance: he had been fascinated by the woman, had not hesitated to take
Anisty's name (even as Anisty was then taking his) in order to prolong
their intimacy.

So much the better. Turn-about was still fair play. Maitland had sown as
Anisty; the real Anisty would reap the harvest. Pretty women interested
him deeply, though he saw little enough of them, partly through motives of
prudence, partly because of a refinement of taste: women of the class of
this conquest-by-proxy were out of reach of the enemy of society. That is,
under ordinary circumstances. This one, on the contrary, was not: whatever
she was or had been, however successful a crackswoman she might be, her
cultivation and breeding were as apparent as her beauty; and quite as
attractive.

A criminal is necessarily first a gambler, a votary of Chance; and the