one of those was spent in doing another man's work."

"What!" I cried. "You mean to tell me you climbed up and down, in and
out, and broke into that cupboard and that big tin box, and wedged up
the doors and cleared out with a peer's robes and all the rest of it in
five minutes?"

"Of course I don't, and of course I didn't."

"Then what do you mean, and what did you do?"

"Made two bites at the cherry, Bunny! I had a dress rehearsal in the
dead of last night, and it was then I took the swag. Our noble friend
was snoring next door all the time, but the effort may still stand high
among my small exploits, for I not only took all I wanted, but left the
whole place exactly as I found it, and shut things after me like a good
little boy. All that took a good deal longer; to-night I had simply to
rag the room a bit, sweep up some studs and links, and leave ample
evidence of having boned those rotten robes to-night. That, if you
come to think of it, was what you writing chaps would call the
quintessential Q.E.F. I have not only shown these dear Criminologists
that I couldn't possibly have done this trick, but that there's some
other fellow who could and did, and whom they've been perfect asses to
confuse with me."

You may figure me as gazing on Raffles all this time in mute and rapt
amazement. But I had long been past that pitch. If he had told me now
that he had broken into the Bank of England, or the Tower, I should not
have disbelieved him for a moment. I was prepared to go home with him
to the Albany and find the regalia under his bed. And I took down my
overcoat as he put on his. But Raffles would not hear of my
accompanying him that night.

"No, my dear Bunny, I am short of sleep and fed up with excitement. You
mayn't believe it--you may look upon me as a plaster devil--but those
five minutes you wot of were rather too crowded even for my taste. The
dinner was nominally at a quarter to eight, and I don't mind telling
you now that I counted on twice as long as I had. But no one came until
twelve minutes to, and so our host took his time. I didn't want to be
the last to arrive, and I was in the drawing-room five minutes before
the hour. But it was a quicker thing than I care about, when all is
said."

And his last word on the matter, as he nodded and went his way, may
well be mine; for one need be no criminologist, much less a member of
the Criminologists' Club, to remember what Raffles did with the r