ne of the two men who had come to the house the night
before. I took some time to answer. I was quite mystified by his
manner. At last I asked him how he knew. I can hear his answer now.

"'Because I was the other man,' he said quite quietly; 'because I led
him blindfold into the whole business, and would rather pay the shot
than see poor Bunny suffer for it.'

"Those were his words, but as he said them he made their meaning clear
by going over to the bell, and waiting with his finger ready to ring
for whatever assistance or protection I desired. Of course I would not
let him ring at all; in fact, at first I refused to believe him. Then
he led me out into the balcony, and showed me exactly how he had got up
and in. He had broken in for the second night running, and all to tell
me that the first night he had brought you with him on false pretences.
He had to tell me a great deal more before I could quite believe him.
But before he went (as he had come) I was the one woman in the world
who knew that A. J. Raffles, the great cricketer, and the so-called
'amateur cracksman' of equal notoriety, were one and the same person.

"He had told me his secret, thrown himself on my mercy, and put his
liberty if not his life in my hands, but all for your sake, Harry, to
right you in my eyes at his own expense. And yesterday I could see
that you knew nothing whatever about it, that your friend had died
without telling you of his act of real and yet vain self-sacrifice!
Harry, I can only say that now I understand your friendship, and the
dreadful lengths to which it carried you. How many in your place would
not have gone as far for such a friend? Since that night, at any rate,
I for one have understood. It has grieved me more than I can tell you,
Harry, but I have always understood.

"He spoke to me quite simply and frankly of his life. It was wonderful
to me then that he should speak of it as he did, and still more
wonderful that I should sit and listen to him as I did. But I have
often thought about it since, and have long ceased to wonder at myself.
There was an absolute magnetism about Mr. Raffles which neither you nor
I could resist. He had the strength of personality which is a
different thing from strength of character; but when you meet both
kinds together, they carry the ordinary mortal off his or her feet.
You must not imagine you are the only one who would have served and
followed him as you did. When he told m