ought of
the material assets in full view under the glare of the dining-room electric
lights.

"I happen to know on the inside," continued Holmes, "that Tommie is not only
a virtual bankrupt through stock speculation, but is actually face to face
with criminal disgrace for misuse of trust funds, all of which he could
escape if he could lay his hands upon half the stuff that woman is so
carelessly wearing to-night. Do you think it's fair to wear, for the mere
gratification of one's vanity, things that arouse in the hearts of less
fortunate beings such passionate reflections and such dire temptations as
those which are now besetting that man?"

"I guess we've got enough to do looking after Raffles to-night, old man,
without wasting any of our nerve-tissue on Tommie Bankson," I replied. "Come
on--let's get out of this. We'll go over to the Pentagon for the night, and
to-morrow we'll shake the sands of Atlantic City from our feet and hie
ourselves back to New York, where the temptations are not so strong."

"It's too late," said Raffles Holmes. "I've set out on this adventure and
I'm going to put it through. I wouldn't give up in the middle of an
enterprise of this sort any more than I would let a balky horse refuse to
take a fence I'd put him to. It's going to be harder than I thought, but
we're in it, and I shall stay to the end."

"What the devil is the adventure, anyhow?" I demanded, impatiently. "You
vowed you wouldn't touch the rope."

"I hope not to," was his response. "It is up to you to see that I don't. My
plan does not involve my laying hands upon even the shadow of it."

So we stayed on at the Garrymore, and a worse week I never had anywhere.
With every glimpse of that infernal jewel the Raffles in Holmes became
harder and harder to control. In the daytime he was all right, but when
night came on he was feverish with the desire to acquire possession of the
pearls. Twice in the middle of the night I caught him endeavoring to sneak
out of our room, and upon each occasion, when I rushed after him and forced
him back, he made no denial of my charge that he was going after the jewel.
The last time it involved us both in such a terrible struggle that I vowed
then and there that the following morning should see my departure.

"I can't stand the strain, Holmes," said I.

"Well, if you can't stand _your_ strain," said Raffles Holmes, "what do you
think of mine?"

"The thing to do is to get out, that's all," I re