But even
an epitome of his monologue would be so much weariness; suffice it that
it ended inevitably in the invitation I had dreaded all the evening.

"But you must see it. Next room. This way."

"Isn't it packed up?" I inquired hastily.

"Lock and key. That's all."

"Pray don't trouble," I urged.

"Trouble be hanged!" said he. "Come along."

And all at once I saw that to resist him further would be to heap
suspicion upon myself against the moment of impending discovery. I
therefore followed him into his bedroom without further protest, and
suffered him first to show me the iron map-case which stood in one
corner; he took a crafty pride in this receptacle, and I thought he
would never cease descanting on its innocent appearance and its Chubb's
lock. It seemed an interminable age before the key was in the latter.
Then the ward clicked, and my pulse stood still.

"By Jove!" I cried next instant.

The canvas was in its place among the maps!

"Thought it would knock you," said Craggs, drawing it out and unrolling
it for my benefit. "Grand thing, ain't it? Wouldn't think it had been
painted two hundred and thirty years? It has, though, MY word! Old
Johnson's face will be a treat when he sees it; won't go bragging about
HIS pictures much more. Why, this one's worth all the pictures in
Colony o' Queensland put together. Worth fifty thousand pounds, my
boy--and I got it for five!"

He dug me in the ribs, and seemed in the mood for further confidences.
My appearance checked him, and he rubbed his hands.

"If you take it like that," he chuckled, "how will old Johnson take it?
Go out and hang himself to his own picture-rods, I hope!"

Heaven knows what I contrived to say at last. Struck speechless first
by my relief, I continued silent from a very different cause. A new
tangle of emotions tied my tongue. Raffles had failed--Raffles had
failed! Could I not succeed? Was it too late? Was there no way?

"So long," he said, taking a last look at the canvas before he rolled
it up--"so long till we get to Brisbane."

The flutter I was in as he closed the case!

"For the last time," he went on, as his keys jingled back into his
pocket. "It goes straight into the strong-room on board."

For the last time! If I could but send him out to Australia with only
its legitimate contents in his precious map-case! If I could but
succeed where Raffles had failed!

We returned to the other room. I have no not