ion how long he talked, or
what about. Whiskey and soda-water became the order of the hour. I
scarcely touched it, but he drank copiously, and before eleven I left
him incoherent. And the last train for Esher was the 11.50 out of
Waterloo.

I took a hansom to my rooms. I was back at the hotel in thirteen
minutes. I walked upstairs. The corridor was empty; I stood an instant
on the sitting-room threshold, heard a snore within, and admitted
myself softly with my gentleman's own key, which it had been a very
simple matter to take away with me.

Craggs never moved; he was stretched on the sofa fast asleep. But not
fast enough for me. I saturated my handkerchief with the chloroform I
had brought, and laid it gently over his mouth. Two or three stertorous
breaths, and the man was a log.

I removed the handkerchief; I extracted the keys from his pocket.

In less than five minutes I put them back, after winding the picture
about my body beneath my Inverness cape. I took some whiskey and
soda-water before I went.

The train was easily caught--so easily that I trembled for ten minutes
in my first-class smoking carriage--in terror of every footstep on the
platform, in unreasonable terror till the end. Then at last I sat back
and lit a cigarette, and the lights of Waterloo reeled out behind.

Some men were returning from the theatre. I can recall their
conversation even now. They were disappointed with the piece they had
seen. It was one of the later Savoy operas, and they spoke wistfully of
the days of "Pinafore" and "Patience." One of them hummed a stave, and
there was an argument as to whether the air was out of "Patience" or
the "Mikado." They all got out at Surbiton, and I was alone with my
triumph for a few intoxicating minutes. To think that I had succeeded
where Raffles had failed!

Of all our adventures this was the first in which I had played a
commanding part; and, of them all, this was infinitely the least
discreditable. It left me without a conscientious qualm; I had but
robbed a robber, when all was said. And I had done it myself,
single-handed--ipse egomet!

I pictured Raffles, his surprise, his delight. He would think a little
more of me in future. And that future, it should be different. We had
two thousand pounds apiece--surely enough to start afresh as honest
men--and all through me!

In a glow I sprang out at Esher, and took the one belated cab that was
waiting under the bridge. In