s, or I'm vera much mistaken. D'ye reside
in the Albany, Mr. Raffles?"

"I do."

"Will your rooms be near these?"

"On the next staircase but one."

"Ye'll just have left them?"

"Just."

"Been in all the afternoon, likely?"

"Not all."

"Then I may have to search your rooms, sir. I am prepared to search
every room in the Albany! Our man seems to have gone for the leads;
but unless he's left more marks outside than in, or we find him up
there, I shall have the entire building to ransack."

"I will leave you my key," said Raffles at once. "I am dining out, but
I'll leave it with the officer down below."

I caught my breath in mute amazement. What was the meaning of this
insane promise? It was wilful, gratuitous, suicidal; it made me catch
at his sleeve in open horror and disgust; but, with a word of thanks,
Mackenzie had returned to his window-sill, and we sauntered unwatched
through the folding-doors into the adjoining room. Here the window
looked down into the courtyard; it was still open; and as we gazed out
in apparent idleness, Raffles reassured me.

"It's all right, Bunny; you do what I tell you and leave the rest to
me. It's a tight corner, but I don't despair. What you've got to do
is to stick to these chaps, especially if they search my rooms; they
mustn't poke about more than necessary, and they won't if you're there."

"But where will you be? You're never going to leave me to be landed
alone?"

"If I do, it will be to turn up trumps at the right moment. Besides,
there are such things as windows, and Crawshay's the man to take his
risks. You must trust me, Bunny; you've known me long enough."

"Are you going now?"

"There's no time to lose. Stick to them, old chap; don't let them
suspect YOU, whatever else you do." His hand lay an instant on my
shoulder; then he left me at the window, and recrossed the room.

"I've got to go now," I heard him say; "but my friend will stay and see
this through, and I'll leave the gas on in my rooms, and my key with
the constable downstairs. Good luck, Mackenzie; only wish I could
stay."

"Good-by, sir," came in a preoccupied voice, "and many thanks."

Mackenzie was still busy at his window, and I remained at mine, a prey
to mingled fear and wrath, for all my knowledge of Raffles and of his
infinite resource. By this time I felt that I knew more or less what
he would do in any given emergency; at least I could conjecture a
characteristic co