ated a
tiresome search. The pearl would be about von Heumann's person; in
fact, Raffles knew exactly where and in what he kept it. Naturally I
asked how he could have come by such knowledge, and his answer led up
to a momentary unpleasantness.

"It's a very old story, Bunny. I really forget in what Book it comes;
I'm only sure of the Testament. But Samson was the unlucky hero, and
one Delilah the heroine."

And he looked so knowing that I could not be in a moment's doubt as to
his meaning.

"So the fair Australian has been playing Delilah?" said I.

"In a very harmless, innocent sort of way."

"She got his mission out of him?"

"Yes, I've forced him to score all the points he could, and that was
his great stroke, as I hoped it would be. He has even shown Amy the
pearl."

"Amy, eh! and she promptly told you?"

"Nothing of the kind. What makes you think so? I had the greatest
trouble in getting it out of her."

His tone should have been a sufficient warning to me. I had not the
tact to take it as such. At last I knew the meaning of his furious
flirtation, and stood wagging my head and shaking my finger, blinded to
his frowns by my own enlightenment.

"Wily worm!" said I. "Now I see through it all; how dense I've been!"

"Sure you're not still?"

"No; now I understand what has beaten me all the week. I simply
couldn't fathom what you saw in that little girl. I never dreamt it
was part of the game."

"So you think it was that and nothing more?"

"You deep old dog--of course I do!"

"You didn't know she was the daughter of a wealthy squatter?"

"There are wealthy women by the dozen who would marry you to-morrow."

"It doesn't occur to you that I might like to draw stumps, start clean,
and live happily ever after--in the bush?"

"With that voice? It certainly does not!"

"Bunny!" he cried, so fiercely that I braced myself for a blow.

But no more followed.

"Do you think you would live happily?" I made bold to ask him.

"God knows!" he answered. And with that he left me, to marvel at his
look and tone, and, more than ever, at the insufficiently exciting
cause.

III

Of all the mere feats of cracksmanship which I have seen Raffles
perform, at once the most delicate and most difficult was that which he
accomplished between one and two o'clock on the Tuesday morning, aboard
the North German steamer Uhlan, lying at anchor in Genoa harbor.

Not a hitch occurred. Everything had been