ith any construction which one chose to
put upon it. Next moment he had stiffened. I suppose I still spoke
more or less like a gentleman. Yet, after all, I was only the male
nurse. He seemed to remember this suddenly, and he took occasion to
remind me of the fact.

"Ah," said he, "that was before I knew you were altogether without
experience; and I must say that I was surprised even at Mr. Maturin's
engaging you after that; but it will depend upon yourself how long I
allow him to persist in so curious an experiment. As for what is the
matter with him, my good fellow, it is no use my giving you an answer
which would be double Dutch to you; moreover, I have still to test your
discretionary powers. I may say, however, that that poor gentleman
presents at once the most complex and most troublesome case, which is
responsibility enough without certain features which make it all but
insupportable. Beyond this I must refuse to discuss my patient for the
present; but I shall certainly go up if I can find time."

He went up within five minutes. I found him there on my return at
dusk. But he did not refuse my stall for the Lyceum, which Raffles
would not allow me to use myself, and presented to him off-hand without
my leave.

"And don't you bother any more about me till to-morrow," snapped the
high thin voice as he was off. "I can send for you now when I want
you, and I'm hoping to have a decent night for once."

III

It was half-past ten when we left the flat, in an interval of silence
on the noisy stairs. The silence was unbroken by our wary feet. Yet
for me a surprise was in store upon the very landing. Instead of going
downstairs, Raffles led me up two flights, and so out upon a perfectly
flat roof.

"There are two entrances to these mansions," he explained between stars
and chimney-stacks: "one to our staircase, and another round the
corner. But there's only one porter, and he lives on the basement
underneath us, and affects the door nearest home. We miss him by using
the wrong stairs, and we run less risk of old Theobald. I got the tip
from the postmen, who come up one way and down the other. Now, follow
me, and look out!"

There was indeed some necessity for caution, for each half of the
building had its L-shaped well dropping sheer to the base, the parapets
so low that one might easily have tripped over them into eternity.
However, we were soon upon the second staircase, which opened on the