rn to observe; it isn't as if I was in business for myself; and--you
say you start for Paris in the morning!"

"On the 9 A. M. train," mused Raffles; "and I've heard no-end yarns
about the joolers' stores in Parrus. But that ain't fair; don't you
take no notice o' that. I'm tryin' to figure a way out. Yes, SIR!"

He was smoking cigarettes out of a twenty-five box; the tradesman and I
had cigars. Raffles sat frowning with a pregnant eye, and it was only
too clear to me that his plans had miscarried. I could not help
thinking, however, that they deserved to do so, if he had counted upon
buying credit for all but L400 by a single payment of some ten per
cent. That again seemed unworthy of Raffles, and I, for my part, still
sat prepared to spring any moment at our visitor's throat.

"We could mail you the money from Parrus," drawled Raffles at length.
"But how should we know you'd hold up your end of the string, and mail
us the same articles we've selected to-night?"

The visitor stiffened in his chair. The name of his firm should be
sufficient guarantee for that.

"I guess I'm no better acquainted with their name than they are with
mine," remarked Raffles, laughing. "See here, though! I got a scheme.
You pack 'em in this!"

He turned the cigarettes out of the tin box, while the jeweller and I
joined wondering eyes.

"Pack 'em in this," repeated Raffles, "the three things we want, and
never mind the boxes; you can pack 'em in cotton-wool. Then we'll ring
for string and sealing wax, seal up the lot right here, and you can
take 'em away in your grip. Within three days we'll have our
remittance, and mail you the money, and you'll mail us this darned box
with my seal unbroken! It's no use you lookin' so sick, Mr. Jooler;
you won't trust us any, and yet we're goin' to trust you some. Ring
the bell, Ezra, and we'll see if they've gotten any sealing-wax and
string."

They had; and the thing was done. The tradesman did not like it; the
precaution was absolutely unnecessary; but since he was taking all his
goods away with him, the sold with the unsold, his sentimental
objections soon fell to the ground. He packed necklet, ring, and star,
with his own hands, in cotton-wool; and the cigarette-box held them so
easily that at the last moment, when the box was closed, and the string
ready, Raffles very nearly added a diamond bee-brooch at L51 10s. This
temptation, however, he ultimately overcame, to the other