e's nibbling the bait all right," said Holmes, gleefully. "We'll just wait
around here until he starts, and then we'll see what we can do with Cato.
This is quite an adventure."

"What do you suppose it's all about?" I asked.

"I don't know any more than you do, Jenkins," said Holmes, "save this, that
old Bob Hollister isn't playing penny-ante. When he goes on to a job as
elaborately as all this, you can bet your last dollar that the game runs
into five figures, and, like a loyal subject of his Gracious Majesty King
Edward VII, whom may the Lord save, he reckons not in dollars but in pounds
sterling."

"Who can Cato be, I wonder?" I asked.

"We'll know at eight o'clock," said Holmes. "I intend to have him up."

"Up? Up where?" I asked.

"In Darlington's rooms--where else?" demanded Holmes.

"In four hundred and seven?" I gasped.

"Certainly--that's our headquarters, isn't it?" he grinned.

"Now see here, Raffles," I began.

"Shut up Jenkins," he answered. "Just hang on to your nerve--"

"But suppose Darlington turns up?"

"My dear boy, the Abbey is six miles from here and he won't by any living
chance, get back before ten o'clock to-night. We shall have a good two hours
and a half to do up old Cato without any interference from him," said
Holmes. "Suppose he does come--what then? I rather doubt if Sir Henry
Darlington, of the Hotel Powhatan, New York, or Dorsetshire, England, would
find it altogether pleasant to hear a few reminiscences of Bob Hollister of
Pentonville prison, which I have on tap."

"He'll kick up the deuce of a row," I protested.

"Very doubtful, Jenkins," said Raffles. "I sort of believe he'll be as
gentle as a lamb when he finds out what I know--but, if he isn't, well,
don't I represent law and order?" and Holmes displayed a detective's badge,
which he wore for use in emergency cases, pinned to the inner side of his
suspenders.

As he spoke, Darlington reappeared, and, leaving his key at the office, went
out through the revolving doorway, and jumped into a hansom.

"Where to, sir?" asked the cabman.

"The Abbey," said Darlington.

"They're off!" whispered Holmes, with a laugh. "And now for Mr. Cato."

We walked back through the office, and, as we passed the bench upon which
the bell-boys sat, Raffles stopped before the lad who had delivered the
telegram to him.

"Here, son," he said, handing him a quarter, "run over to the news-stand and
get me a copy of this months _Salmagundi