a perfect fever I beheld Broom Hall, with
the lower story still lit up, and saw the front door open as I climbed
the steps.

"Thought it was you," said Raffles cheerily. "It's all right. There's
a bed for you. Sir Bernard's sitting up to shake your hand."

His good spirits disappointed me. But I knew the man: he was one of
those who wear their brightest smile in the blackest hour. I knew him
too well by this time to be deceived.

"I've got it!" I cried in his ear. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" he asked me, stepping back.

"The picture!"

"WHAT?"

"The picture. He showed it me. You had to go without it; I saw that.
So I determined to have it. And here it is."

"Let's see," said Raffles grimly.

I threw off my cape and unwound the canvas from about my body. While I
was doing so an untidy old gentleman made his appearance in the hall,
and stood looking on with raised eyebrows.

"Looks pretty fresh for an Old Master, doesn't she?" said Raffles.

His tone was strange. I could only suppose that he was jealous of my
success.

"So Craggs said. I hardly looked at it myself."

"Well, look now--look closely. By Jove, I must have faked her better
than I thought!"

"It's a copy!" I cried.

"It's THE copy," he answered. "It's the copy I've been tearing all
over the country to procure. It's the copy I faked back and front, so
that, on your own showing, it imposed upon Craggs, and might have made
him happy for life. And you go and rob him of that!"

I could not speak.

"How did you manage it?" inquired Sir Bernard Debenham.

"Have you killed him?" asked Raffles sardonically.

I did not look at him; I turned to Sir Bernard Debenham, and to him I
told my story, hoarsely, excitedly, for it was all that I could do to
keep from breaking down. But as I spoke I became calmer, and I
finished in mere bitterness, with the remark that another time Raffles
might tell me what he meant to do.

"Another time!" he cried instantly. "My dear Bunny, you speak as
though we were going to turn burglars for a living!"

"I trust you won't," said Sir Bernard, smiling, "for you are certainly
two very daring young men. Let us hope our friend from Queensland will
do as he said, and not open his map-case till he gets back there. He
will find my check awaiting him, and I shall be very much surprised if
he troubles any of us again."

Raffles and I did not speak till I was in the room which had been
prepared for me. Nor