s--lay on the shiny table along with the revolvers
already mentioned.

"Ye're humbuggin' us," said Mackenzie. "What's the use?"

"I'm doing nothing of the sort," laughed Raffles. "I'm testing you.
Where's the harm?"

"It's here, joke apart?"

"On that table, by all my gods."

Mackenzie opened the cigarette cases and shook each particular
cigarette. Thereupon Raffles prayed to be allowed to smoke one, and,
when his prayer was heard, observed that the pearl had been on the
table much longer than the cigarettes. Mackenzie promptly caught up
the Colt and opened the chamber in the butt.

"Not there, not there," said Raffles; "but you're getting hot. Try the
cartridges."

Mackenzie emptied them into his palm, and shook each one at his ear
without result.

"Oh, give them to me!"

And, in an instant, Raffles had found the right one, had bitten out the
bullet, and placed the emperor's pearl with a flourish in the centre of
the table.

"After that you will perhaps show me such little consideration as is in
your power. Captain, I have been a bit of a villain, as you see, and
as such I am ready and willing to lie in irons all night if you deem it
requisite for the safety of the ship. All I ask is that you do me one
favor first."

"That shall debend on wad der vafour has been."

"Captain, I've done a worse thing aboard your ship than any of you
know. I have become engaged to be married, and I want to say good-by!"

I suppose we were all equally amazed; but the only one to express his
amazement was von Heumann, whose deep-chested German oath was almost
his first contribution to the proceedings. He was not slow to follow
it, however, with a vigorous protest against the proposed farewell; but
he was overruled, and the masterful prisoner had his way. He was to
have five minutes with the girl, while the captain and Mackenzie stood
within range (but not earshot), with their revolvers behind their
backs. As we were moving from the cabin, in a body, he stopped and
gripped my hand.

"So I 've let you in at last, Bunny--at last and after all! If you
knew how sorry I am.... But you won't get much--I don't see why you
should get anything at all. Can you forgive me? This may be for years,
and it may be for ever, you know! You were a good pal always when it
came to the scratch; some day or other you mayn't be so sorry to
remember you were a good pal at the last!"

There was a meaning in his eye that I understood;