a hundred
places, and incredulity was at an end.

"How came you to begin?" I asked, as curiosity overcame mere wonder,
and a fascination for his career gradually wove itself into my
fascination for the man.

"Ah! that's a long story," said Raffles. "It was in the Colonies, when
I was out there playing cricket. It's too long a story to tell you
now, but I was in much the same fix that you were in to-night, and it
was my only way out. I never meant it for anything more; but I'd
tasted blood, and it was all over with me. Why should I work when I
could steal? Why settle down to some humdrum uncongenial billet, when
excitement, romance, danger and a decent living were all going begging
together? Of course it's very wrong, but we can't all be moralists,
and the distribution of wealth is very wrong to begin with. Besides,
you're not at it all the time. I'm sick of quoting Gilbert's lines to
myself, but they're profoundly true. I only wonder if you'll like the
life as much as I do!"

"Like it?" I cried out. "Not I! It's no life for me. Once is enough!"

"You wouldn't give me a hand another time?"

"Don't ask me, Raffles. Don't ask me, for God's sake!"

"Yet you said you would do anything for me! You asked me to name my
crime! But I knew at the time you didn't mean it; you didn't go back
on me to-night, and that ought to satisfy me, goodness knows! I
suppose I'm ungrateful, and unreasonable, and all that. I ought to let
it end at this. But you're the very man for me, Bunny, the--very--man!
Just think how we got through to-night. Not a scratch--not a hitch!
There's nothing very terrible in it, you see; there never would be,
while we worked together."

He was standing in front of me with a hand on either shoulder; he was
smiling as he knew so well how to smile. I turned on my heel, planted
my elbows on the chimney-piece, and my burning head between my hands.
Next instant a still heartier hand had fallen on my back.

"All right, my boy! You are quite right and I'm worse than wrong.
I'll never ask it again. Go, if you want to, and come again about
mid-day for the cash. There was no bargain; but, of course, I'll get
you out of your scrape--especially after the way you've stood by me
to-night."

I was round again with my blood on fire.

"I'll do it again," I said, through my teeth.

He shook his head. "Not you," he said, smiling quite good-humoredly on
my insane enthusiasm.

"I will," I cried with