d me you went in for disguises," said I, watching him as
he cleansed the grime from his face and hands.

"No, Bunny, I've treated you very shabbily all round. There was really
no reason why I shouldn't have shown you this place a month ago, and
yet there was no point in my doing so, and circumstances are just
conceivable in which it would have suited us both for you to be in
genuine ignorance of my whereabouts. I have something to sleep on, as
you perceive, in case of need, and, of course, my name is not Raffles
in the King's Road. So you will see that one might bolt further and
fare worse."

"Meanwhile you use the place as a dressing-room?"

"It is my private pavilion," said Raffles. "Disguises? In some cases
they're half the battle, and it's always pleasant to feel that, if the
worst comes to the worst, you needn't necessarily be convicted under
your own name. Then they're indispensable in dealing with the fences.
I drive all my bargains in the tongue and raiment of Shoreditch. If I
didn't there'd be the very devil to pay in blackmail. Now, this
cupboard's full of all sorts of toggery. I tell the woman who cleans
the room that it's for my models when I find 'em. By the way, I only
hope I've got something that'll fit you, for you'll want a rig for
to-morrow night."

"To-morrow night!" I exclaimed. "Why, what do you mean to do?"

"The trick," said Raffles. "I intended writing to you as soon as I got
back to my rooms, to ask you to look me up to-morrow afternoon; then I
was going to unfold my plan of campaign, and take you straight into
action then and there. There's nothing like putting the nervous
players in first; it's the sitting with their pads on that upsets their
applecart; that was another of my reasons for being so confoundedly
close. You must try to forgive me. I couldn't help remembering how
well you played up last trip, without any time to weaken on it
beforehand. All I want is for you to be as cool and smart to-morrow
night as you were then; though, by Jove, there's no comparison between
the two cases!"

"I thought you would find it so."

"You were right. I have. Mind you, I don't say this will be the
tougher job all round; we shall probably get in without any difficulty
at all; it's the getting out again that may flummox us. That's the
worst of an irregular household!" cried Raffles, with quite a burst of
virtuous indignation. "I assure you, Bunny, I spent the whole of
Monday nigh