a thief in the night-第32章

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　the　other　victims　was　as　yet　sufficiently　recovered　to　supply。　And　in　the　end　I　was　permitted　to　retire　from　the　scene　until　required　to　give　further　information；　or　to　identify　the　prisoner　whom　the　good　police　confidently　expected　to　make　before　the　day　was　out。

I　drove　straight　to　the　flat。　　The　porter　flew　to　help　me　out　of　my　hansom。　　His　face　alarmed　me　more　than　any　I　had　left　in　Half…moon　Street。　　It　alone　might　have　spelled　my　ruin。

〃Your　flat's　been　entered　in　the　night；　sir；〃　he　cried。　　〃The　thieves　have　taken　everything　they　could　lay　hands　on。〃

〃Thieves　in　my　flat！〃　I　ejaculated　aghast。　　There　were　one　or　two　incriminating　possessions　up　there；　as　well　as　at　the　Albany。

〃The　door's　been　forced　with　a　jimmy；〃　said　the　porter。　　〃It　was　the　milkman　who　found　it　out。　　There's　a　constable　up　there　now。〃

A　constable　poking　about　in　my　flat　of　all。　others！　　I　rushed　upstairs　without　waiting　for　the　lift。　　The　invader　was　moistening　his　pencil　between　laborious　notes　in　a　fat　pocketbook；　he　had　penetrated　no　further　than　the　forced　door。　　I　dashed　past　him　in　a　fever。　　I　kept　my　trophies　in　a　wardrobe　drawer　specially　fitted　with　a　Bramah　lock。　　The　lock　was　broken　…　the　drawer　void。

〃Something　valuable；　sir？〃　inquired　the　intrusive　constable　at　my　heels。

〃Yes；　indeed　…　some　old　family　silver；〃　I　answered。　　It　was　quite　true。　　But　the　family　was　not　mine。

And　not　till　then　did　the　truth　flash　across　my　mind。　　Nothing　else　of　value　had　been　taken。　　But　there　was　a　meaningless　litter　in　all。　the　rooms。　　I　turned　to　the　porter；　who　had　followed　me　up　from　the　street；　it　was　his　wife　who　looked　after　the　flat。

〃Get　rid　of　this　idiot　as　quick　as　you　can；〃　I　whispered。　　〃I'm　going　straight　to　Scotland　Yard　myself。　　Let　your　wife　tidy　the　place　while　I'm　gone；　and　have　the　lock　mended　before　she　leaves。　I'm　going　as　I　am；　this　minute！〃

And　go　I　did；　in　the　first　hansom　I　could　find　…　but　not　straight　to　Scotland　Yard。　　I　stopped　the　cab　in　Picadilly　on　the　way。

Old　Raffles　opened　his　own　door　to　me。　　I　cannot　remember　finding　him　fresher；　more　immaculate；　more　delightful　to　behold　in　every　way。　　Could　I　paint　a　picture　of　Raffles　with　something　other　than　my　pen；　it　would　be　as　I　saw　him　that　bright　March　morning；　at　his　open　door　in　the　Albany；　a　trim；　slim　figure　in　matutinal　gray；　cool　and　gay　and　breezy　as　incarnate　spring。

〃What　on　earth　did　you　do　it　for？〃　I　asked　within。

〃It　was　the　only　solution；〃　he　answered；　handing　me　the　cigarettes。　〃I　saw　it　the　moment　I　got　outside。〃

〃I　don't　see　it　yet。〃

〃Why　should　a　burglar　call　an　innocent　gentleman　away　from　home？〃

〃That's　what　we　couldn't　make　out。〃

〃I　tell　you　I　got　it　directly　I　had　left　you。　　He　called　you　away　in　order　to　burgle　you　too；　of　course！〃

And　Raffles　stood　smiling　upon　me　in　all。　his　incomparable　radiance　and　audacity。

〃But　why　me？〃　I　asked。　　〃Why　on　earth　should　he　burgle　me？〃

〃My　dear　Bunny；　we　must　leave　something　to　the　imagination　of　the　police。　　But　we　will　assist　them　to　a　fact　or　two　in　due　season。　It　was　the　dead　of　night　when　Maguire　first　took　us　to　his　house；　it　was　at　the　Imperial　Boxing　Club　we　met　him；　and　you　meet　queer　fish　at　the　Imperial　Boxing　Club。　　You　may　remember　that　he　telephoned　to　his　man　to　prepare　supper　for　us；　and　that　you　and　he　discussed　telephones　and　treasure　as　we　marched　through　the　midnight　streets。　　He　was　certainly　bucking　about　his　trophies；　and　for　the　sake　of　the　argument　you　will　be　good　enough　to　admit　that　you　probably　bucked　about　yours。　　What　happens？　　You　are　overheard；　you　are　followed；　you　are　worked　into　the　same　scheme；　and　robbed　on　the　same　night。〃

〃And　you　really　think　this　will　meet　the　case？〃　　　〃I　am　quite　certain　of　it；　Bunny；　so　far　as　it　rests　wit　us　to　meet　the　case　at　all。〃

〃Then　give　me　another　cigarette；　my　dear　fellow；　and　let　me　push　on　to　Scotland　Yard。〃

Raffles　held　up　both　hands　in　admiring　horror。　　〃Scotland　Yard！〃

〃To　give　a　false　description　of　what　you　took　from　that　drawer　in　my　wardrobe。〃

〃A　false　description！　　Bunny；　you　have　no　more　to　learn　from　me。　Time　was　when　I　wouldn't　have　let　you　go　there　without　me　to　retrieve　a　lost　umbrella　…　let　alone　a　lost　cause！〃

And　for　once　I　was　not　sorry　for　Raffles　to　have　the　last　unworthy　word；　as　he　stood　once　more　at　his　outer　door　and　gayly　waved　me　down　the　stairs。




The　Spoils　of　Sacrilege



There　was　one　deed　of　those　days　which　deserved　a　place　in　our　original　annals。　　It　is　the　deed　of　which　I　am　personally　most　ashamed。　　I　have　traced　the　course　of　a　score　of　felonies；　from　their　source　in　the　brain　of　Raffles　to　their　issue　in　his　hands。　I　have　omitted　all。　mention　of　the　one　which　emanated　from　my　own　miserable　mind。　　But　in　these　supplementary　memoirs；　wherein　I　pledged　myself　to　extenuate　nothing　more　that　I　might　have　to　tell　of　Raffles；　it　is　only　fair　that　I　should　make　as　clean　a　breast　of　my　own　baseness。　　It　was　I；　then；　and　I　alone；　who　outraged　natural　sentiment；　and　trampled　the　expiring　embers　of　elementary　decency；　by　proposing　and　planning　the　raid　upon　my　own　old　home。

I　would　not　accuse　myself　the　more　vehemently　by　making　excuses　at　this　point。　　　Yet　I　feel　bound　to　state　that　it　was　already　many　years　since　the　place　had　passed　from　our　possession　into　that　of　an　utter　alien；　against　whom　I　harbored　a　prejudice　which　was　some　excuse　in　itself。　　He　had　enlarged　and　altered　the　dear　old　place　out　of　knowledge；　nothing　had　been　good　enough　for　him　as　it　stood　in　our　day。　　The　man　was　a　hunting　maniac；　and　where　my　dear　father　used　to　grow　prize　peaches　under　glass；　this　vandal　was　soon　stabling　his　hothouse　thoroughbreds；　which　took　prizes　in　their　turn　at　all。　the　country　shows。　　It　was　a　southern　county；　and　I　never　went　down　there　without　missing　another　greenhouse　and　noting　a　corresponding　extension　to　the　stables。　　Not　that　I　ever　set　foot　in　the　grounds　from　the　day　we　left；　but　for　some　years　I　used　to　visit　old　friends　in　the　neighborhood；　and　could　never　resist　the　temptation　to　reconnoiter　the　scenes　of　my　childhood。　　And　so　far　as　could　be　seen　from　the　road　…　which　it　stood　too　near　…　the　house　itself　appeared　to　be　the　one　thing　that　the　horsey　purchaser　had　left　much　as　he　found　it。

My　only　other　excuse　may　be　none　at　all。　in　any　eyes　but　mine。　　It　was　my　passionate　desire　at　this　period　to　〃keep　up　my　end〃　with　Raffles　in　every　department　of　the　game　felonious。　　He　would　insist　upon　an　equal　division　of　all。　proceeds；　it　was　for　me　to　earn　my　share。　　So　far　I　had　been　useful　only　at　a　pinch；　the　whole　credit　of　any　real　success　belonged　invariably　to　Raffles。　　It　had　always　been　his　idea。　　That　was　the　tradition　which　I　sought　to　end；　and　no　means　could　compare　with　that　of　my　unscrupulous　choice。　　There　was　the　one　house　in　England　of　which　I　knew　every　inch；　and　Raffles　only　what　I　told　him。　　For　once　I　must　lead；　and　Raffles　follow；　whether　he　liked　it　or　not。　　He　saw　that　himself；　and　I　think　he　liked　it　better　than　he　liked　me　for　the　desecration　in　view；　but　I　had　hardened　my　heart；　and　his　feelings　were　too　fine　for　actual　remonstrance　on　such　a　point。

I；　in　my　obduracy；　went　to　foul　extremes。　　I　drew　plans　of　all。　the　floors　from　memory。　　I　actually　descended　upon　my　friends　in　the　neighborhood；　with　the　sole　object　of　obtaining　snap…shots　over　our　own　old　garden　wall。　　Even　Raffles　could　not　keep　his　eyebrows　down　when　I　showed　him　the　prints　one　morning　in　the　Albany。　　But　he　confined　his　open　criticisms　to　the　house。

〃Built　in　the　late　'sixties；　I　see；〃　said　Raffles；　〃or　else　very　early　in　the　'seventies。〃

〃Exactly　when　it　was　built；〃　I　replied。　　〃But　that's　worthy　of　a　sixpenny　detective；　Raffles！　　How　on　earth　did　you　know？〃

〃That　slate　tower　bang　over　the　porch；　with　the　dormer　windows　and　the　iron　railing　and　flagstaff　atop　makes　us　a　present　of　the　period。　You　see　them　on　almost　every　house　of　a　certain　size　built　about　thirty　years　ago。　　They　are　quite　the　most　useless　excrescences　I　know。〃

〃Ours　wasn't；〃　I　answered；　with　some　warmth。　　〃It　was　my　sanctum　sanctorum　in　the　holidays。　　I　smoked　my　first　pipe　up　there；　and　wrote　my　first　verses。〃

Raffles　laid　a　kindly　hand　upon　my　should