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С˵£º a thief in the night ×ÖÊý£º ÿҳ4000×Ö

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ular¡¡man¡¡down¡¡there£»¡¡Nasmyth£¡¡¨

I¡¡never¡¡saw¡¡a¡¡nobler¡¡embarrassment¡¡than¡¡that¡¡of¡¡this¡¡awkward£»¡¡ungainly£»¡¡cantankerous¡¡man£º¡¡all¡£¡¡his¡¡angles¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡been¡¡smoothed¡¡away£º¡¡there¡¡was¡¡something¡¡quite¡¡human¡¡in¡¡the¡¡flushed£»¡¡undecided£»¡¡wistful¡¡face¡£¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡never¡¡was¡¡popular¡¡in¡¡my¡¡life£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡don't¡¡want¡¡to¡¡buy¡¡my¡¡popularity¡¡now¡£¡¡¡¡To¡¡be¡¡perfectly¡¡candid¡¡with¡¡you£»¡¡Raffles¡¡¡­¡¡¡¨

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¡¨Was¡¡I£¿¡¨¡¡he¡¡cried¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨Then¡¡I'll¡¡make¡¡it¡¡two¡¡hundred£»¡¡and¡¡damn¡¡the¡¡odds£¡¡¨

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¡¨I¡¡am¡¡not¡¡often¡¡sorry£»¡¡Bunny£»¡¡as¡¡you¡¡know£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡began¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨But¡¡I¡¡have¡¡been¡¡sorry¡¡since¡¡the¡¡interval¡£¡¡¡¡I've¡¡been¡¡sorry¡¡for¡¡poor¡¡old¡¡Nipper¡¡Nasmyth¡£¡¡¡¡Did¡¡you¡¡see¡¡the¡¡idea¡¡of¡¡being¡¡popular¡¡dawn¡¡upon¡¡him¡¡for¡¡the¡¡first¡¡time¡¡in¡¡his¡¡life£¿¡¨

¡¨I¡¡did£»¡¡but¡¡you¡¡had¡¡nothing¡¡to¡¡do¡¡with¡¡that£»¡¡my¡¡dear¡¡man¡£¡¨

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¡¨You¡¡mean¡¡under¡¡his¡¡own¡¡name¡¡¡­¡¡¡¨

¡¨And¡¡with¡¡his¡¡own¡¡free¡­will¡£¡¡¡¡My¡¡good¡¡Bunny£»¡¡is¡¡it¡¡possible¡¡you¡¡don't¡¡know¡¡what¡¡I¡¡did¡¡with¡¡the¡¡hundred¡¡we¡¡drew¡¡from¡¡that¡¡bank£¡¡¨

¡¨I¡¡knew¡¡what¡¡you¡¡were¡¡going¡¡to¡¡do¡¡with¡¡it£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡I¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨I¡¡didn't¡¡know¡¡you¡¡had¡¡actually¡¡got¡¡further¡¡than¡¡the¡¡twenty¡­five¡¡you¡¡told¡¡me¡¡you¡¡were¡¡sending¡¡as¡¡your¡¡own¡¡contribution¡£¡¨

Raffles¡¡rose¡¡abruptly¡¡from¡¡his¡¡chair¡£

¡¨And¡¡you¡¡actually¡¡thought¡¡that¡¡came¡¡out¡¡of¡¡his¡¡money£¿¡¨

¡¨Naturally¡£¡¨

¡¨In¡¡my¡¡name£¿¡¨

¡¨I¡¡thought¡¡so¡£¡¨

Raffles¡¡stared¡¡at¡¡me¡¡inscrutably¡¡for¡¡some¡¡moments£»¡¡and¡¡for¡¡some¡¡more¡¡at¡¡the¡¡great¡¡white¡¡numbers¡¡over¡¡the¡¡grand¡­stand¡£

¡¨We¡¡may¡¡as¡¡well¡¡have¡¡another¡¡look¡¡at¡¡the¡¡cricket£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡he¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨It's¡¡difficult¡¡to¡¡see¡¡the¡¡board¡¡from¡¡here£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡believe¡¡there's¡¡another¡¡man¡¡out¡£¡¨




A¡¡Bad¡¡Night


There¡¡was¡¡to¡¡be¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡little¡¡wedding¡¡in¡¡which¡¡Raffles¡¡and¡¡I¡¡took¡¡a¡¡surreptitious¡¡interest¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡bride¡­elect¡¡was¡¡living¡¡in¡¡some¡¡retirement£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡recently¡¡widowed¡¡mother¡¡and¡¡an¡¡asthmatical¡¡brother£»¡¡in¡¡a¡¡mellow¡¡hermitage¡¡on¡¡the¡¡banks¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Mole¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡bridegroom¡¡was¡¡a¡¡prosperous¡¡son¡¡of¡¡the¡¡same¡¡suburban¡¡soil¡¡which¡¡had¡¡nourished¡¡both¡¡families¡¡for¡¡generations¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡wedding¡¡presents¡¡were¡¡so¡¡numerous¡¡as¡¡to¡¡fill¡¡several¡¡rooms¡¡at¡¡the¡¡pretty¡¡retreat¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡Mole£»¡¡and¡¡of¡¡an¡¡intrinsic¡¡value¡¡calling¡¡for¡¡a¡¡special¡¡transaction¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Burglary¡¡Insurance¡¡Company¡¡in¡¡Cheapside¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡say¡¡how¡¡Raffles¡¡obtained¡¡all¡£¡¡this¡¡information¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡only¡¡know¡¡that¡¡it¡¡proved¡¡correct¡¡in¡¡each¡¡particular¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡was¡¡not¡¡indeed¡¡deeply¡¡interested¡¡before¡¡the¡¡event£»¡¡since¡¡Raffles¡¡assured¡¡me¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡¡¨a¡¡one¡­man¡¡job£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡naturally¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the¡¡one¡¡man¡¡himself¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡only¡¡at¡¡the¡¡eleventh¡¡hour¡¡that¡¡our¡¡positions¡¡were¡¡inverted¡¡by¡¡the¡¡wholly¡¡unexpected¡¡selection¡¡of¡¡Raffles¡¡for¡¡the¡¡English¡¡team¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Second¡¡Test¡¡Match¡£

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¡¨Only¡¡promise¡¡me¡¡not¡¡to¡¡take¡¡a¡¡revolver£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Raffles¡¡in¡¡a¡¡whisper¡£¡¡¡¨Here¡¡are¡¡my¡¡keys£»¡¡there's¡¡an¡¡old¡¡life¡­preserver¡¡somewhere¡¡in¡¡the¡¡bureau£»¡¡take¡¡that£»¡¡if¡¡you¡¡like¡¡¡­¡¡though¡¡what¡¡you¡¡take¡¡I¡¡rather¡¡fear¡¡you¡¡are¡¡the¡¡chap¡¡to¡¡use£¡¡¨

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¡¨Who¡¡on¡¡earth¡¡are¡¡you£¿¡¨¡¡it¡¡wheezed¡£

¡¨A¡¡detective¡¡officer£»¡¨¡¡I¡¡replied£»¡¡¡¨sent¡¡down¡¡by¡¡the¡¡Burglary¡¡Insurance¡¡Company¡£¡¨

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¡¨I¡¡don't¡¡see¡¡why¡¡they¡¡should¡¡have¡¡sent¡¡you¡¡down£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said¡¡at¡¡length¡£¡¡¡¨We¡¡are¡¡being¡¡quite¡¡well¡¡

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