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 like; without your interference; you stay here and lie just as low as you know how; be as wise as your word; and leave the whole thing to me。  If you won'tif you're fool enough not to trust methere's the door。  Go out and say what you like; and be damned to you!〃

Crawshay slapped his thigh。

〃That's talking!〃 said he。  〃Lord love yer; I know where I am when you talk like that。  I'll trust yer。  I know a man when he gets his tongue between his teeth; you're all right。  I don't say so much about this other gent; though I saw him along with you on the job that time in the provinces; but if he's a pal of yours; Mr。 Raffles; he'll be all right too。  I only hope you gents ain't too stony〃

And he touched his pockets with a rueful face。

〃I only went for their togs;〃 said he。  〃You never struck two such stony…broke cusses in yer life!〃

〃That's all right;〃 said Raffles。  〃We'll see you through properly。  Leave it to us; and you sit tight。〃

〃Rightum!〃 said Crawshay。  〃And I'll have a sleep time you're gone。  But no sperritsno; thank'eenot yet!  Once let me loose on the lush; and; Lord love yer; I'm a gone coon!〃

Raffles got his overcoat; a long; light driving…coat; I remember; and even as he put it on our fugitive was dozing in the chair; we left him murmuring incoherently; with the gas out; and his bare feet toasting。

〃Not such a bad chap; that professor;〃 said Raffles on the stairs; 〃a real genius in his way; too; though his methods are a little elementary for my taste。  But technique isn't everything; to get out of Dartmoor and into the Albany in the same twenty…four hours is a whole that justifies its parts。  Good Lord!〃

We had passed a man in the foggy courtyard; and Raffles had nipped my arm。

〃Who was it?〃

〃The last man we want to see!  I hope to heaven he didn't hear me!〃

〃But who is he; Raffles?〃

〃Our old friend Mackenzie; from the Yard!〃

I stood still with horror。

〃Do you think he's on Crawshay's track?〃

〃I don't know。  I'll find out。〃

And before I could remonstrate he had wheeled me round; when I found my voice he merely laughed; and whispered that the bold course was the safe one every time。

〃But it's madness〃

〃Not it。  Shut up!  Is that YOU; Mr。 Mackenzie?〃

The detective turned about and scrutinized us keenly; and through the gaslit mist I noticed that his hair was grizzled at the temples; and his face still cadaverous; from the wound that had nearly been his death。

〃Ye have the advantage o' me; sirs;〃 said he。

〃I hope you're fit again;〃 said my companion。 〃My name is Raffles; and we met at Milchester last year。〃

〃Is that a fact?〃 cried the Scotchman; with quite a start。  〃Yes; now I remember your face; and yours too; sir。  Ay; yon was a bad business; but it ended vera well; an' that's the main thing。〃

His native caution had returned to him。  Raffles pinched my arm。

〃Yes; it ended splendidly; but for you;〃 said he。 〃But what about this escape of the leader of the gang; that fellow Crawshay?  What do you think of that; eh?〃

〃I havena the parteeculars;〃 replied the Scot。

〃Good!〃 cried Raffles。  〃I was only afraid you might be on his tracks once more!〃

Mackenzie shook his head with a dry smile; and wished us good evening as an invisible window was thrown up; and a whistle blown softly through the fog。

〃We must see this out;〃 whispered Raffles。 〃Nothing more natural than a little curiosity on our part。  After him; quick!〃

And we followed the detective into another entrance on the same side as that from which we had emerged; the left…hand side on one's way to Piccadilly; quite openly we followed him; and at the foot of the stairs met one of the porters of the place。  Raffles asked him what was wrong。

〃Nothing; sir;〃 said the fellow glibly。

〃Rot!〃 said Raffles。  〃That was Mackenzie; the detective。  I've just been speaking to him。 What's he here for?  Come on; my good fellow; we won't give you away; if you've instructions not to tell。〃

The man looked quaintly wistful; the temptation of an audience hot upon him; a door shut upstairs; and he fell。

〃It's like this;〃 he whispered。  〃This afternoon a gen'leman comes arfter rooms; and I sent him to the orfice; one of the clurks; 'e goes round with 'im an' shows 'im the empties; an' the gen'leman's partic'ly struck on the set the coppers is up in now。 So he sends the clurk to fetch the manager; as there was one or two things he wished to speak about; an' when they come back; blowed if the gent isn't gone!  Beg yer pardon; sir; but he's clean disappeared off the face o' the premises!〃  And the porter looked at us with shining eyes。

〃Well?〃 said Raffles。

〃Well; sir; they looked about; an' looked about; an' at larst they give him up for a bad job; thought he'd changed his mind an' didn't want to tip the clurk; so they shut up the place an' come away。 An' that's all till about 'alf an hour ago; when I takes the manager his extry…speshul Star; in about ten minutes he comes running out with a note; an' sends me with it to Scotland Yard in a hansom。 An' that's all I know; sirstraight。  The coppers is up there now; and the tec; and the manager; and they think their gent is about the place somewhere still。  Least; I reckon that's their idea; but who he is; or what they want him for; I dunno。〃

〃Jolly interesting!〃 said Raffles。  〃I'm going up to inquire。  Come on; Bunny; there should be some fun。〃

〃Beg yer pardon; Mr。 Raffles; but you won't say nothing about me?〃

〃Not I; you're a good fellow。  I won't forget it if this leads to sport。  Sport!〃 he whispered as we reached the landing。  〃It looks like precious poor sport for you and me; Bunny!〃

〃What are you going to do?〃

〃I don't know。  There's no time to think。  This; to start with。〃

And he thundered on the shut door; a policeman opened it。  Raffles strode past him with the air of a chief commissioner; and I followed before the man had recovered from his astonishment。 The bare boards rang under us; in the bedroom we found a knot of officers stooping over the window…ledge with a constable's lantern。  Mackenzie was the first to stand upright; and he greeted us with a glare。

〃May I ask what you gentlemen want?〃 said he。

〃We want to lend a hand;〃 said Raffles briskly。 〃We lent one once before; and it was my friend here who took over from you the fellow who split on all the rest; and held him tightly。  Surely that entitles him; at all events; to see any fun that's going?  As for myself; well; it's true I only helped to carry you to the house; but for old acquaintance I do hope; my dear Mr。 Mackenzie; that you will permit us to share such sport as there may be。  I myself can only stop a few minutes; in any case。〃

〃Then ye'll not see much;〃 growled the detective; 〃for he's not up here。  Constable; go you and stand at the foot o' the stairs; and let no other body come up on any conseederation; these gentlemen may be able to help us after all。〃

〃That's kind of you; Mackenzie!〃 cried Raffles warmly。  〃But what is it all?  I questioned a porter I met coming down; but could get nothing out of him; except that somebody had been to see these rooms and not since been seen himself。〃

〃He's a man we want;〃 said Mackenzie。  〃He's concealed himself somewhere about these premises; or I'm vera much mistaken。  D'ye reside in the Albany; Mr。 Raffles?〃

〃I do。〃

〃Will your rooms be near these?〃

〃On the next staircase but one。〃

〃Ye'll just have left them?〃

〃Just。〃

〃Been in all the afternoon; likely?〃

〃Not all。〃

〃Then I may have to search your rooms; sir。  I am prepared to search every room in the Albany!  Our man seems to have gone for the leads; but unless he's left more marks outside than in; or we find him up there; I shall have the entire building to ransack。〃

〃I will leave you my key;〃 said Raffles at once。 〃I am dining out; but I'll leave it with the officer down below。〃

I caught my breath in mute amazement。  What was the meaning of this insane promise?  It was wilful; gratuitous; suicidal; it made me catch at his sleeve in open horror and disgust; but; with a word of thanks; Mackenzie had returned to his window…sill; and we sauntered unwatched through the folding…doors into the adjoining room。  Here the window looked down into the courtyard; it was still open; and as we gazed out in apparent idleness; Raffles reassured me。

〃It's all right; Bunny; you do what I tell you and leave the rest to me。  It's a tight corner; but I don't despair。  What you've got to do is to stick to these chaps; especially if they search my rooms; they mustn't poke about more than necessary; and they won't if you're there。〃

〃But where will you be?  You're never going to leave me to be landed alone?〃

〃If I do; it will be to turn up trumps at the right moment。  Besides; there are such things as windows; and Crawshay's the man to take his risks。  You must trust me; Bunny; you've known me long enough。〃

〃Are you going now?〃

〃There's no time to lose。  Stick to them; old chap; don't let them suspect YOU; whatever else you do。〃  His hand lay an instant on my shoulder; then he left me at the window; and recrossed the room。

〃I've got to go now;〃 I heard him say; 〃but my friend will stay and see this through; and I'll leave the gas o

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