"The kind of fun that appeals to you?" suggested Levy, with a very shrewd glance. "It would," said Raffles, "I feel sure." "'Ow would you care for another bit o' fun like it, Mr. Raffles?" "Don't say 'another,' please." "Well, would you like to try your 'and at the game again?" "Not 'again,' Mr. Levy; and my 'prentice' hand, if you don't mind." "I beg pardon; my mistake," said Levy, with becoming gravity. "How would I like to try my prentice hand on picking and stealing for the pure fun of the thing? Is that it, Mr. Levy?" Raffles was magnificent now; but so was the other in his own way. And once more I could but admire the tact with which Levy had discarded his favourite cudgels, and the surprising play that he was making with the buttoned foil. "It'd be more picking than stealing," said he. "Tricky picking too, Raffles, but innocent enough even for an amatoor." "I thank you, Mr. Levy. So you have a definite case in mind?" "I have--a case of recovering a man's own property." "You being the man, Mr. Levy?" "I being the man, Mr. Raffles." "Bunny, I begin to see why he didn't bring the police with him!" I affected to have seen it for some time; thereupon our friend the enemy protested that in no circumstances could he have taken such a course. By the searchlight of the present he might have detected things which had entirely escaped his notice in the past--incriminating things--things that would put together into a Case. But, after all, what evidence had he against Raffles as yet? Mr. Levy himself propounded the question with unflinching candour. He might inform the Metropolitan Police of his strong suspicions; and they might communicate with the Austrian police, and evidence beyond the belated evidence of his own senses be duly forthcoming; but nothing could be done at once, and if Raffles cared to endorse his theory of the practical joke, by owning up to that and nothing more, then, so far as Mr. Levy was concerned, nothing should ever be done at all. "Except this little innocent recovery of your own property," suggested Raffles. "I suppose that's the condition?" "Condition's not the word I should have employed," said Levy, with a shrug. "Preliminary, then?" "Indemnity is more the idea. You put me to a lot of trouble by abstracting Mrs. Levy's jewels for your own amusement--" "So you assert, Mr. Levy." "Well, I may be wrong; that remains to be seen--or not--as you decide," rejoined the Jew, lifting his mask for the moment. "At all events you admit that it's the sort of adventure you would like to try. And so I ask you to amuse yourself by abstracting something else of mine that 'appens to have got into the wrong hands; then, I say, we shall be quits." "Well," said Raffles, "there's no harm in our hearing what sort of property it is, and where you think it's to be found."