"I've often heard you say so," I replied without mishap. "In these piping times," continued Raffles, "it's about the one exciting and romantic career open to us. If it were not so infernally dishonest I should have half a mind to follow it myself. And here you come and put up a crib for me to crack in the best interests of equity and justice; not to enrich the wicked cracksman, but to restore his rightful property to the honest financier; a sort of teetotal felony--the very ginger-ale of crime! Is that a beverage to refuse--a chance to miss--a temptation to resist? Yet the risks are just as great as if it were a fine old fruity felony; you can't expect me to run them for nothing, or even for their own exciting sake. You know my terms, Mr. Levy; if you don't accept them, it's already two in the morning, and I should like to get to bed before it's light." "And if I did accept them?" said Levy, after a considerable pause. "The letter to which you attach such importance would most probably be in your possession by the beginning of next week." "And I should have to take my hands off a nice little property that has tumbled into them?" "Only for a time," said Raffles. "On the other hand, you would be permanently out of danger of figuring in the dock on a charge of blackmail. And you know your profession isn't popular in the courts, Mr. Levy; it's in nearly as bad odour as the crime of blackmail!" A singular docility had descended like a mantle upon Daniel Levy: no uncommon reaction in the case of very passionate men, and yet in this case ominous, sinister, and completely unconvincing so far as I personally was concerned. I longed to tell Raffles what I thought, to put him on his guard against his obvious superior in low cunning. But Raffles would not even catch my eye. And already he looked insanely pleased with himself and his apparent advantage. "Will you give me until to-morrow morning?" said Levy, taking up his hat. "If you mean the morning; by eleven I must be at Lord's." "Say ten o'clock in Jermyn Street?" "It's a strange bargain, Mr. Levy. I should prefer to clinch it out of earshot of your clerks." "Then I will come here." "I shall be ready for you at ten." "And alone?" There was a sidelong glance at me with the proviso. "You shall search the premises yourself and seal up all the doors." "Meanwhile," said Levy, putting on his hat, "I shall think about it, but that's all. I haven't agreed yet, Mr. Raffles; don't you make too sure that I ever shall. I shall think about it--but don't you make too sure." He was gone like a lamb, this wild beast of five minutes back. Raffles showed him out, and down into the courtyard, and out again into Piccadilly. There was no question but that he was gone for good; back came Raffles, rubbing his hands for joy. "A fine night, Bunny! A finer day to follow! But a nice, slow, wicket-keeper's wicket if ever Teddy had one in his life!" I came to my point with all vehemence.