It was all so characteristic of
that other Raffles whom I alone knew!
"I felt like bowling this afternoon," he told me later in the
hansom. "With a pitch to help me, I'd have done something big;
as it is, three for forty-one, out of the four that fell, isn't
so bad for a slow bowler on a plumb wicket against those fellows.
But I felt venomous! Nothing riles me more than being asked
about for my cricket as though I were a pro. myself."
"Then why on earth go?"
"To punish them, and--because we shall be jolly hard up, Bunny,
before the season's over!"
"Ah!" said I. "I thought it was that."
"Of course, it was! It seems they're going to have the very
devil of a week of it--balls--dinner parties--swagger house
party--general junketings--and obviously a houseful of diamonds
as well. Diamonds galore! As a general rule nothing would
induce me to abuse my position as a guest. I've never done it,
Bunny. But in this case we're engaged like the waiters and the
band, and by heaven we'll take our toll! Let's have a quiet
dinner somewhere and talk it over."
"It seems rather a vulgar sort of theft," I could not help
saying; and to this, my single protest, Raffles instantly
assented.
"It is a vulgar sort," said he; "but I can't help that. We're
getting vulgarly hard up again, and there's an end on 't.
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