"As a last resort. I did."
"And you wish us to STEAL this picture?"
It was magnificently said; the lawyer flushed from his hair to
his collar.
"I knew you were not the men!" he groaned. "I never thought of
men of your stamp! But it's not stealing," he exclaimed
heatedly; "it's recovering stolen property. Besides, Sir Bernard
will pay him his five thousand as soon as he has the picture;
and, you'll see, old Craggs will be just as loath to let it come
out as Sir Bernard himself. No, no--it's an enterprise, an
adventure, if you like--but not stealing."
"You yourself mentioned the law," murmured Raffles.
"And the risk," I added.
"We pay for that," he said once more.
"But not enough," said Raffles, shaking his head. "My good sir,
consider what it means to us. You spoke of those clubs; we
should not only get kicked out of them, but put in prison like
common burglars! It's true we're hard up, but it simply isn't
worth it at the price. Double your stakes, and I for one am your
man."
Addenbrooke wavered.
"Do you think you could bring it off?"
"We could try."
"But you have no--"
"Experience? Well, hardly!"
"And you would really run the risk for four thousand pounds?"
Raffles looked at me. I nodded.
"We would," said he, "and blow the odds!"
"It's more than I can ask my client to pay," said Addenbrooke,
growing firm.
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