His tone was strange. I could only suppose that he was jealous
of my success.
"So Craggs said. I hardly looked at it myself."
"Well, look now--look closely. By Jove, I must have faked her
better than I thought!"
"It's a copy!" I cried.
"It's THE copy," he answered. "It's the copy I've been tearing
all over the country to procure. It's the copy I faked back and
front, so that, on your own showing, it imposed upon Craggs, and
might have made him happy for life. And you go and rob him of
that!"
I could not speak.
"How did you manage it?" inquired Sir Bernard Debenham.
"Have you killed him?" asked Raffles sardonically.
I did not look at him; I turned to Sir Bernard Debenham, and to
him I told my story, hoarsely, excitedly, for it was all that I
could do to keep from breaking down. But as I spoke I became
calmer, and I finished in mere bitterness, with the remark that
another time Raffles might tell me what he meant to do.
"Another time!" he cried instantly. "My dear Bunny, you speak as
though we were going to turn burglars for a living!"
"I trust you won't," said Sir Bernard, smiling, "for you are
certainly two very daring young men. Let us hope our friend from
Queensland will do as he said, and not open his map-case till he
gets back there. He will find my check awaiting him, and I shall
be very much surprised if he troubles any of us again.
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