Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman

The Amateur Cracksman
by E. W. Hornung
TO A. C. D. THIS FORM OF FLATTERY

THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN

THE IDES OF MARCH
I
It was half-past twelve when I returned to the Albany as a last desperate
resort. The scene of my disaster was much as I had left it. The
baccarat-counters still strewed the table, with the empty glasses and the
loaded ash-trays. A window had been opened to let the smoke out, and
was letting in the fog instead. Raffles himself had merely discarded his
dining jacket for one of his innumerable blazers. Yet he arched his
eyebrows as though I had dragged him from his bed.
"Forgotten something?" said he, when he saw me on his mat.
"No," said I, pushing past him without ceremony. And I led the way
into his room with an impudence amazing to myself.
"Not come back for your revenge, have you? Because I'm afraid I can't
give it to you single-handed. I was sorry myself that the others--"
We were face to face by his fireside, and I cut him short.
"Raffles," said I, "you may well be surprised at my coming back in this

way and at this hour. I hardly know you. I was never in your rooms
before to-night. But I fagged for you at school, and you said you
remembered me. Of course that's no excuse; but will you listen to
me--for two minutes?"
In my emotion I had at first to struggle for every word; but his face
reassured me as I went on, and I was not mistaken in its expression.
"Certainly, my dear man," said he; "as many minutes as you like. Have
a Sullivan and sit down." And he handed me his silver cigarette-case.
"No," said I, finding a full voice as I shook my head; "no, I won't
smoke, and I won't sit down, thank you. Nor will you ask me to do
either when you've heard what I have to say."
"Really?" said he, lighting his own cigarette with one clear blue eye
upon me. "How do you know?"
"Because you'll probably show me the door," I cried bitterly; "and you
will be justified in doing it! But it's no use beating about the bush. You
know I dropped over two hundred just now?"
He nodded.
"I hadn't the money in my pocket."
"I remember."
"But I had my check-book, and I wrote each of you a check at that
desk."
"Well?"
"Not one of them was worth the paper it was written on, Raffles. I am
overdrawn already at my bank!"
"Surely only for the moment?"
"No. I have spent everything."

"But somebody told me you were so well off. I heard you had come in
for money?"
"So I did. Three years ago. It has been my curse; now it's all
gone--every penny! Yes, I've been a fool; there never was nor will be
such a fool as I've been. . . . Isn't this enough for you? Why don't you
turn me out?" He was walking up and down with a very long face
instead.
"Couldn't your people do anything?" he asked at length.
"Thank God," I cried, "I have no people! I was an only child. I came in
for everything there was. My one comfort is that they're gone, and will
never know."
I cast myself into a chair and hid my face. Raffles continued to pace the
rich carpet that was of a piece with everything else in his rooms. There
was no variation in his soft and even footfalls.
"You used to be a literary little cuss," he said at length; "didn't you edit
the mag. before you left? Anyway I recollect fagging you to do my
verses; and literature of all sorts is the very thing nowadays; any fool
can make a living at it."
I shook my head. "Any fool couldn't write off my debts," said I.
"Then you have a flat somewhere?" he went on.
"Yes, in Mount Street."
"Well, what about the furniture?"
I laughed aloud in my misery. "There's been a bill of sale on every stick
for months!"
And at that Raffles stood still, with raised eyebrows and stern eyes that
I could meet the better now that he knew the worst; then, with a shrug,
he resumed his walk, and for some minutes neither of us spoke. But in
his handsome, unmoved face I read my fate and death-warrant; and

with every breath I cursed my folly and my cowardice in coming to
him at all. Because he had been kind to me at school, when he was
captain of the eleven, and I his fag, I had dared to look for kindness
from him now; because I was ruined, and he rich enough to play cricket
all