wiping his face, with the lantern throwing a steady beam by his
side.

We were now in a bare and roomy lobby behind the shop, but
separated therefrom by an iron curtain, the very sight of which
filled me with despair. Raffles, however, did not appear in the
least depressed, but hung up his coat and hat on some pegs in the
lobby before examining this curtain with his lantern.

"That's nothing," said he, after a minute's inspection; "we'll be
through that in no time, but there's a door on the other side
which may give us trouble."

"Another door!" I groaned. "And how do you mean to tackle this
thing?"

"Prise it up with the jointed jimmy. The weak point of these
iron curtains is the leverage you can get from below. But it
makes a noise, and this is where you're coming in, Bunny; this is
where I couldn't do without you. I must have you overhead to
knock through when the street's clear. I'll come with you and
show a light."

Well, you may imagine how little I liked the prospect of this
lonely vigil; and yet there was something very stimulating in the
vital responsibility which it involved. Hitherto I had been a
mere spectator. Now I was to take part in the game. And the
fresh excitement made me more than ever insensible to those
considerations of conscience and of safety which were already as
dead nerves in my breast.