shutting the door none too quietly behind him, that he stopped humming
and spoke out with a grimmer face than he had worn all night.

"That boy's in a bigger hole than he thinks. But we must pull him out
between us before play begins. It's one clear call for us, Bunny!"

"Is it a bigger hole than you thought?" I asked, thinking myself of the
conversation which I had managed not to overhear.

"I don't say that, Bunny, though I never should have dreamt of his old
father being in one too. I own I can't understand that. They live in a
regular country house in the middle of Kensington, and there are only the
two of them. But I've given Teddy my word not to go to the old man for
the money, so it's no use talking about it."

But apparently it was what they had been talking about behind the
folding-doors; it only surprised me to see how much Raffles took
it to heart.

"So you have made up your mind to raise the money elsewhere?"

"Before that lad in there opens his eyes."

"Is he asleep already?"

"Like the dead," said Raffles, dropping into his chair and drinking
thoughtfully; "and so he will be till we wake him up. It's a ticklish
experiment, Bunny, but even a splitting head for the first hour's play is
better than a sleepless night; I've tried both, so I ought to know. I
shouldn't even wonder if he did himself more than justice to-morrow; one