Of Raffles, on the
contrary, I heard nothing, for he had shut the door between us, and
I was to warn him if a single sound came through. I need scarcely
add that no warning was necessary during the twenty minutes we
remained in the bank. Raffles afterward assured me that nineteen
of them had been spent in filing one key; but one of his latest
inventions was a little thick velvet bag in which he carried the
keys; and this bag had two elastic mouths, which closed so tightly
about either wrist that he could file away, inside, and scarcely
hear it himself. As for these keys, they were clever counterfeits
of typical patterns by two great safe-making firms. And Raffles
had come by them in a manner all. his own, which the criminal world
may discover for itself.
When he opened the door and beckoned to me, I knew by his face that
he had succeeded to his satisfaction, and by experience better than
to question him on the point. Indeed, the first thing was to get
out of the bank; for the stars were drowning in a sky of ink and
water, and it was a comfort to feel that we could fly straight to
our beds.
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