"Will
you think me one when I tell you that I can understand what you
felt, and even what you did? As a matter of fact, I have understood
for several hours now."
"You mean what I felt, Raffles?"
"And what you did. I guessed it in the boathouse. I knew that
something must have happened or been discovered to disperse that
truculent party of sportsmen so soon and on such good terms with
themselves. They had not got us; they might have got something
better worth having; and your phlegmatic attitude suggested what.
As luck would have it, the cases that I personally had collared
were the empty ones; the two prizes had fallen to you. Well, to
allay my horrid suspicion, I went and had another peep through
the lighted venetians. And what do you think I saw?"
I shook my head. I had no idea, nor was I very eager for
enlightenment.
"The two poor people whom it was your own idea to despoil," quoth
Raffles, "prematurely gloating over these two pretty things?
He withdrew a hand from either pocket of his crumpled dinner-jacket,
and opened the pair under my nose.
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