"Won't you hand me over and be done with it?" he croaked. "Must you
torture me yourself?"

It was all I could do to refrain from putting in my word, and telling the
fellow it was not for him to ask questions. Raffles merely inquired
whether he had thought it all out before.

"God knows I hadn't, A. J.! I came up to write you a note, I swear I
did," said Garland with a sudden sob.

"No need to swear it," returned Raffles, actually smiling. "Your word's
quite good enough for me."

"God bless you for that, after this!" the other choked, in terrible
disorder now.

"It was pretty obvious," said Raffles reassuringly.

"Was it? Are you sure? You do remember offering me a cheque last month,
and my refusing it?"

"Why, of course I do!" cried Raffles, with such spontaneous heartiness
that I could see he had never thought of it since mentioning the matter
to me at our meal. What I could not see was any reason for such
conspicuous relief, or the extenuating quality of a circumstance which
seemed to me rather to aggravate the offence.

"I have regretted that refusal ever since," young Garland continued very
simply. "It was a mistake at the time, but this week of all weeks it's