Mr. Justice Raffles

Raffles had vanished from the face of the town, and even I had no conception of hiswhereabouts until he cabled to me to meet the 7.31 at Charing Cross next night. That wason the Tuesday before the 'Varsity match, or a full fortnight after his mysteriousdisappearance. The telegram was from Carlsbad, of all places for Raffles of all men! Ofcourse there was only one thing that could possibly have taken so rare a specimen ofphysical fitness to any such pernicious spot. But to my horror he emerged from the train, on the Wednesday evening, a cadaverous caricature of the splendid person I had gone tomeet."Not a word, my dear Bunny, till I have bitten British beef!" said he, in tones as hollow ashis cheeks. "No, I'm not going to stop to clear my baggage now. You can do that for me to-morrow, Bunny, like a dear good pal.""Any time you like," said I, giving him my arm. "But where shall we dine? Kellner's?Neapolo's? The Carlton or the Club?"But Raffles shook his head at one and all."I don't want to dine at all," he said. "I know what I want!"And he led the way from the station, stopping once to gloat over the sunset across TrafalgarSquare, and again to inhale the tarry scent of the warm wood-paving, which was perfumeto his nostrils as the din of its traffic was music to his ears, before we came to one of thosepolitical palaces which permit themselves to be included in the list of ordinary clubs. Raffles, to my surprise, walked in as though the marble hall belonged to him, and as straightas might be to the grill-room where white-capped cooks were making things hiss upon asilver grill. He did not consult me as to what we were to have. He had made up his mindabout that in the train. But he chose the fillet steaks himself, he insisted on seeing thekidneys, and had a word to say about the fried potatoes, and the Welsh rarebit that was tofollow. And all this was as uncharacteristic of the normal Raffles (who was least fastidiousat the table) as the sigh with which he dropped into the chair opposite mine, and crossedhis arms upon the cloth