Part 15 (1/2)
”You won't in any case, I should hope,” said I.
”Oh, yes, I might; but not if he talks like that.”
Levy stopped talking quite like that.
”Will you do it, Mr. Raffles, or will you not?”
”Abstract the-forgery?”
”Yes.”
”Where from?”
”Wherever it may be; their solicitors' safe, I suppose.”
”Who are the solicitors to Fact?”
”Burroughs and Burroughs.”
”Of Gray's Inn Square?”
”That's right.”
”The strongest firm in England for a criminal case,” said Raffles, with a grimace at me. ”Their strong-room is probably the strongest strong-room!”
”I said it was a tricky job,” rejoined the moneylender.
Raffles looked more than dubious.
”Big game for a first shoot, eh, Bunny?”
”Too big by half.”
”And you merely wish to have their letter-withdrawn, Mr. Levy?”
”That's the way to put it.”
And the diamond stud sparkled again as it heaved upon the billows of an intestine chuckle.
”Withdrawn-and nothing more?”
”That'll be good enough for me, Mr. Raffles.”
”Even though they miss it the very next morning?”
”Let them miss it.”
Raffles joined his finger-tips judicially, and shook his head in serene dissent.
”It would do you more harm than good, Mr. Levy. I should be inclined to go one better-if I went into the thing at all,” he added, with so much point that I was thankful to think he was beginning to decide against it.