A Thief in the Night · Chapter
The Criminologists' Club explained
Raffles reveals to Bunny how he single-handedly robbed Lord Thornaby's dressing room during a dinner with the Criminologists' Club, a group of crime enthusiasts.
What happens
Raffles reveals to Bunny how he single-handedly robbed Lord Thornaby's dressing room during a dinner with the Criminologists' Club, a group of crime enthusiasts. He describes his meticulous planning, including watching the house from Bunny's window, sending the valet away with a fake telegram, and altering the clock to create an alibi. Bunny initially doubts Raffles's claim but is convinced by the evidence. Raffles then explains that he stored the stolen robes and coronet in the Charing Cross cloakroom and sent the ticket to Lord Thornaby.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This excerpt is the dramatic climax because it reveals the long-withheld truth about Raffles’s final act of he…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Crime and Morality
The chapter explores the audacity of Raffles's crime and the moral ambiguity of his actions, as he outwits a group of crime experts.
- Identity and Deception
Raffles and Bunny attend the dinner under false pretenses, and Raffles's successful burglary further blurs the line between his public persona and his criminal identity.
Characters to notice
- A. J. Raffles
Describes his solo burglary of Lord Thornaby's dressing room during the Criminologists' Club dinner, including his planning and execution.
- Bunny
Initially skeptical of Raffles's claim, but becomes convinced after seeing the evidence from his window.
- Lord Thornaby
The host of the Criminologists' Club dinner and victim of the burglary; described as a knowledgeable but inactive man.
Key passages
“I folded and put away every garment before I permitted myself to rag the room.”
Raffles meticulously tidied the dressing room after the burglary to create a false alibi.
Demonstrates Raffles's attention to detail and cunning.
“But Raffles stabled the white elephants in the cloakroom at Charing Cross—and sent Lord Thornaby the ticket.”
Raffles stored the stolen robes and coronet in the Charing Cross cloakroom and mailed the claim ticket to Lord Thornaby.
Highlights Raffles's audacious and ironic final act.
