Raffles

Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany is seeking to embarrass the British Government by using Herr Von Heumann, one of his agents, to hand back a priceless black pearl, which had once been a gift from Queen Victoria to her daughter, to the tribal leader from whence it originally came in the South Pacific, an area dominated by the British. Raffles is naturally infuriated at the behaviour of the Kaiser, but he is also very interested in acquiring the pearl for his own use. He wants to be able to spend the season playing the tables at Monte Carlo with Bunny with the proceeds of the sale of it. He feels very much put on the spot when he is approached by the British Government who want him to steal the pearl for them. This conflict of interests makes Raffles play his cards very close to his chest as he endeavours to successfully acquire the pearl for himself. Raffles and Bunny both end up joining the hunting set at a house party where Herr Von Heumann is also a guest.

A friend of Raffles', Teddy Garland, finds that he is in debt to the vicious moneylender, Brigstock. Raffles and Bunny pay a visit to Brigstock and manage to pay Garland's debt back. Brigstock asks Raffles to steal a letter which is evidence in a court case pending against him. Raffles agrees, but has an agenda about which Brigstock knows nothing. Ultimately Raffles puts Brigstock into a position where he must choose between his love for his money and life itself.

Somebody is setting himself up in opposition to Raffles as another gentleman thief, and Raffles doesn't like it, as he is being accused by Inspector Mackenzie of things which he did not do. Eventually Raffles pinpoints the thief as Lord Ernest Belville, and he and Bunny break into Belville's rooms in quest of some stolen loot. Eventually there is a confrontation between Raffles and Lord Ernest Belville, and things go very wrong indeed for one of them.

Visiting a reception at the Italian Ambassador's one evening, Raffles and Bunny conspire to steal an item of jewellery which is on display. But for the help of Faustina, a maid who works at the Embassy, they would have been caught. To repay her assistance, Raffles arranges to rescue her from the Embassy where she is being kept against her will by Count Corbucci, the evil Ambassador. All goes well, but there is a very nasty shock in wait for Raffles, and an endless night.

Raffles falls in love with the St. Agnes Cup, held in the British Museum Collection, and under threat of imminent purchase by a rich American. Using one of his ingenious disguises and with Bunny's help, Raffles steals the Cup from under the noses of the Security Guards at the Museum. He sends the Cup to Queen Victoria as a Jubilee present on behalf of the criminal element in Society. Lord Thornaby, head of the famed Criminologists' Club, suspects Raffles of the crime. He invites Raffles and Bunny to a dinner given by the Club at which all members are present at Lord Thornaby's home. Raffles manages to convince them that he really is the Cleverest Cracksman of all time.

Reuben Rosenthal is a crude man from South Africa who has done well in the diamond industry. He is extremely rich and not afraid to flaunt his diamonds. Raffles determines to have some of Rosenthal's diamonds for himself, and stakes out Rosenthal's house in St. John's Wood using a variety of ingenious disguises. He and Bunny break and enter, but all is not smooth sailing and Bunny has a particularly rough night.