A Costume Piece

"A Costume Piece"
1898 Collier's illustration by E. V. Nadherny
Author	E. W. Hornung
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	A. J. Raffles
Genre(s)	Crime fiction
Publisher	Cassell & Co
Media type	Print (Magazine)
Publication date	July 1898
Preceded by	"The Ides of March"
Followed by	"Gentlemen and Players"

"A Costume Piece" is a short story by E. W. Hornung, and features the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles, and his companion and biographer, Bunny Manders. The story was first published in July 1898 by Cassell's Magazine. The story was also included in the collection The Amateur Cracksman, published by Methuen & Co. Ltd in London, and Charles Scribner's Sons in New York, both in 1899.

Raffles visits Bunny's flat at midnight to tell him about a banquet at the Old Bohemian Club he attended earlier. The banquet was given for Reuben Rosenthall, an enormous, brutish, alcoholic millionaire who has returned to England from South Africa after making his money in diamond fields. Rosenthall boasted of his diamond stud and diamond ring, worth fifty thousand pounds together. Rosenthall also boasted Purvis, his prize-fighter bodyguard, and his readiness with his own gun. Raffles is eager to steal the diamonds.

Bunny agrees to help, though neither man is hard-up. Raffles retorts that this challenge will be for sport, not profit. Raffles will watch Rosenthall's house for a week, then return to Bunny with a plan. Bunny, irritated to be left out, is left torn between doubting the enterprise and impatiently awaiting fresh news.

During the week, Raffles tells very little to Bunny, or avoids him altogether. Offended, Bunny visits the Rosenthall house himself, in St. John's Wood. While approaching the house, Bunny is accosted by an old vagrant, who is actually a disguised Raffles. Bunny's tactlessly undisguised approach infuriates Raffles. He leads Bunny away, then chastises him for not taking more care. Bunny blames Raffles for not warning him to do so earlier. After a pause, Raffles agrees that he has been too uncommunicative. They quietly leave.

Raffles brings Bunny via omnibus to an artist's studio, on the King's Road in Chelsea. Raffles is the lawful tenant. He uses the studio for changing into and storing his disguises. He asks for Bunny's forgiveness for his secretiveness, and now informs Bunny of his plan.

They will enter the house when it is empty and try to drug Rosenthall's whiskey. Later, they will take the diamonds while Rosenthall and Purvis are intoxicated, while avoiding the ladies and the servants. To be safe, each man will bring a gun, and be disguised as a ruffian. Off-handedly, Raffles also mentions that Rosenthall was an Illicit Diamond Buyer, or I. D. B., who could go to prison if found out. Raffles turns in; Bunny goes home, but cannot sleep.