Arthur J. Raffles

Catalog Note "Le Premier Pas" by Ernest William Hornung is a crime narrative featuring the gentleman burglar A. J. Raffles recounting to his associate Bunny his first crime. Set in colonial Australia, Raffles describes arriving in Melbourne hard-pressed for money after gambling losses. Seeking a wealthy relative, he instead encounters a bank manager named W. F. Raffles. Through a series of chance encounters—including a mysterious incident involving a riderless horse and a wounded man—Raffles realizes he has been mistaken for the bank's new manager. Rather than correct the misunderstanding, Raffles decides to rob the bank that night, planning to blame the theft on local bushrangers and return to Melbourne by morning. The narrative emphasizes how Raffles' deception emerged almost casually, with his initial lie about the letter sealing his commitment to the crime.