Sinister House by Fred M. White — Read

The partnership between Beaucaire and Prince Phasy was--as such alliances inevitably must be--one of offensive and defensive nature. In other words, they trusted one another up to a certain point, but beyond that, neither was disposed to go. This must naturally follow where two rogues are concerned, and they were none the less friends because both of them knew it.

There had been a time when they were both desirable members of society, and probably would have remained so but for the upheaval caused by the Great War. That crowning disaster had stripped both of them of practically all they possessed, and the time came when they had to look round for some means of obtaining a living. Neither had been brought up to do anything useful, with the inevitable result that an unpleasant era of poverty looked them in the face. Beaucaire had come through the war with quite a good record, and Phasy could pride himself much on the same thing. But it was necessary to live, and almost equally necessary that they should be able to hold their own with the best of them, and this could only be accomplished in one way.