THE CRYSTAL STOPPER

by Maurice LeBlanc

CHAPTER I. THE ARRESTS

The two boats fastened to the little pier that jutted out from thegarden lay rocking in its shadow. Here and there lighted windows showedthrough the thick mist on the margins of the lake. The Enghien Casinoopposite blazed with light, though it was late in the season, the endof September. A few stars appeared through the clouds. A light breezeruffled the surface of the water. 

Arsene Lupin left the summer-house where he was smoking a cigar and, bending forward at the end of the pier:

"Growler?" he asked. "Masher?. .. Are you there?"

A man rose from each of the boats, and one of them answered:

"Yes, governor. "

"Get ready. I hear the car coming with Gilbert and Vaucheray. "

He crossed the garden, walked round a house in process of construction, the scaffolding of which loomed overhead, and cautiously opened the dooron the Avenue de Ceinture. He was not mistaken: a bright light flashedround the bend and a large, open motor-car drew up, whence sprang twomen in great-coats, with the collars turned up, and caps. 

It was Gilbert and Vaucheray: Gilbert, a young fellow of twenty ortwenty-two, with an attractive cast of features and a supple and sinewyframe; Vaucheray, older, shorter, with grizzled hair and a pale, sicklyface. 

"Well, " asked Lupin, "did you see him, the deputy?"

"Yes, governor, " said Gilbert, "we saw him take the 7. 40 tram for Paris, as we knew he would. "

"Then we are free to act?"

"Absolutely. The Villa Marie-Therese is ours to do as we please with. "

The chauffeur had kept his seat. Lupin gave him his orders:

"Don't wait here. It might attract attention. Be back at half-pastnine exactly, in time to load the car unless the whole business fallsthrough. "

"Why should it fall through?" observed Gilbert. 

The motor drove away; and Lupin, taking the road to the lake with histwo companions, replied:

"Why? Because I didn't prepare the plan; and, when I don't do a thingmyself, I am only half-confident. "

"Nonsense, governor! I've been working with you for three years now. .. I'm beginning to know the ropes!"

"Yes, my lad, you're beginning, " said Lupin, "and that's just why I'mafraid of blunders. .. Here, get in with me. .. And you, Vaucheray, takethe other boat. .. That's it. .. And now push off, boys. .. And make aslittle noise as you can. "

Growler and Masher, the two oarsmen, made straight for the oppositebank, a little to the left of the casino. 

They met a boat containing a couple locked in each other's arms, floating at random, and another in which a number of people were singingat the top of their voices. And that was all. 

Lupin shifted closer to his companion and said, under his breath:

"Tell me, Gilbert, did you think of this job, or was it Vaucheray'sidea?"

"Upon my word, I couldn't tell you: we've both of us been discussing itfor weeks. "

"The thing is, I don't trust Vaucheray: he's a low ruffian when one getsto know him. .. I can't make out why I don't get rid of him. .. "

"Oh, governor!"

"Yes, yes, I mean what I say: he's a dangerous fellow, to say nothingof the fact that he has some rather serious peccadilloes on hisconscience. "

He sat silent for a moment and continued:

"So you're quite sure that you saw Daubrecq the deputy?"

"Saw him with my own eyes, governor. "

"And you know that he has an appointment in Paris?"

"He's going to the theatre. "

"Very well; but his servants have remained behind at the Enghienvilla. .. . "

"The cook has been sent away. As for the valet, Leonard, who isDaubrecq's confidential man, he'll wait for his master in Paris. Theycan't get back from town before one o'clock in the morning. But. .. "

"But what?"

"We must reckon with a possible freak of fancy on Daubrecq's part, achange of mind, an unexpected return, and so arrange to have everythingfinished and done with in an hour. "

"And when did you get these details?"

"This morning. Vaucheray and I at once thought that it was a favourablemoment. I selected the garden of the unfinished house which we have justleft as the best place to start from; for the house is not watched atnight. I sent for two mates to row the boats; and I telephoned to you. That's the whole story. "

"Have you the keys?"

"The keys of the front-door. "

"Is that the villa which I see from here, standing in its own grounds?"

"Yes, the Villa Marie-Therese; and as the two others, with the gardenstouching it on either side, have been unoccupied since this day week, we shall be able to remove what we please at our leisure; and I swear toyou, governor, it's well worth while. "

"The job's much too simple, " mumbled Lupin. "No charm about it!"

They landed in a little creek whence rose a few stone steps, under coverof a mouldering roof. Lupin reflected that shipping the furniture wouldbe easy work. But, suddenly, he said:

"There are people at the villa. Look. .. A light. "

"It's a gas-jet, governor. The light's not moving. "

The Growler stayed by the boats, with instructions to keep watch, whilethe Masher, the other rower, went to the gate on the Avenue de Ceinture, and Lupin and his two companions crept in the shadow to the foot of thesteps. 

Gilbert went up first. Groping in the dark, he inserted first the bigdoor-key and then the latch-key. Both turned easily in their locks, thedoor opened and the three men walked in. 

A gas-jet was flaring in the hall. 

"You see, governor. .. " said Gilbert. 

"Yes, yes, " said Lupin, in a low voice, "but it seems to me that thelight which I saw shining did not come from here. .. "

"Where did it come from then?"

"I can't say. .. Is this the drawing-room?"

"No, " replied Gilbert, who was not afraid to speak pretty loudly, "no. By way of precaution, he keeps everything on the first floor, in hisbedroom and in the two rooms on either side of it. "

"And where is the staircase?"

"On the right, behind the curtain. "

Lupin moved to the curtain and was drawing the hanging aside when, suddenly, at four steps on the left, a door opened and a head appeared, a pallid man's head, with terrified eyes. 

"Help! Murder!" shouted the man. 

And he rushed back into the room. 

"It's Leonard, the valet!" cried Gilbert. 

"If he makes a fuss, I'll out him, " growled Vaucheray. 

"You'll jolly well do nothing of the sort, do you hear, Vaucheray?" saidLupin, peremptorily. And he darted off in pursuit of the servant. Hefirst went through a dining-room, where he saw a lamp still lit, withplates and a bottle around it, and he found Leonard at the further endof a pantry, making vain efforts to open the window:

"Don't move, sportie! No kid! Ah, the brute!"

He had thrown himself flat on the floor, on seeing Leonard raise his armat him. Three shots were fired in the dusk of the pantry; and then thevalet came tumbling to the ground, seized by the legs by Lupin, whosnatched his weapon from him and gripped him by the throat:

"Get out, you dirty brute!" he growled. "He very nearly did for me. .. Here, Vaucheray, secure this gentleman!"

He threw the light of his pocket-lantern on the servant's face andchuckled:

"He's not a pretty gentleman either. .. You can't have a very clearconscience, Leonard; besides, to play flunkey to Daubrecq the deputy. .. !Have you finished, Vaucheray? I don't want to hang about here for ever!"

"There's no danger, governor, " said Gilbert. 

"Oh, really?. .. So you think that shots can't be heard?. .. "

"Quite impossible. "

"No matter, we must look sharp. Vaucheray, take the lamp and let's goupstairs. "

He took Gilbert by the arm and, as he dragged him to the first floor:

"You ass, " he said, "is that the way you make inquiries? Wasn't I rightto have my doubts?"

"Look here, governor, I couldn't know that he would change his mind andcome back to dinner. "

"One's got to know everything when one has the honour of breaking intopeople's houses. You numskull! I'll remember you and Vaucheray. .. A nicepair of gossoons!. .. "

The sight of the furniture on the first floor pacified Lupin and hestarted on his inventory with the satisfied air of a collector who haslooked in to treat himself to a few works of art:

"By Jingo! There's not much of it, but what there is is pucka! There'snothing the matter with this representative of the people inthe question of taste. Four Aubusson chairs. .. A bureau signed'Percier-Fontaine, ' for a wager. .. Two inlays by Gouttieres. .. A genuineFragonard and a sham Nattier which any American millionaire will swallowfor the asking: in short, a fortune. .. And there are curmudgeons whopretend that there's nothing but faked stuff left. Dash it all, whydon't they do as I do? They should look about!"

Gilbert and Vaucheray, following Lupin's orders and instructions, atonce proceeded methodically to remove the bulkier pieces. The first boatwas filled in half an hour; and it was decided that the Growler and theMasher should go on ahead and begin to load the motor-car. 

Lupin went to see them start. On returning to the house, it struck him, as he passed through the hall, that he heard a voice in the pantry. Hewent there and found Leonard lying flat on his stomach, quite alone, with his hands tied behind his back:

"So it's you growling, my confidential flunkey? Don't get excited: it'salmost finished. Only, if you make too much noise, you'll oblige us totake severer measures. .. Do you like pears? We might give you one, youknow: a choke-pear!. .. "

As he went upstairs, he again heard the same sound and, stopping tolisten, he caught these words, uttered in a hoarse, groaning voice, which came, beyond a doubt, from the pantry:

"Help!. .. Murder!. .. Help!. .. I shall be killed!. .. Inform thecommissary!"

"The fellow's clean off his chump!" muttered Lupin. "By Jove!. .. Todisturb the police at nine o'clock in the evening: there's a notion foryou!"

He set to work again. It took longer than he expected, for theydiscovered in the cupboards all sorts of valuable knick-knacks which itwould have been very wrong to disdain and, on the other hand, Vaucherayand Gilbert were going about their investigations with signs of labouredconcentration that nonplussed him. 

At long last, he lost his patience:

"That will do!" he said. "We're not going to spoil the whole job andkeep the motor waiting for the sake of the few odd bits that remain. I'mtaking the boat. "

They were now by the waterside and Lupin went down the steps. Gilbertheld him back:

"I say, governor, we want one more look round five minutes, no longer. "

"But what for, dash it all?"

"Well, it's like this: we were told of an old reliquary, somethingstunning. .. "

"Well?"

"We can't lay our hands on it. And I was thinking. .. There's a cupboardwith a big lock to it in the pantry. .. You see, we can't very well. .. "He was already on his way to the villa. Vaucheray ran back too. 

"I'll give you ten minutes, not a second longer!" cried Lupin. "In tenminutes, I'm off. "

But the ten minutes passed and he was still waiting. 

He looked at his watch:

"A quarter-past nine, " he said to himself. "This is madness. "

And he also remembered that Gilbert and Vaucheray had behaved ratherqueerly throughout the removal of the things, keeping close together andapparently watching each other. What could be happening?

Lupin mechanically returned to the house, urged by a feeling of anxietywhich he was unable to explain; and, at the same time, he listened toa dull sound which rose in the distance, from the direction of Enghien, and which seemed to be coming nearer. .. People strolling about, nodoubt. .. 

He gave a sharp whistle and then went to the main gate, to take a glancedown the avenue. But, suddenly, as he was opening the gate, a shot rangout, followed by a yell of pain. He returned at a run, went round thehouse, leapt up the steps and rushed to the dining-room:

"Blast it all, what are you doing there, you two?"

Gilbert and Vaucheray, locked in a furious embrace, were rolling on thefloor, uttering cries of rage. Their clothes were dripping with blood. Lupin flew at them to separate them. But already Gilbert had got hisadversary down and was wrenching out of his hand something which Lupinhad no time to see. And Vaucheray, who was losing blood through a woundin the shoulder, fainted. 

"Who hurt him? You, Gilbert?" asked Lupin, furiously. 

"No, Leonard. "

"Leonard? Why, he was tied up!"

"He undid his fastenings and got hold of his revolver. "

"The scoundrel! Where is he?"

Lupin took the lamp and went into the pantry. 

The man-servant was lying on his back, with his arms outstretched, adagger stuck in his throat and a livid face. A red stream trickled fromhis mouth. 

"Ah, " gasped Lupin, after examining him, "he's dead!"

"Do you think so?. .. Do you think so?" stammered Gilbert, in a tremblingvoice. 

"He's dead, I tell you. "

"It was Vaucheray. .. It was Vaucheray who did it. .. "

Pale with anger, Lupin caught hold of him:

"It was Vaucheray, was it?. .. And you too, you blackguard, since youwere there and didn't stop him! Blood! Blood! You know I won't haveit. .. Well, it's a bad lookout for you, my fine fellows. .. You'll haveto pay the damage! And you won't get off cheaply either. .. Mind theguillotine!" And, shaking him violently, "What was it? Why did he killhim?"

"He wanted to go through his pockets and take the key of the cupboardfrom him. When he stooped over him, he saw that the man unloosed hisarms. He got frightened. .. And he stabbed him. .. "

"But the revolver-shot?"

"It was Leonard. .. He had his revolver in his hand. .. He just hadstrength to take aim before he died. .. "

"And the key of the cupboard?"

"Vaucheray took it. .. . "

"Did he open it?"

"And did he find what he was after?"

"Yes. "

"And you wanted to take the thing from him. What sort of thing wasit? The reliquary? No, it was too small for that. .. . Then what was it?Answer me, will you?. .. "

Lupin gathered from Gilbert's silence and the determined expression onhis face that he would not obtain a reply. With a threatening gesture, "I'll make you talk, my man. Sure as my name's Lupin, you shall come outwith it. But, for the moment, we must see about decamping. Here, helpme. We must get Vaucheray into the boat. .. "

They had returned to the dining-room and Gilbert was bending over thewounded man, when Lupin stopped him:

"Listen. "

They exchanged one look of alarm. .. Some one was speaking in the pantry. .. A very low, strange, very distant voice. .. Nevertheless, as they atonce made certain, there was no one in the room, no one except the deadman, whose dark outline lay stretched upon the floor. 

And the voice spake anew, by turns shrill, stifled, bleating, stammering, yelling, fearsome. It uttered indistinct words, brokensyllables. 

Lupin felt the top of his head covering with perspiration. What was thisincoherent voice, mysterious as a voice from beyond the grave?

He had knelt down by the man-servant's side. The voice was silent andthen began again:

"Give us a better light, " he said to Gilbert. 

He was trembling a little, shaken with a nervous dread which he wasunable to master, for there was no doubt possible: when Gilbert hadremoved the shade from the lamp, Lupin realized that the voice issuedfrom the corpse itself, without a movement of the lifeless mass, withouta quiver of the bleeding mouth. 

"Governor, I've got the shivers, " stammered Gilbert. 

Again the same voice, the same snuffling whisper. 

Suddenly, Lupin burst out laughing, seized the corpse and pulled itaside:

"Exactly!" he said, catching sight of an object made of polished metal. "Exactly! That's it!. .. Well, upon my word, it took me long enough!"

On the spot on the floor which he had uncovered lay the receiver of atelephone, the cord of which ran up to the apparatus fixed on the wall, at the usual height. 

Lupin put the receiver to his ear. The noise began again at once, butit was a mixed noise, made up of different calls, exclamations, confusedcries, the noise produced by a number of persons questioning one anotherat the same time. 

"Are you there?. .. He won't answer. It's awful. .. They must have killedhim. What is it?. .. Keep up your courage. There's help on the way. .. Police. .. Soldiers. .. "

"Dash it!" said Lupin, dropping the receiver. 

The truth appeared to him in a terrifying vision. Quite at thebeginning, while the things upstairs were being moved, Leonard, whosebonds were not securely fastened, had contrived to scramble to hisfeet, to unhook the receiver, probably with his teeth, to drop it and toappeal for assistance to the Enghien telephone-exchange. 

And those were the words which Lupin had overheard, after the first boatstarted:

"Help!. .. Murder!. .. I shall be killed!"

And this was the reply of the exchange. The police were hurrying tothe spot. And Lupin remembered the sounds which he had heard from thegarden, four or five minutes earlier, at most:

"The police! Take to your heels!" he shouted, darting across the diningroom. 

"What about Vaucheray?" asked Gilbert. 

"Sorry, can't be helped!"

But Vaucheray, waking from his torpor, entreated him as he passed:

"Governor, you wouldn't leave me like this!"

Lupin stopped, in spite of the danger, and was lifting the wounded man, with Gilbert's assistance, when a loud din arose outside:

"Too late!" he said. 

At that moment, blows shook the hall-door at the back of the house. Heran to the front steps: a number of men had already turned the corner ofthe house at a rush. He might have managed to keep ahead of them, withGilbert, and reach the waterside. But what chance was there of embarkingand escaping under the enemy's fire?

He locked and bolted the door. 

"We are surrounded. .. And done for, " spluttered Gilbert. 

"Hold your tongue, " said Lupin. 

"But they've seen us, governor. There, they're knocking. "

"Hold your tongue, " Lupin repeated. "Not a word. Not a movement. "

He himself remained unperturbed, with an utterly calm face and thepensive attitude of one who has all the time that he needs to examine adelicate situation from every point of view. He had reached one of thoseminutes which he called the "superior moments of existence, " thosewhich alone give a value and a price to life. On such occasions, however threatening the danger, he always began by counting to himself, slowly--"One. .. Two. .. Three. .. Four. .. . Five. .. Six"--until the beatingof his heart became normal and regular. Then and not till then, hereflected, but with what intensity, with what perspicacity, with what aprofound intuition of possibilities! All the factors of the problem werepresent in his mind. He foresaw everything. He admitted everything. Andhe took his resolution in all logic and in all certainty. 

After thirty or forty seconds, while the men outside were banging at thedoors and picking the locks, he said to his companion:

"Follow me. "

Returning to the dining-room, he softly opened the sash and drew theVenetian blinds of a window in the side-wall. People were coming andgoing, rendering flight out of the question. 

Thereupon he began to shout with all his might, in a breathless voice:

"This way!. .. Help!. .. I've got them!. .. This way!"

He pointed his revolver and fired two shots into the tree-tops. Thenhe went back to Vaucheray, bent over him and smeared his face and handswith the wounded man's blood. Lastly, turning upon Gilbert, he took himviolently by the shoulders and threw him to the floor. 

"What do you want, governor? There's a nice thing to do!"

"Let me do as I please, " said Lupin, laying an imperative stress onevery syllable. "I'll answer for everything. .. I'll answer for thetwo of you. .. Let me do as I like with you. .. I'll get you both out ofprison . .. But I can only do that if I'm free. "

Excited cries rose through the open window. 

"This way!" he shouted. "I've got them! Help!"

And, quietly, in a whisper:

"Just think for a moment. .. Have you anything to say to me?. .. Somethingthat can be of use to us?"

Gilbert was too much taken aback to understand Lupin's plan and hestruggled furiously. Vaucheray showed more intelligence; moreover, hehad given up all hope of escape, because of his wound; and he snarled:

"Let the governor have his way, you ass!. .. As long as he gets off, isn't that the great thing?"

Suddenly, Lupin remembered the article which Gilbert had put in hispocket, after capturing it from Vaucheray. He now tried to take it inhis turn. 

"No, not that! Not if I know it!" growled Gilbert, managing to releasehimself. 

Lupin floored him once more. But two men suddenly appeared at thewindow; and Gilbert yielded and, handing the thing to Lupin, whopocketed it without looking at it, whispered:

"Here you are, governor. .. I'll explain. You can be sure that. .. "

He did not have time to finish. .. Two policemen and others after themand soldiers who entered through every door and window came to Lupin'sassistance. 

Gilbert was at once seized and firmly bound. Lupin withdrew:

"I'm glad you've come, " he said. "The beggar's given me a lot oftrouble. I wounded the other; but this one. .. "

The commissary of police asked him, hurriedly:

"Have you seen the man-servant? Have they killed him?"

"I don't know, " he answered. 

"You don't know?. .. "

"Why, I came with you from Enghien, on hearing of the murder! Only, while you were going round the left of the house, I went round theright. There was a window open. I climbed up just as these two ruffianswere about to jump down. I fired at this one, " pointing to Vaucheray, "and seized hold of his pal. "

How could he have been suspected? He was covered with blood. He hadhanded over the valet's murderers. Half a score of people had witnessedthe end of the heroic combat which he had delivered. Besides, the uproarwas too great for any one to take the trouble to argue or to waste timein entertaining doubts. In the height of the first confusion, the peopleof the neighbourhood invaded the villa. One and all lost their heads. They ran to every side, upstairs, downstairs, to the very cellar. Theyasked one another questions, yelled and shouted; and no one dreamt ofchecking Lupin's statements, which sounded so plausible. 

However, the discovery of the body in the pantry restored the commissaryto a sense of his responsibility. He issued orders, had the housecleared and placed policemen at the gate to prevent any one from passingin or out. Then, without further delay, he examined the spot and beganhis inquiry. Vaucheray gave his name; Gilbert refused to give his, onthe plea that he would only speak in the presence of a lawyer. But, when he was accused of the murder, he informed against Vaucheray, who defended himself by denouncing the other; and the two of themvociferated at the same time, with the evident wish to monopolize thecommissary's attention. When the commissary turned to Lupin, to requesthis evidence, he perceived that the stranger was no longer there. 

Without the least suspicion, he said to one of the policemen:

"Go and tell that gentleman that I should like to ask him a fewquestions. "

They looked about for the gentleman. Some one had seen him standing onthe steps, lighting a cigarette. The next news was that he had givencigarettes to a group of soldiers and strolled toward the lake, sayingthat they were to call him if he was wanted. 

They called him. No one replied. 

But a soldier came running up. The gentleman had just got into a boatand was rowing away for all he was worth. The commissary looked atGilbert and realized that he had been tricked:

"Stop him!" he shouted. "Fire on him! He's an accomplice!. .. "

He himself rushed out, followed by two policemen, while the othersremained with the prisoners. On reaching the bank, he saw the gentleman, a hundred yards away, taking off his hat to him in the dusk. 

One of the policemen discharged his revolver, without thinking. 

The wind carried the sound of words across the water. The gentleman wassinging as he rowed:

 "Go, little bark, Float in the dark. .. "

But the commissary saw a skiff fastened to the landing-stage of theadjoining property. He scrambled over the hedge separating the twogardens and, after ordering the soldiers to watch the banks of the lakeand to seize the fugitive if he tried to put ashore, the commissary andtwo of his men pulled off in pursuit of Lupin. 

It was not a difficult matter, for they were able to follow hismovements by the intermittent light of the moon and to see that he wastrying to cross the lakes while bearing toward the right--that is tosay, toward the village of Saint-Gratien. Moreover, the commissarysoon perceived that, with the aid of his men and thanks perhaps to thecomparative lightness of his craft, he was rapidly gaining on the other. In ten minutes he had decreased the interval between them by one half. 

"That's it!" he cried. "We shan't even need the soldiers to keep himfrom landing. I very much want to make the fellow's acquaintance. He's acool hand and no mistake!"

The funny thing was that the distance was now diminishing at an abnormalrate, as though the fugitive had lost heart at realizing the futilityof the struggle. The policemen redoubled their efforts. The boat shotacross the water with the swiftness of a swallow. Another hundred yardsat most and they would reach the man. 

"Halt!" cried the commissary. 

The enemy, whose huddled shape they could make out in the boat, nolonger moved. The sculls drifted with the stream. And this absence ofall motion had something alarming about it. A ruffian of that stampmight easily lie in wait for his aggressors, sell his life dearly andeven shoot them dead before they had a chance of attacking him. 

"Surrender!" shouted the commissary. 

The sky, at that moment, was dark. The three men lay flat at the bottomof their skiff, for they thought they perceived a threatening gesture. 

The boat, carried by its own impetus, was approaching the other. 

The commissary growled:

"We won't let ourselves be sniped. Let's fire at him. Are you ready?"And he roared, once more, "Surrender. .. If not. .. !"

No reply. 

The enemy did not budge. 

"Surrender!. .. Hands up!. .. You refuse?. .. So much the worse for you. .. I'm counting. .. One. .. Two. .. "

The policemen did not wait for the word of command. They fired and, atonce, bending over their oars, gave the boat so powerful an impulse thatit reached the goal in a few strokes. 

The commissary watched, revolver in hand, ready for the least movement. He raised his arm:

"If you stir, I'll blow out your brains!"

But the enemy did not stir for a moment; and, when the boat was bumpedand the two men, letting go their oars, prepared for the formidableassault, the commissary understood the reason of this passive attitude:there was no one in the boat. The enemy had escaped by swimming, leavingin the hands of the victor a certain number of the stolen articles, which, heaped up and surmounted by a jacket and a bowler hat, might betaken, at a pinch, in the semi-darkness, vaguely to represent the figureof a man. 

They struck matches and examined the enemy's cast clothes. There were noinitials in the hat. The jacket contained neither papers nor pocketbook. Nevertheless, they made a discovery which was destined to give the caseno little celebrity and which had a terrible influence on the fate ofGilbert and Vaucheray: in one of the pockets was a visiting-card whichthe fugitive had left behind. .. The card of Arsene Lupin. 

At almost the same moment, while the police, towing the captured skiffbehind them, continued their empty search and while the soldiersstood drawn up on the bank, straining their eyes to try and follow thefortunes of the naval combat, the aforesaid Arsene Lupin was quietlylanding at the very spot which he had left two hours earlier. 

He was there met by his two other accomplices, the Growler and theMasher, flung them a few sentences by way of explanation, jumpedinto the motor-car, among Daubrecq the deputy's armchairs and othervaluables, wrapped himself in his furs and drove, by deserted roads, to his repository at Neuilly, where he left the chauffeur. Ataxicab brought him back to Paris and put him down by the church ofSaint-Philippe-du-Roule, not far from which, in the Rue Matignon, hehad a flat, on the entresol-floor, of which none of his gang, exceptingGilbert, knew, a flat with a private entrance. He was glad to takeoff his clothes and rub himself down; for, in spite of his strongconstitution, he felt chilled to the bone. On retiring to bed, heemptied the contents of his pockets, as usual, on the mantelpiece. Itwas not till then that he noticed, near his pocketbook and his keys, theobject which Gilbert had put into his hand at the last moment. 

And he was very much surprised. It was a decanter-stopper, a littlecrystal stopper, like those used for the bottles in a liqueur-stand. And this crystal stopper had nothing particular about it. The most thatLupin observed was that the knob, with its many facets, was gilded rightdown to the indent. But, to tell the truth, this detail did not seem tohim of a nature to attract special notice. 

"And it was this bit of glass to which Gilbert and Vaucheray attachedsuch stubborn importance!" he said to himself. "It was for this thatthey killed the valet, fought each other, wasted their time, riskedprison. .. Trial. .. The scaffold!. .. "

Too tired to linger further upon this matter, exciting though itappeared to him, he replaced the stopper on the chimney-piece and gotinto bed. 

He had bad dreams. Gilbert and Vaucheray were kneeling on the flags oftheir cells, wildly stretching out their hands to him and yelling withfright:

"Help!. .. Help!" they cried. 

But, notwithstanding all his efforts, he was unable to move. He himselfwas fastened by invisible bonds. And, trembling, obsessed by a monstrousvision, he watched the dismal preparations, the cutting of the condemnedmen's hair and shirt-collars, the squalid tragedy. 

"By Jove!" he said, when he woke after a series of nightmares. "There's a lot of bad omens! Fortunately, we don't err on the side ofsuperstition. Otherwise. .. !" And he added, "For that matter, we have atalisman which, to judge by Gilbert and Vaucheray's behaviour, should beenough, with Lupin's help, to frustrate bad luck and secure the triumphof the good cause. Let's have a look at that crystal stopper!"

He sprang out of bed to take the thing and examine it more closely. Anexclamation escaped him. The crystal stopper had disappeared. .. 

CHAPTER II. EIGHT FROM NINE LEAVES ONE

Notwithstanding my friendly relations with Lupin and the many flatteringproofs of his confidence which he has given me, there is one thing whichI have never been quite able to fathom, and that is the organization ofhis gang. 

The existence of the gang is an undoubted fact. Certain adventures canbe explained only by countless acts of devotion, invincible efforts ofenergy and powerful cases of complicity, representing so many forceswhich all obey one mighty will. But how is this will exerted? Throughwhat intermediaries, through what subordinates? That is what I do notknow. Lupin keeps his secret; and the secrets which Lupin chooses tokeep are, so to speak, impenetrable. 

The only supposition which I can allow myself to make is that this gang, which, in my opinion, is very limited in numbers and therefore all themore formidable, is completed and extended indefinitely by the additionof independent units, provisional associates, picked up in every classof society and in every country of the world, who are the executiveagents of an authority with which, in many cases, they are not evenacquainted. The companions, the initiates, the faithful adherents--menwho play the leading parts under the direct command of Lupin--move toand fro between these secondary agents and the master. 

Gilbert and Vaucheray evidently belonged to the main gang. And that iswhy the law showed itself so implacable in their regard. For the firsttime, it held accomplices of Lupin in its clutches--declared, undisputedaccomplices--and those accomplices had committed a murder. If the murderwas premeditated, if the accusation of deliberate homicide could besupported by substantial proofs, it meant the scaffold. Now there was, at the very least, one self-evident proof, the cry for assistance whichLeonard had sent over the telephone a few minutes before his death:

"Help!. .. Murder!. .. I shall be killed!. .. "

The desperate appeal had been heard by two men, the operator on dutyand one of his fellow-clerks, who swore to it positively. And it wasin consequence of this appeal that the commissary of police, who was atonce informed, had proceeded to the Villa Marie-Therese, escorted by hismen and a number of soldiers off duty. 

Lupin had a very clear notion of the danger from the first. The fiercestruggle in which he had engaged against society was entering upon a newand terrible phase. His luck was turning. It was no longer a matter ofattacking others, but of defending himself and saving the heads of histwo companions. 

A little memorandum, which I have copied from one of the note-books inwhich he often jots down a summary of the situations that perplex him, will show us the workings of his brain:

"One definite fact, to begin with, is that Gilbert and Vaucherayhumbugged me. The Enghien expedition, undertaken ostensibly with theobject of robbing the Villa Marie-Therese, had a secret purpose. Thispurpose obsessed their minds throughout the operations; and what theywere looking for, under the furniture and in the cupboards, was onething and one thing alone: the crystal stopper. Therefore, if I want tosee clear ahead, I must first of all know what this means. It is certainthat, for some hidden reason, that mysterious piece of glass possessesan incalculable value in their eyes. And not only in theirs, for, lastnight, some one was bold enough and clever enough to enter my flat andsteal the object in question from me. "

This theft of which he was the victim puzzled Lupin curiously. 

Two problems, both equally difficult of solution, presented themselvesto his mind. First, who was the mysterious visitor? Gilbert, who enjoyedhis entire confidence and acted as his private secretary, was the onlyone who knew of the retreat in the Rue Matignon. Now Gilbert was inprison. Was Lupin to suppose that Gilbert had betrayed him and put thepolice on his tracks? In that case, why were they content with takingthe crystal stopper, instead of arresting him, Lupin?

But there was something much stranger still. Admitting that they hadbeen able to force the doors of his flat--and this he was compelled toadmit, though there was no mark to show it--how had they succeeded inentering the bedroom? He turned the key and pushed the bolt as he didevery evening, in accordance with a habit from which he never departed. And, nevertheless--the fact was undeniable--the crystal stopper haddisappeared without the lock or the bolt having been touched. And, although Lupin flattered himself that he had sharp ears, even whenasleep, not a sound had waked him!

He took no great pains to probe the mystery. He knew those problems toowell to hope that this one could be solved other than in the course ofevents. But, feeling very much put out and exceedingly uneasy, he thenand there locked up his entresol flat in the Rue Matignon and swore thathe would never set foot in it again. 

And he applied himself forthwith to the question of corresponding withVaucheray or Gilbert. 

Here a fresh disappointment awaited him. It was so clearly understood, both at the Sante Prison and at the Law Courts, that all communicationbetween Lupin and the prisoners must be absolutely prevented, that amultitude of minute precautions were ordered by the prefect of policeand minutely observed by the lowest subordinates. Tried policemen, always the same men, watched Gilbert and Vaucheray, day and night, andnever let them out of their sight. 

Lupin, at this time, had not yet promoted himself to the crowning honourof his career, the post of chief of the detective-service, [*] and, consequently, was not able to take steps at the Law Courts to insure theexecution of his plans. After a fortnight of fruitless endeavours, hewas obliged to bow. 

 * See 813, by Maurice Leblanc, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. 

He did so with a raging heart and a growing sense of anxiety. 

"The difficult part of a business, " he often says, "is not the finish, but the start. "

Where was he to start in the present circumstances? What road was he tofollow?

His thoughts recurred to Daubrecq the deputy, the original owner of thecrystal stopper, who probably knew its importance. On the other hand, how was Gilbert aware of the doings and mode of life of Daubrecq thedeputy? What means had he employed to keep him under observation? Whohad told him of the place where Daubrecq spent the evening of that day?These were all interesting questions to solve. 

Daubrecq had moved to his winter quarters in Paris immediately after theburglary at the Villa Marie-Therese and was now living in his own house, on the left-hand side of the little Square Lamartine that opens out atthe end of the Avenue Victor-Hugo. 

First disguising himself as an old gentleman of private means, strollingabout, cane in hand, Lupin spent his time in the neighbourhood, on thebenches of the square and the avenue. He made a discovery on the firstday. Two men, dressed as workmen, but behaving in a manner that left nodoubt as to their aims, were watching the deputy's house. When Daubrecqwent out, they set off in pursuit of him; and they were immediatelybehind him when he came home again. At night, as soon as the lights wereout, they went away. 

Lupin shadowed them in his turn. They were detective-officers. 

"Hullo, hullo!" he said to himself. "This is hardly what I expected. Sothe Daubrecq bird is under suspicion?"

But, on the fourth day, at nightfall, the two men were joined by sixothers, who conversed with them in the darkest part of the SquareLamartine. And, among these new arrivals, Lupin was vastly astonishedto recognize, by his figure and bearing, the famous Prasville, theerstwhile barrister, sportsman and explorer, now favourite at theElysee, who, for some mysterious reason, had been pitchforked into theheadquarters of police as secretary-general, with the reversion of theprefecture. 

And, suddenly, Lupin remembered: two years ago, Prasville and Daubrecqthe deputy had had a personal encounter on the Place du Palais-Bourbon. The incident made a great stir at the time. No one knew the cause of it. Prasville had sent his seconds to Daubrecq on the same day; but Daubrecqrefused to fight. 

A little while later, Prasville was appointed secretary-general. 

"Very odd, very odd, " said Lupin, who remained plunged in thought, whilecontinuing to observe Prasville's movements. 

At seven o'clock Prasville's group of men moved away a few yards, in thedirection of the Avenue Henri-Martin. The door of a small garden onthe right of the house opened and Daubrecq appeared. The two detectivesfollowed close behind him and, when he took the Rue-Taitbout train, jumped on after him. 

Prasville at once walked across the square and rang the bell. Thegarden-gate was between the house and the porter's lodge. The portresscame and opened it. There was a brief conversation, after whichPrasville and his companions were admitted. 

"A domiciliary visit, " said Lupin. "Secret and illegal. By thestrict rules of politeness, I ought to be invited. My presence isindispensable. "

Without the least hesitation he went up to the house, the door of whichhad not been closed, and, passing in front of the portress, who wascasting her eyes outside, he asked, in the hurried tones of a person whois late for an appointment:

"Have the gentlemen come?"

"Yes, you will find them in the study. "

His plan was quite simple: if any one met him, he would pretend to be atradesman. But there was no need for this subterfuge. He was able, aftercrossing an empty hall, to enter a dining-room which also had no one init, but which, through the panes of a glass partition that separatedthe dining-room from the study, afforded him a view of Prasville and hisfive companions. 

Prasville opened all the drawers with the aid of false keys. Next, heexamined all the papers, while his companions took down the books fromthe shelves, shook the pages of each separately and felt inside thebindings. 

"Of course, it's a paper they're looking for, " said Lupin. "Bank-notes, perhaps. .. "

Prasville exclaimed:

"What rot! We shan't find a thing!"

Yet he obviously did not abandon all hope of discovering what he wanted, for he suddenly seized the four bottles in a liqueur-stand, took out thefour stoppers and inspected them. 

"Hullo!" thought Lupin. "Now he's going for decanter-stoppers! Then it'snot a question of a paper? Well, I give it up. "

Prasville next lifted and examined different objects; and he asked:

"How often have you been here?"

"Six times last winter, " was the reply. 

"And you have searched the house thoroughly?"

"Every one of the rooms, for days at a time, while he was visiting hisconstituency. "

"Still. .. Still. .. " And he added, "Has he no servant at present?"

"No, he is looking for one. He has his meals out and the portress keepsthe house as best she can. The woman is devoted to us. .. "

Prasville persisted in his investigations for nearly an hour and a half, shifting and fingering all the knick-knacks, but taking care to puteverything back exactly where he found it. At nine o'clock, however, thetwo detectives who had followed Daubrecq burst into the study:

"He's coming back!"

"On foot?"

"Yes. "

"Have we time?"

"Oh, dear, yes!"

Prasville and the men from the police-office withdrew, without unduehaste, after taking a last glance round the room to make sure that therewas nothing to betray their visit. 

The position was becoming critical for Lupin. He ran the risk ofknocking up against Daubrecq, if he went away, or of not being ableto get out, if he remained. But, on ascertaining that the dining-roomwindows afforded a direct means of exit to the square, he resolved tostay. Besides, the opportunity of obtaining a close view of Daubrecq wastoo good to refuse; and, as Daubrecq had been out to dinner, there wasnot much chance of his entering the dining-room. 

Lupin, therefore, waited, holding himself ready to hide behind a velvetcurtain that could be drawn across the glazed partition in case of need. 

He heard the sound of doors opening and shutting. Some one walked intothe study and switched on the light. He recognized Daubrecq. 

The deputy was a stout, thickset, bull-necked man, very nearly bald, with a fringe of gray whiskers round his chin and wearing a pair ofblack eye-glasses under his spectacles, for his eyes were weak andstrained. Lupin noticed the powerful features, the square chin, theprominent cheek-bones. The hands were brawny and covered with hair, thelegs bowed; and he walked with a stoop, bearing first on one hip andthen on the other, which gave him something of the gait of a gorilla. But the face was topped by an enormous, lined forehead, indented withhollows and dotted with bumps. 

There was something bestial, something savage, something repulsive aboutthe man's whole personality. Lupin remembered that, in the Chamber ofDeputies, Daubrecq was nicknamed "The Wild Man of the Woods" and thathe was so labelled not only because he stood aloof and hardly evermixed with his fellow-members, but also because of his appearance, hisbehaviour, his peculiar gait and his remarkable muscular development. 

He sat down to his desk, took a meerschaum pipe from his pocket, selected a packet of caporal among several packets of tobacco which laydrying in a bowl, tore open the wrapper, filled his pipe and lit it. Then he began to write letters. 

Presently he ceased his work and sat thinking, with his attention fixedon a spot on his desk. 

He lifted a little stamp-box and examined it. Next, he verified theposition of different articles which Prasville had touched and replaced;and he searched them with his eyes, felt them with his hands, bendingover them as though certain signs, known to himself alone, were able totell him what he wished to know. 

Lastly, he grasped the knob on an electric bell-push and rang. Theportress appeared a minute later. 

He asked:

"They've been, haven't they?"

And, when the woman hesitated about replying, he insisted:

"Come, come, Clemence, did you open this stampbox?"

"No, sir. "

"Well, I fastened the lid down with a little strip of gummed paper. Thestrip has been broken. "

"But I assure you, . .. " the woman began. 

"Why tell lies, " he said, "considering that I myself instructed you tolend yourself to those visits?"

"The fact is. .. "

"The fact is that you want to keep on good terms with both sides. .. Verywell!" He handed her a fifty-franc note and repeated, "Have they been?"

"Yes. "

"The same men as in the spring?"

"Yes, all five of them. .. With another one, who ordered them about. "

"A tall, dark man?"

"Yes. "

Lupin saw Daubrecq's mouth hardening; and Daubrecq continued:

"Is that all?"

"There was one more, who came after they did and joined them. .. Andthen, just now, two more, the pair who usually keep watch outside thehouse. "

"Did they remain in the study?"

"Yes, sir. "

"And they went away when I came back? A few minutes before, perhaps?"

"Yes, sir. "

"That will do. "

The woman left the room. Daubrecq returned to his letter-writing. Then, stretching out his arm, he made some marks on a white writing-tablet, atthe end of his desk, and rested it against the desk, as though he wishedto keep it in sight. The marks were figures; and Lupin was able to readthe following subtraction-sum:

 "9 - 8 = 1"

And Daubrecq, speaking between his teeth, thoughtfully uttered thesyllables:

"Eight from nine leaves one. .. There's not a doubt about that, " headded, aloud. He wrote one more letter, a very short one, and addressedthe envelope with an inscription which Lupin was able to decipher whenthe letter was placed beside the writing-tablet:

"To Monsieur Prasville, Secretary-general of the Prefecture of Police. "

Then he rang the bell again:

"Clemence, " he said, to the portress, "did you go to school as a child?"

"Yes, sir, of course I did. "

"And were you taught arithmetic?"

"Why, sir. .. "

"Well, you're not very good at subtraction. "

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you don't know that nine minus eight equals one. And that, yousee, is a fact of the highest importance. Life becomes impossible if youare ignorant of that fundamental truth. "

He rose, as he spoke, and walked round the room, with his hands behindhis back, swaying upon his hips. He did so once more. Then, stopping atthe dining-room, he opened the door:

"For that matter, there's another way of putting the problem. Takeeight from nine; and one remains. And the one who remains is here, eh?Correct! And monsieur supplies us with a striking proof, does he not?"

He patted the velvet curtain in which Lupin had hurriedly wrappedhimself:

"Upon my word, sir, you must be stifling under this! Not to say thatI might have amused myself by sticking a dagger through the curtain. Remember Hamlet's madness and Polonius' death: 'How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!' Come along, Mr. Polonius, come out of your hole. "

It was one of those positions to which Lupin was not accustomed andwhich he loathed. To catch others in a trap and pull their leg was allvery well; but it was a very different thing to have people teasing himand roaring with laughter at his expense. Yet what could he answer back?

"You look a little pale, Mr. Polonius. .. Hullo! Why, it's therespectable old gentleman who has been hanging about the square for somedays! So you belong to the police too, Mr. Polonius? There, there, pullyourself together, I sha'n't hurt you!. .. But you see, Clemence, howright my calculation was. You told me that nine spies had been to thehouse. I counted a troop of eight, as I came along, eight of them in thedistance, down the avenue. Take eight from nine and one remains: the onewho evidently remained behind to see what he could see. Ecce homo!"

"Well? And then?" said Lupin, who felt a mad craving to fly at thefellow and reduce him to silence. 

"And then? Nothing at all, my good man. .. What more do you want? Thefarce is over. I will only ask you to take this little note to MasterPrasville, your employer. Clemence, please show Mr. Polonius out. And, if ever he calls again, fling open the doors wide to him. Pray look uponthis as your home, Mr. Polonius. Your servant, sir!. .. "

Lupin hesitated. He would have liked to talk big and to come out witha farewell phrase, a parting speech, like an actor making a showy exitfrom the stage, and at least to disappear with the honours of war. Buthis defeat was so pitiable that he could think of nothing better than tobang his hat on his head and stamp his feet as he followed the portressdown the hall. It was a poor revenge. 

"You rascally beggar!" he shouted, once he was outside the door, shakinghis fist at Daubrecq's windows. "Wretch, scum of the earth, deputy, youshall pay for this!. .. Oh, he allows himself. .. ! Oh, he has the cheekto. .. ! Well, I swear to you, my fine fellow, that, one of these days. .. "

He was foaming with rage, all the more as, in his innermost heart, herecognized the strength of his new enemy and could not deny the masterlyfashion in which he had managed this business. Daubrecq's coolness, theassurance with which he hoaxed the police-officials, the contempt withwhich he lent himself to their visits at his house and, above all, hiswonderful self-possession, his easy bearing and the impertinence of hisconduct in the presence of the ninth person who was spying on him: allthis denoted a man of character, a strong man, with a well-balancedmind, lucid, bold, sure of himself and of the cards in his hand. 

But what were those cards? What game was he playing? Who held thestakes? And how did the players stand on either side? Lupin could nottell. Knowing nothing, he flung himself headlong into the thick of thefray, between adversaries desperately involved, though he himself was intotal ignorance of their positions, their weapons, their resources andtheir secret plans. For, when all was said, he could not admit thatthe object of all those efforts was to obtain possession of a crystalstopper!

One thing alone pleased him: Daubrecq had not penetrated his disguise. Daubrecq believed him to be in the employ of the police. NeitherDaubrecq nor the police, therefore, suspected the intrusion of a thirdthief in the business. This was his one and only trump, a trumpthat gave him a liberty of action to which he attached the greatestimportance. 

Without further delay, he opened the letter which Daubrecq had handedhim for the secretary-general of police. It contained these few lines:

 "Within reach of your hand, my dear Prasville, within reach of your hand! You touched it! A little more and the trick was done. .. But you're too big a fool. And to think that they couldn't hit upon any one better than you to make me bite the dust. Poor old France!

 "Good-bye, Prasville. But, if I catch you in the act, it will be a bad lookout for you: my maxim is to shoot at sight. 

 "DAUBRECQ"

"Within reach of your hand, " repeated Lupin, after reading the note. "And to think that the rogue may be writing the truth! The mostelementary hiding-places are the safest. We must look into this, allthe same. And, also, we must find out why Daubrecq is the object ofsuch strict supervision and obtain a few particulars about the fellowgenerally. "

The information supplied to Lupin by a private inquiry-office consistedof the following details:

 "ALEXIS DAUBRECQ, deputy of the Bouches-du-Rhone for the past two years; sits among the independent members. Political opinions not very clearly defined, but electoral position exceedingly strong, because of the enormous sums which he spends in nursing his constituency. No private income. Nevertheless, has a house in Paris, a villa at Enghien and another at Nice and loses heavily at play, though no one knows where the money comes from. Has great influence and obtains all he wants without making up to ministers or, apparently, having either friends or connections in political circles. "

"That's a trade docket, " said Lupin to himself. "What I want isa domestic docket, a police docket, which will tell me about thegentleman's private life and enable me to work more easily in thisdarkness and to know if I'm not getting myself into a tangle bybothering about the Daubrecq bird. And time's getting short, hang it!"

One of the residences which Lupin occupied at that period and which heused oftener than any of the others was in the Rue Chateaubriand, nearthe Arc de l'Etoile. He was known there by the name of Michel Beaumont. He had a snug flat here and was looked after by a manservant, Achille, who was utterly devoted to his interests and whose chief duty was toreceive and repeat the telephone-messages addressed to Lupin by hisfollowers. 

Lupin, on returning home, learnt, with great astonishment, that a womanhad been waiting to see him for over an hour:

"What! Why, no one ever comes to see me here! Is she young?"

"No. .. I don't think so. "

"You don't think so!"

"She's wearing a lace shawl over her head, instead of a hat, and youcan't see her face. .. She's more like a clerk. .. Or a woman employed ina shop. She's not well-dressed. .. "

"Whom did she ask for?"

"M. Michel Beaumont, " replied the servant. 

"Queer. And why has she called?"

"All she said was that it was about the Enghien business. .. So I thoughtthat. .. "

"What! The Enghien business! Then she knows that I am mixed up in thatbusiness. .. She knows that, by applying here. .. "

"I could not get anything out of her, but I thought, all the same, thatI had better let her in. "

"Quite right. Where is she?"

"In the drawing-room. I've put on the lights. "

Lupin walked briskly across the hall and opened the door of thedrawing-room:

"What are you talking about?" he said, to his man. "There's no onehere. "

"No one here?" said Achille, running up. 

And the room, in fact, was empty. 

"Well, on my word, this takes the cake!" cried the servant. "It wasn'ttwenty minutes ago that I came and had a look, to make sure. She wassitting over there. And there's nothing wrong with my eyesight, youknow. "

"Look here, look here, " said Lupin, irritably. "Where were you while thewoman was waiting?"

"In the hall, governor! I never left the hall for a second! I shouldhave seen her go out, blow it!"

"Still, she's not here now. .. "

"So I see, " moaned the man, quite flabbergasted. 

"She must have got tired of waiting and gone away. But, dash it all, Ishould like to know how she got out!"

"How she got out?" said Lupin. "It doesn't take a wizard to tell that. "

"What do you mean?"

"She got out through the window. Look, it's still ajar. We are on theground-floor. .. The street is almost always deserted, in the evenings. There's no doubt about it. "

He had looked around him and satisfied himself that nothing had beentaken away or moved. The room, for that matter, contained no knick-knackof any value, no important paper that might have explained thewoman's visit, followed by her sudden disappearance. And yet why thatinexplicable flight?

"Has any one telephoned?" he asked. 

"No. "

"Any letters?"

"Yes, one letter by the last post. "

"Where is it?"

"I put it on your mantel-piece, governor, as usual. "

Lupin's bedroom was next to the drawing-room, but Lupin had permanentlybolted the door between the two. He, therefore, had to go through thehall again. 

Lupin switched on the electric light and, the next moment, said:

"I don't see it. .. "

"Yes. .. I put it next to the flower-bowl. "

"There's nothing here at all. "

"You must be looking in the wrong place, governor. "

But Achille moved the bowl, lifted the clock, bent down to the grate, invain: the letter was not there. 

"Oh blast it, blast it!" he muttered. "She's done it. .. She's takenit. .. And then, when she had the letter, she cleared out. .. Oh, theslut!. .. "

Lupin said:

"You're mad! There's no way through between the two rooms. "

"Then who did take it, governor?"

They were both of them silent. Lupin strove to control his anger andcollect his ideas. He asked:

"Did you look at the envelope?"

"Yes. "

"Anything particular about it?"

"Yes, it looked as if it had been written in a hurry, or scribbled, rather. "

"How was the address worded?. .. Do you remember?" asked Lupin, in avoice strained with anxiety. 

"Yes, I remembered it, because it struck me as funny. .. "

"But speak, will you? Speak!"

"It said, 'Monsieur de Beaumont, Michel. '"

Lupin took his servant by the shoulders and shook him:

"It said 'de' Beaumont? Are you sure? And 'Michel' after 'Beaumont'?"

"Quite certain. "

"Ah!" muttered Lupin, with a choking throat. "It was a letter fromGilbert!"

He stood motionless, a little pale, with drawn features. There was nodoubt about it: the letter was from Gilbert. It was the form of addresswhich, by Lupin's orders, Gilbert had used for years in correspondingwith him. Gilbert had at last--after long waiting and by dint of endlessartifices--found a means of getting a letter posted from his prison andhad hastily written to him. And now the letter was intercepted! What didit say? What instructions had the unhappy prisoner given? What help washe praying for? What stratagem did he suggest?

Lupin looked round the room, which, contrary to the drawing-room, contained important papers. But none of the locks had been forced; andhe was compelled to admit that the woman had no other object than to gethold of Gilbert's letter. 

Constraining himself to keep his temper, he asked:

"Did the letter come while the woman was here?"

"At the same time. The porter rang at the same moment. "

"Could she see the envelope?"

"Yes. "

The conclusion was evident. It remained to discover how the visitor hadbeen able to effect her theft. By slipping from one window to the other, outside the flat? Impossible: Lupin found the window of his room shut. By opening the communicating door? Impossible: Lupin found it locked andbarred with its two inner bolts. 

Nevertheless, a person cannot pass through a wall by a mere operation ofwill. To go in or out of a room requires a passage; and, as the act wasaccomplished in the space of a few minutes, it was necessary, in thecircumstances, that the passage should be previously in existence, thatit should already have been contrived in the wall and, of course, knownto the woman. This hypothesis simplified the search by concentratingit upon the door; for the wall was quite bare, without a cupboard, chimney-piece or hangings of any kind, and unable to conceal the leastoutlet. 

Lupin went back to the drawing-room and prepared to make a study of thedoor. But he at once gave a start. He perceived, at the first glance, that the left lower panel of the six small panels contained within thecross-bars of the door no longer occupied its normal position and thatthe light did not fall straight upon it. On leaning forward, he saw twolittle tin tacks sticking out on either side and holding the panel inplace, similar to a wooden board behind a picture-frame. He had only toshift these. The panel at once came out. 

Achille gave a cry of amazement. But Lupin objected:

"Well? And what then? We are no better off than before. Here is an emptyoblong, eight or nine inches wide by sixteen inches high. You're notgoing to pretend that a woman can slip through an opening which wouldnot admit the thinnest child of ten years old!"

"No, but she can have put her arm through and drawn the bolts. "

"The bottom bolt, yes, " said Lupin. "But the top bolt, no: the distanceis far too great. Try for yourself and see. "

Achille tried and had to give up the attempt. 

Lupin did not reply. He stood thinking for a long time. Then, suddenly, he said:

"Give me my hat. .. My coat. .. "

He hurried off, urged by an imperative idea. And, the moment he reachedthe street, he sprang into a taxi:

"Rue Matignon, quick!. .. "

As soon as they came to the house where he had been robbed of thecrystal stopper, he jumped out of the cab, opened his private entrance, went upstairs, ran to the drawing-room, turned on the light and crouchedat the foot of the door leading to his bedroom. 

He had guessed right. One of the little panels was loosened in the samemanner. 

And, just as in his other flat in the Rue Chateaubriand, the opening waslarge enough to admit a man's arm and shoulder, but not to allow him todraw the upper bolt. 

"Hang!" he shouted, unable any longer to master the rage that had beenseething within him for the last two hours. "Blast! Shall I never havefinished with this confounded business?"

In fact, an incredible ill-luck seemed to dog his footsteps, compellinghim to grope about at random, without permitting him to use the elementsof success which his own persistency or the very force of things placedwithin his grasp. Gilbert gave him the crystal stopper. Gilbert sent hima letter. And both had disappeared at that very moment. 

And it was not, as he had until then believed, a series of fortuitousand independent circumstances. No, it was manifestly the effect of anadverse will pursuing a definite object with prodigious ability andincredible boldness, attacking him, Lupin, in the recesses of his safestretreats and baffling him with blows so severe and so unexpected that hedid not even know against whom he had to defend himself. Never, in thecourse of his adventures, had he encountered such obstacles as now. 

And, little by little, deep down within himself, there grew a hauntingdread of the future. A date loomed before his eyes, the terrible datewhich he unconsciously assigned to the law to perform its work ofvengeance, the date upon which, in the light of a wan April morning, twomen would mount the scaffold, two men who had stood by him, two comradeswhom he had been unable to save from paying the awful penalty. .. 

CHAPTER III. THE HOME LIFE OF ALEXIS DAUBRECQ

When Daubrecq the deputy came in from lunch on the day after the policehad searched his house he was stopped by Clemence, his portress, whotold him that she had found a cook who could be thoroughly relied on. 

The cook arrived a few minutes later and produced first-rate characters, signed by people with whom it was easy to take up her references. Shewas a very active woman, although of a certain age, and agreed to do thework of the house by herself, without the help of a man-servant, thisbeing a condition upon which Daubrecq insisted. 

Her last place was with a member of the Chamber of Deputies, ComteSaulevat, to whom Daubrecq at once telephoned. The count's steward gaveher a perfect character, and she was engaged. 

As soon as she had fetched her trunk, she set to work and cleaned andscrubbed until it was time to cook the dinner. 

Daubrecq dined and went out. 

At eleven o'clock, after the portress had gone to bed, the cookcautiously opened the garden-gate. A man came up. 

"Is that you?" she asked. 

"Yes, it's I, Lupin. "

She took him to her bedroom on the third floor, overlooking the garden, and at once burst into lamentations:

"More of your tricks and nothing but tricks! Why can't you leave mealone, instead of sending me to do your dirty work?"

"How can I help it, you dear old Victoire? [*] When I want a person ofrespectable appearance and incorruptible morals, I think of you. Youought to be flattered. "

 * See The Hollow Needle by Maurice Leblanc, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, and later volumes of the Lupin series. 

"That's all you care about me!" she cried. "You run me into danger oncemore; and you think it's funny!"

"What are you risking?"

"How do you mean, what am I risking? All my characters are false. "

"Characters are always false. "

"And suppose M. Daubrecq finds out? Suppose he makes inquiries?"

"He has made inquiries. "

"Eh? What's that?"

"He has telephoned to the steward of Comte Saulevat, in whose serviceyou say that you have had the honour of being. "

"There, you see, I'm done for!"

"The count's steward could not say enough in your praise. "

"He does not know me. "

"But I know him. I got him his situation with Comte Saulevat. So youunderstand. .. "

Victoire seemed to calm down a little:

"Well, " she said, "God's will be done. .. Or rather yours. And what doyou expect me to do in all this?"

"First, to put me up. You were my wet-nurse once. You can very well giveme half your room now. I'll sleep in the armchair. "

"And next?"

"Next? To supply me with such food as I want. "

"And next?"

"Next? To undertake, with me and under my direction, a regular series ofsearches with a view. .. "

"To what?"

"To discovering the precious object of which I spoke to you. "

"What's that?"

"A crystal stopper. "

"A crystal stopper. .. Saints above! A nice business! And, if we don'tfind your confounded stopper, what then?"

Lupin took her gently by the arm and, in a serious voice:

"If we don't find it, Gilbert, young Gilbert whom you know and love, will stand every chance of losing his head; and so will Vaucheray. "

"Vaucheray I don't mind. .. A dirty rascal like him! But Gilbert. .. "

"Have you seen the papers this evening? Things are looking worse thanever. Vaucheray, as might be expected, accuses Gilbert of stabbing thevalet; and it so happens that the knife which Vaucheray used belongedto Gilbert. That came out this morning. Whereupon Gilbert, who isintelligent in his way, but easily frightened, blithered and launchedforth into stories and lies which will end in his undoing. That's howthe matter stands. Will you help me?"

Thenceforth, for several days, Lupin moulded his existence uponDaubrecq's, beginning his investigations the moment the deputy left thehouse. He pursued them methodically, dividing each room into sectionswhich he did not abandon until he had been through the tiniest nooks andcorners and, so to speak, exhausted every possible device. 

Victoire searched also. And nothing was forgotten. Table-legs, chair-rungs, floor-boards, mouldings, mirror- and picture-frames, clocks, plinths, curtain-borders, telephone-holders and electricfittings: everything that an ingenious imagination could have selectedas a hiding-place was overhauled. 

And they also watched the deputy's least actions, his most unconsciousmovements, the expression of his face, the books which he read and theletters which he wrote. 

It was easy enough. He seemed to live his life in the light of day. Nodoor was ever shut. He received no visits. And his existence worked withmechanical regularity. He went to the Chamber in the afternoon, to theclub in the evening. 

"Still, " said Lupin, "there must be something that's not orthodox behindall this. "

"There's nothing of the sort, " moaned Victoire. "You're wasting yourtime and we shall be bowled out. "

The presence of the detectives and their habit of walking up and downoutside the windows drove her mad. She refused to admit that they werethere for any other purpose than to trap her, Victoire. And, each timethat she went shopping, she was quite surprised that one of those mendid not lay his hand upon her shoulder. 

One day she returned all upset. Her basket of provisions was shaking onher arm. 

"What's the matter, my dear Victoire?" said Lupin. "You're lookinggreen. "

"Green? I dare say I do. So would you look green. .. "

She had to sit down and it was only after making repeated efforts thatshe succeeded in stuttering:

"A man. .. A man spoke to me. .. At the fruiterer's. "

"By jingo! Did he want you to run away with him?"

"No, he gave me a letter. .. "

"Then what are you complaining about? It was a love-letter, of course!"

"No. 'It's for your governor, ' said he. 'My governor?' I said. 'Yes, ' hesaid, 'for the gentleman who's staying in your room. '"

"What's that?"

This time, Lupin had started:

"Give it here, " he said, snatching the letter from her. The envelopebore no address. But there was another, inside it, on which he read:

 "Monsieur Arsene Lupin, c/o Victoire. "

"The devil!" he said. "This is a bit thick!" He tore open the secondenvelope. It contained a sheet of paper with the following words, written in large capitals:

 "Everything you are doing is useless and dangerous. .. Give it up. "

Victoire uttered one moan and fainted. As for Lupin, he felt himselfblush up to his eyes, as though he had been grossly insulted. Heexperienced all the humiliation which a duellist would undergo if heheard the most secret advice which he had received from his secondsrepeated aloud by a mocking adversary. 

However, he held his tongue. Victoire went back to her work. As for him, he remained in his room all day, thinking. 

That night he did not sleep. 

And he kept saying to himself:

"What is the good of thinking? I am up against one of those problemswhich are not solved by any amount of thought. It is certain that I amnot alone in the matter and that, between Daubrecq and the police, thereis, in addition to the third thief that I am, a fourth thief who isworking on his own account, who knows me and who reads my game clearly. But who is this fourth thief? And am I mistaken, by any chance? And. .. Oh, rot!. .. Let's get to sleep!. .. "

But he could not sleep; and a good part of the night went in this way. 

At four o'clock in the morning he seemed to hear a noise in the house. He jumped up quickly and, from the top of the staircase, saw Daubrecq godown the first flight and turn toward the garden. 

A minute later, after opening the gate, the deputy returned with a manwhose head was buried in an enormous fur collar and showed him into hisstudy. 

Lupin had taken his precautions in view of any such contingency. As thewindows of the study and those of his bedroom, both of which were at theback of the house, overlooked the garden, he fastened a rope-ladder tohis balcony, unrolled it softly and let himself down by it until it waslevel with the top of the study windows. 

These windows were closed by shutters; but, as they were bowed, thereremained a semi-circular space at the top; and Lupin, though he couldnot hear, was able to see all that went on inside. 

He then realized that the person whom he had taken for a man was awoman: a woman who was still young, though her dark hair was mingledwith gray; a tall woman, elegantly but quite unobtrusively dressed, whose handsome features bore the expression of weariness and melancholywhich long suffering gives. 

"Where the deuce have I seen her before?" Lupin asked himself. "For Icertainly know that face, that look, that expression. "

She stood leaning against the table, listening impassively to Daubrecq, who was also standing and who was talking very excitedly. He had hisback turned to Lupin; but Lupin, leaning forward, caught sight of aglass in which the deputy's image was reflected. And he was startled tosee the strange look in his eyes, the air of fierce and brutal desirewith which Daubrecq was staring at his visitor. 

It seemed to embarrass her too, for she sat down with lowered lids. ThenDaubrecq leant over her and it appeared as though he were ready to flinghis long arms, with their huge hands, around her. And, suddenly, Lupinperceived great tears rolling down the woman's sad face. 

Whether or not it was the sight of those tears that made Daubrecq losehis head, with a brusque movement he clutched the woman and drew herto him. She repelled him, with a violence full of hatred. And, after abrief struggle, during which Lupin caught a glimpse of the man's bestialand contorted features, the two of them stood face to face, railing ateach other like mortal enemies. 

Then they stopped. Daubrecq sat down. There was mischief in his face, and sarcasm as well. And he began to talk again, with sharp taps on thetable, as though he were dictating terms. 

She no longer stirred. She sat haughtily in her chair and toweredover him, absent-minded, with roaming eyes. Lupin, captivated by thatpowerful and sorrowful countenance, continued to watch her; and he wasvainly seeking to remember of what or of whom she reminded him, whenhe noticed that she had turned her head slightly and that she wasimperceptibly moving her arm. 

And her arm strayed farther and farther and her hand crept alongthe table and Lupin saw that, at the end of the table, there stooda water-bottle with a gold-topped stopper. The hand reached thewater-bottle, felt it, rose gently and seized the stopper. A quickmovement of the head, a glance, and the stopper was put back in itsplace. Obviously, it was not what the woman hoped to find. 

"Dash it!" said Lupin. "She's after the crystal stopper too! The matteris becoming more complicated daily; there's no doubt about it. "

But, on renewing his observation of the visitor, he was astoundedto note the sudden and unexpected expression of her countenance, aterrible, implacable, ferocious expression. And he saw that her handwas continuing its stealthy progress round the table and that, with anuninterrupted and crafty sliding movement, it was pushing back booksand, slowly and surely, approaching a dagger whose blade gleamed amongthe scattered papers. 

It gripped the handle. 

Daubrecq went on talking. Behind his back, the hand rose steadily, little by little; and Lupin saw the woman's desperate and furious eyesfixed upon the spot in the neck where she intended to plant the knife:

"You're doing a very silly thing, fair lady, " thought Lupin. 

And he already began to turn over in his mind the best means of escapingand of taking Victoire with him. 

She hesitated, however, with uplifted arm. But it was only a momentaryweakness. She clenched her teeth. Her whole face, contracted withhatred, became yet further convulsed. And she made the dread movement. 

At the same instant Daubrecq crouched and, springing from his seat, turned and seized the woman's frail wrist in mid-air. 

Oddly enough, he addressed no reproach to her, as though the deed whichshe had attempted surprised him no more than any ordinary, very naturaland simple act. He shrugged his shoulders, like a man accustomed to thatsort of danger, and strode up and down in silence. 

She had dropped the weapon and was now crying, holding her head betweenher hands, with sobs that shook her whole frame. 

He next came up to her and said a few words, once more tapping the tableas he spoke. 

She made a sign in the negative and, when he insisted, she, in her turn, stamped her foot on the floor and exclaimed, loud enough for Lupin tohear:

"Never!. .. Never!. .. "

Thereupon, without another word, Daubrecq fetched the fur cloak whichshe had brought with her and hung it over the woman's shoulders, whileshe shrouded her face in a lace wrap. 

And he showed her out. 

Two minutes later, the garden-gate was locked again. "Pity I can't runafter that strange person, " thought Lupin, "and have a chat with herabout the Daubrecq bird. Seems to me that we two could do a good strokeof business together. "

In any case, there was one point to be cleared up: Daubrecq the deputy, whose life was so orderly, so apparently respectable, was in the habitof receiving visits at night, when his house was no longer watched bythe police. 

He sent Victoire to arrange with two members of his gang to keep watchfor several days. And he himself remained awake next night. 

As on the previous morning, he heard a noise at four o'clock. As on theprevious morning, the deputy let some one in. 

Lupin ran down his ladder and, when he came to the free space above theshutters, saw a man crawling at Daubrecq's feet, flinging his arms roundDaubrecq's knees in frenzied despair and weeping, weeping convulsively. 

Daubrecq, laughing, pushed him away repeatedly, but the man clung tohim. He behaved almost like one out of his mind and, at last, in agenuine fit of madness, half rose to his feet, took the deputy by thethroat and flung him back in a chair. Daubrecq struggled, powerless atfirst, while his veins swelled in his temples. But soon, with a strengthfar beyond the ordinary, he regained the mastery and deprived hisadversary of all power of movement. Then, holding him with one hand, with the other he gave him two great smacks in the face. 

The man got up, slowly. He was livid and could hardly stand on his legs. He waited for a moment, as though to recover his self-possession. Then, with a terrifying calmness, he drew a revolver from his pocket andlevelled it at Daubrecq. 

Daubrecq did not flinch. He even smiled, with a defiant air and withoutdisplaying more excitement than if he had been aimed at with a toypistol. 

The man stood for perhaps fifteen or twenty seconds, facing hisenemy, with outstretched arm. Then, with the same deliberate slowness, revealing a self-control which was all the more impressive because itfollowed upon a fit of extreme excitement, he put up his revolver and, from another pocket, produced his note-case. 

Daubrecq took a step forward. 

The man opened the pocketbook. A sheaf of banknotes appeared in sight. 

Daubrecq seized and counted them. They were thousand-franc notes, andthere were thirty of them. 

The man looked on, without a movement of revolt, without a protest. Heobviously understood the futility of words. Daubrecq was one of thosewho do not relent. Why should his visitor waste time in beseechinghim or even in revenging himself upon him by uttering vain threatsand insults? He had no hope of striking that unassailable enemy. EvenDaubrecq's death would not deliver him from Daubrecq. 

He took his hat and went away. 

At eleven o'clock in the morning Victoire, on returning from hershopping, handed Lupin a note from his accomplices. 

He opened it and read:

"The man who came to see Daubrecq last night is Langeroux the deputy, leader of the independent left. A poor man, with a large family. "

"Come, " said Lupin, "Daubrecq is nothing more nor less than ablackmailer; but, by Jupiter, he has jolly effective ways of going towork!"

Events tended to confirm Lupin's supposition. Three days later he sawanother visitor hand Daubrecq an important sum of money. And, two daysafter that, one came and left a pearl necklace behind him. 

The first was called Dachaumont, a senator and ex-cabinet-minister. Thesecond was the Marquis d'Albufex, a Bonapartist deputy, formerly chiefpolitical agent in France of Prince Napoleon. 

The scene, in each of these cases, was very similar to Langerouxthe deputy's interview, a violent tragic scene, ending in Daubrecq'svictory. 

"And so on and so forth, " thought Lupin, when he received theseparticulars. "I have been present at four visits. I shall know no moreif there are ten, or twenty, or thirty. .. It is enough for me to learnthe names of the visitors from my friends on sentry-go outside. ShallI go and call on them?. .. What for? They have no reason to confide inme. .. On the other hand, am I to stay on here, delayed by investigationswhich lead to nothing and which Victoire can continue just as wellwithout me?"

He was very much perplexed. The news of the inquiry into the caseof Gilbert and Vaucheray was becoming worse and worse, the days wereslipping by, and not an hour passed without his asking himself, inanguish, whether all his efforts--granting that he succeeded--wouldnot end in farcical results, absolutely foreign to the aim which he waspursuing. 

For, after all, supposing that he did fathom Daubrecq's underhanddealings, would that give him the means of rescuing Gilbert andVaucheray?

That day an incident occurred which put an end to his indecision. Afterlunch Victoire heard snatches of a conversation which Daubrecq held withsome one on the telephone. Lupin gathered, from what Victoire reported, that the deputy had an appointment with a lady for half-past eight andthat he was going to take her to a theatre:

"I shall get a pit-tier box, like the one we had six weeks ago, "Daubrecq had said. And he added, with a laugh, "I hope that I shall nothave the burglars in during that time. "

There was not a doubt in Lupin's mind. Daubrecq was about to spend hisevening in the same manner in which he had spent the evening six weeksago, while they were breaking into his villa at Enghien. To know theperson whom he was to meet and perhaps thus to discover how Gilbert andVaucheray had learnt that Daubrecq would be away from eight o'clock inthe evening until one o'clock in the morning: these were matters of theutmost importance. 

Lupin left the house in the afternoon, with Victoire's assistance. Heknew through her that Daubrecq was coming home for dinner earlier thanusual. 

He went to his flat in the Rue Chateaubriand, telephoned for three ofhis friends, dressed and made himself up in his favourite character of aRussian prince, with fair hair and moustache and short-cut whiskers. 

The accomplices arrived in a motor-car. 

At that moment, Achille, his man, brought him a telegram, addressed toM. Michel Beaumont, Rue Chateaubriand, which ran:

 "Do not come to theatre this evening. Danger of your intervention spoiling everything. "

There was a flower-vase on the chimney-piece beside him. Lupin took itand smashed it to pieces. 

"That's it, that's it, " he snarled. "They are playing with me as Iusually play with others. Same behaviour. Same tricks. Only there's thisdifference. .. "

What difference? He hardly knew. The truth was that he too was baffledand disconcerted to the inmost recesses of his being and that he wascontinuing to act only from obstinacy, from a sense of duty, so tospeak, and without putting his ordinary good humour and high spiritsinto the work. 

"Come along, " he said to his accomplices. 

By his instructions, the chauffeur set them down near the SquareLamartine, but kept the motor going. Lupin foresaw that Daubrecq, inorder to escape the detectives watching the house, would jump into thefirst taxi; and he did not intend to be outdistanced. 

He had not allowed for Daubrecq's cleverness. 

At half-past seven both leaves of the garden-gate were flung open, abright light flashed and a motor-cycle darted across the road, skirtedthe square, turned in front of the motor-car and shot away toward theBois at a speed so great that they would have been mad to go in pursuitof it. 

"Good-bye, Daisy!" said Lupin, trying to jest, but really overcome withrage. 

He eyed his accomplices in the hope that one of them would venture togive a mocking smile. How pleased he would have been to vent his nerveson them!

"Let's go home, " he said to his companions. 

He gave them some dinner; then he smoked a cigar and they set off againin the car and went the round of the theatres, beginning with thosewhich were giving light operas and musical comedies, for which hepresumed that Daubrecq and his lady would have a preference. He took astall, inspected the lower-tier boxes and went away again. 

He next drove to the more serious theatres: the Renaissance, theGymnase. 

At last, at ten o'clock in the evening, he saw a pit-tier box at theVaudeville almost entirely protected from inspection by its two screens;and, on tipping the boxkeeper, was told that it contained a short, stout, elderly gentleman and a lady who was wearing a thick lace veil. 

The next box was free. He took it, went back to his friends to give themtheir instructions and sat down near the couple. 

During the entr'acte, when the lights went up, he perceived Daubrecq'sprofile. The lady remained at the back of the box, invisible. The twowere speaking in a low voice; and, when the curtain rose again, theywent on speaking, but in such a way that Lupin could not distinguish aword. 

Ten minutes passed. Some one tapped at their door. It was one of the menfrom the box-office. 

"Are you M. Le Depute Daubrecq, sir?" he asked. 

"Yes, " said Daubrecq, in a voice of surprise. "But how do you know myname?"

"There's a gentleman asking for you on the telephone. He told me to goto Box 22. "

"But who is it?"

"M. Le Marquis d'Albufex. "

"Eh?"

"What am I to say, sir?"

"I'm coming. .. I'm coming. .. "

Daubrecq rose hurriedly from his seat and followed the clerk to thebox-office. 

He was not yet out of sight when Lupin sprang from his box, worked thelock of the next door and sat down beside the lady. 

She gave a stifled cry. 

"Hush!" he said. "I have to speak to you. It is most important. "

"Ah!" she said, between her teeth. "Arsene Lupin!" He was dumbfounded. For a moment he sat quiet, open-mouthed. The woman knew him! And notonly did she know him, but she had recognized him through his disguise!Accustomed though he was to the most extraordinary and unusual events, this disconcerted him. 

He did not even dream of protesting and stammered:

"So you know?. .. So you know?. .. "

He snatched at the lady's veil and pulled it aside before she had timeto defend herself:

"What!" he muttered, with increased amazement. "Is it possible?"

It was the woman whom he had seen at Daubrecq's a few days earlier, thewoman who had raised her dagger against Daubrecq and who had intended tostab him with all the strength of her hatred. 

It was her turn to be taken aback:

"What! Have you seen me before?. .. "

"Yes, the other night, at his house. .. I saw what you tried to do. .. "

She made a movement to escape. He held her back and, speaking with greateagerness:

"I must know who you are, " he said. "That was why I had Daubrecqtelephoned for. "

She looked aghast:

"Do you mean to say it was not the Marquis d'Albufex?"

"No, it was one of my assistants. "

"Then Daubrecq will come back?. .. "

"Yes, but we have time. .. Listen to me. .. We must meet again. .. He isyour enemy. .. I will save you from him. .. "

"Why should you? What is your object?"

"Do not distrust me. .. It is quite certain that our interests areidentical. .. Where can I see you? To-morrow, surely? At what time? Andwhere?"

"Well. .. "

She looked at him with obvious hesitation, not knowing what to do, onthe point of speaking and yet full of uneasiness and doubt. 

He pressed her:

"Oh, I entreat you. .. Answer me just one word. .. And at once. .. It wouldbe a pity for him to find me here. .. I entreat you. .. "

She answered sharply:

"My name doesn't matter. .. We will see each other first and you shallexplain to me. .. Yes, we will meet. .. Listen, to-morrow, at threeo'clock, at the corner of the Boulevard. .. "

At that exact moment, the door of the box opened, so to speak, with abang, and Daubrecq appeared. 

"Rats!" Lupin mumbled, under his breath, furious at being caught beforeobtaining what he wanted. 

Daubrecq gave a chuckle:

"So that's it. .. I thought something was up. .. Ah, the telephone-trick:a little out of date, sir! I had not gone half-way when I turned back. "

He pushed Lupin to the front of the box and, sitting down beside thelady, said:

"And, now my lord, who are we? A servant at the police-office, probably?There's a professional look about that mug of yours. "

He stared hard at Lupin, who did not move a muscle, and tried to puta name to the face, but failed to recognize the man whom he had calledPolonius. 

Lupin, without taking his eyes from Daubrecq either, reflected. He wouldnot for anything in the world have thrown up the game at that point orneglected this favourable opportunity of coming to an understanding withhis mortal enemy. 

The woman sat in her corner, motionless, and watched them both. 

Lupin said:

"Let us go outside, sir. That will make our interview easier. "

"No, my lord, here, " grinned the deputy. "It will take place here, presently, during the entr'acte. Then we shall not be disturbinganybody. "

"But. .. "

"Save your breath, my man; you sha'n't budge. "

And he took Lupin by the coat-collar, with the obvious intention of notletting go of him before the interval. 

A rash move! Was it likely that Lupin would consent to remain in such anattitude, especially before a woman, a woman to whom he had offered hisalliance, a woman--and he now thought of it for the first time--who wasdistinctly good-looking and whose grave beauty attracted him. His wholepride as a man rose at the thought. 

However, he said nothing. He accepted the heavy weight of the hand onhis shoulder and even sat bent in two, as though beaten, powerless, almost frightened. 

"Eh, clever!" said the deputy, scoffingly. "We don't seem to beswaggering quite so much. "

The stage was full of actors who were arguing and making a noise. 

Daubrecq had loosened his grasp slightly and Lupin felt that the momenthad come. With the edge of his hand, he gave him a violent blow in thehollow of the arm, as he might have done with a hatchet. 

The pain took Daubrecq off his guard. Lupin now released himselfentirely and sprang at the other to clutch him by the throat. ButDaubrecq had at once put himself on the defensive and stepped back andtheir four hands seized one another. 

They gripped with superhuman energy, the whole force of the twoadversaries concentrating in those hands. Daubrecq's were of monstroussize; and Lupin, caught in that iron vise, felt as though he werefighting not with a man, but with some terrible beast, a huge gorilla. 

They held each other against the door, bending low, like a pair ofwrestlers groping and trying to lay hold of each other. Their bonescreaked. Whichever gave way first was bound to be caught by the throatand strangled. And all this happened amid a sudden silence, for theactors on the stage were now listening to one of their number, who wasspeaking in a low voice. 

The woman stood back flat against the partition, looking at them interror. Had she taken sides with either of them, with a single movement, the victory would at once have been decided in that one's favour. Butwhich of them should she assist? What could Lupin represent in her eyes?A friend? An enemy?

She briskly made for the front of the box, forced back the screen and, leaning forward, seemed to give a signal. Then she returned and tried toslip to the door. 

Lupin, as though wishing to help her, said:

"Why don't you move the chair?"

He was speaking of a heavy chair which had fallen down between him andDaubrecq and across which they were struggling. 

The woman stooped and pulled away the chair. That was what Lupin waswaiting for. Once rid of the obstacle, he caught Daubrecq a smart kickon the shin with the tip of his patent-leather boot. The result was thesame as with the blow which he had given him on the arm. The paincaused a second's apprehension and distraction, of which he at once tookadvantage to beat down Daubrecq's outstretched hands and to dig his tenfingers into his adversary's throat and neck. 

Daubrecq struggled. Daubrecq tried to pull away the hands that werethrottling him; but he was beginning to choke and felt his strengthdecreasing. 

"Aha, you old monkey!" growled Lupin, forcing him to the floor. "Whydon't you shout for help? How frightened you must be of a scandal!"

At the sound of the fall there came a knocking at the partition, on theother side. 

"Knock away, knock away, " said Lupin, under his breath. "The play is onthe stage. This is my business and, until I've mastered this gorilla. .. "

It did not take him long. The deputy was choking. Lupin stunned him witha blow on the jaw; and all that remained for him to do was to take thewoman away and make his escape with her before the alarm was given. 

But, when he turned round, he saw that the woman was gone. 

She could not be far. Darting from the box, he set off at a run, regardless of the programme-sellers and check-takers. 

On reaching the entrance-lobby, he saw her through an open door, crossing the pavement of the Chaussee d'Antin. 

She was stepping into a motor-car when he came up with her. 

The door closed behind her. 

He seized the handle and tried to pull at it. 

But a man jumped up inside and sent his fist flying into Lupin'sface, with less skill but no less force than Lupin had sent his intoDaubrecq's face. 

Stunned though he was by the blow, he nevertheless had ample time torecognize the man, in a sudden, startled vision, and also to recognize, under his chauffeur's disguise, the man who was driving the car. It wasthe Growler and the Masher, the two men in charge of the boats on theEnghien night, two friends of Gilbert and Vaucheray: in short, two ofLupin's own accomplices. 

When he reached his rooms in the Rue Chateaubriand, Lupin, after washingthe blood from his face, sat for over an hour in a chair, as thoughoverwhelmed. For the first time in his life he was experiencing the painof treachery. For the first time his comrades in the fight were turningagainst their chief. 

Mechanically, to divert his thoughts, he turned to his correspondenceand tore the wrapper from an evening paper. Among the late news he foundthe following paragraphs:

 "THE VILLA MARIE-THERESE CASE"

 "The real identity of Vaucheray, one of the alleged murderers of Leonard the valet, has at last been ascertained. He is a miscreant of the worst type, a hardened criminal who has already twice been sentenced for murder, in default, under another name. 

 "No doubt, the police will end by also discovering the real name of his accomplice, Gilbert. In any event, the examining-magistrate is determined to commit the prisoners for trial as soon as possible. 

 "The public will have no reason to complain of the delays of the law. "

In between other newspapers and prospectuses lay a letter. 

Lupin jumped when he saw it. It was addressed:

 "Monsieur de Beaumont, Michel. "

"Oh, " he gasped, "a letter from Gilbert!"

It contained these few words:

 "Help, governor!. .. I am frightened. I am frightened. .. "

Once again, Lupin spent a night alternating between sleeplessness andnightmares. Once again, he was tormented by atrocious and terrifyingvisions. 

CHAPTER IV. THE CHIEF OF THE ENEMIES

"Poor boy!" murmured Lupin, when his eyes fell on Gilbert's letter nextmorning. "How he must feel it!"

On the very first day when he saw him, he had taken a liking to thatwell-set-up youngster, so careless, gay and fond of life. Gilbert wasdevoted to him, would have accepted death at a sign from his master. And Lupin also loved his frankness, his good humour, his simplicity, hisbright, open face. 

"Gilbert, " he often used to say, "you are an honest man. Do you know, if I were you, I should chuck the business and become an honest man forgood. "

"After you, governor, " Gilbert would reply, with a laugh. 

"Won't you, though?"

"No, governor. An honest man is a chap who works and grinds. It's ataste which I may have had as a nipper; but they've made me lose itsince. "

"Who's they?"

Gilbert was silent. He was always silent when questioned about hisearly life; and all that Lupin knew was that he had been an orphan sincechildhood and that he had lived all over the place, changing his nameand taking up the queerest jobs. The whole thing was a mystery which noone had been able to fathom; and it did not look as though the policewould make much of it either. 

Nor, on the other hand, did it look as though the police would considerthat mystery a reason for delaying proceedings. They would sendVaucheray's accomplice for trial--under his name of Gilbert or any othername--and visit him with the same inevitable punishment. 

"Poor boy!" repeated Lupin. "They're persecuting him like this onlybecause of me. They are afraid of his escaping and they are in a hurryto finish the business: the verdict first and then. .. The execution. 

"Oh, the butchers!. .. A lad of twenty, who has committed no murder, whois not even an accomplice in the murder. .. "

Alas, Lupin well knew that this was a thing impossible to prove and thathe must concentrate his efforts upon another point. But upon which? Washe to abandon the trail of the crystal stopper?

He could not make up his mind to that. His one and only diversion fromthe search was to go to Enghien, where the Growler and the Masher lived, and make sure that nothing had been seen of them since the murder at theVilla Marie-Therese. Apart from this, he applied himself to the questionof Daubrecq and nothing else. 

He refused even to trouble his head about the problems set before him:the treachery of the Growler and the Masher; their connection with thegray-haired lady; the spying of which he himself was the object. 

"Steady, Lupin, " he said. "One only argues falsely in a fever. So holdyour tongue. No inferences, above all things! Nothing is morefoolish than to infer one fact from another before finding a certainstarting-point. That's where you get up a tree. Listen to your instinct. Act according to your instinct. And as you are persuaded, outside allargument, outside all logic, one might say, that this business turnsupon that confounded stopper, go for it boldly. Have at Daubrecq and hisbit of crystal!"

Lupin did not wait to arrive at these conclusions before settling hisactions accordingly. At the moment when he was stating them in his mind, three days after the scene at the Vaudeville, he was sitting, dressedlike a retired tradesman, in an old overcoat, with a muffler round hisneck, on a bench in the Avenue Victor-Hugo, at some distance from theSquare Lamartine. Victoire had his instructions to pass by that bench atthe same hour every morning. 

"Yes, " he repeated to himself, "the crystal stopper: everything turns onthat. .. Once I get hold of it. .. "

Victoire arrived, with her shopping-basket on her arm. He at oncenoticed her extraordinary agitation and pallor:

"What's the matter?" asked Lupin, walking beside his old nurse. 

She went into a big grocer's, which was crowded with people, and, turning to him:

"Here, " she said, in a voice torn with excitement. "Here's what you'vebeen hunting for. "

And, taking something from her basket, she gave it to him. 

Lupin stood astounded: in his hand lay the crystal stopper. 

"Can it be true? Can it be true?" he muttered, as though the ease of thesolution had thrown him off his balance. 

But the fact remained, visible and palpable. He recognized by its shape, by its size, by the worn gilding of its facets, recognized beyond anypossible doubt the crystal stopper which he had seen before. He evenremarked a tiny, hardly noticeable little scratch on the stem which heremembered perfectly. 

However, while the thing presented all the same characteristics, itpossessed no other that seemed out of the way. It was a crystal stopper, that was all. There was no really special mark to distinguish it fromother stoppers. There was no sign upon it, no stamp; and, being cut froma single piece, it contained no foreign object. 

"What then?"

And Lupin received a quick insight into the depth of his mistake. Whatgood could the possession of that crystal stopper do him so long as hewas ignorant of its value? That bit of glass had no existence in itself;it counted only through the meaning that attached to it. Before takingit, the thing was to be certain. And how could he tell that, in takingit, in robbing Daubrecq of it, he was not committing an act of folly?

It was a question which was impossible of solution, but which forceditself upon him with singular directness. 

"No blunders!" he said to himself, as he pocketed the stopper. "In thisconfounded business, blunders are fatal. "

He had not taken his eyes off Victoire. Accompanied by a shopman, shewent from counter to counter, among the throng of customers. She nextstood for some little while at the pay-desk and passed in front ofLupin. 

He whispered her instructions:

"Meet me behind the Lycee Janson. "

She joined him in an unfrequented street:

"And suppose I'm followed?" she said. 

"No, " he declared. "I looked carefully. Listen to me. Where did you findthe stopper?"

"In the drawer of the table by his bed. "

"But we had felt there already. "

"Yes; and I did so again this morning. I expect he put it there lastnight. "

"And I expect he'll want to take it from there again, " said Lupin. 

"Very likely. "

"And suppose he finds it gone?"

Victoire looked frightened. 

"Answer me, " said Lupin. "If he finds it gone, he'll accuse you oftaking it, won't he?"

"Certainly. "

"Then go and put it back, as fast as you can. "

"Oh dear, oh dear!" she moaned. "I hope he won't have had time to findout. Give it to me, quick. "

"Here you are, " said Lupin. 

He felt in the pocket of his overcoat. 

"Well?" said Victoire, holding out her hand. 

"Well, " he said, after a moment, "it's gone. "

"What!"

"Yes, upon my word, it's gone. .. Somebody's taken it from me. "

He burst into a peal of laughter, a laughter which, this time, was freefrom all bitterness. 

Victoire flew out at him:

"Laugh away!. .. Putting me in such a predicament!. .. "

"How can I help laughing? You must confess that it's funny. It'sno longer a tragedy that we're acting, but a fairy-tale, as much afairy-tale as Puss in Boots or Jack and the Beanstalk. I must write itwhen I get a few weeks to myself: The Magic Stopper; or, The Mishaps ofPoor Arsene. "

"Well. .. Who has taken it from you?"

"What are you talking about?. .. It has flown away. .. Vanished from mypocket: hey presto, begone!"

He gave the old servant a gentle push and, in a more serious tone:

"Go home, Victoire, and don't upset yourself. Of course, some one sawyou give me the stopper and took advantage of the crowd in the shop topick my pocket of it. That only shows that we are watched more closelythan I thought and by adversaries of the first rank. But, once more, beeasy. Honest men always come by their own. .. Have you anything else totell me?"

"Yes. Some one came yesterday evening, while M. Daubrecq was out. I sawlights reflected upon the trees in the garden. "

"The portress' bedroom?"

"The portress was up. "

"Then it was some of those detective-fellows; they are still hunting. I'll see you later, Victoire. You must let me in again. "

"What! You want to. .. "

"What do I risk? Your room is on the third floor. Daubrecq suspectsnothing. "

"But the others!"

"The others? If it was to their interest to play me a trick, they'd havetried before now. I'm in their way, that's all. They're not afraid ofme. So till later, Victoire, at five o'clock exactly. "

One further surprise awaited Lupin. In the evening his old nurse toldhim that, having opened the drawer of the bedside table from curiosity, she had found the crystal stopper there again. 

Lupin was no longer to be excited by these miraculous incidents. Hesimply said to himself:

"So it's been brought back. And the person who brought it back and whoenters this house by some unexplained means considered, as I did, thatthe stopper ought not to disappear. And yet Daubrecq, who knows that heis being spied upon to his very bedroom, has once more left the stopperin a drawer, as though he attached no importance to it at all! Now whatis one to make of that?"

Though Lupin did not make anything of it, nevertheless he could notescape certain arguments, certain associations of ideas that gave himthe same vague foretaste of light which one receives on approaching theoutlet of a tunnel. 

"It is inevitable, as the case stands, " he thought, "that there mustsoon be an encounter between myself and the others. From that moment Ishall be master of the situation. "

Five days passed, during which Lupin did not glean the slightestparticular. On the sixth day Daubrecq received a visit, in the smallhours, from a gentleman, Laybach the deputy, who, like his colleagues, dragged himself at his feet in despair and, when all was done, handedhim twenty thousand francs. 

Two more days; and then, one night, posted on the landing of thesecond floor, Lupin heard the creaking of a door, the front-door, as heperceived, which led from the hall into the garden. In the darknesshe distinguished, or rather divined, the presence of two persons, whoclimbed the stairs and stopped on the first floor, outside Daubrecq'sbedroom. 

What were they doing there? It was not possible to enter the room, because Daubrecq bolted his door every night. Then what were theyhoping?

Manifestly, a handiwork of some kind was being performed, as Lupindiscovered from the dull sounds of rubbing against the door. Then words, uttered almost beneath a whisper, reached him:

"Is it all right?"

"Yes, quite, but, all the same, we'd better put it off till to-morrow, because. .. "

Lupin did not hear the end of the sentence. The men were already gropingtheir way downstairs. The hall-door was closed, very gently, and thenthe gate. 

"It's curious, say what one likes, " thought Lupin. "Here is a house inwhich Daubrecq carefully conceals his rascalities and is on his guard, not without good reason, against spies; and everybody walks in and outas in a booth at a fair. Victoire lets me in, the portress admits theemissaries of the police: that's well and good; but who is playing falsein these people's favour? Are we to suppose that they are acting alone?But what fearlessness! And how well they know their way about!"

In the afternoon, during Daubrecq's absence, he examined the door of thefirst-floor bedroom. And, at the first glance, he understood: one of thelower panels had been skilfully cut out and was only held in place byinvisible tacks. The people, therefore, who had done this work were thesame who had acted at his two places, in the Rue Matignon and the RueChateaubriand. 

He also found that the work dated back to an earlier period and that, asin his case, the opening had been prepared beforehand, in anticipationof favourable circumstances or of some immediate need. 

The day did not seem long to Lupin. Knowledge was at hand. Not onlywould he discover the manner in which his adversaries employed thoselittle openings, which were apparently unemployable, since they didnot allow a person to reach the upper bolts, but he would learn who theingenious and energetic adversaries were with whom he repeatedly andinevitably found himself confronted. 

One incident annoyed him. In the evening Daubrecq, who had complained offeeling tired at dinner, came home at ten o'clock and, contrary to hisusual custom, pushed the bolts of the hall-door. In that case, how wouldthe others be able to carry out their plan and go to Daubrecq's room?Lupin waited for an hour after Daubrecq put out his light. Then he wentdown to the deputy's study, opened one of the windows ajar and returnedto the third floor and fixed his rope-ladder so that, in case of need, he could reach the study without passing though the house. Lastly, heresumed his post on the second-floor landing. 

He did not have to wait long. An hour earlier than on the previous nightsome one tried to open the hall-door. When the attempt failed, a fewminutes of absolute silence followed. And Lupin was beginning to thinkthat the men had abandoned the idea, when he gave a sudden start. Someone had passed, without the least sound to interrupt the silence. Hewould not have known it, so utterly were the thing's steps deadened bythe stair-carpet, if the baluster-rail, which he himself held in hishand, had not shaken slightly. Some one was coming upstairs. 

And, as the ascent continued, Lupin became aware of the uncanny feelingthat he heard nothing more than before. He knew, because of the rail, that a thing was coming and he could count the number of steps climbedby noting each vibration of the rail; but no other indication gave himthat dim sensation of presence which we feel in distinguishing movementswhich we do not see, in perceiving sounds which we do not hear. And yeta blacker darkness ought to have taken shape within the darkness andsomething ought, at least, to modify the quality of the silence. No, hemight well have believed that there was no one there. 

And Lupin, in spite of himself and against the evidence of his reason, ended by believing it, for the rail no longer moved and he thought thathe might have been the sport of an illusion. 

And this lasted a long time. He hesitated, not knowing what to do, notknowing what to suppose. But an odd circumstance impressed him. A clockstruck two. He recognized the chime of Daubrecq's clock. And the chimewas that of a clock from which one is not separated by the obstacle of adoor. 

Lupin slipped down the stairs and went to the door. It was closed, but there was a space on the left, at the bottom, a space left by theremoval of the little panel. 

He listened. Daubrecq, at that moment, turned in his bed; and hisbreathing was resumed, evenly and a little stertorously. And Lupinplainly heard the sound of rumpling garments. Beyond a doubt, the thingwas there, fumbling and feeling through the clothes which Daubrecq hadlaid beside his bed. 

"Now, " thought Lupin, "we shall learn something. But how the deuce didthe beggar get in? Has he managed to draw the bolts and open the door?But, if so, why did he make the mistake of shutting it again?"

Not for a second--a curious anomaly in a man like Lupin, an anomalyto be explained only by the uncanny feeling which the whole adventureproduced in him--not for a second did he suspect the very simple truthwhich was about to be revealed to him. Continuing his way down, hecrouched on one of the bottom steps of the staircase, thus placinghimself between the door of the bedroom and the hall-door, on theroad which Daubrecq's enemy must inevitably take in order to join hisaccomplices. 

He questioned the darkness with an unspeakable anguish. He was onthe point of unmasking that enemy of Daubrecq's, who was also hisown adversary. He would thwart his plans. And the booty captured fromDaubrecq he would capture in his turn, while Daubrecq slept and whilethe accomplices lurking behind the hall-door or outside the garden-gatevainly awaited their leader's return. 

And that return took place. Lupin knew it by the renewed vibration ofthe balusters. And, once more, with every sense strained and everynerve on edge, he strove to discern the mysterious thing that was comingtoward him. He suddenly realized it when only a few yards away. Hehimself, hidden in a still darker recess, could not be seen. And whathe saw--in the very vaguest manner--was approaching stair by stair, withinfinite precautions, holding on to each separate baluster. 

"Whom the devil have I to do with?" said Lupin to himself, while hisheart thumped inside his chest. 

The catastrophe was hastened. A careless movement on Lupin's part wasobserved by the stranger, who stopped short. Lupin was afraid lest theother should turn back and take to flight. He sprang at the adversaryand was stupefied at encountering nothing but space and knocking againstthe stair-rail without seizing the form which he saw. But he at oncerushed forward, crossed the best part of the hall and caught up hisantagonist just as he was reaching the door opening on the garden. 

There was a cry of fright, answered by other cries on the further sideof the door. 

"Oh, hang it, what's this?" muttered Lupin, whose arms had closed, inthe dark, round a little, tiny, trembling, whimpering thing. 

Suddenly understanding, he stood for a moment motionless and dismayed, at a loss what to do with his conquered prey. But the others wereshouting and stamping outside the door. Thereupon, dreading lestDaubrecq should wake up, he slipped the little thing under his jacket, against his chest, stopped the crying with his handkerchief rolled intoa ball and hurried up the three flights of stairs. 

"Here, " he said to Victoire, who woke with a start. "I've brought youthe indomitable chief of our enemies, the Hercules of the gang. Have youa feeding-bottle about you?"

He put down in the easy-chair a child of six or seven years of age, thetiniest little fellow in a gray jersey and a knitted woollen cap, whosepale and exquisitely pretty features were streaked with the tears thatstreamed from the terrified eyes. 

"Where did you pick that up?" asked Victoire, aghast. 

"At the foot of the stairs, as it was coming out of Daubrecq's bedroom, "replied Lupin, feeling the jersey in the hope that the child had broughta booty of some kind from that room. 

Victoire was stirred to pity:

"Poor little dear! Look, he's trying not to cry!. .. Oh, saints above, his hands are like ice! Don't be afraid, sonnie, we sha'n't hurt you:the gentleman's all right. "

"Yes, " said Lupin, "the gentleman's quite all right, but there's anothervery wicked gentleman who'll wake up if they go on making such a rumpusoutside the hall-door. Do you hear them, Victoire?"

"Who is it?"

"The satellites of our young Hercules, the indomitable leader's gang. "

"Well. .. ?" stammered Victoire, utterly unnerved. 

"Well, as I don't want to be caught in the trap, I shall start byclearing out. Are you coming, Hercules?"

He rolled the child in a blanket, so that only its head remainedoutside, gagged its mouth as gently as possible and made Victoire fastenit to his shoulders:

"See, Hercules? We're having a game. You never thought you'd findgentlemen to play pick-a-back with you at three o'clock in the morning!Come, whoosh, let's fly away! You don't get giddy, I hope?"

He stepped across the window-ledge and set foot on one of the rungs ofthe ladder. He was in the garden in a minute. 

He had never ceased hearing and now heard more plainly still the blowsthat were being struck upon the front-door. He was astounded thatDaubrecq was not awakened by so violent a din:

"If I don't put a stop to this, they'll spoil everything, " he said tohimself. 

He stood in an angle of the house, invisible in the darkness, andmeasured the distance between himself and the gate. The gate was open. To his right, he saw the steps, on the top of which the people wereflinging themselves about; to his left, the building occupied by theportress. 

The woman had come out of her lodge and was standing near the people, entreating them:

"Oh, do be quiet, do be quiet! He'll come!"

"Capital!" said Lupin. "The good woman is an accomplice of these aswell. By Jingo, what a pluralist!"

He rushed across to her and, taking her by the scruff of the neck, hissed:

"Go and tell them I've got the child. .. They can come and fetch it at myplace, Rue Chateaubriand. "

A little way off, in the avenue, stood a taxi which Lupin presumed to beengaged by the gang. Speaking authoritatively, as though he were one ofthe accomplices, he stepped into the cab and told the man to drive himhome. 

"Well, " he said to the child, "that wasn't much of a shake-up, wasit?. .. What do you say to going to bye-bye on the gentleman's bed?"

As his servant, Achille, was asleep, Lupin made the little chapcomfortable and stroked his hair for him. The child seemed numbed. Hispoor face was as though petrified into a stiff expression made up, atone and the same time, of fear and the wish not to show fear, of thelonging to scream and a pitiful effort not to scream. 

"Cry, my pet, cry, " said Lupin. "It'll do you good to cry. "

The child did not cry, but the voice was so gentle and so kind that herelaxed his tense muscles; and, now that his eyes were calmer andhis mouth less contorted, Lupin, who was examining him closely, foundsomething that he recognized, an undoubted resemblance. 

This again confirmed certain facts which he suspected and which he hadfor some time been linking in his mind. Indeed, unless he was mistaken, the position was becoming very different and he would soon assume thedirection of events. After that. .. 

A ring at the bell followed, at once, by two others, sharp ones. 

"Hullo!" said Lupin to the child. "Here's mummy come to fetch you. Don'tmove. "

He ran and opened the door. 

A woman entered, wildly:

"My son!" she screamed. "My son! Where is he?"

"In my room, " said Lupin. 

Without asking more, thus proving that she knew the way, she rushed tothe bedroom. 

"As I thought, " muttered Lupin. "The youngish woman with the gray hair:Daubrecq's friend and enemy. "

He walked to the window and looked through the curtains. Two men werestriding up and down the opposite pavement: the Growler and the Masher. 

"And they're not even hiding themselves, " he said to himself. "That'sa good sign. They consider that they can't do without me any longer andthat they've got to obey the governor. There remains the pretty ladywith the gray hair. That will be more difficult. It's you and I now, mummy. "

He found the mother and the boy clasped in each other's arms; andthe mother, in a great state of alarm, her eyes moist with tears, wassaying:

"You're not hurt? You're sure? Oh, how frightened you must have been, mypoor little Jacques!"

"A fine little fellow, " said Lupin. 

She did not reply. She was feeling the child's jersey, as Lupin haddone, no doubt to see if he had succeeded in his nocturnal mission; andshe questioned him in a whisper. 

"No, mummy, " said the child. "No, really. "

She kissed him fondly and petted him, until, in a little while, thechild, worn out with fatigue and excitement, fell asleep. She remainedleaning over him for a long time. She herself seemed very much worn outand in need of rest. 

Lupin did not disturb her contemplation. He looked at her anxiously, with an attention which she did not perceive, and he noticed the widerrings round her eyes and the deeper marks of wrinkles. Yet he consideredher handsomer than he had thought, with that touching beauty whichhabitual suffering gives to certain faces that are more human, moresensitive than others. 

She wore so sad an expression that, in a burst of instinctive sympathy, he went up to her and said: "I do not know what your plans are, but, whatever they may be, you stand in need of help. You cannot succeedalone. "

"I am not alone. "

"The two men outside? I know them. They're no good. I beseech you, make use of me. You remember the other evening, at the theatre, in theprivate box? You were on the point of speaking. Do not hesitate to-day. "

She turned her eyes on him, looked at him long and fixedly and, asthough unable to escape that opposing will, she said:

"What do you know exactly? What do you know about me?"

"There are many things that I do not know. I do not know your name. ButI know. .. "

She interrupted him with a gesture; and, resolutely, in her turn, dominating the man who was compelling her to speak:

"It doesn't matter, " she exclaimed. "What you know, after all, is notmuch and is of no importance. But what are your plans? You offer me yourhelp: with what view? For what work? You have flung yourself headlonginto this business; I have been unable to undertake anything withoutmeeting you on my path: you must be contemplating some aim. .. What aim?"

"What aim? Upon my word, it seems to me that my conduct. .. "

"No, no, " she said, emphatically, "no phrases! What you and I want iscertainties; and, to achieve them, absolute frankness. I will set youthe example. M. Daubrecq possesses a thing of unparalleled value, not initself, but for what it represents. That thing you know. You havetwice held it in your hands. I have twice taken it from you. Well, I amentitled to believe that, when you tried to obtain possession of it, youmeant to use the power which you attribute to it and to use it to yourown advantage. .. "

"What makes you say that?"

"Yes, you meant to use it to forward your schemes, in the interest ofyour own affairs, in accordance with your habits as a. .. "

"As a burglar and a swindler, " said Lupin, completing the sentence forher. 

She did not protest. He tried to read her secret thoughts in the depthsof her eyes. What did she want with him? What was she afraid of? If shemistrusted him, had he not also reasons to mistrust that woman who hadtwice taken the crystal stopper from him to restore it to Daubrecq?Mortal enemy of Daubrecq's though she were, up to what point did sheremain subject to that man's will? By surrendering himself to her, did he not risk surrendering himself to Daubrecq? And yet he had neverlooked upon graver eyes nor a more honest face. 

Without further hesitation, he stated:

"My object is simple enough. It is the release of my friends Gilbert andVaucheray. "

"Is that true? Is that true?" she exclaimed, quivering all over andquestioning him with an anxious glance. 

"If you knew me. .. "

"I do know you. .. I know who you are. For months, I have taken part inyour life, without your suspecting it. .. And yet, for certain reasons, Istill doubt. .. "

He said, in a more decisive tone:

"You do not know me. If you knew me, you would know that there can be nopeace for me before my two companions have escaped the awful fate thatawaits them. "

She rushed at him, took him by the shoulders and positively distraught, said:

"What? What did you say? The awful fate?. .. Then you believe. .. Youbelieve. .. "

"I really believe, " said Lupin, who felt how greatly this threat upsether, "I really believe that, if I am not in time, Gilbert and Vaucherayare done for. "

"Be quiet!. .. Be quiet!" she cried, clutching him fiercely. "Bequiet!. .. You mustn't say that. .. There is no reason. .. It's just youwho suppose. .. "

"It's not only I, it's Gilbert as well. .. "

"What? Gilbert? How do you know?"

"From himself?"

"From him?"

"Yes, from Gilbert, who has no hope left but in me; from Gilbert, whoknows that only one man in the world can save him and who, a few daysago, sent me a despairing appeal from prison. Here is his letter. "

She snatched the paper greedily and read in stammering accents:

"Help, governor!. .. I am frightened!. .. I am frightened!. .. "

She dropped the letter. Her hands fluttered in space. It was as thoughher staring eyes beheld the sinister vision which had already so oftenterrified Lupin. She gave a scream of horror, tried to rise and fainted. 

CHAPTER V. THE TWENTY-SEVEN

The child was sleeping peacefully on the bed. The mother did not movefrom the sofa on which Lupin had laid her; but her easier breathing andthe blood which was now returning to her face announced her impendingrecovery from her swoon. 

He observed that she wore a wedding-ring. Seeing a locket hanging fromher bodice, he stooped and, turning it, found a miniature photographrepresenting a man of about forty and a lad--a stripling rather--in aschoolboy's uniform. He studied the fresh, young face set in curly hair:

"It's as I thought, " he said. "Ah, poor woman!"

The hand which he took between his grew warmer by degrees. The eyesopened, then closed again. She murmured:

"Jacques. .. "

"Do not distress yourself. .. It's all right he's asleep. "

She recovered consciousness entirely. But, as she did not speak, Lupinput questions to her, to make her feel a gradual need of unbosomingherself. And he said, pointing to the locket:

"The schoolboy is Gilbert, isn't he?"

"Yes, " she said. 

"And Gilbert is your son?"

She gave a shiver and whispered:

"Yes, Gilbert is my son, my eldest son. "

So she was the mother of Gilbert, of Gilbert the prisoner at the Sante, relentlessly pursued by the authorities and now awaiting his trial formurder!

Lupin continued:

"And the other portrait?"

"My husband. "

"Your husband?"

"Yes, he died three years ago. "

She was now sitting up. Life quivered in her veins once more, togetherwith the horror of living and the horror of all the ghastly things thatthreatened her. Lupin went on to ask:

"What was your husband's name?"

She hesitated a moment and answered:

"Mergy. "

He exclaimed:

"Victorien Mergy the deputy?"

"Yes. "

There was a long pause. Lupin remembered the incident and the stirwhich it had caused. Three years ago, Mergy the deputy had blown outhis brains in the lobby of the Chamber, without leaving a word ofexplanation behind him; and no one had ever discovered the slightestreason for that suicide. 

"Do you know the reason?" asked Lupin, completing his thought aloud. 

"Yes, I know it. "

"Gilbert, perhaps?"

"No, Gilbert had disappeared for some years, turned out of doors andcursed by my husband. It was a very great sorrow, but there was anothermotive. "

"What was that?" asked Lupin. 

But it was not necessary for Lupin to put further questions. MadameMergy could keep silent no longer and, slowly at first, with all theanguish of that past which had to be called up, she told her story:

"Twenty-five years ago, when my name was Clarisse Darcel and my parentsliving, I knew three young men at Nice. Their names will at once giveyou an insight into the present tragedy: they were Alexis Daubrecq, Victorien Mergy and Louis Prasville. The three were old acquaintances, had gone to college in the same year and served in the same regiment. Prasville, at that time, was in love with a singer at the opera-house atNice. The two others, Mergy and Daubrecq, were in love with me. I shallbe brief as regards all this and, for the rest, as regards the wholestory, for the facts tell their own tale. I fell in love with VictorienMergy from the first. Perhaps I was wrong not to declare myself atonce. But true love is always timid, hesitating and shy; and I didnot announce my choice until I felt quite certain and quite free. Unfortunately, that period of waiting, so delightful for those whocherish a secret passion, had permitted Daubrecq to hope. His anger wassomething horrible. "

Clarisse Mergy stopped for a few seconds and resumed, in a stifledvoice:

"I shall never forget it. .. The three of us were in the drawing-room. Oh, I can hear even now the terrible words of threat and hatred whichhe uttered! Victorien was absolutely astounded. He had never seen hisfriend like this, with that repugnant face, that bestial expression:yes, the expression of a wild beast. .. Daubrecq ground his teeth. Hestamped his feet. His bloodshot eyes--he did not wear spectacles inthose days--rolled in their sockets; and he kept on saying, 'I shall berevenged . .. I shall be revenged. .. Oh, you don't know what I am capableof!. .. I shall wait ten years, twenty years, if necessary. .. But it willcome like a thunderbolt. .. Ah, you don't know!. .. To be revenged. .. Todo harm. .. For harm's sake. .. What joy! I was born to do harm. .. And youwill both beseech my mercy on your knees, on your knees, yes, on yourknees. .. ' At that moment, my father entered the room; and, with hisassistance and the footman's, Victorien Mergy flung the loathsomecreature out of doors. Six weeks later, I married Victorien. "

"And Daubrecq?" asked Lupin, interrupting her. "Did he not try. .. "

"No, but on our wedding-day, Louis Prasville, who acted as my husband'sbest man in defiance of Danbrecq's opposition, went home to find thegirl he loved, the opera-singer, dead, strangled. .. "

"What!" said Lupin, with a start. "Had Daubrecq. .. "

"It was known that Daubrecq had been persecuting her with his attentionsfor some days; but nothing more was known. It was impossible to discoverwho had gone in or out during Prasville's absence. There was not a tracefound of any kind: nothing, absolutely nothing. "

"But Prasville. .. "

"There was no doubt of the truth in Prasville's mind or ours. Daubrecqhad tried to run away with the girl, perhaps tried to force her, tohustle her and, in the course of the struggle, maddened, losing hishead, caught her by the throat and killed her, perhaps without knowingwhat he was doing. But there was no evidence of all this; and Daubrecqwas not even molested. "

"And what became of him next?"

"For some years we heard nothing of him. We knew only that he had lostall his money gambling and that he was travelling in America. And, inspite of myself, I forgot his anger and his threats and was only tooready to believe that he had ceased to love me and no longer harbouredhis schemes of revenge. Besides, I was so happy that I did not careto think of anything but my happiness, my love, my husband's politicalcareer, the health of my son Antoine. "

"Antoine?"

"Yes, Antoine is Gilbert's real name. The unhappy boy has at leastsucceeded in concealing his identity. "

Lupin asked, with some hesitation:

"At what period did. .. Gilbert. .. Begin?"

"I cannot tell you exactly. Gilbert--I prefer to call him that and notto pronounce his real name--Gilbert, as a child, was what he is to-day:lovable, liked by everybody, charming, but lazy and unruly. When he wasfifteen, we put him to a boarding-school in one of the suburbs, with thedeliberate object of not having him too much at home. After two years'time he was expelled from school and sent back to us. "

"Why?"

"Because of his conduct. The masters had discovered that he used to slipout at night and also that he would disappear for weeks at a time, whilepretending to be at home with us. "

"What used he to do?"

"Amuse himself backing horses, spending his time in cafes and publicdancing-rooms. "

"Then he had money?"

"Yes. "

"Who gave it him?"

"His evil genius, the man who, secretly, unknown to his parents, enticedhim away from school, the man who led him astray, who corrupted him, whotook him from us, who taught him to lie, to waste his substance and tosteal. "

"Daubrecq?"

"Daubrecq. "

Clarisse Mergy put her hands together to hide the blushes on herforehead. She continued, in her tired voice:

"Daubrecq had taken his revenge. On the day after my husband turned ourunhappy child out of the house, Daubrecq sent us a most cynical letterin which he revealed the odious part which he had played and themachinations by which he had succeeded in depraving our son. And hewent on to say, 'The reformatory, one of these days. .. Later on, theassize-court . .. And then, let us hope and trust, the scaffold!'"

Lupin exclaimed:

"What! Did Daubrecq plot the present business?"

"No, no, that is only an accident. The hateful prophecy was just a wishwhich he expressed. But oh, how it terrified me! I was ailing at thetime; my other son, my little Jacques, had just been born. And everyday we heard of some fresh misdeed of Gilbert's--forgeries, swindles--somuch so that we spread the news, in our immediate surroundings, of hisdeparture for abroad, followed by his death. Life was a misery; and itbecame still more so when the political storm burst in which my husbandwas to meet his death. "

"What do you mean?"

"A word will be enough: my husband's name was on the list of theTwenty-seven. "

"Ah!"

The veil was suddenly lifted from Lupin's eyes and he saw, as in aflash of lightning, a whole legion of things which, until then, had beenhidden in the darkness. 

Clarisse Mergy continued, in a firmer voice:

"Yes, his name was on it, but by mistake, by a piece of incredibleill-luck of which he was the victim. It is true that Victorien Mergywas a member of the committee appointed to consider the question of theTwo-Seas Canal. It is true that he voted with the members who were infavour of the company's scheme. He was even paid--yes, I tell you soplainly and I will mention the sum--he was paid fifteen thousand francs. But he was paid on behalf of another, of one of his political friends, a man in whom he had absolute confidence and of whom he was the blind, unconscious tool. He thought he was showing his friend a kindness; andit proved his own undoing. It was not until the day after the suicide ofthe chairman of the company and the disappearance of the secretary, theday on which the affair of the canal was published in the papers, withits whole series of swindles and abominations, that my husband knewthat a number of his fellow-members had been bribed and learnt that themysterious list, of which people suddenly began to speak, mentionedhis name with theirs and with the names of other deputies, leaders ofparties and influential politicians. Oh, what awful days those were!Would the list be published? Would his name come out? The torture of it!You remember the mad excitement in the Chamber, the atmosphere of terrorand denunciation that prevailed. Who owned the list? Nobody couldsay. It was known to be in existence and that was all. Two names weresacrificed to public odium. Two men were swept away by the storm. And itremained unknown where the denunciation came from and in whose hands theincriminating documents were. "

"Daubrecq, " suggested Lupin. 

"No, no!" cried Madame Mergy. "Daubrecq was nothing at that time: he hadnot yet appeared upon the scene. No, don't you remember, the truth cameout suddenly through the very man who was keeping it back: Germineaux, the ex-minister of justice, a cousin of the chairman of the CanalCompany. As he lay dying of consumption, he wrote from his sick-bed tothe prefect of police, bequeathing him that list of names, which, hesaid, would be found, after his death, in an iron chest in the corner ofhis room. The house was surrounded by police and the prefect took uphis quarters by the sick man's bedside. Germineaux died. The chest wasopened and found to be empty. "

"Daubrecq, this time, " Lupin declared. 

"Yes, Daubrecq, " said Madame Mergy, whose excitement was momentarilyincreasing. "Alexis Daubrecq, who, for six months, disguised beyondrecognition, had acted as Germineaux's secretary. It does not matterhow he discovered that Germineaux was the possessor of the paper inquestion. The fact remains that he broke open the chest on the nightbefore the death. So much was proved at the inquiry; and Daubrecq'sidentity was established. "

"But he was not arrested?"

"What would have been the use? They knew well enough that he must havedeposited the list in a place of safety. His arrest would have involveda scandal, the reopening of the whole case. .. "

"So. .. "

"So they made terms. "

Lupin laughed:

"That's funny, making terms with Daubrecq!"

"Yes, very funny, " said Madame Mergy, bitterly. "During this time heacted and without delay, shamelessly, making straight for the goal. Aweek after the theft, he went to the Chamber of Deputies, asked for myhusband and bluntly demanded thirty thousand francs of him, to be paidwithin twenty-four hours. If not, he threatened him with exposure anddisgrace. My husband knew the man he was dealing with, knew him to beimplacable and filled with relentless hatred. He lost his head and shothimself. "

"How absurd!" Lupin could not help saying. "How absurd! Daubrecqpossesses a list of twenty-seven names. To give up any one of thosenames he is obliged, if he would have his accusation believed, topublish the list itself--that is to say, to part with the document, orat least a photograph of it. Well, in so doing, he creates a scandal, itis true, but he deprives himself, at the same time, of all further meansof levying blackmail. "

"Yes and no, " she said. 

"How do you know?"

"Through Daubrecq himself. The villain came to see me and cynicallytold me of his interview with my husband and the words that had passedbetween them. Well, there is more than that list, more than that famousbit of paper on which the secretary put down the names and the amountspaid and to which, you will remember, the chairman of the company, before dying, affixed his signature in letters of blood. There is morethan that. There are certain less positive proofs, which the peopleinterested do not know of: the correspondence between the chairmanand the secretary, between the chairman and his counsel, and so on. Ofcourse, the list scribbled on the bit of paper is the only evidencethat counts; it is the one incontestable proof which it would be no goodcopying or even photographing, for its genuineness can be tested mostabsolutely. But, all the same, the other proofs are dangerous. Theyhave already been enough to do away with two deputies. And Daubrecqis marvelously clever at turning this fact to account. He selectshis victim, frightens him out of his senses, points out to him theinevitable scandal; and the victim pays the required sum. Or else hekills himself, as my husband did. Do you understand now?"

"Yes, " said Lupin. 

And, in the silence that followed, he drew a mental picture ofDaubrecq's life. He saw him the owner of that list, using his power, gradually emerging from the shadow, lavishly squandering the moneywhich he extorted from his victims, securing his election as adistrict-councillor and deputy, holding sway by dint of threatsand terror, unpunished, invulnerable, unattackable, feared by thegovernment, which would rather submit to his orders than declare warupon him, respected by the judicial authorities: so powerful, in a word, that Prasville had been appointed secretary-general of police, over theheads of all who had prior claims, for the sole reason that he hatedDaubrecq with a personal hatred. 

"And you saw him again?" he asked. 

"I saw him again. I had to. My husband was dead, but his honour remaineduntouched. Nobody suspected the truth. In order at least to defend thename which he left me, I accepted my first interview with Daubrecq. "

"Your first, yes, for there have been others. "

"Many others, " she said, in a strained voice, "yes, many others. .. Atthe theatre. .. Or in the evening, at Enghien. .. Or else in Paris, atnight . .. For I was ashamed to meet that man and I did not want peopleto know it. .. But it was necessary. .. A duty more imperative than anyother commanded it: the duty of avenging my husband. .. "

She bent over Lupin and, eagerly:

"Yes, revenge has been the motive of my conduct and the solepreoccupation of my life. To avenge my husband, to avenge my ruined son, to avenge myself for all the harm that he has done me: I had no otherdream, no other object in life. That is what I wanted: to see that mancrushed, reduced to poverty, to tears--as though he still knew how tocry!--sobbing in the throes of despair. .. "

"You wanted his death, " said Lupin, remembering the scene between themin Daubrecq's study. 

"No, not his death. I have often thought of it, I have even raised myarm to strike him, but what would have been the good? He must have takenhis precautions. The paper would remain. And then there is no revengein killing a man. .. My hatred went further than that. .. It demanded hisruin, his downfall; and, to achieve that, there was but one way: to cuthis claws. Daubrecq, deprived of the document that gives him his immensepower, ceases to exist. It means immediate bankruptcy and disaster. .. Under the most wretched conditions. That is what I have sought. "

"But Daubrecq must have been aware of your intentions?"

"Certainly. And, I assure you, those were strange meetings of ours: Iwatching him closely, trying to guess his secret behind his actions andhis words, and he. .. He. .. "

"And he, " said Lupin, finishing Clarisse's thought, "lying in wait forthe prey which he desires. .. For the woman whom he has never ceased tolove. .. Whom he loves. .. And whom he covets with all his might and withall his furious passion. .. "

She lowered her head and said, simply:

"Yes. "

A strange duel indeed was that which brought face to face those twobeings separated by so many implacable things! How unbridled mustDaubrecq's passion be for him to risk that perpetual threat of death andto introduce to the privacy of his house this woman whose life he hadshattered! But also how absolutely safe he must feel himself!

"And your search ended. .. How?" asked Lupin. 

"My search, " she replied, "long remained without fruit. You know themethods of investigation which you have followed and which the policehave followed on their side. Well, I myself employed them, years beforeeither of you did, and in vain. I was beginning to despair. Then, oneday, when I had gone to see Daubrecq in his villa at Enghien, I pickedup under his writing-table a letter which he had begun to write, crumpled up and thrown into the waste-paper-basket. It consisted ofa few lines in bad English; and I was able to read this: 'Emptythe crystal within, so as to leave a void which it is impossible tosuspect. ' Perhaps I should not have attached to this sentence all theimportance which it deserved, if Daubrecq, who was out in the garden, had not come running in and begun to turn out the waste-paper-basket, with an eagerness which was very significant. He gave me a suspiciouslook: 'There was a letter there, ' he said. I pretended not tounderstand. He did not insist, but his agitation did not escape me; andI continued my quest in this direction. A month later, I discovered, among the ashes in the drawing-room fireplace, the torn half of anEnglish invoice. I gathered that a Stourbridge glass-blower, of the nameof John Howard, had supplied Daubrecq with a crystal bottle made after amodel. The word 'crystal' struck me at once. I went to Stourbridge, gotround the foreman of the glass-works and learnt that the stopper of thisbottle had been hollowed out inside, in accordance with the instructionin the order, so as to leave a cavity, the existence of which wouldescape observation. "

Lupin nodded his head:

"The thing tallies beyond a doubt. Nevertheless, it did not seem to me, that, even under the gilt layer. .. And then the hiding-place would bevery tiny!"

"Tiny, but large enough, " she said. "On my return from England, I wentto the police-office to see Prasville, whose friendship for me hadremained unchanged. I did not hesitate to tell him, first, the reasonswhich had driven my husband to suicide and, secondly, the object ofrevenge which I was pursuing. When I informed him of my discoveries, hejumped for joy; and I felt that his hatred for Daubrecq was as strongas ever. I learnt from him that the list was written on a slip ofexceedingly thin foreign-post-paper, which, when rolled up into a sortof pellet, would easily fit into an exceedingly limited space. Neitherhe nor I had the least hesitation. We knew the hiding-place. We agreedto act independently of each other, while continuing to correspond insecret. I put him in touch with Clemence, the portress in the SquareLamartine, who was entirely devoted to me. .. "

"But less so to Prasville, " said Lupin, "for I can prove that shebetrays him. "

"Now perhaps, but not at the start; and the police searches werenumerous. It was at that time, ten months ago, that Gilbert came into mylife again. A mother never loses her love for her son, whatever he maydo, whatever he may have done. And then Gilbert has such a way withhim. .. Well, you know him. He cried, kissed my little Jacques, hisbrother and I forgave him. "

She stopped and, weary-voiced, with her eyes fixed on the floor, continued:

"Would to Heaven that I had not forgiven him! Ah, if that hour could butreturn, how readily I should find the horrible courage to turn him away!My poor child. .. It was I who ruined him!. .. " And, pensively, "I shouldhave had that or any sort of courage, if he had been as I pictured himto myself and as he himself told me that he had long been: bearing themarks of vice and dissipation, coarse, deteriorated. 

"But, though he was utterly changed in appearance, so much so that Icould hardly recognize him, there was, from the point of view of--howshall I put it?--from the moral point of view, an undoubted improvement. You had helped him, lifted him; and, though his mode of life was hatefulto me, nevertheless he retained a certain self-respect. .. A sort ofunderlying decency that showed itself on the surface once more. .. He wasgay, careless, happy. .. And he used to talk of you with such affection!"

She picked her words, betraying her embarrassment, not daring, inLupin's presence, to condemn the line of life which Gilbert had selectedand yet unable to speak in favour of it. 

"What happened next?" asked Lupin. 

"I saw him very often. He would come to me by stealth, or else I wentto him and we would go for walks in the country. In this way, I wasgradually induced to tell him our story, of his father's suicide andthe object which I was pursuing. He at once took fire. He too wantedto avenge his father and, by stealing the crystal stopper, to avengehimself on Daubrecq for the harm which he had done him. His firstidea--from which, I am bound to tell you, he never swerved--was toarrange with you. "

"Well, then, " cried Lupin, "he ought to have. .. !"

"Yes, I know. .. And I was of the same opinion. Unfortunately, my poorGilbert--you know how weak he is!--was under the influence of one of hiscomrades. "

"Vaucheray?"

"Yes, Vaucheray, a saturnine spirit, full of bitterness and envy, anambitious, unscrupulous, gloomy, crafty man, who had acquired a greatempire over my son. Gilbert made the mistake of confiding in him andasking his advice. That was the origin of all the mischief. Vaucherayconvinced him and convinced me as well that it would be better if weacted by ourselves. He studied the business, took the lead and finallyorganized the Enghien expedition and, under your direction, the burglaryat the Villa Marie-Therese, which Prasville and his detectives had beenunable to search thoroughly, because of the active watch maintained byLeonard the valet. It was a mad scheme. We ought either to have trustedin your experience entirely, or else to have left you out altogether, taking the risk of fatal mistakes and dangerous hesitations. But wecould not help ourselves. Vaucheray ruled us. I agreed to meet Daubrecqat the theatre. During this time the thing took place. When I camehome, at twelve o'clock at night, I heard the terrible result: Leonardmurdered, my son arrested. I at once received an intuition of thefuture. Daubrecq's appalling prophecy was being realized: it meant trialand sentence. And this through my fault, through the fault of me, themother, who had driven my son toward the abyss from which nothing couldextricate him now. "

Clarisse wrung her hands and shivered from head to foot. What sufferingcan compare with that of a mother trembling for the head of her son?Stirred with pity, Lupin said:

"We shall save him. Of that there is not the shadow of a doubt. But, it is necessary that I should know all the details. Finish your story, please. How did you know, on the same night, what had happened atEnghien?"

She mastered herself and, with a face wrung with fevered anguish, replied:

"Through two of your accomplices, or rather two accomplices ofVaucheray, to whom they were wholly devoted and who had chosen them torow the boats. "

"The two men outside: the Growler and the Masher?"

"Yes. On your return from the villa, when you landed after being pursuedon the lake by the commissary of police, you said a few words to them, by way of explanation, as you went to your car. Mad with fright, theyrushed to my place, where they had been before, and told me the hideousnews. Gilbert was in prison! Oh, what an awful night! What was I to do?Look for you? Certainly; and implore your assistance. But where was I tofind you?. .. It was then that the two whom you call the Growler and theMasher, driven into a corner by circumstances, decided to tell me of thepart played by Vaucheray, his ambitions, his plan, which had long beenripening. .. "

"To get rid of me, I suppose?" said Lupin, with a grin. 

"Yes. As Gilbert possessed your complete confidence, Vaucheray watchedhim and, in this way, got to know all the places which you live at. Afew days more and, owning the crystal stopper, holding the list of theTwenty-seven, inheriting all Daubrecq's power, he would have deliveredyou to the police, without compromising a single member of your gang, which he looked upon as thenceforth his. "

"The ass!" muttered Lupin. "A muddler like that!" And he added, "So thepanels of the doors. .. "

"Were cut out by his instructions, in anticipation of the contest onwhich he was embarking against you and against Daubrecq, at whose househe did the same thing. He had under his orders a sort of acrobat, an extraordinarily thin dwarf, who was able to wriggle through thoseapertures and who thus detected all your correspondence and allyour secrets. That is what his two friends revealed to me. I at onceconceived the idea of saving my elder son by making use of his brother, my little Jacques, who is himself so slight and so intelligent, so plucky, as you have seen. We set out that night. Acting on theinformation of my companions, I went to Gilbert's rooms and found thekeys of your flat in the Rue Matignon, where it appeared that you wereto sleep. Unfortunately, I changed my mind on the way and thought muchless of asking for your help than of recovering the crystal stopper, which, if it had been discovered at Enghien, must obviously be atyour flat. I was right in my calculations. In a few minutes, my littleJacques, who had slipped into your bedroom, brought it to me. I wentaway quivering with hope. Mistress in my turn of the talisman, keepingit to myself, without telling Prasville, I had absolute power overDaubrecq. I could make him do all that I wanted; he would becomethe slave of my will and, instructed by me, would take every step inGilbert's favour and obtain that he should be given the means of escapeor else that he should not be sentenced. It meant my boy's safety. "

"Well?"

Clarisse rose from her seat, with a passionate movement of her wholebeing, leant over Lupin and said, in a hollow voice:

"There was nothing in that piece of crystal, nothing, do you understand?No paper, no hiding-place! The whole expedition to Enghien was futile!The murder of Leonard was useless! The arrest of my son was useless! Allmy efforts were useless!"

"But why? Why?"

"Why? Because what you stole from Daubrecq was not the stopper made byhis instructions, but the stopper which was sent to John Howard, theStourbridge glassworker, to serve as a model. "

If Lupin had not been in the presence of so deep a grief, he could nothave refrained from one of those satirical outbursts with which themischievous tricks of fate are wont to inspire him. As it was, hemuttered between his teeth:

"How stupid! And still more stupid as Daubrecq had been given thewarning. "

"No, " she said. "I went to Enghien on the same day. In all that businessDaubrecq saw and sees nothing but an ordinary burglary, an annexation ofhis treasures. The fact that you took part in it put him off the scent. "

"Still, the disappearance of the stopper. .. "

"To begin with, the thing can have had but a secondary importance forhim, as it is only the model. "

"How do you know?"

"There is a scratch at the bottom of the stem; and I have made inquiriesin England since. "

"Very well; but why did the key of the cupboard from which it was stolennever leave the man-servant's possession? And why, in the second place, was it found afterward in the drawer of a table in Daubrecq's house inParis?"

"Of course, Daubrecq takes care of it and clings to it in the way inwhich one clings to the model of any valuable thing. And that is why Ireplaced the stopper in the cupboard before its absence was noticed. Andthat also is why, on the second occasion, I made my little Jacques takethe stopper from your overcoat-pocket and told the portress to put itback in the drawer. "

"Then he suspects nothing?"

"Nothing. He knows that the list is being looked for, but he does notknow that Prasville and I are aware of the thing in which he hides it. "

Lupin had risen from his seat and was walking up and down the room, thinking. Then he stood still beside Clarisse and asked:

"When all is said, since the Enghien incident, you have not advanced asingle step?"

"Not one. I have acted from day to day, led by those two men or leadingthem, without any definite plan. "

"Or, at least, " he said, "without any other plan than that of gettingthe list of the Twenty-seven from Daubrecq. "

"Yes, but how? Besides, your tactics made things more difficult forme. It did not take us long to recognize your old servant Victoire inDaubrecq's new cook and to discover, from what the portress told us, that Victoire was putting you up in her room; and I was afraid of yourschemes. "

"It was you, was it not, who wrote to me to retire from the contest?"

"Yes. "

"You also asked me not to go to the theatre on the Vaudeville night?"

"Yes, the portress caught Victoire listening to Daubrecq's conversationwith me on the telephone; and the Masher, who was watching the house, saw you go out. I suspected, therefore, that you would follow Daubrecqthat evening. "

"And the woman who came here, late one afternoon. .. "

"Was myself. I felt disheartened and wanted to see you. "

"And you intercepted Gilbert's letter?"

"Yes, I recognized his writing on the envelope. "

"But your little Jacques was not with you?"

"No, he was outside, in a motor-car, with the Masher, who lifted him upto me through the drawing-room window; and he slipped into your bedroomthrough the opening in the panel. "

"What was in the letter?"

"As ill-luck would have it, reproaches. Gilbert accused you of forsakinghim, of taking over the business on your own account. In short, itconfirmed me in my distrust; and I ran away. "

Lupin shrugged his shoulders with irritation:

"What a shocking waste of time! And what a fatality that we were notable to come to an understanding earlier! You and I have been playing athide-and-seek, laying absurd traps for each other, while the days werepassing, precious days beyond repair. "

"You see, you see, " she said, shivering, "you too are afraid of thefuture!"

"No, I am not afraid, " cried Lupin. "But I am thinking of all the usefulwork that we could have done by this time, if we had united our efforts. I am thinking of all the mistakes and all the acts of imprudencewhich we should have been saved, if we had been working together. I amthinking that your attempt to-night to search the clothes which Daubrecqwas wearing was as vain as the others and that, at this moment, thanksto our foolish duel, thanks to the din which we raised in his house, Daubrecq is warned and will be more on his guard than ever. "

Clarisse Mergy shook her head:

"No, no, I don't think that; the noise will not have roused him, for wepostponed the attempt for twenty-four hours so that the portress mightput a narcotic in his wine. " And she added, slowly, "And then, you see, nothing can make Daubrecq be more on his guard than he is already. Hislife is nothing but one mass of precautions against danger. He leavesnothing to chance. .. Besides, has he not all the trumps in his hand?"

Lupin went up to her and asked:

"What do you mean to convey? According to you, is there nothing to hopefor on that side? Is there not a single means of attaining our end?"

"Yes, " she murmured, "there is one, one only. .. "

He noticed her pallor before she had time to hide her face between herhands again. And again a feverish shiver shook her frame. 

He seemed to understand the reason of her dismay; and, bending towardher, touched by her grief:

"Please, " he said, "please answer me openly and frankly. It's forGilbert's sake, is it not? Though the police, fortunately, have notbeen able to solve the riddle of his past, though the real name ofVaucheray's accomplice has not leaked out, there is one man, at least, who knows it: isn't that so? Daubrecq has recognized your son Antoine, through the alias of Gilbert, has he not?"

"Yes, yes. .. "

"And he promises to save him, doesn't he? He offers you his freedom, hisrelease, his escape, his life: that was what he offered you, was it not, on the night in his study, when you tried to stab him?"

"Yes. .. Yes. .. That was it. .. "

"And he makes one condition, does he not? An abominable condition, suchas would suggest itself to a wretch like that? I am right, am I not?"

Clarisse did not reply. She seemed exhausted by her protracted strugglewith a man who was gaining ground daily and against whom it wasimpossible for her to fight. Lupin saw in her the prey conquered inadvance, delivered to the victor's whim. Clarisse Mergy, the loving wifeof that Mergy whom Daubrecq had really murdered, the terrified mother ofthat Gilbert whom Daubrecq had led astray, Clarisse Mergy, to save herson from the scaffold, must, come what may and however ignominious theposition, yield to Daubrecq's wishes. She would be the mistress, the wife, the obedient slave of Daubrecq, of that monster with theappearance and the ways of a wild beast, that unspeakable person of whomLupin could not think without revulsion and disgust. 

Sitting down beside her, gently, with gestures of pity, he made her lifther head and, with his eyes on hers, said:

"Listen to me. I swear that I will save your son: I swear it. .. Your sonshall not die, do you understand?. .. There is not a power on earth thatcan allow your son's head to be touched as long as I am alive. "

"I believe you. .. I trust your word. "

"Do. It is the word of a man who does not know defeat. I shall succeed. Only, I entreat you to make me an irrevocable promise. "

"What is that?"

"You must not see Daubrecq again. "

"I swear it. "

"You must put from your mind any idea, any fear, however obscure, of anunderstanding between yourself and him. .. Of any sort of bargain. .. "

"I swear it. "

She looked at him with an expression of absolute security and reliance;and he, under her gaze, felt the joy of devotion and an ardent longingto restore that woman's happiness, or, at least, to give her the peaceand oblivion that heal the worst wounds:

"Come, " he said, in a cheerful tone, rising from his chair, "all willyet be well. We have two months, three months before us. It is more thanI need. .. On condition, of course, that I am unhampered in my movements. And, for that, you will have to withdraw from the contest, you know. "

"How do you mean?"

"Yes, you must disappear for a time; go and live in the country. Haveyou no pity for your little Jacques? This sort of thing would end byshattering the poor little man's nerves. .. And he has certainly earnedhis rest, haven't you, Hercules?"

The next day Clarisse Mergy, who was nearly breaking down under thestrain of events and who herself needed repose, lest she should fallseriously ill, went, with her son, to board with a friend who had ahouse on the skirt of the Forest of Saint-Germain. She felt very weak, her brain was haunted by visions and her nerves were upset by troubleswhich the least excitement aggravated. She lived there for some daysin a state of physical and mental inertia, thinking of nothing andforbidden to see the papers. 

One afternoon, while Lupin, changing his tactics, was working out ascheme for kidnapping and confining Daubrecq; while the Growler and theMasher, whom he had promised to forgive if he succeeded, were watchingthe enemy's movements; while the newspapers were announcing theforthcoming trial for murder of Arsene Lupin's two accomplices, oneafternoon, at four o'clock, the telephone-bell rang suddenly in the flatin the Rue Chateaubriand. 

Lupin took down the receiver:

"Hullo!"

A woman's voice, a breathless voice, said:

"M. Michel Beaumont?"

"You are speaking to him, madame. To whom have I the honour. .. "

"Quick, monsieur, come at once; Madame Mergy has taken poison. "

Lupin did not wait to hear details. He rushed out, sprang into hismotor-car and drove to Saint-Germain. 

Clarisse's friend was waiting for him at the door of the bedroom. 

"Dead?" he asked. 

"No, " she replied, "she did not take sufficient. The doctor has justgone. He says she will get over it. "

"And why did she make the attempt?"

"Her son Jacques has disappeared. "

"Carried off?"

"Yes, he was playing just inside the forest. A motor-car was seenpulling up. Then there were screams. Clarisse tried to run, but herstrength failed and she fell to the ground, moaning, 'It's he. .. It'sthat man. .. All is lost!' She looked like a madwoman. "

"Suddenly, she put a little bottle to her lips and swallowed thecontents. "

"What happened next?"

"My husband and I carried her to her room. She was in great pain. "

"How did you know my address, my name?"

"From herself, while the doctor was attending to her. Then I telephonedto you. "

"Has any one else been told?"

"No, nobody. I know that Clarisse has had terrible things to bear. .. Andthat she prefers not to be talked about. "

"Can I see her?"

"She is asleep just now. And the doctor has forbidden all excitement. "

"Is the doctor anxious about her?"

"He is afraid of a fit of fever, any nervous strain, an attack of somekind which might cause her to make a fresh attempt on her life. And thatwould be. .. "

"What is needed to avoid it?"

"A week or a fortnight of absolute quiet, which is impossible as long asher little Jacques. .. "

Lupin interrupted her:

"You think that, if she got her son back. .. "

"Oh, certainly, there would be nothing more to fear!"

"You're sure? You're sure?. .. Yes, of course you are!. .. Well, whenMadame Mergy wakes, tell her from me that I will bring her back her sonthis evening, before midnight. This evening, before midnight: it's asolemn promise. "

With these words, Lupin hurried out of the house and, stepping into hiscar, shouted to the driver:

"Go to Paris, Square Lamartine, Daubrecq the deputy's!"

CHAPTER VI. THE DEATH-SENTENCE

Lupin's motor-car was not only an office, a writing-room furnishedwith books, stationery, pens and ink, but also a regular actor'sdressing-room, containing a complete make-up box, a trunk filledwith every variety of wearing-apparel, another crammed with"properties"--umbrellas, walking-sticks, scarves, eye-glasses and soon--in short, a complete set of paraphernalia which enabled him to alterhis appearance from top to toe in the course of a drive. 

The man who rang at Daubrecq the deputy's gate, at six o-clock thatevening, was a stout, elderly gentleman, in a black frock-coat, a bowlerhat, spectacles and whiskers. 

The portress took him to the front-door of the house and rang the bell. Victoire appeared. 

Lupin asked:

"Can M. Daubrecq see Dr. Vernes?"

"M. Daubrecq is in his bedroom; and it is rather late. .. "

"Give him my card, please. "

He wrote the words, "From Mme. Mergy, " in the margin and added:

"There, he is sure to see me. "

"But. .. " Victoire began. 

"Oh, drop your buts, old dear, do as I say, and don't make such a fussabout it!"

She was utterly taken aback and stammered:

"You!. .. Is it you?"

"No, it's Louis XIV!" And, pushing her into a corner of the hall, "Listen. .. The moment I'm done with him, go up to your room, put yourthings together anyhow and clear out. "

"What!"

"Do as I tell you. You'll find my car waiting down the avenue. Come, stir your stumps! Announce me. I'll wait in the study. "

"But it's dark in there. "

"Turn on the light. "

She switched on the electric light and left Lupin alone. 

"It's here, " he reflected, as he took a seat, "it's here that thecrystal stopper?byes?. .. Unless Daubrecq always keeps it by him. .. Butno, when people have a good hiding-place, they make use of it. And thisis a capital one; for none of us. .. So far. .. "

Concentrating all his attention, he examined the objects in the room;and he remembered the note which Daubrecq wrote to Prasville:

 "Within reach of your hand, my dear Prasville!. .. You touched it! A little more and the trick was done. .. "

Nothing seemed to have moved since that day. The same things were lyingabout on the desk: books, account-books, a bottle of ink, a stamp-box, pipes, tobacco, things that had been searched and probed over and overagain. 

"The bounder!" thought Lupin. "He's organized his business jollycleverly. It's all dove-tailed like a well-made play. "

In his heart of hearts, though he knew exactly what he had come to doand how he meant to act, Lupin was thoroughly aware of the danger anduncertainty attending his visit to so powerful an adversary. It wasquite within the bounds of possibility that Daubrecq, armed as he was, would remain master of the field and that the conversation would take anabsolutely different turn from that which Lupin anticipated. 

And this prospect angered him somewhat. 

He drew himself up, as he heard a sound of footsteps approaching. 

Daubrecq entered. 

He entered without a word, made a sign to Lupin, who had risen fromhis chair, to resume his seat and himself sat down at the writing-desk. Glancing at the card which he held in his hand:

"Dr. Vernes?"

"Yes, monsieur le depute, Dr. Vernes, of Saint-Germain. "

"And I see that you come from Mme. Mergy. A patient of yours?"

"A recent patient. I did not know her until I was called in to see her, the other day, in particularly tragic circumstances. "

"Is she ill?"

"Mme. Mergy has taken poison. "

"What!"

Daubrecq gave a start and he continued, without concealing his distress:

"What's that you say? Poison! Is she dead?"

"No, the dose was not large enough. If no complications ensue, Iconsider that Mme. Mergy's life is saved. "

Daubrecq said nothing and sat silent, with his head turned to Lupin. 

"Is he looking at me? Are his eyes open or shut?" Lupin asked himself. 

It worried Lupin terribly not to see his adversary's eyes, those eyeshidden by the double obstacle of spectacles and black glasses: weak, bloodshot eyes, Mme. Mergy had told him. How could he follow the secrettrain of the man's thought without seeing the expression of his face? Itwas almost like fighting an enemy who wielded an invisible sword. 

Presently, Daubrecq spoke:

"So Mme. Mergy's life is saved. .. And she has sent you to me. .. I don'tquite understand. .. I hardly know the lady. "

"Now for the ticklish moment, " thought Lupin. "Have at him!"

And, in a genial, good-natured and rather shy tone, he said:

"No, monsieur le depute, there are cases in which a doctor's dutybecomes very complex. .. Very puzzling. .. And you may think that, intaking this step. .. However, to cut a long story short, while I wasattending Mme. Mergy, she made a second attempt to poison herself. .. Yes; the bottle, unfortunately, had been left within her reach. Isnatched it from her. We had a struggle. And, railing in her fever, shesaid to me, in broken words, 'He's the man. .. He's the man. .. Daubrecqthe deputy. .. Make him give me back my son. Tell him to. .. Or elseI would rather die. .. Yes, now, to-night. .. I would rather die. 'That's what she said, monsieur le depute. .. So I thought that I oughtto let you know. It is quite certain that, in the lady's highly nervousstate of mind. .. Of course, I don't know the exact meaning of herwords. .. I asked no questions of anybody. .. Obeyed a spontaneous impulseand came straight to you. "

Daubrecq reflected for a little while and said:

"It amounts to this, doctor, that you have come to ask me if I know thewhereabouts of this child whom I presume to have disappeared. Is thatit?"

"Yes. "

"And, if I did happen to know, you would take him back to his mother?"

There was a longer pause. Lupin asked himself:

"Can he by chance have swallowed the story? Is the threat of that deathenough? Oh, nonsense it's out of the question!. .. And yet. .. And yet. .. He seems to be hesitating. "

"Will you excuse me?" asked Daubrecq, drawing the telephone, on hiswriting-desk, toward him. "I have an urgent message. "

"Certainly, monsieur le depute. "

Daubrecq called out:

"Hullo!. .. 822. 19, please, 822. 19. "

Having repeated the number, he sat without moving. 

Lupin smiled:

"The headquarters of police, isn't it? The secretary-general'soffice. .. "

"Yes, doctor. .. How do you know?"

"Oh, as a divisional surgeon, I sometimes have to ring them up. "

And, within himself, Lupin asked:

"What the devil does all this mean? The secretary-general isPrasville. .. Then, what?. .. "

Daubrecq put both receivers to his ears and said:

"Are you 822. 19? I want to speak to M. Prasville, the secretary-general. .. Do you say he's not there?. .. Yes, yes, he is: he's always in hisoffice at this time. .. Tell him it's M. Daubrecq. .. M. Daubrecq thedeputy. .. A most important communication. "

"Perhaps I'm in the way?" Lupin suggested. 

"Not at all, doctor, not at all, " said Daubrecq. "Besides, what I haveto say has a certain bearing on your errand. " And, into the telephone, "Hullo! M. Prasville?. .. Ah, it's you, Prasville, old cock!. .. Why, youseem quite staggered! Yes, you're right, it's an age since you and Imet. But, after all, we've never been far away in thought. .. And I'vehad plenty of visits from you and your henchmen. .. In my absence, it'strue. Hullo!. .. What?. .. Oh, you're in a hurry? I beg your pardon!. .. So am I, for that matter. .. Well, to come to the point, there's a littleservice I want to do you. .. Wait, can't you, you brute?. .. You won'tregret it. .. It concerns your renown. .. Hullo!. .. Are you listening?. .. Well, take half-a-dozen men with you. .. Plain-clothes detectives, bypreference: you'll find them at the night-office. .. Jump into a taxi, two taxis, and come along here as fast as you can. .. I've got a rarequarry for you, old chap. One of the upper ten. .. A lord, a marquisNapoleon himself. .. In a word, Arsene Lupin!"

Lupin sprang to his feet. He was prepared for everything but this. Yetsomething within him stronger than astonishment, an impulse of his wholenature, made him say, with a laugh:

"Oh, well done, well done!"

Daubrecq bowed his head, by way of thanks, and muttered:

"I haven't quite finished. .. A little patience, if you don't mind. "And he continued, "Hullo! Prasville!. .. No, no, old chap, I'm nothumbugging. .. You'll find Lupin here, with me, in my study. .. Lupin, who's worrying me like the rest of you. .. Oh, one more or less makes nodifference to me! But, all the same, this one's a bit too pushing. AndI am appealing to your sense of kindness. Rid me of the fellow, do. .. Half-a-dozen of your satellites and the two who are pacing up and downoutside my house will be enough. .. Oh, while you're about it, go upto the third floor and rope in my cook as well. .. She's the famousVictoire: you know, Master Lupin's old nurse. .. And, look here, onemore tip, to show you how I love you: send a squad of men to the RueChateaubriand, at the corner of the Rue Balzac. .. That's where ournational hero lives, under the name of Michel Beaumont. .. Do you twig, old cockalorum? And now to business. Hustle!"

When Daubrecq turned his head, Lupin was standing up, with clenchedfists. His burst of admiration had not survived the rest of the speechand the revelations which Daubrecq had made about Victoire and the flatin the Rue Chateaubriand. The humiliation was too great; and Lupin nolonger bothered to play the part of the small general practitioner. Hehad but one idea in his head: not to give way to the tremendous fit ofrage that was urging him to rush at Daubrecq like a bull. 

Daubrecq gave the sort of little cluck which, with him, did duty for alaugh. He came waddling up, with his hands in his trouser-pockets, andsaid, incisively:

"Don't you think that this is all for the best? I've cleared the ground, relieved the situation. .. At least, we now know where we stand. Lupinversus Daubrecq; and that's all about it. Besides, think of the timesaved! Dr. Vernes, the divisional surgeon, would have taken two hours tospin his yarn! Whereas, like this, Master Lupin will be compelled toget his little story told in thirty minutes. .. Unless he wants to gethimself collared and his accomplices nabbed. What a shock! What a boltfrom the blue! Thirty minutes and not a minute more. In thirty minutesfrom now, you'll have to clear out, scud away like a hare and beat adisordered retreat. Ha, ha, ha, what fun! I say, Polonius, you reallyare unlucky, each time you come up against Bibi Daubrecq! For it wasyou who were hiding behind that curtain, wasn't it, my ill-starredPolonius?"

Lupin did not stir a muscle. The one and only solution that would havecalmed his feelings, that is to say, for him to throttle his adversarythen and there, was so absurd that he preferred to accept Daubrecq'sgibes without attempting to retort, though each of them cut him like thelash of a whip. It was the second time, in the same room and in similarcircumstances, that he had to bow before that Daubrecq of misfortune andmaintain the most ridiculous attitude in silence. And he felt convincedin his innermost being that, if he opened his mouth, it would be to spitwords of anger and insult in his victor's face. What was the good? Wasit not essential that he should keep cool and do the things which thenew situation called for?

"Well, M. Lupin, well?" resumed the deputy. "You look as if your nosewere out of joint. Come, console yourself and admit that one sometimescomes across a joker who's not quite such a mug as his fellows. So youthought that, because I wear spectacles and eye-glasses, I was blind?Bless my soul, I don't say that I at once suspected Lupin behindPolonius and Polonius behind the gentleman who came and bored me in thebox at the Vaudeville. No, no! But, all the same, it worried me. I couldsee that, between the police and Mme. Mergy, there was a third boundertrying to get a finger in the pie. And, gradually, what with the wordslet fall by the portress, what with watching the movements of mycook and making inquiries about her in the proper quarter, I began tounderstand. Then, the other night, came the lightning-flash. I heard therow in the house, in spite of my being asleep. I managed to reconstructthe incident, to follow up Mme. Mergy's traces, first, to the RueChateaubriand and, afterward, to Saint-Germain. .. And then. .. Whatthen? I put different facts together: the Enghien burglary. .. Gilbert'sarrest. .. The inevitable treaty of alliance between the weeping motherand the leader of the gang. .. The old nurse installed as cook. .. All these people entering my house through the doors or through thewindows. .. And I knew what I had to do. Master Lupin was sniffing at thesecret. The scent of the Twenty-seven attracted him. I had only to waitfor his visit. The hour has arrived. Good-evening, Master Lupin. "

Daubrecq paused. He had delivered his speech with the evidentsatisfaction of a man entitled to claim the appreciation of the mostcaptious critics. 

As Lupin did not speak, he took out his watch: "I say! Only twenty-threeminutes! How time flies! At this rate, we sha'n't have time to come toan explanation. " And, stepping still closer to Lupin, "I'm bound tosay, I'm disappointed. I thought that Lupin was a different sort ofgentleman. So, the moment he meets a more or less serious adversary, the colossus falls to pieces? Poor young man! Have a glass of water, tobring you round!" Lupin did not utter a word, did not betray a gestureof irritation. With absolute composure, with a precision of movementthat showed his perfect self-control and the clear plan of conduct whichhe had adopted, he gently pushed Daubrecq aside, went to the table and, in his turn, took down the receiver of the telephone:

"I want 565. 34, please, " he said. 

He waited until he was through; and then, speaking in a slow voice andpicking out every syllable, he said:

"Hullo!. .. Rue Chateaubriand?. .. Is that you, Achille?. .. Yes, it's thegovernor. Listen to me carefully, Achille. .. You must leave the flat!Hullo!. .. Yes, at once. The police are coming in a few minutes. No, no, don't lose your head. .. You've got time. Only, do what I tell you. Isyour bag still packed?. .. Good. And is one of the sides empty, as I toldyou?. .. Good. Well, go to my bedroom and stand with your face to thechimney-piece. Press with your left hand on the little carved rosette infront of the marble slab, in the middle, and with your right hand on thetop of the mantel-shelf. You'll see a sort of drawer, with two littleboxes in it. Be careful. One of them contains all our papers; the other, bank-notes and jewellery. Put them both in the empty compartment of thebag. Take the bag in your hand and go as fast as you can, on foot, tothe corner of the Avenue Victor-Hugo and the Avenue de Montespan. You'llfind the car waiting, with Victoire. I'll join you there. .. What?. .. Myclothes? My knickknacks?. .. Never mind about all that. .. You be off. Seeyou presently. "

Lupin quietly pushed away the telephone. Then, taking Daubrecq by thearm, he made him sit in a chair by his side and said:

"And now listen to me, Daubrecq. "

"Oho!" grinned the deputy. "Calling each other by our surnames, are we?"

"Yes, " said Lupin, "I allowed you to. " And, when Daubrecq released hisarm with a certain misgiving, he said, "No, don't be afraid. We sha'n'tcome to blows. Neither of us has anything to gain by doing away with theother. A stab with a knife? What's the good? No, sir! Words, nothing butwords. Words that strike home, though. Here are mine: they are plain andto the point. Answer me in the same way, without reflecting: that's farbetter. The boy?"

"I have him. "

"Give him back. "

"No. "

"Mme. Mergy will kill herself. "

"No, she won't. "

"I tell you she will. "

"And I tell you she will not. "

"But she's tried to, once. "

"That's just the reason why she won't try again. "

"Well, then. .. "

"No. "

Lupin, after a moment, went on:

"I expected that. Also, I thought, on my way here, that you would hardlytumble to the story of Dr. Vernes and that I should have to use othermethods. "

"Lupin's methods. "

"As you say. I had made up my mind to throw off the mask. You pulled itoff for me. Well done you! But that doesn't change my plans. "

"Speak. "

Lupin took from a pocketbook a double sheet of foolscap paper, unfoldedit and handed it to Daubrecq, saying:

"Here is an exact, detailed inventory, with consecutive numbers, of thethings removed by my friends and myself from your Villa Marie-Therese onthe Lac d'Enghien. As you see, there are one hundred and thirteen items. Of those one hundred and thirteen items, sixty-eight, which have a redcross against them, have been sold and sent to America. The remainder, numbering forty-five, are in my possession. .. Until further orders. Theyhappen to be the pick of the bunch. I offer you them in return for theimmediate surrender of the child. "

Daubrecq could not suppress a movement of surprise:

"Oho!" he said. "You seem very much bent upon it. "

"Infinitely, " said Lupin, "for I am persuaded that a longer separationfrom her son will mean death to Mme. Mergy. "

"And that upsets you, does it. .. Lothario?"

"What!"

Lupin planted himself in front of the other and repeated:

"What! What do you mean?"

"Nothing. .. Nothing. .. Something that crossed my mind. .. Clarisse Mergyis a young woman still and a pretty woman at that. "

Lupin shrugged his shoulders:

"You brute!" he mumbled. "You imagine that everybody is like yourself, heartless and pitiless. It takes your breath away, what, to think that ashark like me can waste his time playing the Don Quixote? And you wonderwhat dirty motive I can have? Don't try to find out: it's beyond yourpowers of perception. Answer me, instead: do you accept?"

"So you're serious?" asked Daubrecq, who seemed but little disturbed byLupin's contemptuous tone. 

"Absolutely. The forty-five pieces are in a shed, of which I will giveyou the address, and they will be handed over to you, if you call there, at nine o'clock this evening, with the child. "

There was no doubt about Daubrecq's reply. To him, the kidnapping oflittle Jacques had represented only a means of working upon ClarisseMergy's feelings and perhaps also a warning for her to cease the contestupon which she had engaged. But the threat of a suicide must needs showDaubrecq that he was on the wrong track. That being so, why refuse thefavourable bargain which Arsene Lupin was now offering him?

"I accept, " he said. 

"Here's the address of my shed: 99, Rue Charles-Lafitte, Neuilly. Youhave only to ring the bell. "

"And suppose I send Prasville, the secretary-general, instead?"

"If you send Prasville, " Lupin declared, "the place is so arrangedthat I shall see him coming and that I shall have time to escape, aftersetting fire to the trusses of hay and straw which surround and concealyour credence-tables, clocks and Gothic virgins. "

"But your shed will be burnt down. .. "

"I don't mind that: the police have their eye on it already. I amleaving it in any case. "

"And how am I to know that this is not a trap?"

"Begin by receiving the goods and don't give up the child tillafterward. I trust you, you see. "

"Good, " said Daubrecq; "you've foreseen everything. Very well, you shallhave the nipper; the fair Clarisse shall live; and we will all be happy. And now, if I may give you a word of advice, it is to pack off as fastas you can. "

"Not yet. "

"Eh?"

"I said, not yet. "

"But you're mad! Prasville's on his way!"

"He can wait. I've not done. "

"Why, what more do you want? Clarisse shall have her brat. Isn't thatenough for you?"

"No. "

"Why not?"

"There is another son. "

"Gilbert. "

"Yes. "

"Well?"

"I want you to save Gilbert. "

"What are you saying? I save Gilbert!"

"You can, if you like; it only means taking a little trouble. " Untilthat moment Daubrecq had remained quite calm. He now suddenly blazed outand, striking the table with his fist:

"No, " he cried, "not that! Never! Don't reckon on me!. .. No, that wouldbe too idiotic!"

He walked up and down, in a state of intense excitement, with that queerstep of his, which swayed him from right to left on each of his legs, like a wild beast, a heavy, clumsy bear. And, with a hoarse voice anddistorted features, he shouted:

"Let her come here! Let her come and beg for her son's pardon! But lether come unarmed, not with criminal intentions, like last time! Lether come as a supplicant, as a tamed woman, as a submissive woman, whounderstands and accepts the situation. .. Gilbert? Gilbert's sentence?The scaffold? Why, that is where my strength lies! What! For more thantwenty years have I awaited my hour; and, when that hour strikes, whenfortune brings me this unhoped-for chance, when I am at last about toknow the joy of a full revenge--and such a revenge!--you think that Iwill give it up, give up the thing which I have been pursuing for twentyyears? I save Gilbert? I? For nothing? For love? I, Daubrecq?. .. No, no, you can't have studied my features!"

He laughed, with a fierce and hateful laugh. Visibly, he saw before him, within reach of his hand, the prey which he had been hunting down solong. And Lupin also summoned up the vision of Clarisse, as he had seenher several days before, fainting, already beaten, fatally conquered, because all the hostile powers were in league against her. 

He contained himself and said:

"Listen to me. "

And, when Daubrecq moved away impatiently, he took him by the twoshoulders, with that superhuman strength which Daubrecq knew, fromhaving felt it in the box at the Vaudeville, and, holding him motionlessin his grip, he said:

"One last word. "

"You're wasting your breath, " growled the deputy. 

"One last word. Listen, Daubrecq: forget Mme. Mergy, give up all thenonsensical and imprudent acts which your pride and your passions aremaking you commit; put all that on one side and think only of yourinterest. .. "

"My interest, " said Daubrecq, jestingly, "always coincides with my prideand with what you call my passions. "

"Up to the present, perhaps. But not now, not now that I have taken ahand in the business. That constitutes a new factor, which you chooseto ignore. You are wrong. Gilbert is my pal. Gilbert is my chum. Gilberthas to be saved from the scaffold. Use your influence to that end, andI swear to you, do you hear, I swear that we will leave you in peace. Gilbert's safety, that's all I ask. You will have no more battles towage with Mme. Mergy, with me; there will be no more traps laid for you. You will be the master, free to act as you please. Gilbert's safety, Daubrecq! If you refuse. .. "

"What then?"

"If you refuse, it will be war, relentless war; in other words, acertain defeat for you. "

"Meaning thereby. .. "

"Meaning thereby that I shall take the list of the Twenty-seven fromyou. "

"Rot! You think so, do you?"

"I swear it. "

"What Prasville and all his men, what Clarisse Mergy, what nobody hasbeen able to do, you think that you will do!"

"I shall!"

"And why? By favour of what saint will you succeed where everybody elsehas failed? There must be a reason?"

"There is. "

"What is it?"

"My name is Arsene Lupin. "

He had let go of Daubrecq, but held him for a time under the dominionof his authoritative glance and will. At last, Daubrecq drew himself up, gave him a couple of sharp taps on the shoulder and, with the same calm, the same intense obstinacy, said:

"And my name's Daubrecq. My whole life has been one desperate battle, one long series of catastrophes and routs in which I spent all myenergies until victory came: complete, decisive, crushing, irrevocablevictory. I have against me the police, the government, France, theworld. What difference do you expect it to make to me if I have M. Arsene Lupin against me into the bargain? I will go further: the morenumerous and skilful my enemies, the more cautiously I am obliged toplay. And that is why, my dear sir, instead of having you arrested, asI might have done--yes, as I might have done and very easily--I let youremain at large and beg charitably to remind you that you must quit inless than three minutes. "

"Then the answer is no?"

"The answer is no. "

"You won't do anything for Gilbert?"

"Yes, I shall continue to do what I have been doing since hisarrest--that is to say, to exercise indirect influence with the ministerof justice, so that the trial may be hurried on and end in the way inwhich I want to see it end. "

"What!" cried Lupin, beside himself with indignation. "It's because ofyou, it's for you. .. "

"Yes, it's for me, Daubrecq; yes, by Jove! I have a trump card, theson's head, and I am playing it. When I have procured a nice littledeath-sentence for Gilbert, when the days go by and Gilbert's petitionfor a reprieve is rejected by my good offices, you shall see, M. Lupin, that his mummy will drop all her objections to calling herselfMme. Alexis Daubrecq and giving me an unexceptionable pledge of hergood-will. That fortunate issue is inevitable, whether you like it ornot. It is foredoomed. All I can do for you is to invite you to thewedding and the breakfast. Does that suit you? No? You persist in yoursinister designs? Well, good luck, lay your traps, spread your nets, rub up your weapons and grind away at the Complete Foreign-post-paperBurglar's Handbook. You'll need it. And now, good-night. The rules ofopen-handed and disinterested hospitality demand that I should turn youout of doors. Hop it!"

Lupin remained silent for some time. With his eyes fixed on Daubrecq, heseemed to be taking his adversary's size, gauging his weight, estimatinghis physical strength, discussing, in fine, in which exact part toattack him. Daubrecq clenched his fists and worked out his plan ofdefence to meet the attack when it came. 

Half a minute passed. Lupin put his hand to his hip-pocket. Daubrecq didthe same and grasped the handle of his revolver. 

A few seconds more. Coolly, Lupin produced a little gold box of the kindthat ladies use for holding sweets, opened it and handed it to Daubrecq:

"A lozenge?"

"What's that?" asked the other, in surprise. 

"Cough-drops. "

"What for?"

"For the draught you're going to feel!"

And, taking advantage of the momentary fluster into which Daubrecq wasthrown by his sally, he quickly took his hat and slipped away. 

"Of course, " he said, as he crossed the hall, "I am knocked into fits. But all the same, that bit of commercial-traveller's waggery was rathernovel, in the circumstances. To expect a pill and receive a cough-dropis by way of being a sort of disappointment. It left the old chimpanzeequite flummoxed. "

As he closed the gate, a motor-car drove up and a man sprang outbriskly, followed by several others. 

Lupin recognized Prasville:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, " he muttered, "your humble servant. Ihave an idea that, some day, fate will bring us face to face: and Iam sorry, for your sake; for you do not inspire me with any particularesteem and you have a bad time before you, on that day. Meanwhile, ifI were not in such a hurry, I should wait till you leave and I shouldfollow Daubrecq to find out in whose charge he has placed the child whomhe is going to hand back to me. But I am in a hurry. Besides, I can'ttell that Daubrecq won't act by telephone. So let us not waste ourselvesin vain efforts, but rather join Victoire, Achille and our preciousbag. "

Two hours later, Lupin, after taking all his measures, was on thelookout in his shed at Neuilly and saw Daubrecq turn out of an adjoiningstreet and walk along with a distrustful air. 

Lupin himself opened the double doors:

"Your things are in here, monsieur le depute, " he said. "You can goround and look. There is a job-master's yard next door: you have only toask for a van and a few men. Where is the child?"

Daubrecq first inspected the articles and then took Lupin to the Avenuede Neuilly, where two closely veiled old ladies stood waiting withlittle Jacques. 

Lupin carried the child to his car, where Victoire was waiting for him. 

All this was done swiftly, without useless words and as though the partshad been got by heart and the various movements settled in advance, likeso many stage entrances and exits. 

At ten o'clock in the evening Lupin kept his promise and handed littleJacques to his mother. But the doctor had to be hurriedly called in, for the child, upset by all those happenings, showed great signs ofexcitement and terror. It was more than a fortnight before he wassufficiently recovered to bear the strain of the removal which Lupinconsidered necessary. Mme. Mergy herself was only just fit to travelwhen the time came. The journey took place at night, with every possibleprecaution and under Lupin's escort. 

He took the mother and son to a little seaside place in Brittany andentrusted them to Victoire's care and vigilance. 

"At last, " he reflected, when he had seen them settled, "there is no onebetween the Daubrecq bird and me. He can do nothing more to Mme. Mergyand the kid; and she no longer runs the risk of diverting the strugglethrough her intervention. By Jingo, we have made blunders enough! First, I have had to disclose myself to Daubrecq. Secondly, I have had tosurrender my share of the Enghien movables. True, I shall get thoseback, sooner or later; of that there is not the least doubt. But, allthe same, we are not getting on; and, in a week from now, Gilbert andVaucheray will be up for trial. "

What Lupin felt most in the whole business was Daubrecq's revelation ofthe whereabouts of the flat. The police had entered his place in theRue Chateaubriand. The identity of Lupin and Michel Beaumont had beenrecognized and certain papers discovered; and Lupin, while pursuing hisaim, while, at the same time, managing various enterprises on whichhe had embarked, while avoiding the searches of the police, which werebecoming more zealous and persistent than ever, had to set to work andreorganize his affairs throughout on a fresh basis. 

His rage with Daubrecq, therefore, increased in proportion to the worrywhich the deputy caused him. He had but one longing, to pocket him, ashe put it, to have him at his bidding by fair means or foul, to extracthis secret from him. He dreamt of tortures fit to unloose the tongueof the most silent of men. The boot, the rack, red-hot pincers, nailedplanks: no form of suffering, he thought, was more than the enemydeserved; and the end to be attained justified every means. 

"Oh, " he said to himself, "oh, for a decent bench of inquisitors and acouple of bold executioners!. .. What a time we should have!"

Every afternoon the Growler and the Masher watched the road whichDaubrecq took between the Square Lamartine, the Chamber of Deputies andhis club. Their instructions were to choose the most deserted streetand the most favourable moment and, one evening, to hustle him into amotor-car. 

Lupin, on his side, got ready an old building, standing in the middleof a large garden, not far from Paris, which presented all the necessaryconditions of safety and isolation and which he called the Monkey'sCage. 

Unfortunately, Daubrecq must have suspected something, for every time, so to speak, he changed his route, or took the underground or a tram;and the cage remained unoccupied. 

Lupin devised another plan. He sent to Marseilles for one of hisassociates, an elderly retired grocer called Brindebois, who happenedto live in Daubrecq's electoral district and interested himself inpolitics. Old Brindebois wrote to Daubrecq from Marseilles, announcinghis visit. Daubrecq gave this important constituent a hearty welcome, and a dinner was arranged for the following week. 

The elector suggested a little restaurant on the left bank of the Seine, where the food, he said, was something wonderful. Daubrecq accepted. 

This was what Lupin wanted. The proprietor of the restaurant was oneof his friends. The attempt, which was to take place on the followingThursday, was this time bound to succeed. 

Meanwhile, on the Monday of the same week, the trial of Gilbert andVaucheray opened. 

The reader will remember--and the case took place too recently for me torecapitulate its details--the really incomprehensible partiality whichthe presiding judge showed in his cross-examination of Gilbert. Thething was noticed and severely criticised at the time. Lupin recognizedDaubrecq's hateful influence. 

The attitude observed by the two prisoners differed greatly. Vaucheraywas gloomy, silent, hard-faced. He cynically, in curt, sneering, almostdefiant phrases, admitted the crimes of which he had formerly beenguilty. But, with an inconsistency which puzzled everybody except Lupin, he denied any participation in the murder of Leonard the valet andviolently accused Gilbert. His object, in thus linking his fate withGilbert's, was to force Lupin to take identical measures for the rescueof both his accomplices. 

Gilbert, on the other hand, whose frank countenance and dreamy, melancholy eyes won every sympathy, was unable to protect himselfagainst the traps laid for him by the judge or to counteract Vaucheray'slies. He burst into tears, talked too much, or else did not talk whenhe should have talked. Moreover, his counsel, one of the Leaders of thebar, was taken ill at the last moment--and here again Lupin saw the handof Daubrecq--and he was replaced by a junior who spoke badly, muddiedthe whole case, set the jury against him and failed to wipe out theimpression produced by the speeches of the advocate-general and ofVaucheray's counsel. 

Lupin, who had the inconceivable audacity to be present on the last dayof the trial, the Thursday, had no doubt as to the result. A verdict ofguilty was certain in both cases. 

It was certain because all the efforts of the prosecution, thussupporting Vaucheray's tactics, had tended to link the two prisonersclosely together. It was certain, also and above all, because itconcerned two of Lupin's accomplices. From the opening of the inquirybefore the magistrate until the delivery of the verdict, all theproceedings had been directed against Lupin; and this in spite of thefact that the prosecution, for want of sufficient evidence and also inorder not to scatter its efforts over too wide an area, had decided notto include Lupin in the indictment. He was the adversary aimed at, theleader who must be punished in the person of his friends, the famousand popular scoundrel whose fascination in the eyes of the crowd must bedestroyed for good and all. With Gilbert and Vaucheray executed, Lupin'shalo would fade away and the legend would be exploded. 

Lupin. .. Lupin. .. Arsene Lupin: it was the one name heard throughoutthe four days. The advocate-general, the presiding judge, the jury, thecounsel, the witnesses had no other words on their lips. Every moment, Lupin was mentioned and cursed at, scoffed at, insulted and heldresponsible for all the crimes committed. It was as though Gilbertand Vaucheray figured only as supernumeraries, while the real criminalundergoing trial was he, Lupin, Master Lupin, Lupin the burglar, theleader of a gang of thieves, the forger, the incendiary, the hardenedoffender, the ex-convict, Lupin the murderer, Lupin stained with theblood of his victim, Lupin lurking in the shade, like a coward, aftersending his friends to the foot of the scaffold. 

"Oh, the rascals know what they're about!" he muttered. "It's my debtwhich they are making my poor old Gilbert pay. "

And the terrible tragedy went on. 

At seven o'clock in the evening, after a long deliberation, the juryreturned to court and the foreman read out the answers to the questionsput from the bench. The answer was "Yes" to every count of theindictment, a verdict of guilty without extenuating circumstances. 

The prisoners were brought in. Standing up, but staggering andwhite-faced, they received their sentence of death. 

And, amid the great, solemn silence, in which the anxiety of theonlookers was mingled with pity, the assize-president asked:

"Have you anything more to say, Vaucheray?"

"Nothing, monsieur le president. Now that my mate is sentenced as wellas myself, I am easy. .. We are both on the same footing. .. The governormust find a way to save the two of us. "

"The governor?"

"Yes, Arsene Lupin. "

There was a laugh among the crowd. 

The president asked:

"And you, Gilbert?"

Tears streamed down the poor lad's cheeks and he stammered a fewinarticulate sentences. But, when the judge repeated his question, hesucceeded in mastering himself and replied, in a trembling voice:

"I wish to say, monsieur le president, that I am guilty of many things, that's true. .. I have done a lot of harm. .. But, all the same, not this. No, I have not committed murder. .. I have never committed murder. .. AndI don't want to die. .. It would be too horrible. .. "

He swayed from side to side, supported by the warders, and he was heardto cry, like a child calling for help:

"Governor. .. Save me!. .. Save me!. .. I don't want to die!"

Then, in the crowd, amid the general excitement, a voice rose above thesurrounding clamour:

"Don't be afraid, little 'un!. .. The governor's here!"

A tumult and hustling followed. The municipal guards and the policemenrushed into court and laid hold of a big, red-faced man, who was statedby his neighbours to be the author of that outburst and who struggledhand and foot. 

Questioned without delay, he gave his name, Philippe Bonel, anundertaker's man, and declared that some one sitting beside him hadoffered him a hundred-franc note if he would consent, at the propermoment, to shout a few words which his neighbour scribbled on a bit ofpaper. How could he refuse?

In proof of his statements, he produced the hundred-franc note and thescrap of paper. 

Philippe Bonel was let go. 

Meanwhile, Lupin, who of course had assisted energetically in theindividual's arrest and handed him over to the guards, left thelaw-courts, his heart heavy with anguish. His car was waiting for him onthe quay. He flung himself into it, in despair, seized with so great asorrow that he had to make an effort to restrain his tears. Gilbert'scry, his voice wrung with affliction, his distorted features, histottering frame: all this haunted his brain; and he felt as if he wouldnever, for a single second, forget those impressions. 

He drove home to the new place which he had selected among his differentresidences and which occupied a corner of the Place de Clichy. Heexpected to find the Growler and the Masher, with whom he was to kidnapDaubrecq that evening. But he had hardly opened the door of his flat, when a cry escaped him: Clarisse stood before him; Clarisse, who hadreturned from Brittany at the moment of the verdict. 

He at once gathered from her attitude and her pallor that she knew. And, at once, recovering his courage in her presence, without giving her timeto speak, he exclaimed:

"Yes, yes, yes. .. But it doesn't matter. We foresaw that. We couldn'tprevent it. What we have to do is to stop the mischief. And to-night, you understand, to-night, the thing will be done. "

Motionless and tragic in her sorrow, she stammered:

"To-night?"

"Yes. I have prepared everything. In two hours, Daubrecq will be in myhands. To-night, whatever means I have to employ, he shall speak. "

"Do you mean that?" she asked, faintly, while a ray of hope began tolight up her face. 

"He shall speak. I shall have his secret. I shall tear the list of theTwenty-seven from him. And that list will set your son free. "

"Too late, " Clarisse murmured. 

"Too late? Why? Do you think that, in exchange for such a document, Ishall not obtain Gilbert's pretended escape?. .. Why, Gilbert will be atliberty in three days! In three days. .. "

He was interrupted by a ring at the bell:

"Listen, here are our friends. Trust me. Remember that I keep mypromises. I gave you back your little Jacques. I shall give you backGilbert. "

He went to let the Growler and the Masher in and said:

"Is everything ready? Is old Brindebois at the restaurant? Quick, let usbe off!"

"It's no use, governor, " replied the Masher. 

"No use? What do you mean?"

"There's news. "

"What news? Speak, man!"

"Daubrecq has disappeared. "

"Eh? What's that? Daubrecq disappeared?"

"Yes, carried off from his house, in broad daylight. "

"The devil! By whom?"

"Nobody knows. .. Four men. .. There were pistols fired. .. The police areon the spot. Prasville is directing the investigations. "

Lupin did not move a limb. He looked at Clarisse Mergy, who lay huddledin a chair. 

He himself had to bow his head. Daubrecq carried off meant one morechance of success lost. .. 

CHAPTER VII. THE PROFILE OF NAPOLEON

Soon as the prefect of police, the chief of the criminal-investigationdepartment and the examining-magistrates had left Daubrecq's house, after a preliminary and entirely fruitless inquiry, Prasville resumedhis personal search. 

He was examining the study and the traces of the struggle which hadtaken place there, when the portress brought him a visiting-card, with afew words in pencil scribbled upon it. 

"Show the lady in, " he said. 

"The lady has some one with her, " said the portress. 

"Oh? Well, show the other person in as well. "

Clarisse Mergy entered at once and introduced the gentleman with her, agentleman in a black frock-coat, which was too tight for him and whichlooked as though it had not been brushed for ages. He was shy in hismanner and seemed greatly embarrassed how to dispose of his old, rustytop-hat, his gingham umbrella, his one and only glove and his bodygenerally. 

"M. Nicole, " said Clarisse, "a private teacher, who is acting as tutorto my little Jacques. M. Nicole has been of the greatest help to me withhis advice during the past year. He worked out the whole story of thecrystal stopper. I should like him, as well as myself--if you seeno objection to telling me--to know the details of this kidnappingbusiness, which alarms me and upsets my plans; yours too, I expect?"

Prasville had every confidence in Clarisse Mergy. He knew her relentlesshatred of Daubrecq and appreciated the assistance which she had renderedin the case. He therefore made no difficulties about telling her whathe knew, thanks to certain clues and especially to the evidence of theportress. 

For that matter, the thing was exceedingly simple. Daubrecq, who hadattended the trial of Gilbert and Vaucheray as a witness and who wasseen in court during the speeches, returned home at six o'clock. Theportress affirmed that he came in alone and that there was nobody in thehouse at the time. Nevertheless, a few minutes later, she heard shouts, followed by the sound of a struggle and two pistol-shots; and from herlodge she saw four masked men scuttle down the front steps, carryingDaubrecq the deputy, and hurry toward the gate. They opened the gate. At the same moment, a motor-car arrived outside the house. The four menbundled themselves into it; and the motor-car, which had hardly had timeto stop, set off at full speed. 

"Were there not always two policemen on duty?" asked Clarisse. 

"They were there, " said Prasville, "but at a hundred and fifty yards'distance; and Daubrecq was carried off so quickly that they were unableto interfere, although they hastened up as fast as they could. "

"And did they discover nothing, find nothing?"

"Nothing, or hardly anything. .. Merely this. "

"What is that?"

"A little piece of ivory, which they picked up on the ground. There wasa fifth party in the car; and the portress saw him get down while theothers were hoisting Daubrecq in. As he was stepping back into the car, he dropped something and picked it up again at once. But the thing, whatever it was, must have been broken on the pavement; for this is thebit of ivory which my men found. "

"But how did the four men manage to enter the house?" asked Clarisse. 

"By means of false keys, evidently, while the portress was doing hershopping, in the course of the afternoon; and they had no difficulty insecreting themselves, as Daubrecq keeps no other servants. I have everyreason to believe that they hid in the room next door, which is thedining-room, and afterward attacked Daubrecq here, in the study. Thedisturbance of the furniture and other articles proves how violent thestruggle was. We found a large-bore revolver, belonging to Daubrecq, on the carpet. One of the bullets had smashed the glass over themantel-piece, as you see. "

Clarisse turned to her companion for him to express an opinion. But M. Nicole, with his eyes obstinately lowered, had not budged from his chairand sat fumbling at the rim of his hat, as though he had not yet found aproper place for it. 

Prasville gave a smile. It was evident that he did not look uponClarisse's adviser as a man of first-rate intelligence:

"The case is somewhat puzzling, monsieur, " he said, "is it not?"

"Yes. .. Yes, " M. Nicole confessed, "most puzzling. "

"Then you have no little theory of your own upon the matter?"

"Well, monsieur le secretaire-general, I'm thinking that Daubrecq hasmany enemies. "

"Ah, capital!"

"And that several of those enemies, who are interested in hisdisappearance, must have banded themselves against him. "

"Capital, capital!" said Prasville, with satirical approval. "Capital!Everything is becoming clear as daylight. It only remains for you tofurnish us with a little suggestion that will enable us to turn oursearch in the right direction. "

"Don't you think, monsieur le secretaire-general, that this broken bitof ivory which was picked up on the ground. .. "

"No, M. Nicole, no. That bit of ivory belongs to something which wedo not know and which its owner will at once make it his business toconceal. In order to trace the owner, we should at least be able todefine the nature of the thing itself. "

M. Nicole reflected and then began:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, when Napoleon I fell from power. .. "

"Oh, M. Nicole, oh, a lesson in French history!"

"Only a sentence, monsieur le secretaire-general, just one sentencewhich I will ask your leave to complete. When Napoleon I fell frompower, the Restoration placed a certain number of officers on half-pay. These officers were suspected by the authorities and kept underobservation by the police. They remained faithful to the emperor'smemory; and they contrived to reproduce the features of their idol onall sorts of objects of everyday use; snuff-boxes, rings, breast-pins, pen-knives and so on. "

"Well?"

"Well, this bit comes from a walking-stick, or rather a sort of loadedcane, or life-preserver, the knob of which is formed of a piece ofcarved ivory. When you look at the knob in a certain way, you end byseeing that the outline represents the profile of the Little Corporal. What you have in your hand, monsieur le secretaire-general, is a bit ofthe ivory knob at the top of a half-pay officer's life-preserver. "

"Yes, " said Prasville, examining the exhibit, "yes, I can make out aprofile. .. But I don't see the inference. .. "

"The inference is very simple. Among Daubrecq's victims, among thosewhose names are inscribed on the famous list, is the descendant of aCorsican family in Napoleon's service, which derived its wealth andtitle from the emperor and was afterward ruined under the Restoration. It is ten to one that this descendant, who was the leader of theBonapartist party a few years ago, was the fifth person hiding in themotor-car. Need I state his name?"

"The Marquis d'Albufex?" said Prasville. 

"The Marquis d'Albufex, " said M. Nicole. 

M. Nicole, who no longer seemed in the least worried with his hat, hisglove and his umbrella, rose and said to Prasville:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, I might have kept my discovery tomyself, and not told you of it until after the final victory, that is, after bringing you the list of the Twenty-seven. But matters are urgent. Daubrecq's disappearance, contrary to what his kidnappers expect, mayhasten on the catastrophe which you wish to avert. We must therefore actwith all speed. Monsieur le secretaire-general, I ask for your immediateand practical assistance. "

"In what way can I help you?" asked Prasville, who was beginning to beimpressed by his quaint visitor. 

"By giving me, to-morrow, those particulars about the Marquis d'Albufexwhich it would take me personally several days to collect. "

Prasville seemed to hesitate and turned his head toward Mme. Mergy. Clarisse said:

"I beg of you to accept M. Nicole's services. He is an invaluable anddevoted ally. I will answer for him as I would for myself. "

"What particulars do you require, monsieur?" asked Prasville. 

"Everything that concerns the Marquis d'Albufex: the position of hisfamily, the way in which he spends his time, his family connections, theproperties which he owns in Paris and in the country. "

Prasville objected:

"After all, whether it's the marquis or another, Daubrecq's kidnapperis working on our behalf, seeing that, by capturing the list, he disarmsDaubrecq. "

"And who says, monsieur le secretaire-general, that he is not working onhis own behalf?"

"That is not possible, as his name is on the list. "

"And suppose he erases it? Suppose you then find yourself dealing with asecond blackmailer, even more grasping and more powerful than the firstand one who, as a political adversary, is in a better position thanDaubrecq to maintain the contest?"

The secretary-general was struck by the argument. After a moment'sthought, he said:

"Come and see me in my office at four o'clock tomorrow. I will give youthe particulars. What is your address, in case I should want you?"

"M. Nicole, 25, Place de Clichy. I am staying at a friend's flat, whichhe has lent me during his absence. "

The interview was at an end. M. Nicole thanked the secretary-general, with a very low bow, and walked out, accompanied by Mme. Mergy:

"That's an excellent piece of work, " he said, outside, rubbing hishands. "I can march into the police-office whenever I like, and set thewhole lot to work. "

Mme. Mergy, who was less hopefully inclined, said:

"Alas, will you be in time? What terrifies me is the thought that thelist may be destroyed. "

"Goodness gracious me, by whom? By Daubrecq?"

"No, but by the marquis, when he gets hold of it. "

"He hasn't got it yet! Daubrecq will resist long enough, at any rate, for us to reach him. Just think! Prasville is at my orders!"

"Suppose he discovers who you are? The least inquiry will prove thatthere is no such person as M. Nicole. "

"But it will not prove that M. Nicole is the same person as ArseneLupin. Besides, make yourself easy. Prasville is not only beneathcontempt as a detective: he has but one aim in life, which is to destroyhis old enemy, Daubrecq. To achieve that aim, all means are equallygood; and he will not waste time in verifying the identity of a M. Nicole who promises him Daubrecq. Not to mention that I was brought byyou and that, when all is said, my little gifts did dazzle him to someextent. So let us go ahead boldly. "

Clarisse always recovered confidence in Lupin's presence. The futureseemed less appalling to her; and she admitted, she forced herself toadmit, that the chances of saving Gilbert were not lessened by thathideous death-sentence. But he could not prevail upon her to return toBrittany. She wanted to fight by his side. She wanted to be there andshare all his hopes and all his disappointments. 

The next day the inquiries of the police confirmed what Prasville andLupin already knew. The Marquis d'Albufex had been very deeply involvedin the business of the canal, so deeply that Prince Napoleon was obligedto remove him from the management of his political campaign in France;and he kept up his very extravagant style of living only by dint ofconstant loans and makeshifts. On the other hand, in so far as concernedthe kidnapping of Daubrecq, it was ascertained that, contrary to hisusual custom, the marquis had not appeared in his club between six andseven that evening and had not dined at home. He did not come back untilmidnight; and then he came on foot. 

M. Nicole's accusation, therefore, was receiving an early proof. Unfortunately--and Lupin was no more successful in his own attempts--itwas impossible to obtain the least clue as to the motor-car, thechauffeur and the four people who had entered Daubrecq's house. Werethey associates of the marquis, compromised in the canal affair likehimself? Were they men in his pay? Nobody knew. 

The whole search, consequently, had to be concentrated upon the marquisand the country-seats and houses which he might possess at a certaindistance from Paris, a distance which, allowing for the average speedof a motor-car and the inevitable stoppages, could be put at sixty toninety miles. 

Now d'Albufex, having sold everything that he ever had, possessedneither country-houses nor landed estates. 

They turned their attention to the marquis' relations and intimatefriends. Was he able on this side to dispose of some safe retreat inwhich to imprison Daubrecq?

The result was equally fruitless. 

And the days passed. And what days for Clarisse Mergy! Each of thembrought Gilbert nearer to the terrible day of reckoning. Each ofthem meant twenty-four hours less from the date which Clarisse hadinstinctively fixed in her mind. And she said to Lupin, who was rackedwith the same anxiety:

"Fifty-five days more. .. Fifty days more. .. What can one do in so fewdays?. .. Oh, I beg of you. .. I beg of you. .. "

What could they do indeed? Lupin, who would not leave the task ofwatching the marquis to any one but himself, practically lived withoutsleeping. But the marquis had resumed his regular life; and, doubtlesssuspecting something, did not risk going away. 

Once alone, he went down to the Duc de Montmaur's, in the daytime. Theduke kept a pack of boar-hounds, with which he hunted the Forest ofDurlaine. D'Albufex maintained no relations with him outside the hunt. 

"It is hardly likely, " said Prasville, "that the Duc de Montmaur, anexceedingly wealthy man, who is interested only in his estates andhis hunting and takes no part in politics, should lend himself to theillegal detention of Daubrecq the deputy in his chateau. "

Lupin agreed; but, as he did not wish to leave anything to chance, the next week, seeing d'Albufex go out one morning in riding-dress, hefollowed him to the Gare du Nord and took the same train. 

He got out at Aumale, where d'Albufex found a carriage at the stationwhich took him to the Chateau de Montmaur. 

Lupin lunched quietly, hired a bicycle and came in view of the house atthe moment when the guests were going into the park, in motor-cars ormounted. The Marquis d'Albufex was one of the horsemen. 

Thrice, in the course of the day, Lupin saw him cantering along. Andhe found him, in the evening, at the station, where d'Albufex rode up, followed by a huntsman. 

The proof, therefore, was conclusive; and there was nothing suspiciouson that side. Why did Lupin, nevertheless, resolve not to be satisfiedwith appearances? And why, next day, did he send the Masher to findout things in the neighbourhood of Montmaur? It was an additionalprecaution, based upon no logical reason, but agreeing with hismethodical and careful manner of acting. 

Two days later he received from the Masher, among other information ofless importance, a list of the house-party at Montmaur and of all theservants and keepers. 

One name struck him, among those of the huntsmen. He at once wired:

"Inquire about huntsman Sebastiani. "

The Masher's answer was received the next day:

"Sebastiani, a Corsican, was recommended to the Duc de Montmaur by theMarquis d'Albufex. He lives at two or three miles from the house, in ahunting-lodge built among the ruins of the feudal stronghold which wasthe cradle of the Montmaur family. "

"That's it, " said Lupin to Clarisse Mergy, showing her the Masher'sletter. "That name, Sebastiani, at once reminded me that d'Albufex is ofCorsican descent. There was a connection. .. "

"Then what do you intend to do?"

"If Daubrecq is imprisoned in those ruins, I intend to enter intocommunication with him. "

"He will distrust you. "

"No. Lately, acting on the information of the police, I ended bydiscovering the two old ladies who carried off your little Jacques atSaint-Germain and who brought him, the same evening, to Neuilly. Theyare two old maids, cousins of Daubrecq, who makes them a small monthlyallowance. I have been to call on those Demoiselles Rousselot; rememberthe name and the address: 134 bis, Rue du Bac. I inspired them withconfidence, promised them to find their cousin and benefactor; and theelder sister, Euphrasie Rousselot, gave me a letter in which she begsDaubrecq to trust M. Nicole entirely. So you see, I have taken everyprecaution. I shall leave to-night. "

"We, you mean, " said Clarisse. 

"You!"

"Can I go on living like this, in feverish inaction?" And she whispered, "I am no longer counting the days, the thirty-eight or forty days thatremain to us: I am counting the hours. "

Lupin felt that her resolution was too strong for him to try to combatit. They both started at five o'clock in the morning, by motor-car. TheGrowler went with them. 

So as not to arouse suspicion, Lupin chose a large town as hisheadquarters. At Amiens, where he installed Clarisse, he was onlyeighteen miles from Montmaur. 

At eight o'clock he met the Masher not far from the old fortress, which was known in the neighbourhood by the name of Mortepierre, and heexamined the locality under his guidance. 

On the confines of the forest, the little river Ligier, which has dugitself a deep valley at this spot, forms a loop which is overhung by theenormous cliff of Mortepierre. 

"Nothing to be done on this side, " said Lupin. "The cliff is steep, overtwo hundred feet high, and the river hugs it all round. "

Not far away they found a bridge that led to the foot of a path whichwound, through the oaks and pines, up to a little esplanade, where stooda massive, iron-bound gate, studded with nails and flanked on eitherside by a large tower. 

"Is this where Sebastiani the huntsman lives?" asked Lupin. 

"Yes, " said the Masher, "with his wife, in a lodge standing in the midstof the ruins. I also learnt that he has three tall sons and that all thefour were supposed to be away for a holiday on the day when Daubrecq wascarried off. "

"Oho!" said Lupin. "The coincidence is worth remembering. It seemslikely enough that the business was done by those chaps and theirfather. "

Toward the end of the afternoon Lupin availed himself of a breach to theright of the towers to scale the curtain. From there he was able to seethe huntsman's lodge and the few remains of the old fortress: here, a bit of wall, suggesting the mantel of a chimney; further away, awater-tank; on this side, the arches of a chapel; on the other, a heapof fallen stones. 

A patrol-path edged the cliff in front; and, at one of the ends of thispatrol-path, there were the remains of a formidable donjon-keep razedalmost level with the ground. 

Lupin returned to Clarisse Mergy in the evening. And from that time hewent backward and forward between Amiens and Mortepierre, leaving theGrowler and the Masher permanently on the watch. 

And six days passed. Sebastiani's habits seemed to be subject solelyto the duties of his post. He used to go up to the Chateau de Montmaur, walk about in the forest, note the tracks of the game and go his roundsat night. 

But, on the seventh day, learning that there was to be a meet and thata carriage had been sent to Aumale Station in the morning, Lupin tookup his post in a cluster of box and laurels which surrounded the littleesplanade in front of the gate. 

At two o'clock he heard the pack give tongue. They approached, accompanied by hunting-cries, and then drew farther away. He heard themagain, about the middle of the afternoon, not quite so distinctly; andthat was all. But suddenly, amid the silence, the sound of gallopinghorses reached his ears; and, a few minutes later, he saw two ridersclimbing the river-path. 

He recognized the Marquis d'Albufex and Sebastiani. On reaching theesplanade, they both alighted; and a woman--the huntsman's wife, nodoubt--opened the gate. Sebastiani fastened the horses' bridles to ringsfixed on a post at a few yards from Lupin and ran to join the marquis. The gate closed behind them. 

Lupin did not hesitate; and, though it was still broad daylight, relyingupon the solitude of the place, he hoisted himself to the hollow ofthe breach. Passing his head through cautiously, he saw the two men andSebastiani's wife hurrying toward the ruins of the keep. 

The huntsman drew aside a hanging screen of ivy and revealed theentrance to a stairway, which he went down, as did d'Albufex, leavinghis wife on guard on the terrace. 

There was no question of going in after them; and Lupin returned to hishiding-place. He did not wait long before the gate opened again. 

The Marquis d'Albufex seemed in a great rage. He was striking the leg ofhis boot with his whip and mumbling angry words which Lupin was able todistinguish when the distance became less great:

"Ah, the hound!. .. I'll make him speak. .. I'll come back to-night. .. To-night, at ten o'clock, do you hear, Sebastiani?. .. And we shall dowhat's necessary. .. Oh, the brute!"

Sebastiani unfastened the horses. D'Albufex turned to the woman:

"See that your sons keep a good watch. .. If any one attempts to deliverhim, so much the worse for him. The trapdoor is there. Can I rely uponthem?"

"As thoroughly as on myself, monsieur le marquis, " declared thehuntsman. "They know what monsieur le marquis has done for me and whathe means to do for them. They will shrink at nothing. "

"Let us mount and get back to the hounds, " said d'Albufex. 

So things were going as Lupin had supposed. During these runs, d'Albufex, taking a line of his own, would push off to Mortepierre, without anybody's suspecting his trick. Sebastiani, who was devoted tohim body and soul, for reasons connected with the past into which it wasnot worth while to inquire, accompanied him; and together they went tosee the captive, who was closely watched by the huntsman's wife and histhree sons. 

"That's where we stand, " said Lupin to Clarisse Mergy, when he joinedher at a neighbouring inn. "This evening the marquis will put Daubrecqto the question--a little brutally, but indispensably--as I intended todo myself. "

"And Daubrecq will give up his secret, " said Clarisse, already quiteupset. 

"I'm afraid so. "

"Then. .. "

"I am hesitating between two plans, " said Lupin, who seemed very calm. "Either to prevent the interview. .. "

"How?"

"By forestalling d'Albufex. At nine o'clock, the Growler, the Masher andI climb the ramparts, burst into the fortress, attack the keep, disarmthe garrison. .. And the thing's done: Daubrecq is ours. "

"Unless Sebastiani's sons fling him through the trapdoor to which themarquis alluded. .. "

"For that reason, " said Lupin, "I intend to risk that violentmeasure only as a last resort and in case my other plan should not bepracticable. "

"What is the other plan?"

"To witness the interview. If Daubrecq does not speak, it will give usthe time to prepare to carry him off under more favourable conditions. If he speaks, if they compel him to reveal the place where the list ofthe Twenty-seven is hidden, I shall know the truth at the same time asd'Albufex, and I swear to God that I shall turn it to account before hedoes. "

"Yes, yes, " said Clarisse. "But how do you propose to be present?"

"I don't know yet, " Lupin confessed. "It depends on certain particularswhich the Masher is to bring me and on some which I shall find out formyself. "

He left the inn and did not return until an hour later as night wasfalling. The Masher joined him. 

"Have you the little book?" asked Lupin. 

"Yes, governor. It was what I saw at the Aumale newspaper-shop. I got itfor ten sous. "

"Give it me. "

The Masher handed him an old, soiled, torn pamphlet, entitled, on thecover, A Visit to Mortepierre, 1824, with plans and illustrations. 

Lupin at once looked for the plan of the donjon-keep. 

"That's it, " he said. "Above the ground were three stories, which havebeen razed, and below the ground, dug out of the rock, two stories, oneof which was blocked up by the rubbish, while the other. .. There, that's where our friend Daubrecq lies. The name is significant: thetorture-chamber. .. Poor, dear friend!. .. Between the staircase and thetorture-chamber, two doors. Between those two doors, a recess in whichthe three brothers obviously sit, gun in hand. "

"So it is impossible for you to get in that way without being seen. "

"Impossible. .. Unless I come from above, by the story that has fallenin, and look for a means of entrance through the ceiling. .. But that isvery risky. .. "

He continued to turn the pages of the book. Clarisse asked:

"Is there no window to the room?"

"Yes, " he said. "From below, from the river--I have just been there--youcan see a little opening, which is also marked on the plan. But it isfifty yards up, sheer; and even then the rock overhangs the water. Sothat again is out of the question. "

He glanced through a few pages of the book. The title of one chapterstruck him: The Lovers' Towers. He read the opening lines:

 "In the old days, the donjon was known to the people of the neighbourhood as the Lovers' Tower, in memory of a fatal tragedy that marked it in the Middle Ages. The Comte de Mortepierre, having received proofs of his wife's faithlessness, imprisoned her in the torture-chamber, where she spent twenty years. One night, her lover, the Sire de Tancarville, with reckless courage, set up a ladder in the river and then clambered up the face of the cliff till he came to the window of the room. After filing the bars, he succeeded in releasing the woman he loved and bringing her down with him by means of a rope. They both reached the top of the ladder, which was watched by his friends, when a shot was fired from the patrol-path and hit the man in the shoulder. The two lovers were hurled into space. .. . "

There was a pause, after he had read this, a long pause during whicheach of them drew a mental picture of the tragic escape. So, three orfour centuries earlier, a man, risking his life, had attempted thatsurprising feat and would have succeeded but for the vigilance of somesentry who heard the noise. A man had ventured! A man had dared! A mandone it!

Lupin raised his eyes to Clarisse. She was looking at him. .. With such adesperate, such a beseeching look! The look of a mother who demanded theimpossible and who would have sacrificed anything to save her son. 

"Masher, " he said, "get a strong rope, but very slender, so that Ican roll it round my waist, and very long: fifty or sixty yards. You, Growler, go and look for three or four ladders and fasten them end toend. "

"Why, what are you thinking of, governor?" cried the two accomplices. "What, you mean to. .. But it's madness!"

"Madness? Why? What another has done I can do. "

"But it's a hundred chances to one that you break your neck. "

"Well, you see, Masher, there's one chance that I don't. "

"But, governor. .. "

"That's enough, my friends. Meet me in an hour on the river-bank. "

The preparations took long in the making. It was difficult to find thematerial for a fifty-foot ladder that would reach the first ledge of thecliff; and it required an endless effort and care to join the differentsections. 

At last, a little after nine o'clock, it was set up in the middle ofthe river and held in position by a boat, the bows of which were wedgedbetween two of the rungs, while the stern was rammed into the bank. 

The road through the river-valley was little used, and nobody came tointerrupt the work. The night was dark, the sky heavy with movelessclouds. 

Lupin gave the Masher and the Growler their final instructions and said, with a laugh:

"I can't tell you how amused I am at the thought of seeing Daubrecq'sface when they proceed to take his scalp or slice his skin into ribbons. Upon my word, it's worth the journey. "

Clarisse also had taken a seat in the boat. He said to her:

"Until we meet again. And, above all, don't stir. Whatever happens, nota movement, not a cry. "

"Can anything happen?" she asked. 

"Why, remember the Sire de Tancarville! It was at the very moment whenhe was achieving his object, with his true love in his arms, that anaccident betrayed him. But be easy: I shall be all right. "

She made no reply. She seized his hand and grasped it warmly between herown. 

He put his foot on the ladder and made sure that it did not sway toomuch. Then he went up. 

He soon reached the top rung. 

This was where the dangerous ascent began, a difficult ascent at thestart, because of the excessive steepness, and developing, mid-way, intoan absolute escalade. 

Fortunately, here and there were little hollows, in which his feet founda resting-place, and projecting stones, to which his hands clung. Buttwice those stones gave way and he slipped; and twice he firmly believedthat all was lost. Finding a deeper hollow, he took a rest. He was wornout, felt quite ready to throw up the enterprise, asked himself if itwas really worth while for him to expose himself to such danger:

"I say!" he thought. "Seems to me you're showing the white feather, Lupin, old boy. Throw up the enterprise? Then Daubrecq will babble hissecret, the marquis will possess himself of the list, Lupin will returnempty-handed, and Gilbert. .. "

The long rope which he had fastened round his waist caused him needlessinconvenience and fatigue. He fixed one of the ends to the strap of histrousers and let the rope uncoil all the way down the ascent, so that hecould use it, on returning, as a hand-rail. 

Then he once more clutched at the rough surface of the cliff andcontinued the climb, with bruised nails and bleeding fingers. At everymoment he expected the inevitable fall. And what discouraged himmost was to hear the murmur of voices rising from the boat, murmur sodistinct that it seemed as though he were not increasing the distancebetween his companions and himself. 

And he remembered the Sire de Tancarville, alone, he too, amid thedarkness, who must have shivered at the noise of the stones whichhe loosened and sent bounding down the cliff. How the least soundreverberated through the silence! If one of Daubrecq's guards waspeering into the gloom from the Lovers' Tower, it meant a shot. .. Anddeath. 

And he climbed. .. He climbed. .. He had climbed so long that he endedby imagining that the goal was passed. Beyond a doubt, he had slantedunawares to the right or left and he would finish at the patrol-path. What a stupid upshot! And what other upshot could there be to anattempt which the swift force of events had not allowed him to study andprepare?

Madly, he redoubled his efforts, raised himself by a number of yards, slipped, recovered the lost ground, clutched a bunch of roots that cameloose in his hand, slipped once more and was abandoning the game indespair when, suddenly, stiffening himself and contracting his wholeframe, his muscles and his will, he stopped still: a sound of voicesseemed to issue from the very rock which he was grasping. 

He listened. It came from the right. Turning his head, he thought thathe saw a ray of light penetrating the darkness of space. By what effortof energy, by what imperceptible movements he succeeded in dragginghimself to the spot he was never able exactly to realize. But suddenlyhe found himself on the ledge of a fairly wide opening, at least threeyards deep, which dug into the wall of the cliff like a passage, whileits other end, much narrower, was closed by three bars. 

Lupin crawled along. His head reached the bars. And he saw. .. 

CHAPTER VIII. THE LOVERS' TOWER

The torture-chamber showed beneath him. It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars thatsupported its arched roof. A smell of damp and mildew came from itswalls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled fromwithout. Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome. But, atthat moment, with the tall figures of Sebastiani and his sons, with theslanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the visionof the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinisterand barbarous aspect. 

Daubrecq was in the front part of the room, four or five yards down fromthe window at which Lupin lurked. In addition to the ancient chains thathad been used to fasten him to his bed and to fasten the bed to an ironhook in the wall, his wrists and ankles were girt with leather thongs;and an ingenious arrangement caused his least movement to set in motiona bell hung to the nearest pillar. 

A lamp placed on a stool lit him full in the face. 

The Marquis d'Albufex was standing beside him. Lupin could see his palefeatures, his grizzled moustache, his long, lean form as he looked athis prisoner with an expression of content and of gratified hatred. 

A few minutes passed in profound silence. Then the marquis gave anorder:

"Light those three candles, Sebastiani, so that I can see him better. "

And, when the three candles were lit and he had taken a long look atDaubrecq, he stooped over him and said, almost gently:

"I can't say what will be the end of you and me. But at any rate I shallhave had some deuced happy moments in this room. You have done me somuch harm, Daubrecq! The tears you have made me shed! Yes, real tears, real sobs of despair. .. The money you have robbed me of! A fortune!. .. And my terror at the thought that you might give me away! You had butto utter my name to complete my ruin and bring about my disgrace!. .. Oh, you villain!. .. "

Daubrecq did not budge. He had been deprived of his black glasses, butstill kept his spectacles, which reflected the light from the candles. He had lost a good deal of flesh; and the bones stood out above hissunken cheeks. 

"Come along, " said d'Albufex. "The time has come to act. It seems thatthere are rogues prowling about the neighbourhood. Heaven forbid thatthey are here on your account and try to release you; for that wouldmean your immediate death, as you know. .. Is the trapdoor still inworking order, Sebastiani?"

Sebastiani came nearer, knelt on one knee and lifted and turned aring, at the foot of the bed, which Lupin had not noticed. One of theflagstones moved on a pivot, disclosing a black hole. 

"You see, " the marquis continued, "everything is provided for; and Ihave all that I want at hand, including dungeons: bottomless dungeons, says the legend of the castle. So there is nothing to hope for, no helpof any kind. Will you speak?"

Daubrecq did not reply; and he went on:

"This is the fourth time that I am questioning you, Daubrecq. It is thefourth time that I have troubled to ask you for the document which youpossess, in order that I may escape your blackmailing proceedings. It isthe fourth time and the last. Will you speak?"

The same silence as before. D'Albufex made a sign to Sebastiani. Thehuntsman stepped forward, followed by two of his sons. One of them helda stick in his hand. 

"Go ahead, " said d'Albufex, after waiting a few seconds. 

Sebastiani slackened the thongs that bound Daubrecq's wrists andinserted and fixed the stick between the thongs. 

"Shall I turn, monsieur le marquis?"

A further silence. The marquis waited. Seeing that Daubrecq did notflinch, he whispered:

"Can't you speak? Why expose yourself to physical suffering?"

No reply. 

"Turn away, Sebastiani. "

Sebastiani made the stick turn a complete circle. The thongs stretchedand tightened. Daubrecq gave a groan. 

"You won't speak? Still, you know that I won't give way, that I can'tgive way, that I hold you and that, if necessary, I shall torture youtill you die of it. You won't speak? You won't?. .. Sebastiani, oncemore. "

The huntsman obeyed. Daubrecq gave a violent start of pain and fell backon his bed with a rattle in his throat. 

"You fool!" cried the marquis, shaking with rage. "Why don't you speak?What, haven't you had enough of that list? Surely it's somebody else'sturn! Come, speak. .. Where is it? One word. One word only. .. And we willleave you in peace. .. And, to-morrow, when I have the list, you shall befree. Free, do you understand? But, in Heaven's name, speak!. .. Oh, thebrute! Sebastiani, one more turn. "

Sebastiani made a fresh effort. The bones cracked. 

"Help! Help!" cried Daubrecq, in a hoarse voice, vainly struggling torelease himself. And, in a spluttering whisper, "Mercy. .. Mercy. "

It was a dreadful sight. .. The faces of the three sons werehorror-struck. Lupin shuddered, sick at heart, and realized that hehimself could never have accomplished that abominable thing. Helistened for the words that were bound to come. He must learn the truth. Daubrecq's secret was about to be expressed in syllables, in words wrungfrom him by pain. And Lupin began to think of his retreat, of the carwhich was waiting for him, of the wild rush to Paris, of the victory athand. 

"Speak, " whispered d'Albufex. "Speak and it will be over. "

"Yes. .. Yes. .. " gasped Daubrecq. 

"Well. .. ?"

"Later. .. To-morrow. .. "

"Oh, you're mad!. .. What are you talking about: to-morrow?. .. Sebastiani, another turn!"

"No, no!" yelled Daubrecq. "Stop!"

"Speak!"

"Well, then. .. The paper. .. I have hidden the paper. .. "

But his pain was too great. He raised his head with a last effort, uttered incoherent words, succeeded in twice saying, "Marie. .. Marie. .. "and fell back, exhausted and lifeless. 

"Let go at once!" said d'Albufex to Sebastiani. "Hang it all, can wehave overdone it?"

But a rapid examination showed him that Daubrecq had only fainted. Thereupon, he himself, worn out with the excitement, dropped on thefoot of the bed and, wiping the beads of perspiration from his forehead, stammered:

"Oh, what a dirty business!"

"Perhaps that's enough for to-day, " said the huntsman, whose rough facebetrayed a certain emotion. "We might try again to-morrow or the nextday. .. "

The marquis was silent. One of the sons handed him a flask of brandy. Hepoured out half a glass and drank it down at a draught:

"To-morrow?" he said. "No. Here and now. One little effort more. Atthe stage which he has reached, it won't be difficult. " And, taking thehuntsman aside, "Did you hear what he said? What did he mean by thatword, 'Marie'? He repeated it twice. "

"Yes, twice, " said the huntsman. "Perhaps he entrusted the document to aperson called Marie. "

"Not he!" protested d'Albufex. "He never entrusts anything to anybody. It means something different. "

"But what, monsieur le marquis?"

"We'll soon find out, I'll answer for it. "

At that moment, Daubrecq drew a long breath and stirred on his couch. 

D'Albufex, who had now recovered all his composure and who did not takehis eyes off the enemy, went up to him and said:

"You see, Daubrecq, it's madness to resist. .. Once you're beaten, there's nothing for it but to submit to your conqueror, instead ofallowing yourself to be tortured like an idiot. .. Come, be sensible. "

He turned to Sebastiani:

"Tighten the rope. .. Let him feel it a little that will wake him up. .. He's shamming death. .. " Sebastiani took hold of the stick again andturned until the cord touched the swollen flesh. Daubrecq gave a start. 

"That'll do, Sebastiani, " said the marquis. "Our friend seems favourablydisposed and understands the need for coming to terms. That's so, Daubrecq, is it not? You prefer to have done with it? And you're quiteright!"

The two men were leaning over the sufferer, Sebastiani with his handon the stick, d'Albufex holding the lamp so as to throw the light onDaubrecq's face: "His lips are moving. .. He's going to speak. Loosenthe rope a little, Sebastiani: I don't want our friend to be hurt. .. No, tighten it: I believe our friend is hesitating. .. One turn more. .. Stop!. .. That's done it! Oh, my dear Daubrecq, if you can't speak plainerthan that, it's no use! What? What did you say?"

Arsene Lupin muttered an oath. Daubrecq was speaking and he, Lupin, could not hear a word of what he said! In vain, he pricked up his ears, suppressed the beating of his heart and the throbbing of his temples:not a sound reached him. 

"Confound it!" he thought. "I never expected this. What am I to do?"

He was within an ace of covering Daubrecq with his revolver andputting a bullet into him which would cut short any explanation. But hereflected that he himself would then be none the wiser and that it wasbetter to trust to events in the hope of making the most of them. 

Meanwhile the confession continued beneath him, indistinctly, interrupted by silences and mingled with moans. D'Albufex clung to hisprey:

"Go on!. .. Finish, can't you?. .. "

And he punctuated the sentences with exclamations of approval:

"Good!. .. Capital!. .. Oh, how funny!. .. And no one suspected?. .. Noteven Prasville?. .. What an ass!. .. Loosen a bit, Sebastiani: don't yousee that our friend is out of breath?. .. Keep calm, Daubrecq. .. Don'ttire yourself. .. And so, my dear fellow, you were saying. .. "

That was the last. There was a long whispering to which d'Albufexlistened without further interruption and of which Arsene Lupin couldnot catch the least syllable. Then the marquis drew himself up andexclaimed, joyfully:

"That's it!. .. Thank you, Daubrecq. And, believe me, I shall neverforget what you have just done. If ever you're in need, you have onlyto knock at my door and there will always be a crust of bread for you inthe kitchen and a glass of water from the filter. Sebastiani, look aftermonsieur le depute as if he were one of your sons. And, first of all, release him from his bonds. It's a heartless thing to truss one'sfellow-man like that, like a chicken on the spit!"

"Shall we give him something to drink?" suggested the huntsman. 

"Yes, that's it, give him a drink. "

Sebastiani and his sons undid the leather straps, rubbed the bruisedwrists, dressed them with an ointment and bandaged them. Then Daubrecqswallowed a few drops of brandy. 

"Feeling better?" said the marquis. "Pooh, it's nothing much! In afew hours, it won't show; and you'll be able to boast of having beentortured, as in the good old days of the Inquisition. You lucky dog!"

He took out his watch. "Enough said! Sebastiani, let your sons watch himin turns. You, take me to the station for the last train. "

"Then are we to leave him like that, monsieur le marquis, free to moveas he pleases?"

"Why not? You don't imagine that we are going to keep him here to theday of his death? No, Daubrecq, sleep quietly. I shall go to yourplace tomorrow afternoon; and, if the document is where you told me, a telegram shall be sent off at once and you shall be set free. Youhaven't told me a lie, I suppose?"

He went back to Daubrecq and, stooping over him again:

"No humbug, eh? That would be very silly of you. I should lose a day, that's all. Whereas you would lose all the days that remain to you tolive. But no, the hiding-place is too good. A fellow doesn't inventa thing like that for fun. Come on, Sebastiani. You shall have thetelegram to-morrow. "

"And suppose they don't let you into the house, monsieur le marquis?"

"Why shouldn't they?"

"The house in the Square Lamartine is occupied by Prasville's men. "

"Don't worry, Sebastiani. I shall get in. If they don't open the door, there's always the window. And, if the window won't open, I shallarrange with one of Prasville's men. It's a question of money, that'sall. And, thank goodness, I shan't be short of that, henceforth!Good-night, Daubrecq. "

He went out, accompanied by Sebastiani, and the heavy door closed afterthem. 

Lupin at once effected his retreat, in accordance with a plan which hehad worked out during this scene. 

The plan was simple enough: to scramble, by means of his rope, to thebottom of the cliff, take his friends with him, jump into the motor-carand attack d'Albufex and Sebastiani on the deserted road that leads toAumale Station. There could be no doubt about the issue of the contest. With d'Albufex and Sebastiani prisoners; it would be an easy matter tomake one of them speak. D'Albufex had shown him how to set about it; andClarisse Mergy would be inflexible where it was a question of saving herson. 

He took the rope with which he had provided himself and groped about tofind a jagged piece of rock round which to pass it, so as to leave twoequal lengths hanging, by which he could let himself down. But, when hefound what he wanted, instead of acting swiftly--for the business wasurgent--he stood motionless, thinking. His scheme failed to satisfy himat the last moment. 

"It's absurd, what I'm proposing, " he said to himself. "Absurd andillogical. How can I tell that d'Albufex and Sebastiani will not escapeme? How can I even tell that, once they are in my power, they willspeak? No, I shall stay. There are better things to try. .. Much betterthings. It's not those two I must be at, but Daubrecq. He's done for; hehas not a kick left in him. If he has told the marquis his secret, thereis no reason why he shouldn't tell it to Clarisse and me, when we employthe same methods. That's settled! We'll kidnap the Daubrecq bird. "And he continued, "Besides, what do I risk? If the scheme miscarries, Clarisse and I will rush off to Paris and, together with Prasville, organize a careful watch in the Square Lamartine to prevent d'Albufexfrom benefiting by Daubrecq's revelations. The great thing is forPrasville to be warned of the danger. He shall be. "

The church-clock in a neighbouring village struck twelve. That gaveLupin six or seven hours to put his new plan into execution. He set towork forthwith. 

When moving away from the embrasure which had the window at the bottomof it, he had come upon a clump of small shrubs in one of the hollowsof the cliff. He cut away a dozen of these, with his knife, and whittledthem all down to the same size. Then he cut off two equal lengths fromhis rope. These were the uprights of the ladder. He fastened the twelvelittle sticks between the uprights and thus contrived a rope-ladderabout six yards long. 

When he returned to this post, there was only one of the three sonsbeside Daubrecq's bed in the torture-chamber. He was smoking his pipe bythe lamp. Daubrecq was asleep. 

"Hang it!" thought Lupin. "Is the fellow going to sit there all night?In that case, there's nothing for me to do but to slip off. .. "

The idea that d'Albufex was in possession of the secret vexed himmightily. The interview at which he had assisted had left the clearimpression in his mind that the marquis was working "on his own" andthat, in securing the list, he intended not only to escape Daubrecq'sactivity, but also to gain Daubrecq's power and build up his fortuneanew by the identical means which Daubrecq had employed. 

That would have meant, for Lupin, a fresh battle to wage against a freshenemy. The rapid march of events did not allow of the contemplation ofsuch a possibility. He must at all costs spike the Marquis d'Albufex'guns by warning Prasville. 

However, Lupin remained held back by the stubborn hope of some incidentthat would give him the opportunity of acting. 

The clock struck half-past twelve. 

It struck one. 

The waiting became terrible, all the more so as an icy mist rose fromthe valley and Lupin felt the cold penetrate to his very marrow. 

He heard the trot of a horse in the distance:

"Sebastiani returning from the station, " he thought. 

But the son who was watching in the torture-chamber, having finished hispacket of tobacco, opened the door and asked his brothers if they hada pipeful for him. They made some reply; and he went out to go to thelodge. 

And Lupin was astounded. No sooner was the door closed than Daubrecq, who had been so sound asleep, sat up on his couch, listened, put onefoot to the ground, followed by the other, and, standing up, totteringa little, but firmer on his legs than one would have expected, tried hisstrength. 

"Well" said Lupin, "the beggar doesn't take long recovering. He can verywell help in his own escape. There's just one point that ruffles me:will he allow himself to be convinced? Will he consent to go with me?Will he not think that this miraculous assistance which comes to himstraight from heaven is a trap laid by the marquis?"

But suddenly Lupin remembered the letter which he had made Daubrecq'sold cousins write, the letter of recommendation, so to speak, which theelder of the two sisters Rousselot had signed with her Christian name, Euphrasie. 

It was in his pocket. He took it and listened. Not a sound, except thefaint noise of Daubrecq's footsteps on the flagstones. Lupin consideredthat the moment had come. He thrust his arm through the bars and threwthe letter in. 

Daubrecq seemed thunderstruck. 

The letter had fluttered through the room and lay on the floor, at threesteps from him. Where did it come from? He raised his head toward thewindow and tried to pierce the darkness that hid all the upper partof the room from his eyes. Then he looked at the envelope, without yetdaring to touch it, as though he dreaded a snare. Then, suddenly, aftera glance at the door, he stooped briskly, seized the envelope and openedit. 

"Ah, " he said, with a sigh of delight, when he saw the signature. 

He read the letter half-aloud:

 "Rely implicitly on the bearer of this note. He has succeeded in discovering the marquis' secret, with the money which we gave him, and has contrived a plan of escape. Everything is prepared for your flight. 

 "EUPHRASIE ROUSSELOT"

He read the letter again, repeated, "Euphrasie. .. Euphrasie. .. " andraised his head once more. 

Lupin whispered:

"It will take me two or three hours to file through one of the bars. AreSebastiani and his sons coming back?"

"Yes, they are sure to, " replied Daubrecq, in the same low voice, "but Iexpect they will leave me to myself. "

"But they sleep next door?"

"Yes. "

"Won't they hear?"

"No, the door is too thick. "

"Very well. In that case, it will soon be done. I have a rope-ladder. Will you be able to climb up alone, without my assistance?"

"I think so. .. I'll try. .. It's my wrists that they've broken. .. Oh, thebrutes! I can hardly move my hands. .. And I have very little strengthleft. But I'll try all the same. .. Needs must. .. "

He stopped, listened and, with his finger to his mouth, whispered:

"Hush!"

When Sebastiani and his sons entered the room, Daubrecq, who had hiddenthe letter and lain down on his bed, pretended to wake with a start. 

The huntsman brought him a bottle of wine, a glass and some food:

"How goes it, monsieur le depute?" he cried. "Well, perhaps we didsqueeze a little hard. .. It's very painful, that thumbscrewing. Seemsthey often did it at the time of the Great Revolution and Bonaparte. .. In the days of the chauffeurs. [*] A pretty invention! Nice and clean. .. No bloodshed. .. And it didn't last long either! In twenty minutes, youcame out with the missing word!" Sebastiani burst out laughing. "By theway, monsieur le depute, my congratulations! A capital hiding-place. Whowould ever suspect it?. .. You see, what put us off, monsieur le marquisand me, was that name of Marie which you let out at first. Youweren't telling a lie; but there you are, you know: the word was onlyhalf-finished. We had to know the rest. Say what you like, it's amusing!Just think, on your study-table! Upon my word, what a joke!"

 * The name given to the brigands in the Vendee, who tortured their victims with fire to make them confess where their money was hidden. --Translator's Note. 

The huntsman rose and walked up and down the room, rubbing his hands:

"Monsieur le marquis is jolly well pleased, so pleased, in fact, that hehimself is coming to-morrow evening to let you out. Yes, he has thoughtit over; there will be a few formalities: you may have to sign a chequeor two, stump up, what, and make good monsieur le marquis' expense andtrouble. But what's that to you? A trifle! Not to mention that, from nowon, there will be no more chains, no more straps round your wrists; inshort, you will be treated like a king! And I've even been told--lookhere!--to allow you a good bottle of old wine and a flask of brandy. "

Sebastiani let fly a few more jests, then took the lamp, made a lastexamination of the room and said to his sons:

"Let's leave him to sleep. You also, take a rest, all three of you. Butsleep with one eye open. One never can tell. .. " They withdrew. 

Lupin waited a little longer and asked, in a low voice:

"Can I begin?"

"Yes, but be careful. It's not impossible that they may go on a round inan hour or two. "

Lupin set to work. He had a very powerful file; and the iron of thebars, rusted and gnawed away by time, was, in places, almost reduced todust. Twice Lupin stopped to listen, with ears pricked up. But it wasonly the patter of a rat over the rubbish in the upper story, or theflight of some night-bird; and he continued his task, encouraged byDaubrecq, who stood by the door, ready to warn him at the least alarm. 

"Oof!" he said, giving a last stroke of the file. "I'm glad that's over, for, on my word, I've been a bit cramped in this cursed tunnel. .. To saynothing of the cold. .. "

He bore with all his strength upon the bar, which he had sawn frombelow, and succeeded in forcing it down sufficiently for a man's body toslip between the two remaining bars. Next, he had to go back to the endof the embrasure, the wider part, where he had left the rope-ladder. After fixing it to the bars, he called Daubrecq:

"Psst!. .. It's all right. .. Are you ready?"

"Yes. .. Coming. .. One more second, while I listen. .. All right. .. They're asleep. .. Give me the ladder. "

Lupin lowered it and asked:

"Must I come down?"

"No. .. I feel a little weak. .. But I shall manage. "

Indeed, he reached the window of the embrasure pretty quickly and creptalong the passage in the wake of his rescuer. The open air, however, seemed to make him giddy. Also, to give himself strength, he had drunkhalf the bottle of wine; and he had a fainting-fit that kept him lyingon the stones of the embrasure for half an hour. Lupin, losing patience, was fastening him to one end of the rope, of which the other end wasknotted round the bars and was preparing to let him down like a bale ofgoods, when Daubrecq woke up, in better condition:

"That's over, " he said. "I feel fit now. Will it take long?"

"Pretty long. We are a hundred and fifty yards up. "

"How was it that d'Albufex did not foresee that it was possible toescape this way?"

"The cliff is perpendicular. "

"And you were able to. .. "

"Well, your cousins insisted. .. And then one has to live, you know, andthey were free with their money. "

"The dear, good souls!" said Daubrecq. "Where are they?"

"Down below, in a boat. "

"Is there a river, then?"

"Yes, but we won't talk, if you don't mind. It's dangerous. "

"One word more. Had you been there long when you threw me the letter?"

"No, no. A quarter of an hour or so. I'll tell you all about it. .. Meanwhile, we must hurry. "

Lupin went first, after recommending Daubrecq to hold tight to the ropeand to come down backward. He would give him a hand at the difficultplaces. 

It took them over forty minutes to reach the platform of the ledgeformed by the cliff; and Lupin had several times to help his companion, whose wrists, still bruised from the torture, had lost all theirstrength and suppleness. 

Over and over again, he groaned:

"Oh, the swine, they've done for me!. .. The swine!. .. Ah, d'Albufex, I'll make you pay dear for this!. .. "

"Ssh!" said Lupin. 

"What's the matter?"

"A noise. .. Up above. .. "

Standing motionless on the platform, they listened. Lupin thought of theSire de Tancarville and the sentry who had killed him with a shot fromhis harquebus. He shivered, feeling all the anguish of the silence andthe darkness. 

"No, " he said, "I was mistaken. .. Besides, it's absurd. .. They can't hitus here. "

"Who would hit us?"

"No one. .. No one. .. It was a silly notion. .. "

He groped about till he found the uprights of the ladder; then he said:

"There, here's the ladder. It is fixed in the bed of the river. A friendof mine is looking after it, as well as your cousins. "

He whistled:

"Here I am, " he said, in a low voice. "Hold the ladder fast. " And, toDaubrecq, "I'll go first. "

Daubrecq objected:

"Perhaps it would be better for me to go down first. "

"Why?"

"I am very tired. You can tie your rope round my waist and hold me. .. Otherwise, there is a danger that I might. .. "

"Yes, you are right, " said Lupin. "Come nearer. "

Daubrecq came nearer and knelt down on the rock. Lupin fastened therope to him and then, stooping over, grasped one of the uprights in bothhands to keep the ladder from shaking:

"Off you go, " he said. 

At the same moment, he felt a violent pain in the shoulder:

"Blast it!" he said, sinking to the ground. 

Daubrecq had stabbed him with a knife below the nape of the neck, alittle to the right. 

"You blackguard! You blackguard!"

He half-saw Daubrecq, in the dark, ridding himself of his rope, andheard him whisper:

"You're a bit of a fool, you know!. .. You bring me a letter from myRousselot cousins, in which I recognize the writing of the elder, Adelaide, but which that sly puss of an Adelaide, suspecting somethingand meaning to put me on my guard, if necessary, took care to sign withthe name of the younger sister, Euphrasie Rousselot. You see, I tumbledto it! So, with a little reflection. .. You are Master Arsene Lupin, areyou not? Clarisse's protector, Gilbert's saviour. .. Poor Lupin, I fearyou're in a bad way. .. I don't use the knife often; but, when I do, Iuse it with a vengeance. "

He bent over the wounded man and felt in his pockets:

"Give me your revolver, can't you? You see, your friends will know atonce that it is not their governor; and they will try to secure me. .. And, as I have not much strength left, a bullet or two. .. Good-bye, Lupin. We shall meet in the next world, eh? Book me a nice flat, withall the latest conveniences. 

"Good-bye, Lupin. And my best thanks. For really I don't know what Ishould have done without you. By Jove, d'Albufex was hitting me hard!It'll be a joke to meet the beggar again!"

Daubrecq had completed his preparations. He whistled once more. A replycame from the boat. 

"Here I am, " he said. 

With a last effort, Lupin put out his arm to stop him. But hishand touched nothing but space. He tried to call out, to warn hisaccomplices: his voice choked in his throat. 

He felt a terrible numbness creep over his whole being. His templesbuzzed. 

Suddenly, shouts below. Then a shot. Then another, followed by atriumphant chuckle. And a woman's wail and moans. And, soon after, twomore shots. 

Lupin thought of Clarisse, wounded, dead perhaps; of Daubrecq, fleeingvictoriously; of d'Albufex; of the crystal stopper, which one or otherof the two adversaries would recover unresisted. Then a sudden visionshowed him the Sire de Tancarville falling with the woman he loved. Thenhe murmured, time after time:

"Clarisse. .. Clarisse. .. Gilbert. .. " A great silence overcame him;an infinite peace entered into him; and, without the least revolt, hereceived the impression that his exhausted body, with nothing now tohold it back, was rolling to the very edge of the rock, toward theabyss. 

CHAPTER IX. IN THE DARK

An hotel bedroom at Amiens. 

Lupin was recovering a little consciousness for the first time. Clarisseand the Masher were seated by his bedside. 

Both were talking; and Lupin listened to them, without opening his eyes. He learned that they had feared for his life, but that all danger wasnow removed. Next, in the course of the conversation, he caught certainwords that revealed to him what had happened in the tragic night atMortepierre: Daubrecq's descent; the dismay of the accomplices, whenthey saw that it was not the governor; then the short struggle: Clarisseflinging herself on Daubrecq and receiving a wound in the shoulder;Daubrecq leaping to the bank; the Growler firing two revolver-shots anddarting off in pursuit of him; the Masher clambering up the ladder andfinding the governor in a swoon:

"True as I live, " said the Masher, "I can't make out even now how he didnot roll over. There was a sort of hollow at that place, but it was asloping hollow; and, half dead as he was, he must have hung on with histen fingers. Crikey, it was time I came!"

Lupin listened, listened in despair. He collected his strength to graspand understand the words. But suddenly a terrible sentence was uttered:Clarisse, weeping, spoke of the eighteen days that had elapsed, eighteenmore days lost to Gilbert's safety. 

Eighteen days! The figure terrified Lupin. He felt that all was over, that he would never be able to recover his strength and resume thestruggle and that Gilbert and Vaucheray were doomed. .. His brain slippedaway from him. The fever returned and the delirium. 

And more days came and went. It was perhaps the time of his life ofwhich Lupin speaks with the greatest horror. He retained just enoughconsciousness and had sufficiently lucid moments to realize the positionexactly. But he was not able to coordinate his ideas, to follow a lineof argument nor to instruct or forbid his friends to adopt this or thatline of conduct. 

Often, when he emerged from his torpor, he found his hand in Clarisse'sand, in that half-slumbering condition in which a fever keeps you, hewould address strange words to her, words of love and passion, imploringher and thanking her and blessing her for all the light and joy whichshe had brought into his darkness. 

Then, growing calmer and not fully understanding what he had said, hetried to jest:

"I have been delirious, have I not? What a heap of nonsense I must havetalked!"

But Lupin felt by Clarisse's silence that he could safely talk as muchnonsense as ever his fever suggested to him. She did not hear. Thecare and attention which she lavished on the patient, her devotion, hervigilance, her alarm at the least relapse: all this was meant not forhim, but for the possible saviour of Gilbert. She anxiously watched theprogress of his convalescence. How soon would he be fit to resume thecampaign? Was it not madness to linger by his side, when every daycarried away a little hope?

Lupin never ceased repeating to himself, with the inward belief that, byso doing, he could influence the course of his illness:

"I will get well. .. I will get well. .. "

And he lay for days on end without moving, so as not to disturb thedressing of his wound nor increase the excitement of his nerves in thesmallest degree. 

He also strove not to think of Daubrecq. But the image of his direadversary haunted him; and he reconstituted the various phases of theescape, the descent of the cliff. .. . One day, struck by a terriblememory, he exclaimed:

"The list! The list of the Twenty-seven! Daubrecq must have it by now. .. Or else d'Albufex. It was on the table!"

Clarisse reassured him:

"No one can have taken it, " she declared. "The Growler was in Paris thatsame day, with a note from me for Prasville, entreating him to redoublehis watch in the Square Lamartine, so that no one should enter, especially d'Albufex. .. "

"But Daubrecq?"

"He is wounded. He cannot have gone home. "

"Ah, well, " he said, "that's all right!. .. But you too were wounded. .. "

"A mere scratch on the shoulder. "

Lupin was easier in his mind after these revelations. Nevertheless, hewas pursued by stubborn notions which he was unable either to drive fromhis brain or to put into words. Above all, he thought incessantly ofthat name of "Marie" which Daubrecq's sufferings had drawn from him. What did the name refer to? Was it the title of one of the books on theshelves, or a part of the title? Would the book in question supply thekey to the mystery? Or was it the combination word of a safe? Was it aseries of letters written somewhere: on a wall, on a paper, on a woodenpanel, on the mount of a drawing, on an invoice?

These questions, to which he was unable to find a reply, obsessed andexhausted him. 

One morning Arsene Lupin woke feeling a great deal better. The wound wasclosed, the temperature almost normal. The doctor, a personal friend, who came every day from Paris, promised that he might get up two dayslater. And, on that day, in the absence of his accomplices and ofMme. Mergy, all three of whom had left two days before, in quest ofinformation, he had himself moved to the open window. 

He felt life return to him with the sunlight, with the balmy air thatannounced the approach of spring. He recovered the concatenation ofhis ideas; and facts once more took their place in his brain in theirlogical sequence and in accordance with their relations one to theother. 

In the evening he received a telegram from Clarisse to say that thingswere going badly and that she, the Growler and the Masher were allstaying in Paris. He was much disturbed by this wire and had a lessquiet night. What could the news be that had given rise to Clarisse'stelegram?

But, the next day, she arrived in his room looking very pale, her eyesred with weeping, and, utterly worn out, dropped into a chair:

"The appeal has been rejected, " she stammered. 

He mastered his emotion and asked, in a voice of surprise:

"Were you relying on that?"

"No, no, " she said, "but, all the same. .. One hopes in spite of one'sself. "

"Was it rejected yesterday?"

"A week ago. The Masher kept it from me; and I have not dared to readthe papers lately. "

"There is always the commutation of sentence, " he suggested. 

"The commutation? Do you imagine that they will commute the sentence ofArsene Lupin's accomplices?"

She ejaculated the words with a violence and a bitterness which hepretended not to notice; and he said:

"Vaucheray perhaps not. .. But they will take pity on Gilbert, on hisyouth. .. "

"They will do nothing of the sort. "

"How do you know?"

"I have seen his counsel. "

"You have seen his counsel! And you told him. .. "

"I told him that I was Gilbert's mother and I asked him whether, byproclaiming my son's identity, we could not influence the result. .. Orat least delay it. "

"You would do that?" he whispered. "You would admit. .. "

"Gilbert's life comes before everything. What do I care about my name!What do I care about my husband's name!"

"And your little Jacques?" he objected. "Have you the right to ruinJacques, to make him the brother of a man condemned to death?"

She hung her head. And he resumed:

"What did the counsel say?"

"He said that an act of that sort would not help Gilbert in the remotestdegree. And, in spite of all his protests, I could see that, as faras he was concerned, he had no illusions left and that the pardoningcommission are bound to find in favour of the execution. "

"The commission, I grant you; but what of the president of theRepublic?"

"The president always goes by the advice of the commission. "

"He will not do so this time. "

"And why not?"

"Because we shall bring influence to bear upon him. "

"How?"

"By the conditional surrender of the list of the Twenty-seven!"

"Have you it?"

"No, but I shall have it. "

His certainty had not wavered. He made the statement with equal calmnessand faith in the infinite power of his will. 

She had lost some part of her confidence in him and she shrugged hershoulders lightly:

"If d'Albufex has not purloined the list, one man alone can exercise anyinfluence; one man alone: Daubrecq. "

She spoke these words in a low and absent voice that made him shudder. Was she still thinking, as he had often seemed to feel, of going back toDaubrecq and paying him for Gilbert's life?

"You have sworn an oath to me, " he said. "I'm reminding you of it. Itwas agreed that the struggle with Daubrecq should be directed by me andthat there would never be a possibility of any arrangement between youand him. "

She retorted:

"I don't even know where he is. If I knew, wouldn't you know?"

It was an evasive answer. But he did not insist, resolving to watch herat the opportune time; and he asked her, for he had not yet been toldall the details:

"Then it's not known what became of Daubrecq?"

"No. Of course, one of the Growler's bullets struck him. For, next day, we picked up, in a coppice, a handkerchief covered with blood. Also, it seems that a man was seen at Aumale Station, looking very tired andwalking with great difficulty. He took a ticket for Paris, stepped intothe first train and that is all. .. "

"He must be seriously wounded, " said Lupin, "and he is nursing himselfin some safe retreat. Perhaps, also, he considers it wise to lie low fora few weeks and avoid any traps on the part of the police, d'Albufex, you, myself and all his other enemies. "

He stopped to think and continued:

"What has happened at Mortepierre since Daubrecq's escape? Has therebeen no talk in the neighbourhood?"

"No, the rope was removed before daybreak, which proves that Sebastianior his sons discovered Daubrecq's flight on the same night. Sebastianiwas away the whole of the next day. "

"Yes, he will have informed the marquis. And where is the marquishimself?"

"At home. And, from what the Growler has heard, there is nothingsuspicious there either. "

"Are they certain that he has not been inside Daubrecq's house?"

"As certain as they can be. "

"Nor Daubrecq?"

"Nor Daubrecq. "

"Have you seen Prasville?"

"Prasville is away on leave. But Chief-inspector Blanchon, who hascharge of the case, and the detectives who are guarding the housedeclare that, in accordance with Prasville's instructions, their watchis not relaxed for a moment, even at night; that one of them, turn andturn about, is always on duty in the study; and that no one, therefore, can have gone in. "

"So, on principle, " Arsene Lupin concluded, "the crystal stopper muststill be in Daubrecq's study?"

"If it was there before Daubrecq's disappearance, it should be therenow. "

"And on the study-table. "

"On the study-table? Why do you say that?"

"Because I know, " said Lupin, who had not forgotten Sebastiani's words. 

"But you don't know the article in which the stopper is hidden?"

"No. But a study-table, a writing-desk, is a limited space. One canexplore it in twenty minutes. One can demolish it, if necessary, inten. "

The conversation had tired Arsene Lupin a little. As he did not wish tocommit the least imprudence, he said to Clarisse:

"Listen. I will ask you to give me two or three days more. This isMonday, the 4th of March. On Wednesday or Thursday, at latest, I shallbe up and about. And you can be sure that we shall succeed. "

"And, in the meantime. .. "

"In the meantime, go back to Paris. Take rooms, with the Growler and theMasher, in the Hotel Franklin, near the Trocadero, and keep a watch onDaubrecq's house. You are free to go in and out as you please. Stimulatethe zeal of the detectives on duty. "

"Suppose Daubrecq returns?"

"If he returns, that will be so much the better: we shall have him. "

"And, if he only passes?"

"In that case, the Growler and the Masher must follow him. "

"And if they lose sight of him?"

Lupin did not reply. No one felt more than he how fatal it was to remaininactive in a hotel bedroom and how useful his presence would have beenon the battlefield! Perhaps even this vague idea had already prolongedhis illness beyond the ordinary limits. 

He murmured:

"Go now, please. "

There was a constraint between them which increased as the awful daydrew nigh. In her injustice, forgetting or wishing to forget that it wasshe who had forced her son into the Enghien enterprise, Mme. Mergy didnot forget that the law was pursuing Gilbert with such rigour not somuch because he was a criminal as because he was an accomplice of ArseneLupin's. And then, notwithstanding all his efforts, notwithstanding hisprodigious expenditure of energy, what result had Lupin achieved, whenall was said? How far had his intervention benefited Gilbert?

After a pause, she rose and left him alone. 

The next day he was feeling rather low. But on the day after, theWednesday, when his doctor wanted him to keep quiet until the end of theweek, he said:

"If not, what have I to fear?"

"A return of the fever. "

"Nothing worse?"

"No. The wound is pretty well healed. "

"Then I don't care. I'll go back with you in your car. We shall be inParis by mid-day. "

What decided Lupin to start at once was, first, a letter in whichClarisse told him that she had found Daubrecq's traces, and, also, atelegram, published in the Amiens papers, which stated that the Marquisd'Albufex had been arrested for his complicity in the affair of thecanal. 

Daubrecq was taking his revenge. 

Now the fact that Daubrecq was taking his revenge proved that themarquis had not been able to prevent that revenge by seizing thedocument which was on the writing-desk in the study. It proved thatChief-inspector Blanchon and the detectives had kept a good watch. Itproved that the crystal stopper was still in the Square Lamartine. 

It was still there; and this showed either that Daubrecq had notventured to go home, or else that his state of health hindered himfrom doing so, or else again that he had sufficient confidence in thehiding-place not to trouble to put himself out. 

In any case, there was no doubt as to the course to be pursued: Lupinmust act and he must act smartly. He must forestall Daubrecq and gethold of the crystal stopper. 

When they had crossed the Bois de Boulogne and were nearing the SquareLamartine, Lupin took leave of the doctor and stopped the car. TheGrowler and the Masher, to whom he had wired, met him. 

"Where's Mme. Mergy?" he asked. 

"She has not been back since yesterday; she sent us an express messageto say that she saw Daubrecq leaving his cousins' place and getting intoa cab. She knows the number of the cab and will keep us informed. "

"Nothing further?"

"Nothing further. "

"No other news?"

"Yes, the Paris-Midi says that d'Albufex opened his veins last night, with a piece of broken glass, in his cell at the Sante. He seems tohave left a long letter behind him, confessing his fault, but accusingDaubrecq of his death and exposing the part played by Daubrecq in thecanal affair. "

"Is that all?"

"No. The same paper stated that it has reason to believe that thepardoning commission, after examining the record, has rejected Vaucherayand Gilbert's petition and that their counsel will probably be receivedin audience by the president on Friday. "

Lupin gave a shudder. 

"They're losing no time, " he said. "I can see that Daubrecq, on the veryfirst day, put the screw on the old judicial machine. One short weekmore. .. And the knife falls. My poor Gilbert! If, on Friday next, thepapers which your counsel submits to the president of the Republic donot contain the conditional offer of the list of the Twenty-seven, then, my poor Gilbert, you are done for!"

"Come, come, governor, are you losing courage?"

"I? Rot! I shall have the crystal stopper in an hour. In two hours, Ishall see Gilbert's counsel. And the nightmare will be over. "

"Well done, governor! That's like your old self. Shall we wait for youhere?"

"No, go back to your hotel. I'll join you later. "

They parted. Lupin walked straight to the house and rang the bell. 

A detective opened the door and recognized him:

"M. Nicole, I believe?"

"Yes, " he said. "Is Chief-inspector Blanchon here?"

"He is. "

"Can I speak to him?"

The man took him to the study, where Chief-inspector Blanchon welcomedhim with obvious pleasure. 

"Well, chief-inspector, one would say there was something new?"

"M. Nicole, my orders are to place myself entirely at your disposal; andI may say that I am very glad to see you to-day. "

"Why so?"

"Because there is something new. "

"Something serious?"

"Something very serious. "

"Quick, speak. "

"Daubrecq has returned. "

"Eh, what!" exclaimed Lupin, with a start. "Daubrecq returned? Is hehere?"

"No, he has gone. "

"And did he come in here, in the study?"

"Yes. "

"This morning. "

"And you did not prevent him?"

"What right had I?"

"And you left him alone?"

"By his positive orders, yes, we left him alone. "

Lupin felt himself turn pale. Daubrecq had come back to fetch thecrystal stopper!

He was silent for some time and repeated to himself:

"He came back to fetch it. .. He was afraid that it would be found and hehas taken it. .. Of course, it was inevitable. .. With d'Albufex arrested, with d'Albufex accused and accusing him, Daubrecq was bound to defendhimself. It's a difficult game for him. After months and months ofmystery, the public is at last learning that the infernal being whocontrived the whole tragedy of the Twenty-Seven and who ruins and killshis adversaries is he, Daubrecq. What would become of him if, by amiracle, his talisman did not protect him? He has taken it back. "

And, trying to make his voice sound firm, he asked:

"Did he stay long?"

"Twenty seconds, perhaps. "

"What! Twenty seconds? No longer?"

"No longer. "

"What time was it?"

"Ten o'clock. "

"Could he have known of the Marquis d'Albufex' suicide by then?"

"Yes. I saw the special edition of the Paris-Midi in his pocket. "

"That's it, that's it, " said Lupin. And he asked, "Did M. Prasville giveyou no special instructions in case Daubrecq should return?"

"No. So, in M. Prasville's absence, I telephoned to the police-officeand I am waiting. The disappearance of Daubrecq the deputy caused agreat stir, as you know, and our presence here has a reason, in the eyesof the public, as long as that disappearance continues. But, now thatDaubrecq has returned, now that we have proofs that he is neither underrestraint nor dead, how can we stay in the house?"

"It doesn't matter, " said Lupin, absently. "It doesn't matter whetherthe house is guarded or not. Daubrecq has been; therefore the crystalstopper is no longer here. "

He had not finished the sentence, when a question quite naturally forceditself upon his mind. If the crystal stopper was no longer there, wouldthis not be obvious from some material sign? Had the removal of thatobject, doubtless contained within another object, left no trace, novoid?

It was easy to ascertain. Lupin had simply to examine the writing-desk, for he knew, from Sebastiani's chaff, that this was the spot of thehiding-place. And the hiding-place could not be a complicated one, seeing that Daubrecq had not remained in the study for more than twentyseconds, just long enough, so to speak, to walk in and walk out again. 

Lupin looked. And the result was immediate. His memory had so faithfullyrecorded the picture of the desk, with all the articles lying on it, that the absence of one of them struck him instantaneously, asthough that article and that alone were the characteristic sign whichdistinguished this particular writing-table from every other table inthe world. 

"Oh, " he thought, quivering with delight, "everything fits in!Everything! . .. Down to that half-word which the torture drew fromDaubrecq in the tower at Mortepierre! The riddle is solved. Thereneed be no more hesitation, no more groping in the dark. The end is insight. "

And, without answering the inspector's questions, he thought ofthe simplicity of the hiding-place and remembered Edgar Allan Poe'swonderful story in which the stolen letter, so eagerly sought for, is, in a manner of speaking, displayed to all eyes. People do not suspectwhat does not appear to be hidden. 

"Well, well, " said Lupin, as he went out, greatly excited by hisdiscovery, "I seem doomed, in this confounded adventure, to knock upagainst disappointments to the finish. Everything that I build crumblesto pieces at once. Every victory ends in disaster. "

Nevertheless, he did not allow himself to be cast down. On the one hand, he now knew where Daubrecq the deputy hid the crystal stopper. On theother hand, he would soon learn from Clarisse Mergy where Daubrecqhimself was lurking. The rest, to him, would be child's play. 

The Growler and the Masher were waiting for him in the drawing-room ofthe Hotel Franklin, a small family-hotel near the Trocadero. Mme. Mergyhad not yet written to him. 

"Oh, " he said, "I can trust her! She will hang on to Daubrecq until sheis certain. "

However, toward the end of the afternoon, he began to grow impatient andanxious. He was fighting one of those battles--the last, he hoped--inwhich the least delay might jeopardize everything. If Daubrecq threwMme. Mergy off the scent, how was he to be caught again? They no longerhad weeks or days, but only a few hours, a terribly limited number ofhours, in which to repair any mistakes that they might commit. 

He saw the proprietor of the hotel and asked him:

"Are you sure that there is no express letter for my two friends?"

"Quite sure, sir. "

"Nor for me, M. Nicole?"

"No, sir. "

"That's curious, " said Lupin. "We were certain that we should hear fromMme. Audran. "

Audran was the name under which Clarisse was staying at the hotel. 

"But the lady has been, " said the proprietor. 

"What's that?"

"She came some time ago and, as the gentlemen were not there, left aletter in her room. Didn't the porter tell you?"

Lupin and his friends hurried upstairs. There was a letter on the table. 

"Hullo!" said Lupin. "It's been opened! How is that? And why has it beencut about with scissors?"

The letter contained the following lines:

 "Daubrecq has spent the week at the Hotel Central. This morning he had his luggage taken to the Gare de --- and telephoned to reserve a berth in the sleeping-car --- for ---

 "I do not know when the train starts. But I shall be at the station all the afternoon. Come as soon as you can, all three of you. We will arrange to kidnap him. "

"What next?" said the Masher. "At which station? And where's thesleeping-car for? She has cut out just the words we wanted!"

"Yes, " said the Growler. "Two snips with the scissors in each place; andthe words which we most want are gone. Who ever saw such a thing? HasMme. Mergy lost her head?"

Lupin did not move. A rush of blood was beating at his temples with suchviolence that he glued his fists to them and pressed with all his might. His fever returned, burning and riotous, and his will, incensed to theverge of physical suffering, concentrated itself upon that stealthyenemy, which must be controlled then and there, if he himself did notwish to be irretrievably beaten. 

He muttered, very calmly:

"Daubrecq has been here. "

"Daubrecq!"

"We can't suppose that Mme. Mergy has been amusing herself by cuttingout those two words. Daubrecq has been here. Mme. Mergy thought that shewas watching him. He was watching her instead. "

"How?"

"Doubtless through that hall-porter who did not tell us that Mme. Mergyhad been to the hotel, but who must have told Daubrecq. He came. Heread the letter. And, by way of getting at us, he contented himself withcutting out the essential words. "

"We can find out. .. We can ask. .. "

"What's the good? What's the use of finding out how he came, when weknow that he did come?"

He examined the letter for some time, turned it over and over, thenstood up and said:

"Come along. "

"Where to?"

"Gare de Lyon. "

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure of nothing with Daubrecq. But, as we have to choose, according to the contents of the letter, between the Gare de l'Est andthe Gare de Lyon, [*] I am presuming that his business, his pleasureand his health are more likely to take Daubrecq in the direction ofMarseilles and the Riviera than to the Gare de l'Est. "

 * These are the only two main-line stations in Paris with the word de in their name. The others have du, as the Gare du Nord or the Gare du Luxembourg, d' as the Gare d'Orleans, or no participle at all, as the Gare Saint-Lazare or the Gare Montparnasse. --Translator's Note. 

It was past seven when Lupin and his companions left the Hotel Franklin. A motor-car took them across Paris at full speed, but they soon saw thatClarisse Mergy was not outside the station, nor in the waiting-rooms, nor on any of the platforms. 

"Still, " muttered Lupin, whose agitation grew as the obstaclesincreased, "still, if Daubrecq booked a berth in a sleeping-car, it canonly have been in an evening train. And it is barely half-past seven!"

A train was starting, the night express. They had time to rush along thecorridor. Nobody. .. Neither Mme. Mergy nor Daubrecq. .. 

But, as they were all three going, a porter accosted them near therefreshment-room:

"Is one of you gentlemen looking for a lady?"

"Yes, yes, . .. I am, " said Lupin. "Quick, what is it?"

"Oh, it's you, sir! The lady told me there might be three of you or twoof you. .. . And I didn't know. .. "

"But, in heaven's name, speak, man! What lady?"

"The lady who spent the whole day on the pavement, with the luggage, waiting. "

"Well, out with it! Has she taken a train?"

"Yes, the train-de-luxe, at six-thirty: she made up her mind at the lastmoment, she told me to say. And I was also to say that the gentleman wasin the same train and that they were going to Monte Carlo. "

"Damn it!" muttered Lupin. "We ought to have taken the express just now!There's nothing left but the evening trains, and they crawl! We've lostover three hours. "

The wait seemed interminable. They booked their seats. They telephonedto the proprietor of the Hotel Franklin to send on their letters toMonte Carlo. They dined. They read the papers. At last, at half-pastnine, the train started. 

And so, by a really tragic series of circumstances, at the most criticalmoment of the contest, Lupin was turning his back on the battlefield andgoing away, at haphazard, to seek, he knew not where, and beat, he knewnot how, the most formidable and elusive enemy that he had ever fought. 

And this was happening four days, five days at most, before theinevitable execution of Gilbert and Vaucheray. 

It was a bad and painful night for Lupin. The more he studied thesituation the more terrible it appeared to him. On every side he wasfaced with uncertainty, darkness, confusion, helplessness. 

True, he knew the secret of the crystal stopper. But how was he to knowthat Daubrecq would not change or had not already changed his tactics?How was he to know that the list of the Twenty-seven was still insidethat crystal stopper or that the crystal stopper was still inside theobject where Daubrecq had first hidden it?

And there was a further serious reason for alarm in the fact thatClarisse Mergy thought that she was shadowing and watching Daubrecq ata time when, on the contrary, Daubrecq was watching her, having hershadowed and dragging her, with diabolical cleverness, toward the placesselected by himself, far from all help or hope of help. 

Oh, Daubrecq's game was clear as daylight! Did not Lupin know theunhappy woman's hesitations? Did he not know--and the Growler and theMasher confirmed it most positively--that Clarisse looked upon theinfamous bargain planned by Daubrecq in the light of a possible, anacceptable thing? In that case, how could he, Lupin, succeed? The logicof events, so powerfully moulded by Daubrecq, led to a fatal result: themother must sacrifice herself and, to save her son, throw her scruples, her repugnance, her very honour, to the winds!

"Oh, you scoundrel!" snarled Lupin, in a fit of rage. "If I get hold ofyou, I'll make you dance to a pretty tune! I wouldn't be in your shoesfor a great deal, when that happens. "

They reached Monte Carlo at three o'clock in the afternoon. Lupin was atonce disappointed not to see Clarisse on the platform at the station. 

He waited. No messenger came up to him. 

He asked the porters and ticket-collectors if they had noticed, amongthe crowd, two travellers answering to the description of Daubrecq andClarisse. They had not. 

He had, therefore, to set to work and hunt through all the hotels andlodging-houses in the principality. Oh, the time wasted!

By the following evening, Lupin knew, beyond a doubt, that Daubrecq andClarisse were not at Monte Carlo, nor at Monaco, nor at the Cap d'Ail, nor at La Turbie, nor at Cap Martin. 

"Where can they be then?" he wondered, trembling with rage. 

At last, on the Saturday, he received, at the poste restante, a telegramwhich had been readdressed from the Hotel Franklin and which said:

 "He got out at Cannes and is going on to San Remo, Hotel Palace des Ambassadeurs. 

 "CLARISSE. "

The telegram was dated the day before. 

"Hang it!" exclaimed Lupin. "They passed through Monte Carlo. One of usought to have remained at the station. I did think of it; but, in themidst of all that bustle. .. "

Lupin and his friends took the first train for Italy. 

They crossed the frontier at twelve o'clock. The train entered thestation at San Remo at twelve-forty. 

They at once saw an hotel-porter, with "Ambassadeurs-Palace" on hisbraided cap, who seemed to be looking for some one among the arrivals. 

Lupin went up to him:

"Are you looking for M. Nicole?"

"Yes, M. Nicole and two gentlemen. "

"From a lady?"

"Yes, Mme. Mergy. "

"Is she staying at your hotel?"

"No. She did not get out. She beckoned to me, described you threegentlemen and told me to say that she was going on to Genoa, to theHotel Continental. "

"Was she by herself?"

"Yes. "

Lupin tipped the man, dismissed him and turned to his friends:

"This is Saturday. If the execution takes place on Monday, there'snothing to be done. But Monday is not a likely day. .. What I have to dois to lay hands on Daubrecq to-night and to be in Paris on Monday, withthe document. It's our last chance. Let's take it. "

The Growler went to the booking-office and returned with three ticketsfor Genoa. 

The engine whistled. 

Lupin had a last hesitation:

"No, really, it's too childish! What are we doing? We ought to be inParis, not here!. .. Just think!. .. "

He was on the point of opening the door and jumping out on the permanentway. But his companions held him back. The train started. He sat downagain. 

And they continued their mad pursuit, travelling at random, toward theunknown. .. 

And this happened two days before the inevitable execution of Gilbertand Vaucheray. 

CHAPTER X. EXTRA-DRY?

On one of the hills that girdle Nice with the finest scenery in theworld, between the Vallon de Saint-Silvestre and the Vallon de LaMantega, stands a huge hotel which overlooks the town and the wonderfulBaie des Anges. A crowd flocks to it from all parts, forming a medley ofevery class and nation. 

On the evening of the same Saturday when Lupin, the Growler and theMasher were plunging into Italy, Clarisse Mergy entered this hotel, asked for a bedroom facing south and selected No. 130, on the secondfloor, a room which had been vacant since that morning. 

The room was separated from No. 129 by two partition-doors. As soon asshe was alone, Clarisse pulled back the curtain that concealed the firstdoor, noiselessly drew the bolt and put her ear to the second door:

"He is here, " she thought. "He is dressing to go to the club. .. As hedid yesterday. "

When her neighbour had gone, she went into the passage and, availingherself of a moment when there was no one in sight, walked up to thedoor of No. 129. The door was locked. 

She waited all the evening for her neighbour's return and did not go tobed until two o'clock. On Sunday morning, she resumed her watch. 

The neighbour went out at eleven. This time he left the key in the door. 

Hurriedly turning the key, Clarisse entered boldly, went to thepartition-door, raised the curtain, drew the bolt and found herself inher own room. 

In a few minutes, she heard two chambermaids doing the room in No. 129. 

She waited until they were gone. Then, feeling sure that she would notbe disturbed, she once more slipped into the other room. 

Her excitement made her lean against a chair. After days and nights ofstubborn pursuit, after alternate hopes and disappointments, she had atlast succeeded in entering a room occupied by Daubrecq. She could lookabout at her ease; and, if she did not discover the crystal stopper, shecould at least hide in the space between the partition-doors, behind thehanging, see Daubrecq, spy upon his movements and surprise his secret. 

She looked around her. A travelling-bag at once caught her attention. She managed to open it; but her search was useless. 

She ransacked the trays of a trunk and the compartments of aportmanteau. She searched the wardrobe, the writing-table, the chestof drawers, the bathroom, all the tables, all the furniture. She foundnothing. 

She gave a start when she saw a scrap of paper on the balcony, lying asthough flung there by accident:

"Can it be a trick of Daubrecq's?" she thought, out loud. "Can thatscrap of paper contain. .. "

"No, " said a voice behind her, as she put her hand on the latch. 

She turned and saw Daubrecq. 

She felt neither astonishment nor alarm, nor even any embarrassment atfinding herself face to face with him. She had suffered too deeply formonths to trouble about what Daubrecq could think of her or say, atcatching her in the act of spying. 

She sat down wearily. 

He grinned:

"No, you're out of it, dear friend. As the children say, you're not'burning' at all. Oh, not a bit of it! And it's so easy! Shall I helpyou? It's next to you, dear friend, on that little table. .. And yet, by Jove, there's not much on that little table! Something to read, something to write with, something to smoke, something to eat. .. Andthat's all. .. Will you have one of these candied fruits?. .. Or perhapsyou would rather wait for the more substantial meal which I haveordered?"

Clarisse made no reply. She did not even seem to listen to what he wassaying, as though she expected other words, more serious words, which hecould not fail to utter. 

He cleared the table of all the things that lay upon it and put them onthe mantel-piece. Then he rang the bell. 

A head-waiter appeared. Daubrecq asked:

"Is the lunch which I ordered ready?"

"Yes, sir. "

"It's for two, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir. "

"And the champagne?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Extra-dry?"

"Yes, sir. "

Another waiter brought a tray and laid two covers on the table: a coldlunch, some fruit and a bottle of champagne in an ice-pail. 

Then the two waiters withdrew. 

"Sit down, dear lady. As you see, I was thinking of you and your coveris laid. "

And, without seeming to observe that Clarisse was not at all prepared todo honour to his invitation, he sat down, began to eat and continued:

"Yes, upon my word, I hoped that you would end by consenting to thislittle private meeting. During the past week, while you were keeping soassiduous a watch upon me, I did nothing but say to myself, 'I wonderwhich she prefers: sweet champagne, dry champagne, or extra-dry?' I wasreally puzzled. Especially after our departure from Paris. I hadlost your tracks, that is to say, I feared that you had lost mine andabandoned the pursuit which was so gratifying to me. When I went for awalk, I missed your beautiful dark eyes, gleaming with hatred under yourhair just touched with gray. But, this morning, I understood: the roomnext to mine was empty at last; and my friend Clarisse was able to takeup her quarters, so to speak, by my bedside. From that moment I wasreassured. I felt certain that, on coming back--instead of lunching inthe restaurant as usual--I should find you arranging my things to yourconvenience and suiting your own taste. That was why I ordered twocovers: one for your humble servant, the other for his fair friend. "

She was listening to him now and in the greatest terror. So Daubrecqknew that he was spied upon! For a whole week he had seen through herand all her schemes!

In a low voice, anxious-eyed, she asked:

"You did it on purpose, did you not? You only went away to drag me withyou?"

"Yes, " he said. 

"But why? Why?"

"Do you mean to say that you don't know?" retorted Daubrecq, laughingwith a little cluck of delight. 

She half-rose from her chair and, bending toward him, thought, as shethought each time, of the murder which she could commit, of the murderwhich she would commit. One revolver-shot and the odious brute was donefor. 

Slowly her hand glided to the weapon concealed in her bodice. 

Daubrecq said:

"One second, dear friend. .. You can shoot presently; but I beg you firstto read this wire which I have just received. "

She hesitated, not knowing what trap he was laying for her; but he wenton, as he produced a telegram:

"It's about your son. "

"Gilbert?" she asked, greatly concerned. 

"Yes, Gilbert. .. Here, read it. "

She gave a yell of dismay. She had read:

 "Execution on Tuesday morning. "

And she at once flung herself on Daubrecq, crying:

"It's not true!. .. It's a lie. .. To madden me. .. Oh, I know you: you arecapable of anything! Confess! It won't be on Tuesday, will it? In twodays! No, no. .. I tell you, we have four days yet, five days, in whichto save him. .. Confess it, confess it!"

She had no strength left, exhausted by this fit of rebellion; and hervoice uttered none but inarticulate sounds. 

He looked at her for a moment, then poured himself out a glass ofchampagne and drank it down at a gulp. He took a few steps up and downthe room, came back to her and said:

"Listen to me, darling. .. "

The insult made her quiver with an unexpected energy. She drew herselfup and, panting with indignation, said:

"I forbid you. .. I forbid you to speak to me like that. I will notaccept such an outrage. You wretch!. .. "

He shrugged his shoulders and resumed:

"Pah, I see you're not quite alive to the position. That comes, of course, because you still hope for assistance in some quarter. Prasville, perhaps? The excellent Prasville, whose right hand you are. .. My dear friend, a forlorn hope. .. You must know that Prasville is mixedup in the Canal affair! Not directly: that is to say, his name is not onthe list of the Twenty-seven; but it is there under the name of one ofhis friends, an ex-deputy called Vorenglade, Stanislas Vorenglade, hisman of straw, apparently: a penniless individual whom I left alone andrightly. I knew nothing of all that until this morning, when, lo andbehold, I received a letter informing me of the existence of a bundle ofdocuments which prove the complicity of our one and only Prasville!And who is my informant? Vorenglade himself! Vorenglade, who, tired ofliving in poverty, wants to extort money from Prasville, at the risk ofbeing arrested, and who will be delighted to come to terms with me. AndPrasville will get the sack. Oh, what a lark! I swear to you thathe will get the sack, the villain! By Jove, but he's annoyed me longenough! Prasville, old boy, you've deserved it. .. "

He rubbed his hands together, revelling in his coming revenge. And hecontinued:

"You see, my dear Clarisse. .. There's nothing to be done in thatdirection. What then? What straw will you cling to? Why, I wasforgetting: M. Arsene Lupin! Mr. Growler! Mr. Masher!. .. Pah, you'lladmit that those gentlemen have not shone and that all their feats ofprowess have not prevented me from going my own little way. It was boundto be. Those fellows imagine that there's no one to equal them. Whenthey meet an adversary like myself, one who is not to be bounced, itupsets them and they make blunder after blunder, while still believingthat they are hoodwinking him like mad. Schoolboys, that's whatthey are! However, as you seem to have some illusions left about theaforesaid Lupin, as you are counting on that poor devil to crush me andto work a miracle in favour of your innocent Gilbert, come, let's dispelthat illusion. Oh! Lupin! Lord above, she believes in Lupin! Sheplaces her last hopes in Lupin! Lupin! Just wait till I prick you, myillustrious windbag!"

He took up the receiver of the telephone which communicated with thehall of the hotel and said:

"I'm No. 129, mademoiselle. Would you kindly ask the person sittingopposite your office to come up to me?. .. Huh!. .. Yes, mademoiselle, thegentleman in a gray felt hat. He knows. Thank you, mademoiselle. "

Hanging up the receiver, he turned to Clarisse:

"Don't be afraid. The man is discretion itself. Besides, it's the mottoof his trade: 'Discretion and dispatch. ' As a retired detective, he hasdone me a number of services, including that of following you while youwere following me. Since our arrival in the south, he has been lessbusy with you; but that was because he was more busy elsewhere. Come in, Jacob. "

He himself opened the door, and a short, thin man, with a red moustache, entered the room. 

"Please tell this lady, Jacob, in a few brief words, what you havedone since Wednesday evening, when, after letting her get into thetrain-de-luxe which was taking me from the Gare de Lyon to the south, you yourself remained on the platform at the station. Of course, I amnot asking how you spent your time, except in so far as concerns thelady and the business with which I entrusted you. "

Jacob dived into the inside-pocket of his jacket and produced a littlenote-book of which he turned over the pages and read them aloud in thevoice of a man reading a report:

"Wednesday evening, 8. 15. Gare de Lyon. Wait for two gents, Growler andMasher. They come with another whom I don't know yet, but who can onlybe M. Nicole. Give a porter ten francs for the loan of his cap andblouse. Accost the gents and tell them, from a lady, 'that they weregone to Monte Carlo. ' Next, telephone to the porter at the HotelFranklin. All telegrams sent to his boss and dispatched by said bosswill be read by said hotel-porter and, if necessary, intercepted. 

"Thursday. Monte Carlo. The three gents search the hotels. 

"Friday. Flying visits to La Turbie, the Cap d'Ail, Cap Martin. M. Daubrecq rings me up. Thinks it wiser to send the gents to Italy. Makethe porter of the Hotel Franklin send them a telegram appointing ameeting at San Remo. 

"Saturday. San Remo. Station platform. Give the porter of theAmbassadeurs-Palace ten francs for the loan of his cap. The three gentsarrive. They speak to me. Explain to them that a lady traveller, Mme. Mergy, is going on to Genoa, to the Hotel Continental. The gentshesitate. M. Nicole wants to get out. The others hold him back. Thetrain starts. Good luck, gents! An hour later, I take the train forFrance and get out at Nice, to await fresh orders. "

Jacob closed his note-book and concluded:

"That's all. To-day's doings will be entered this evening. "

"You can enter them now, M. Jacob. '12 noon. M. Daubrecq sends me to theWagon-Lits Co. I book two berths in the Paris sleeping-car, by the 2. 48train, and send them to M. Daubrecq by express messenger. Then I takethe 12. 58 train for Vintimille, the frontier-station, where I spendthe day on the platform watching all the travellers who come to France. Should Messrs. Nicole, Growler and Masher take it into their heads toleave Italy and return to Paris by way of Nice, my instructions are totelegraph to the headquarters of police that Master Arsene Lupin and twoof his accomplices are in train number so-and-so. "

While speaking, Daubrecq led Jacob to the door. He closed it after him, turned the key, pushed the bolt and, going up to Clarisse, said:

"And now, darling, listen to me. "

This time, she uttered no protest. What could she do against such anenemy, so powerful, so resourceful, who provided for everything, down tothe minutest details, and who toyed with his adversaries in such an airyfashion? Even if she had hoped till then for Lupin's interference, howcould she do so now, when he was wandering through Italy in pursuit of ashadow?

She understood at last why three telegrams which she had sent to theHotel Franklin had remained unanswered. Daubrecq was there, lurking inthe dark, watching, establishing a void around her, separating her fromher comrades in the fight, bringing her gradually, a beaten prisoner, within the four walls of that room. 

She felt her weakness. She was at the monster's mercy. She must besilent and resigned. 

He repeated, with an evil delight:

"Listen to me, darling. Listen to the irrevocable words which I am aboutto speak. Listen to them well. It is now 12 o'clock. The last trainstarts at 2. 48: you understand, the last train that can bring me toParis to-morrow, Monday, in time to save your son. The evening-trainswould arrive too late. The trains-de-luxe are full up. Therefore I shallhave to start at 2. 48. Am I to start?"

"Yes. "

"Our berths are booked. Will you come with me?"

"Yes. "

"You know my conditions for interfering?"

"Yes. "

"Do you accept them?"

"Yes. "

"You will marry me?"

"Yes. "

Oh, those horrible answers! The unhappy woman gave them in a sort ofawful torpor, refusing even to understand what she was promising. Lethim start first, let him snatch Gilbert from the engine of death whosevision haunted her day and night. .. And then. .. And then. .. Let whatmust come come. .. 

He burst out laughing:

"Oh, you rogue, it's easily said!. .. You're ready to pledge yourself toanything, eh? The great thing is to save Gilbert, isn't it? Afterward, when that noodle of a Daubrecq comes with his engagement-ring, not abit of it! Nothing doing! We'll laugh in his face!. .. No, no, enoughof empty words. I don't want promises that won't be kept: I want facts, immediate facts. "

He came and sat close beside her and stated, plainly:

"This is what I propose. .. What must be. .. What shall be. .. I will ask, or rather I will demand, not Gilbert's pardon, to begin with, but areprieve, a postponement of the execution, a postponement of threeor four weeks. They will invent a pretext of some sort: that's not myaffair. And, when Mme. Mergy has become Mme. Daubrecq, then and not tillthen will I ask for his pardon, that is to say, the commutation of hissentence. And make yourself quite easy: they'll grant it. "

"I accept. .. I accept, " she stammered. 

He laughed once more:

"Yes, you accept, because that will happen in a month's time. .. Andmeanwhile you reckon on finding some trick, an assistance of some kindor another. .. M. Arsene Lupin. .. "

"I swear it on the head of my son. "

"The head of your son!. .. Why, my poor pet, you would sell yourself tothe devil to save it from falling!. .. "

"Oh, yes, " she whispered, shuddering. "I would gladly sell my soul!"

He sidled up against her and, in a low voice:

"Clarisse, it's not your soul I ask for. .. It's something else. .. Formore than twenty years my life has spun around that longing. You are theonly woman I have ever loved. .. Loathe me, hate me--I don't care--but donot spurn me. .. Am I to wait? To wait another month?. .. No, Clarisse, Ihave waited too many years already. .. "

He ventured to touch her hand. Clarisse shrank back with such disgustthat he was seized with fury and cried:

"Oh, I swear to heaven, my beauty, the executioner won't stand on suchceremony when he catches hold of your son!. .. And you give yourselfairs! Why, think, it'll happen in forty hours! Forty hours, no more, andyou hesitate. .. And you have scruples, when your son's life is at stake!Come, come, no whimpering, no silly sentimentality. .. Look things inthe face. By your own oath, you are my wife, you are my bride from thismoment. .. Clarisse, Clarisse, give me your lips. .. "

Half-fainting, she had hardly the strength to put out her arm and pushhim away; and, with a cynicism in which all his abominable nature stoodrevealed, Daubrecq, mingling words of cruelty and words of passion, continued:

"Save your son!. .. Think of the last morning: the preparations for thescaffold, when they snip away his shirt and cut his hair. .. Clarisse, Clarisse, I will save him. .. Be sure of it. .. All my life shall be yours. .. Clarisse. .. "

She no longer resisted. It was over. The loathsome brute's lips wereabout to touch hers; and it had to be, and nothing could prevent it. It was her duty to obey the decree of fate. She had long known it. Sheunderstood it; and, closing her eyes, so as not to see the foul facethat was slowly raised to hers, she repeated to herself:

"My son. .. My poor son. "

A few seconds passed: ten, twenty perhaps. Daubrecq did not move. Daubrecq did not speak. And she was astounded at that great silence andthat sudden quiet. Did the monster, at the last moment, feel a scrupleof remorse?

She raised her eyelids. 

The sight which she beheld struck her with stupefaction. Instead ofthe grinning features which she expected to see, she saw a motionless, unrecognizable face, contorted by an expression of unspeakable terror:and the eyes, invisible under the double impediment of the spectacles, seemed to be staring above her head, above the chair in which she layprostrate. 

Clarisse turned her face. Two revolver-barrels, pointed at Daubrecq, showed on the right, a little above the chair. She saw only that: thosetwo huge, formidable revolvers, gripped in two clenched hands. She sawonly that and also Daubrecq's face, which fear was discolouring littleby little, until it turned livid. And, almost at the same time, some oneslipped behind Daubrecq, sprang up fiercely, flung one of his arms roundDaubrecq's neck, threw him to the ground with incredible violence andapplied a pad of cotton-wool to his face. A sudden smell of chloroformfilled the room. 

Clarisse had recognized M. Nicole. 

"Come along, Growler!" he cried. "Come along, Masher! Drop yourshooters: I've got him! He's a limp rag. .. Tie him up. "

Daubrecq, in fact, was bending in two and falling on his knees like adisjointed doll. Under the action of the chloroform, the fearsome brutesank into impotence, became harmless and grotesque. 

The Growler and the Masher rolled him in one of the blankets of the bedand tied him up securely. 

"That's it! That's it!" shouted Lupin, leaping to his feet. 

And, in a sudden reaction of mad delight, he began to dance a wild jigin the middle of the room, a jig mingled with bits of can-can and thecontortions of the cakewalk and the whirls of a dancing dervish and theacrobatic movements of a clown and the lurching steps of a drunkenman. And he announced, as though they were the numbers in a music-hallperformance:

"The prisoner's dance!. .. The captive's hornpipe!. .. A fantasia on thecorpse of a representative of the people!. .. The chloroform polka!. .. The two-step of the conquered goggles! Olle! Olle! The blackmailer'sfandango! Hoot! Hoot! The McDaubrecq's fling!. .. The turkey trot!. .. And the bunny hug!. .. And the grizzly bear!. .. The Tyrolean dance:tra-la-liety!. .. Allons, enfants de la partie!. .. Zing, boum, boum!Zing, boum, boum!. .. "

All his street-arab nature, all his instincts of gaiety, so longsuppressed by his constant anxiety and disappointment, came out andbetrayed themselves in roars of laughter, bursts of animal spirits and apicturesque need of childlike exuberance and riot. 

He gave a last high kick, turned a series of cartwheels round theroom and ended by standing with his hands on his hips and one foot onDaubrecq's lifeless body. 

"An allegorical tableau!" he announced. "The angel of virtue destroyingthe hydra of vice!"

And the humour of the scene was twice as great because Lupin wasappearing under the aspect of M. Nicole, in the clothes and figure ofthat wizened, awkward, nervous private tutor. 

A sad smile flickered across Mme. Mergy's face, her first smile formany a long month. But, at once returning to the reality of things, shebesought him:

"Please, please. .. Think of Gilbert!"

He ran up to her, caught her in his arms and, obeying a spontaneousimpulse, so frank that she could but laugh at it, gave her a resoundingkiss on either cheek:

"There, lady, that's the kiss of a decent man! Instead of Daubrecq, it'sI kissing you. .. Another word and I'll do it again. .. And I'll call youdarling next. .. Be angry with me, if you dare. Oh, how happy I am!"

He knelt before her on one knee. And, respectfully:

"I beg your pardon, madame. The fit is over. "

And, getting up again, resuming his whimsical manner, he continued, while Clarisse wondered what he was driving at:

"What's the next article, madame? Your son's pardon, perhaps? Certainly!Madame, I have the honour to grant you the pardon of your son, thecommutation of his sentence to penal servitude for life and, to windup with, his early escape. It's settled, eh, Growler? Settled, Masher, what? You'll both go with the boy to New Caledonia and arrange foreverything. Oh, my dear Daubrecq, we owe you a great debt! But I'm notforgetting you, believe me! What would you like? A last pipe? Coming, coming!"

He took one of the pipes from the mantel-piece, stooped over theprisoner, shifted his pad and thrust the amber mouth-piece between histeeth:

"Draw, old chap, draw. Lord, how funny you look, with your plug overyour nose and your cutty in your mouth. Come, puff away. By Jove, Iforgot to fill your pipe! Where's your tobacco, your favourite Maryland?. .. Oh, here we are!. .. "

He took from the chimney an unopened yellow packet and tore off thegovernment band:

"His lordship's tobacco! Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes on me!This is a great moment. I am about to fill his lordship's pipe: byJupiter, what an honour! Observe my movements! You see, I have nothingin my hands, nothing up my sleeves!. .. "

He turned back his cuffs and stuck out his elbows. Then he opened thepacket and inserted his thumb and fore-finger, slowly, gingerly, like aconjurer performing a sleight-of-hand trick before a puzzled audience, and, beaming all over his face, extracted from the tobacco a glitteringobject which he held out before the spectators. 

Clarisse uttered a cry. 

It was the crystal stopper. 

She rushed at Lupin and snatched it from him:

"That's it; that's the one!" she exclaimed, feverishly. "There's noscratch on the stem! And look at this line running down the middle, where the gilt finishes. .. That's it; it unscrews!. .. Oh, dear, mystrength's going!. .. " She trembled so violently that Lupin took back thestopper and unscrewed it himself. 

The inside of the knob was hollow; and in the hollow space was a pieceof paper rolled into a tiny pellet. 

"The foreign-post-paper, " he whispered, himself greatly excited, withquivering hands. 

There was a long silence. All four felt as if their hearts were ready toburst from their bodies; and they were afraid of what was coming. 

"Please, please. .. " stammered Clarisse. 

Lupin unfolded the paper. 

There was a set of names written one below the other, twenty-seven ofthem, the twenty-seven names of the famous list: Langeroux, Dechaumont, Vorenglade, d'Albufex, Victorien Mergy and the rest. 

And, at the foot, the signature of the chairman of the Two-Seas CanalCompany, the signature written in letters of blood. 

Lupin looked at his watch:

"A quarter to one, " he said. "We have twenty minutes to spare. Let'shave some lunch. "

"But, " said Clarisse, who was already beginning to lose her head, "don'tforget. .. "

He simply said:

"All I know is that I'm dying of hunger. "

He sat down at the table, cut himself a large slice of cold pie and saidto his accomplices:

"Growler? A bite? You, Masher?"

"I could do with a mouthful, governor. "

"Then hurry up, lads. And a glass of champage to wash it down with: it'sthe chloroform-patient's treat. Your health, Daubrecq! Sweet champagne?Dry champagne? Extra-dry?"

CHAPTER XI. THE CROSS OF LORRAINE

The moment Lupin had finished lunch, he at once and, so to speak, without transition, recovered all his mastery and authority. Thetime for joking was past; and he must no longer yield to his love ofastonishing people with claptrap and conjuring tricks. Now that he haddiscovered the crystal stopper in the hiding-place which he hadguessed with absolute certainty, now that he possessed the list of theTwenty-seven, it became a question of playing off the last game of therubber without delay. 

It was child's play, no doubt, and what remained to be done presented nodifficulty. Nevertheless, it was essential that he should perform thesefinal actions with promptness, decision and infallible perspicacity. Thesmallest blunder was irretrievable. Lupin knew this; but his strangelylucid brain had allowed for every contingency. And the movements andwords which he was now about to make and utter were all fully preparedand matured:

"Growler, the commissionaire is waiting on the Boulevard Gambetta withhis barrow and the trunk which we bought. Bring him here and have thetrunk carried up. If the people of the hotel ask any questions, say it'sfor the lady in No. 130. "

Then, addressing his other companion:

"Masher, go back to the station and take over the limousine. The priceis arranged: ten thousand francs. Buy a chauffeur's cap and overcoat andbring the car to the hotel. "

"The money, governor. "

Lupin opened a pocketbook which had been removed from Daubrecq's jacketand produced a huge bundle of bank-notes. He separated ten of them:

"Here you are. Our friend appears to have been doing well at the club. Off with you, Masher!"

The two men went out through Clarisse's room. Lupin availed himself ofa moment when Clarisse Mergy was not looking to stow away the pocketbookwith the greatest satisfaction:

"I shall have done a fair stroke of business, " he said to himself. "Whenall the expenses are paid, I shall still be well to the good; and it'snot over yet. "

Then turning to Clarisse Mergy, he asked:

"Have you a bag?"

"Yes, I bought one when I reached Nice, with some linen and a fewnecessaries; for I left Paris unprepared. "

"Get all that ready. Then go down to the office. Say that you areexpecting a trunk which a commissionaire is bringing from the stationcloakroom and that you will want to unpack and pack it again in yourroom; and tell them that you are leaving. "

When alone, Lupin examined Daubrecq carefully, felt in all his pocketsand appropriated everything that seemed to present any sort of interest. 

The Growler was the first to return. The trunk, a large wicker hampercovered with black moleskin, was taken into Clarisse's room. Assisted byClarisse and the Growler, Lupin moved Daubrecq and put him in the trunk, in a sitting posture, but with his head bent so as to allow of the lidbeing fastened:

"I don't say that it's as comfortable as your berth in a sleeping-car, my dear deputy, " Lupin observed. "But, all the same, it's better than acoffin. At least, you can breathe. Three little holes in each side. Youhave nothing to complain of!"

Then, unstopping a flask:

"A drop more chloroform? You seem to love it!. .. "

He soaked the pad once more, while, by his orders, Clarisse and theGrowler propped up the deputy with linen, rugs and pillows, which theyhad taken the precaution to heap in the trunk. 

"Capital!" said Lupin. "That trunk is fit to go round the world. Lock itand strap it. "

The Masher arrived, in a chauffeur's livery:

"The car's below, governor. "

"Good, " he said. "Take the trunk down between you. It would be dangerousto give it to the hotel-servants. "

"But if any one meets us?"

"Well, what then, Masher? Aren't you a chauffeur? You're carrying thetrunk of your employer here present, the lady in No. 130, who willalso go down, step into her motor. .. And wait for me two hundred yardsfarther on. Growler, you help to hoist the trunk up. Oh, first lock thepartition-door!"

Lupin went to the next room, closed the other door, shot the bolt, walked out, locked the door behind him and went down in the lift. 

In the office, he said:

"M. Daubrecq has suddenly been called away to Monte Carlo. He asked meto say that he would not be back until Tuesday and that you were to keephis room for him. His things are all there. Here is the key. "

He walked away quietly and went after the car, where he found Clarisselamenting:

"We shall never be in Paris to-morrow! It's madness! The leastbreakdown. .. "

"That's why you and I are going to take the train. It's safer. .. "

He put her into a cab and gave his parting instructions to the two men:

"Thirty miles an hour, on the average, do you understand? You're todrive and rest, turn and turn about. At that rate, you ought to be inParis between six and seven to-morrow evening. But don't force the pace. I'm keeping Daubrecq, not because I want him for my plans, but as ahostage. .. And then by way of precaution. .. I like to feel that I canlay my hands on him during the next few days. So look after the dearfellow. .. Give him a few drops of chloroform every three or four hours:it's his one weakness. .. Off with you, Masher. .. And you, Daubrecq, don't get excited up there. The roof'll bear you all right. .. If youfeel at all sick, don't mind. .. Off you go, Masher!"

He watched the car move into the distance and then told the cabman todrive to a post-office, where he dispatched a telegram in these words:

 "M. Prasville, Prefecture de Police, Paris:

 "Person found. Will bring you document eleven o'clock to-morrow morning. Urgent communication. 

 "CLARISSE. "

Clarisse and Lupin reached the station by half-past two. 

"If only there's room!" said Clarisse, who was alarmed at the leastthing. 

"Room? Why, our berths are booked!"

"By whom?"

"By Jacob. .. By Daubrecq. "

"How?"

"Why, at the office of the hotel they gave me a letter which had comefor Daubrecq by express. It was the two berths which Jacob had sent him. Also, I have his deputy's pass. So we shall travel under the name of M. And Mme. Daubrecq and we shall receive all the attention due to our rankand station. You see, my dear madam, that everything's arranged. "

The journey, this time, seemed short to Lupin. Clarisse told him whatshe had done during the past few days. He himself explained the miracleof his sudden appearance in Daubrecq's bedroom at the moment when hisadversary believed him in Italy:

"A miracle, no, " he said. "But still a remarkable phenomenon tookplace in me when I left San Remo, a sort of mysterious intuition whichprompted me first to try and jump out of the train--and the Masherprevented me--and next to rush to the window, let down the glass andfollow the porter of the Ambassadeurs-Palace, who had given me yourmessage, with my eyes. Well, at that very minute, the porter aforesaidwas rubbing his hands with an air of such satisfaction that, for noother reason, suddenly, I understood everything: I had been diddled, taken in by Daubrecq, as you yourself were. Heaps of llttle detailsflashed across my mind. My adversary's scheme became clear to me fromstart to finish. Another minute. .. And the disaster would have beenbeyond remedy. I had, I confess, a few moments of real despair, at thethought that I should not be able to repair all the mistakes that hadbeen made. It depended simply on the time-table of the trains, whichwould either allow me or would not allow me to find Daubrecq's emissaryon the railway-platform at San Remo. This time, at last, chance favouredme. We had hardly alighted at the first station when a train passed, forFrance. When we arrived at San Remo, the man was there. I had guessedright. He no longer wore his hotel-porter's cap and frock-coat, but ajacket and bowler. He stepped into a second-class compartment. From thatmoment, victory was assured. "

"But. .. How. .. ?" asked Clarisse, who, in spite of the thoughts thatobsessed her, was interested in Lupin's story. 

"How did I find you? Lord, simply by not losing sight of Master Jacob, while leaving him free to move about as he pleased, knowing that he wasbound to account for his actions to Daubrecq. In point of fact, thismorning, after spending the night in a small hotel at Nice, he metDaubrecq on the Promenade des Anglais. They talked for some time. Ifollowed them. Daubrecq went back to the hotel, planted Jacob in oneof the passages on the ground-floor, opposite the telephone-office, andwent up in the lift. Ten minutes later I knew the number of his room andknew that a lady had been occupying the next room, No. 130, since theday before. 'I believe we've done it, ' I said to the Growler and theMasher. I tapped lightly at your door. No answer. And the door waslocked. "

"Well?" asked Clarisse. 

"Well, we opened it. Do you think there's only one key in the worldthat will work a lock? So I walked in. Nobody in your room. But thepartition-door was ajar. I slipped through it. Thenceforth, a merehanging separated me from you, from Daubrecq and from the packet oftobacco which I saw on the chimney-slab. "

"Then you knew the hiding-place?"

"A look round Daubrecq's study in Paris showed me that that packet oftobacco had disappeared. Besides. .. "

"What?"

"I knew, from certain confessions wrung from Daubrecq in the Lovers'Tower, that the word Marie held the key to the riddle. Since then I hadcertainly thought of this word, but with the preconceived notion thatit was spelt M A R I E. Well, it was really the first two syllables ofanother word, which I guessed, so to speak, only at the moment when Iwas struck by the absence of the packet of tobacco. "

"What word do you mean?"

"Maryland, Maryland tobacco, the only tobacco that Daubrecq smokes. "

And Lupin began to laugh:

"Wasn't it silly? And, at the same time, wasn't it clever of Daubrecq?We looked everywhere, we ransacked everything. Didn't I unscrew thebrass sockets of the electric lights to see if they contained a crystalstopper? But how could I have thought, how could any one, however greathis perspicacity, have thought of tearing off the paper band of a packetof Maryland, a band put on, gummed, sealed, stamped and dated by theState, under the control of the Inland Revenue Office? Only think! TheState the accomplice of such an act of infamy! The Inland R-r-r-revenueAwfice lending itself to such a trick! No, a thousand times no!The Regie [*] is not perfect. It makes matches that won't light andcigarettes filled with hay. But there's all the difference in the worldbetween recognizing that fact and believing the Inland Revenue to bein league with Daubrecq with the object of hiding the list of theTwenty-seven from the legitimate curiosity of the government and theenterprising efforts of Arsene Lupin! Observe that all Daubrecq had todo, in order to introduce the crystal stopper, was to bear upon the banda little, loosen it, draw it back, unfold the yellow paper, remove thetobacco and fasten it up again. Observe also that all we had to do, inParis, was to take the packet in our hands and examine it, in order todiscover the hiding-place. No matter! The packet itself, the plug ofMaryland made up and passed by the State and by the Inland RevenueOffice, was a sacred, intangible thing, a thing above suspicion! Andnobody opened it. That was how that demon of a Daubrecq allowed thatuntouched packet of tobacco to lie about for months on his table, amonghis pipes and among other unopened packets of tobacco. And no power onearth could have given any one even the vaguest notion of looking intothat harmless little cube. I would have you observe, besides. .. " Lupinwent on pursuing his remarks relative to the packet of Maryland and thecrystal stopper. His adversary's ingenuity and shrewdness interested himall the more inasmuch as Lupin had ended by getting the better of him. But to Clarisse these topics mattered much less than did her anxiety asto the acts which must be performed to save her son; and she sat wrappedin her own thoughts and hardly listened to him. 

 * The department of the French excise which holds the monopoly for the manufacture and sale of tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and matches--Translator's Note. 

"Are you sure, " she kept on repeating, "that you will succeed?"

"Absolutely sure. "

"But Prasville is not in Paris. "

"If he's not there, he's at the Havre. I saw it in the paper yesterday. In any case, a telegram will bring him to Paris at once. "

"And do you think that he has enough influence?"

"To obtain the pardon of Vaucheray and Gilbert personally. No. If hehad, we should have set him to work before now. But he is intelligentenough to understand the value of what we are bringing him and to actwithout a moment's delay. "

"But, to be accurate, are you not deceived as to that value?"

"Was Daubrecq deceived? Was Daubrecq not in a better position thanany of us to know the full power of that paper? Did he not have twentyproofs of it, each more convincing than the last? Think of all that hewas able to do, for the sole reason that people knew him to possess thelist. They knew it; and that was all. He did not use the list, but hehad it. And, having it, he killed your husband. He built up his fortuneon the ruin and the disgrace of the Twenty-seven. Only last week, one ofthe gamest of the lot, d'Albufex, cut his throat in a prison. No, takeit from me, as the price of handing over that list, we could ask foranything we pleased. And we are asking for what? Almost nothing . .. Lessthan nothing. .. The pardon of a child of twenty. In other words, theywill take us for idiots. What! We have in our hands. .. "

He stopped. Clarisse, exhausted by so much excitement, sat fast asleepin front of him. 

They reached Paris at eight o'clock in the morning. 

Lupin found two telegrams awaiting him at his flat in the Place deClichy. 

One was from the Masher, dispatched from Avignon on the previous dayand stating that all was going well and that they hoped to keep theirappointment punctually that evening. The other was from Prasville, datedfrom the Havre and addressed to Clarisse:

 "Impossible return to-morrow Monday morning. Come to my office five o'clock. Reckon on you absolutely. "

"Five o'clock!" said Clarisse. "How late!"

"It's a first-rate hour, " declared Lupin. 

"Still, if. .. "

"If the execution is to take place to-morrow morning: is that what youmean to say?. .. Don't be afraid to speak out, for the execution will nottake place. "

"The newspapers. .. "

"You haven't read the newspapers and you are not to read them. Nothingthat they can say matters in the least. One thing alone matters: ourinterview with Prasville. Besides. .. "

He took a little bottle from a cupboard and, putting his hand onClarisse's shoulder, said:

"Lie down here, on the sofa, and take a few drops of this mixture. "

"What's it for?"

"It will make you sleep for a few hours. .. And forget. That's always somuch gained. "

"No, no, " protested Clarisse, "I don't want to. Gilbert is not asleep. He is not forgetting. "

"Drink it, " said Lupin, with gentle insistence. She yielded all of asudden, from cowardice, from excessive suffering, and did as she wastold and lay on the sofa and closed her eyes. In a few minutes she wasasleep. 

Lupin rang for his servant:

"The newspapers. .. Quick!. .. Have you bought them?"

"Here they are, governor. "

Lupin opened one of them and at once read the following lines:

 "ARSENE LUPIN'S ACCOMPLICES"

 "We know from a positive source that Arsene Lupin's accomplices, Gilbert and Vaucheray, will be executed to-morrow, Tuesday, morning. M. Deibler has inspected the scaffold. Everything is ready. "

He raised his head with a defiant look. 

"Arsene Lupin's accomplices! The execution of Arsene Lupin'saccomplices! What a fine spectacle! And what a crowd there will be towitness it! Sorry, gentlemen, but the curtain will not rise. Theatreclosed by order of the authorities. And the authorities are myself!"

He struck his chest violently, with an arrogant gesture:

"The authorities are myself!"

At twelve o'clock Lupin received a telegram which the Masher had sentfrom Lyons:

"All well. Goods will arrive without damage. "

At three o'clock Clarisse woke. Her first words were:

"Is it to be to-morrow?"

He did not answer. But she saw him look so calm and smiling that shefelt herself permeated with an immense sense of peace and received theimpression that everything was finished, disentangled, settled accordingto her companion's will. 

They left the house at ten minutes past four. Prasville's secretary, whohad received his chief's instructions by telephone, showed them into theoffice and asked them to wait. It was a quarter to five. 

Prasville came running in at five o'clock exactly and, at once, cried:

"Have you the list?"

"Yes. "

"Give it me. "

He put out his hand. Clarisse, who had risen from her chair, did notstir. 

Prasville looked at her for a moment, hesitated and sat down. Heunderstood. In pursuing Daubrecq, Clarisse Mergy had not acted onlyfrom hatred and the desire for revenge. Another motive prompted her. Thepaper would not be handed over except upon conditions. 

"Sit down, please, " he said, thus showing that he accepted thediscussion. 

Clarisse resumed her seat and, when she remained silent, Prasville said:

"Speak, my friend, and speak quite frankly. I do not scruple to say thatwe wish to have that paper. "

"If it is only a wish, " remarked Clarisse, whom Lupin had coached inher part down to the least detail, "if it is only a wish, I fear that weshall not be able to come to an arrangement. "

Prasville smiled:

"The wish, obviously, would lead us to make certain sacrifices. "

"Every sacrifice, " said Mme. Mergy, correcting him. 

"Every sacrifice, provided, of course, that we keep within the bounds ofacceptable requirements. "

"And even if we go beyond those bounds, " said Clarisse, inflexibly. 

Prasville began to lose patience:

"Come, what is it all about? Explain yourself. "

"Forgive me, my friend, but I wanted above all to mark the greatimportance which you attach to that paper and, in view of the immediatetransaction which we are about to conclude, to specify--what shall Isay?--the value of my share in it. That value, which has no limits, must, I repeat, be exchanged for an unlimited value. "

"Agreed, " said Prasville, querulously. 

"I presume, therefore, that it is unnecessary for me to trace the wholestory of the business or to enumerate, on the one hand, the disasterswhich the possession of that paper would have allowed you to avert and, on the other hand, the incalculable advantages which you will be able toderive from its possession?"

Prasville had to make an effort to contain himself and to answer in atone that was civil, or nearly so:

"I admit everything. Is that enough?"

"I beg your pardon, but we cannot explain ourselves too plainly. Andthere is one point that remains to be cleared up. Are you in a positionto treat, personally?"

"How do you mean?"

"I want to know not, of course, if you are empowered to settle thisbusiness here and now, but if, in dealing with me, you represent theviews of those who know the business and who are qualified to settleit. "

"Yes, " declared Prasville, forcibly. 

"So that I can have your answer within an hour after I have told you myconditions?"

"Yes. "

"Will the answer be that of the government?"

"Yes. "

Clarisse bent forward and, sinking her voice:

"Will the answer be that of the Elysee?"

Prasville appeared surprised. He reflected for a moment and then said:

"Yes. "

"It only remains for me to ask you to give me your word of honour that, however incomprehensible my conditions may appear to you, you will notinsist on my revealing the reason. They are what they are. Your answermust be yes or no. "

"I give you my word of honour, " said Prasville, formally. 

Clarisse underwent a momentary agitation that made her turn paler still. Then, mastering herself, with her eyes fixed on Prasville's eyes, shesaid:

"You shall have the list of the Twenty-seven in exchange for the pardonof Gilbert and Vaucheray. "

"Eh? What?"

Prasville leapt from his chair, looking absolutely dumbfounded:

"The pardon of Gilbert and Vaucheray? Of Arsene Lupin's accomplices?"

"Yes, " she said. 

"The murderers of the Villa Marie-Therese? The two who are due to dieto-morrow?"

"Yes, those two, " she said, in a loud voice. "I ask? I demand theirpardon. "

"But this is madness! Why? Why should you?"

"I must remind you, Prasville, that you gave me your word. .. "

"Yes. .. Yes. .. I know. .. But the thing is so unexpected. .. "

"Why?"

"Why? For all sorts of reasons!"

"What reasons?"

"Well. .. Well, but. .. Think! Gilbert and Vaucheray have been sentencedto death!"

"Send them to penal servitude: that's all you have to do. "

"Impossible! The case has created an enormous sensation. They are ArseneLupin's accomplices. The whole world knows about the verdict. "

"Well?"

"Well, we cannot, no, we cannot go against the decrees of justice. "

"You are not asked to do that. You are asked for a commutation ofpunishment as an act of mercy. Mercy is a legal thing. "

"The pardoning-commission has given its finding. .. "

"True, but there remains the president of the Republic. "

"He has refused. "

"He can reconsider his refusal. "

"Impossible!"

"Why?"

"There's no excuse for it. "

"He needs no excuse. The right of mercy is absolute. It is exercisedwithout control, without reason, without excuse or explanation. It is aroyal prerogative; the president of the Republic can wield it accordingto his good pleasure, or rather according to his conscience, in the bestinterests of the State. "

"But it is too late! Everything is ready. The execution is to take placein a few hours. "

"One hour is long enough to obtain your answer; you have just told usso. "

"But this is confounded madness! There are insuperable obstacles to yourconditions. I tell you again, it's impossible, physically impossible. "

"Then the answer is no?"

"No! No! A thousand times no!"

"In that case, there is nothing left for us to do but to go. "

She moved toward the door. M. Nicole followed her. Prasville boundedacross the room and barred their way:

"Where are you going?"

"Well, my friend, it seems to me that our conversation is at an end. Asyou appear to think, as, in fact, you are certain that the president ofthe Republic will not consider the famous list of the Twenty-seven to beworth. .. "

"Stay where you are, " said Prasville. 

He turned the key in the door and began to pace the room, with his handsbehind his back and his eyes fixed on the floor. 

And Lupin, who had not breathed a word during the whole of this sceneand who had prudently contented himself with playing a colourless part, said to himself:

"What a fuss! What a lot of affectation to arrive at the inevitableresult! As though Prasville, who is not a genius, but not an absoluteblockhead either, would be likely to lose the chance of revenginghimself on his mortal enemy! There, what did I say? The idea of hurlingDaubrecq into the bottomless pit appeals to him. Come, we've won therubber. "

Prasville was opening a small inner door which led to the office of hisprivate secretary. 

He gave an order aloud:

"M. Lartigue, telephone to the Elysee and say that I request the favourof an audience for a communication of the utmost importance. "

He closed the door, came back to Clarisse and said:

"In any case, my intervention is limited to submitting your proposal. "

"Once you submit it, it will be accepted. "

A long silence followed. Clarisse's features expressed so profound adelight that Prasville was struck by it and looked at her with attentivecuriosity. For what mysterious reason did Clarisse wish to save Gilbertand Vaucheray? What was the incomprehensible link that bound her tothose two men? What tragedy connected those three lives and, no doubt, Daubrecq's in addition?

"Go ahead, old boy, " thought Lupin, "cudgel your brains: you'll neverspot it! Ah, if we had asked for Gilbert's pardon only, as Clarissewished, you might have twigged the secret! But Vaucheray, that brute ofa Vaucheray, there really could not be the least bond between Mme. Mergyand him. .. . Aha, by Jingo, it's my turn now!. .. He's watching me . .. Theinward soliloquy is turning upon myself. .. 'I wonder who that M. Nicolecan be? Why has that little provincial usher devoted himself body andsoul to Clarisse Mergy? Who is that old bore, if the truth were known? Imade a mistake in not inquiring. .. I must look into this. .. . I mustrip off the beggar's mask. For, after all, it's not natural that a manshould take so much trouble about a matter in which he is not directlyinterested. Why should he also wish to save Gilbert and Vaucheray?Why? Why should he?. .. " Lupin turned his head away. "Look out!. .. Lookout!. .. There's a notion passing through that red-tape-merchant's skull:a confused notion which he can't put into words. Hang it all, he mustn'tsuspect M. Lupin under M. Nicole! The thing's complicated enough as itis, in all conscience!. .. "

But there was a welcome interruption. Prasville's secretary came to saythat the audience would take place in an hour's time. 

"Very well. Thank you, " said Prasville. "That will do. "

And, resuming the interview, with no further circumlocution, speakinglike a man who means to put a thing through, he declared:

"I think that we shall be able to manage it. But, first of all, so thatI may do what I have undertaken to do, I want more precise information, fuller details. Where was the paper?"

"In the crystal stopper, as we thought, " said Mme. Mergy. 

"And where was the crystal stopper?"

"In an object which Daubrecq came and fetched, a few days ago, from thewriting-desk in his study in the Square Lamartine, an object which Itook from him yesterday. "

"What sort of object?"

"Simply a packet of tobacco, Maryland tobacco, which used to lie abouton the desk. "

Prasville was petrified. He muttered, guilelessly:

"Oh, if I had only known! I've had my hand on that packet of Maryland adozen times! How stupid of me!"

"What does it matter?" said Clarisse. "The great thing is that thediscovery is made. "

Prasville pulled a face which implied that the discovery would have beenmuch pleasanter if he himself had made it. Then he asked:

"So you have the list?"

"Yes. "

"Show it to me. "

And, when Clarisse hesitated, he added:

"Oh, please, don't be afraid! The list belongs to you, and I will giveit back to you. But you must understand that I cannot take the step inquestion without making certain. "

Clarisse consulted M. Nicole with a glance which did not escapePrasville. Then she said:

"Here it is. "

He seized the scrap of paper with a certain excitement, examined it andalmost immediately said:

"Yes, yes. .. The secretary's writing: I recognize it. .. . And thesignature of the chairman of the company: the signature in red. .. . Besides, I have other proofs. .. . For instance, the torn piece whichcompletes the left-hand top corner of this sheet. .. "

He opened his safe and, from a special cash-box, produced a tiny pieceof paper which he put against the top left corner:

"That's right. The torn edges fit exactly. The proof is undeniable. Allthat remains is to verify the make of this foreign-post-paper. "

Clarisse was radiant with delight. No one would have believed that themost terrible torture had racked her for weeks and weeks and that shewas still bleeding and quivering from its effects. 

While Prasville was holding the paper against a window-pane, she said toLupin:

"I insist upon having Gilbert informed this evening. He must be soawfully unhappy!"

"Yes, " said Lupin. "Besides, you can go to his lawyer and tell him. "

She continued:

"And then I must see Gilbert to-morrow. Prasville can think what helikes. "

"Of course. But he must first gain his cause at the Elysee. "

"There can't be any difficulty, can there?"

"No. You saw that he gave way at once. "

Prasville continued his examination with the aid of a magnifying-glassand compared the sheet with the scrap of torn paper. Next, he took fromthe cash-box some other sheets of letter-paper and examined one of theseby holding it up to the light:

"That's done, " he said. "My mind is made up. Forgive me, dear friend: itwas a very difficult piece of work. .. . I passed through various stages. When all is said, I had my suspicions. .. And not without cause. .. "

"What do you mean?" asked Clarisse. 

"One second. .. . I must give an order first. "

He called his secretary:

"Please telephone at once to the Elysee, make my apologies and saythat I shall not require the audience, for reasons which I will explainlater. "

He closed the door and returned to his desk. Clarisse and Lupin stoodchoking, looking at him in stupefaction, failing to understand thissudden change. Was he mad? Was it a trick on his part? A breach offaith? And was he refusing to keep his promise, now that he possessedthe list?

He held it out to Clarisse:

"You can have it back. "

"Have it back?"

"And return it to Daubrecq. "

"To Daubrecq?"

"Unless you prefer to burn it. "

"What do you say?"

"I say that, if I were in your place, I would burn it. "

"Why do you say that? It's ridiculous!"

"On the contrary, it is very sensible. "

"But why? Why?"

"Why? I will tell you. The list of the Twenty-seven, as we know forabsolutely certain, was written on a sheet of letter-paper belonging tothe chairman of the Canal Company, of which there are a few samples inthis cash-box. Now all these samples have as a water-mark a little crossof Lorraine which is almost invisible, but which can just be seen in thethickness of the paper when you hold it up to the light. The sheet whichyou have brought me does not contain that little cross of Lorraine. " [*]

 * The Cross of Lorraine is a cross with two horizontal lines or bars across the upper half of the perpendicular beam. --Translator's Note. 

Lupin felt a nervous trembling shake him from head to foot and he darednot turn his eyes on Clarisse, realizing what a terrible blow this wasto her. He heard her stammer:

"Then are we to suppose. .. That Daubrecq was taken in?"

"Not a bit of it!" exclaimed Prasville. "It is you who have been takenin, my poor friend. Daubrecq has the real list, the list which he stolefrom the dying man's safe. "

"But this one. .. "

"This one is a forgery. "

"A forgery?"

"An undoubted forgery. It was an admirable piece of cunning onDaubrecq's part. Dazzled by the crystal stopper which he flashed beforeyour eyes, you did nothing but look for that stopper in which he hadstowed away no matter what, the first bit of paper that came to hand, while he quietly kept. .. "

Prasville interrupted himself. Clarisse was walking up to him withshort, stiff steps, like an automaton. She said:

"Then. .. "

"Then what, dear friend?"

"You refuse?"

"Certainly, I am obliged to; I have no choice. "

"You refuse to take that step?"

"Look here, how can I do what you ask? It's not possible, on thestrength of a valueless document. .. "

"You won't do it?. .. You won't do it?. .. And, to-morrow morning. .. In afew hours. .. Gilbert. .. "

She was frightfully pale, her face sunk, like the face of one dying. Hereyes opened wider and wider and her teeth chattered. .. 

Lupin, fearing the useless and dangerous words which she was about toutter, seized her by the shoulders and tried to drag her away. But shethrust him back with indomitable strength, took two or three more steps, staggered, as though on the point of falling, and, suddenly, in a burstof energy and despair, laid hold of Prasville and screamed:

"You shall go to the Elysee!. .. You shall go at once!. .. You must!. .. You must save Gilbert!"

"Please, please, my dear friend, calm yourself. .. "

She gave a strident laugh:

"Calm myself!. .. When, to-morrow morning, Gilbert. .. Ah, no, no, I amterrified. .. It's appalling. .. . Oh, run, you wretch, run! Obtain hispardon!. .. Don't you understand? Gilbert. .. Gilbert is my son! My son!My son!"

Prasville gave a cry. The blade of a knife flashed in Clarisse's handand she raised her arm to strike herself. But the movement was notcompleted. M. Nicole caught her arm in its descent and, taking the knifefrom Clarisse, reducing her to helplessness, he said, in a voice thatrang through the room like steel:

"What you are doing is madness!. .. When I gave you my oath that I wouldsave him! You must. .. Live for him. .. Gilbert shall not die. .. . How canhe die, when. .. I gave you my oath?. .. "

"Gilbert. .. My son. .. " moaned Clarisse. 

He clasped her fiercely, drew her against himself and put his hand overher mouth:

"Enough! Be quiet!. .. I entreat you to be quiet. .. . Gilbert shall notdie. .. "

With irresistible authority, he dragged her away like a subdued childthat suddenly becomes obedient; but, at the moment of opening the door, he turned to Prasville:

"Wait for me here, monsieur, " he commanded, in an imperative tone. "Ifyou care about that list of the Twenty-seven, the real list, wait forme. I shall be back in an hour, in two hours, at most; and then we willtalk business. "

And abruptly, to Clarisse:

"And you, madame, a little courage yet. I command you to show courage, in Gilbert's name. "

He went away, through the passages, down the stairs, with a jerky step, holding Clarisse under the arm, as he might have held a lay-figure, supporting her, carrying her almost. A court-yard, another court-yard, then the street. 

Meanwhile, Prasville, surprised at first, bewildered by the course ofevents, was gradually recovering his composure and thinking. He thoughtof that M. Nicole, a mere supernumerary at first, who played besideClarisse the part of one of those advisers to whom we cling in theserious crises of our lives and who suddenly, shaking off his torpor, appeared in the full light of day, resolute, masterful, mettlesome, brimming over with daring, ready to overthrow all the obstacles thatfate placed on his path. 

Who was there that was capable of acting thus?

Prasville started. The question had no sooner occurred to his mind thanthe answer flashed on him, with absolute certainty. All the proofs roseup, each more exact, each more convincing than the last. 

Hurriedly he rang. Hurriedly he sent for the chief detective-inspectoron duty. And, feverishly:

"Were you in the waiting-room, chief-inspector?"

"Yes, monsieur le secretaire-general. "

"Did you see a gentleman and a lady go out?"

"Yes. "

"Would you know the man again?"

"Yes. "

"Then don't lose a moment, chief-inspector. Take six inspectors withyou. Go to the Place de Clichy. Make inquiries about a man called Nicoleand watch the house. The Nicole man is on his way back there. "

"And if he comes out, monsieur le secretaire-general?"

"Arrest him. Here's a warrant. "

He sat down to his desk and wrote a name on a form:

"Here you are, chief-inspector. I will let the chief-detective know. "

The chief-inspector seemed staggered:

"But you spoke to me of a man called Nicole, monsieur lesecretaire-general. "

"Well?"

"The warrant is in the name of Arsene Lupin. "

"Arsene Lupin and the Nicole man are one and the same individual. "

CHAPTER XII. THE SCAFFOLD

"I will save him, I will save him, " Lupin repeated, without ceasing, inthe taxicab in which he and Clarisse drove away. "I swear that I willsave him. "

Clarisse did not listen, sat as though numbed, as though possessed bysome great nightmare of death, which left her ignorant of all that washappening outside her. And Lupin set forth his plans, perhaps more toreassure himself than to convince Clarisse. "No, no, the game is notlost yet. There is one trump left, a huge trump, in the shape of theletters and documents which Vorenglade, the ex-deputy, is offering tosell to Daubrecq and of which Daubrecq spoke to you yesterday at Nice. I shall buy those letters and documents of Stanislas Vorengladeat whatever price he chooses to name. Then we shall go back to thepolice-office and I shall say to Prasville, 'Go to the Elysee at once. .. Use the list as though it were genuine, save Gilbert from death andbe content to acknowledge to-morrow, when Gilbert is saved, that thelist is forged. 

"'Be off, quickly!. .. If you refuse, well, if you refuse, the Vorengladeletters and documents shall be reproduced to-morrow, Tuesday, morningin one of the leading newspapers. ' Vorenglade will be arrested. And M. Prasville will find himself in prison before night. "

Lupin rubbed his hands:

"He'll do as he's told!. .. He'll do as he's told!. .. I felt that atonce, when I was with him. The thing appeared to me as a dead certainty. And I found Vorenglade's address in Daubrecq's pocket-books, so. .. Driver, Boulevard Raspail!"

They went to the address given. Lupin sprang from the cab, ran up threeflights of stairs. 

The servant said that M. Vorenglade was away and would not be back untildinner-time next evening. 

"And don't you know where he is?"

"M. Vorenglade is in London, sir. "

Lupin did not utter a word on returning to the cab. Clarisse, on herside, did not even ask him any questions, so indifferent had she becometo everything, so absolutely did she look upon her son's death as anaccomplished fact. 

They drove to the Place de Cichy. As Lupin entered the house hepassed two men who were just leaving the porter's box. He was too muchengrossed to notice them. They were Prasville's inspectors. 

"No telegram?" he asked his servant. 

"No, governor, " replied Achille. 

"No news of the Masher and the Growler?"

"No, governor, none. "

"That's all right, " he said to Clarisse, in a casual tone. "It's onlyseven o'clock and we mustn't reckon on seeing them before eight or nine. Prasville will have to wait, that's all. I will telephone to him towait. "

He did so and was hanging up the receiver, when he heard a moan behindhim. Clarisse was standing by the table, reading an evening-paper. Sheput her hand to her heart, staggered and fell. 

"Achille, Achille!" cried Lupin, calling his man. "Help me put her on mybed. .. And then go to the cupboard and get me the medicine-bottle markednumber four, the bottle with the sleeping-draught. "

He forced open her teeth with the point of a knife and compelled her toswallow half the bottle:

"Good, " he said. "Now the poor thing won't wake till to-morrow. .. After. "

He glanced through the paper, which was still clutched in Clarisse'hand, and read the following lines:

 "The strictest measures have been taken to keep order at the execution of Gilbert and Vaucheray, lest Arsene Lupin should make an attempt to rescue his accomplices from the last penalty. At twelve o'clock to-night a cordon of troops will be drawn across all the approaches to the Sante Prison. As already stated, the execution will take place outside the prison-walls, in the square formed by the Boulevard Arago and the Rue de la Sante. 

 "We have succeeded in obtaining some details of the attitude of the two condemned men. Vaucheray observes a stolid sullenness and is awaiting the fatal event with no little courage:

 "'Crikey, ' he says, 'I can't say I'm delighted; but I've got to go through it and I shall keep my end up. ' And he adds, 'Death I don't care a hang about! What worries me is the thought that they're going to cut my head off. Ah, if the governor could only hit on some trick to send me straight off to the next world before I had time to say knife! A drop of Prussic acid, governor, if you please!'

 "Gilbert's calmness is even more impressive, especially when we remember how he broke down at the trial. He retains an unshaken confidence in the omnipotence of Arsene Lupin:

 "'The governor shouted to me before everybody not to be afraid, that he was there, that he answered for everything. Well, I'm not afraid. I shall rely on him until the last day, until the last minute, at the very foot of the scaffold. I know the governor! There's no danger with him. He has promised and he will keep his word. If my head were off, he'd come and clap it on my shoulders and firmly! Arsene Lupin allow his chum Gilbert to die? Not he! Excuse my humour!'

 "There is a certain touching frankness in all this enthusiasm which is not without a dignity of its own. We shall see if Arsene Lupin deserves the confidence so blindly placed in him. "

Lupin was hardly able to finish reading the article for the tears thatdimmed his eyes: tears of affection, tears of pity, tears of distress. 

No, he did not deserve the confidence of his chum Gilbert. Certainly, hehad performed impossibilities; but there are circumstances in which wemust perform more than impossibilities, in which we must show ourselvesstronger than fate; and, this time, fate had been stronger than he. Eversince the first day and throughout this lamentable adventure, events hadgone contrary to his anticipations, contrary to logic itself. Clarisseand he, though pursuing an identical aim, had wasted weeks in fightingeach other. Then, at the moment when they were uniting their efforts, aseries of ghastly disasters had come one after the other: the kidnappingof little Jacques, Daubrecq's disappearance, his imprisonment in theLovers' Tower, Lupin's wound, his enforced inactivity, followed by thecunning manoeuvres that dragged Clarisse--and Lupin after her--tothe south, to Italy. And then, as a crowning catastrophe, when, afterprodigies of will-power, after miracles of perseverance, they wereentitled to think that the Golden Fleece was won, it all came tonothing. The list of the Twenty-seven had no more value than the mostinsignificant scrap of paper. 

"The game's up!" said Lupin. "It's an absolute defeat. What if I dorevenge myself on Daubrecq, ruin him and destroy him? He is the realvictor, once Gilbert is going to die. "

He wept anew, not with spite or rage, but with despair. Gilbert wasgoing to die! The lad whom he called his chum, the best of his palswould be gone for ever, in a few hours. He could not save him. He was atthe end of his tether. He did not even look round for a last expedient. What was the use?

And his persuasion of his own helplessness was so deep, so definite thathe felt no shock of any kind on receiving a telegram from the Masherthat said:

 "Motor accident. Essential part broken. Long repair. Arrive to-morrow morning. "

It was a last proof to show that fate had uttered its decree. He nolonger thought of rebelling against the decision. 

He looked at Clarisse. She was peacefully sleeping; and this totaloblivion, this absence of all consciousness, seemed to him so enviablethat, suddenly yielding to a fit of cowardice, he seized the bottle, still half-filled with the sleeping-draught, and drank it down. 

Then he stretched himself on a couch and rang for his man:

"Go to bed, Achille, and don't wake me on any pretence whatever. "

"Then there's nothing to be done for Gilbert and Vaucheray, governor?"said Achille. 

"Nothing. "

"Are they going through it?"

"They are going through it. "

Twenty minutes later Lupin fell into a heavy sleep. It was ten o'clockin the evening. 

The night was full of incident and noise around the prison. At oneo'clock in the morning the Rue de la Sante, the Boulevard Arago and allthe streets abutting on the gaol were guarded by police, who allowed noone to pass without a regular cross-examination. 

For that matter, it was raining in torrents; and it seemed as thoughthe lovers of this sort of show would not be very numerous. Thepublic-houses were all closed by special order. At four o'clock threecompanies of infantry came and took up their positions along thepavements, while a battalion occupied the Boulevard Arago in case ofa surprise. Municipal guards cantered up and down between the lines; awhole staff of police-magistrates, officers and functionaries, broughttogether for the occasion, moved about among the troops. 

The guillotine was set up in silence, in the middle of the square formedby the boulevard and the street; and the sinister sound of hammering washeard. 

But, at five o'clock, the crowd gathered, notwithstanding the rain, andpeople began to sing. They shouted for the footlights, called for thecurtain to rise, were exasperated to see that, at the distance at whichthe barriers had been fixed, they could hardly distinguish the uprightsof the guillotine. 

Several carriages drove up, bringing official persons dressed in black. There were cheers and hoots, whereupon a troop of mounted municipalguards scattered the groups and cleared the space to a distance of threehundred yards from the square. Two fresh companies of soldiers lined up. 

And suddenly there was a great silence. A vague white light fell fromthe dark sky. The rain ceased abruptly. 

Inside the prison, at the end of the passage containing the condemnedcells, the men in black were conversing in low voices. Prasville wastalking to the public prosecutor, who expressed his fears:

"No, no, " declared Prasville, "I assure you, it will pass without anincident of any kind. "

"Do your reports mention nothing at all suspicious, monsieur lesecretaire-general?"

"Nothing. And they can't mention anything, for the simple reason that wehave Lupin. "

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, we know his hiding-place. The house where he lives, on the Placede Clichy, and where he went at seven o'clock last night, is surrounded. Moreover, I know the scheme which he had contrived to save his twoaccomplices. The scheme miscarried at the last moment. We have nothingto fear, therefore. The law will take its course. "

Meanwhile, the hour had struck. 

They took Vaucheray first; and the governor of the prison ordered thedoor of his cell to be opened. Vaucheray leapt out of bed and cast eyesdilated with terror upon the men who entered. 

"Vaucheray, we have come to tell you. .. "

"Stow that, stow that, " he muttered. "No words. I know all about it. Geton with the business. "

One would have thought that he was in a hurry for it to be over as fastas possible, so readily did he submit to the usual preparations. But hewould not allow any of them to speak to him:

"No words, " he repeated. "What? Confess to the priest? Not worth while. I have shed blood. The law sheds my blood. It's the good old rule. We'requits. "

Nevertheless, he stopped short for a moment:

"I say, is my mate going through it too?"

And, when he heard that Gilbert would go to the scaffold at the sametime as himself, he had two or three seconds of hesitation, glancedat the bystanders, seemed about to speak, was silent and, at last, muttered:

"It's better so. .. . They'll pull us through together. .. We'll clinkglasses together. "

Gilbert was not asleep either, when the men entered his cell. 

Sitting on his bed, he listened to the terrible words, tried to standup, began to tremble frightfully, from head to foot, like a skeletonwhen shaken, and then fell back, sobbing:

"Oh, my poor mummy, poor mummy!" he stammered. 

They tried to question him about that mother, of whom he had neverspoken; but his tears were interrupted by a sudden fit of rebellion andhe cried:

"I have done no murder. .. I won't die. I have done no murder. .. "

"Gilbert, " they said, "show yourself a man. "

"Yes, yes. .. But I have done no murder. .. Why should I die?"

His teeth chattered so loudly that words which he uttered becameunintelligible. He let the men do their work, made his confession, heardmass and then, growing calmer and almost docile, with the voice of alittle child resigning itself, murmured:

"Tell my mother that I beg her forgiveness. "

"Your mother?"

"Yes. .. Put what I say in the papers. .. She will understand. .. Andthen. .. "

"What, Gilbert?"

"Well, I want the governor to know that I have not lost confidence. "

He gazed at the bystanders, one after the other, as though heentertained the mad hope that "the governor" was one of them, disguisedbeyond recognition and ready to carry him off in his arms:

"Yes, " he said, gently and with a sort of religious piety, "yes, I stillhave confidence, even at this moment. .. Be sure and let him know, won'tyou?. .. I am positive that he will not let me die. I am certain ofit. .. "

They guessed, from the fixed look in his eyes, that he saw Lupin, thathe felt Lupin's shadow prowling around and seeking an inlet throughwhich to get to him. And never was anything more touching than the sightof that stripling--clad in the strait-jacket, with his arms and legsbound, guarded by thousands of men--whom the executioner already held inhis inexorable hand and who, nevertheless, hoped on. 

Anguish wrung the hearts of all the beholders. Their eyes were dimmedwith tears:

"Poor little chap!" stammered some one. 

Prasville, touched like the rest and thinking of Clarisse, repeated, ina whisper:

"Poor little chap!"

But the hour struck, the preparations were finished. They set out. 

The two processions met in the passage. Vaurheray, on seeing Gilbert, snapped out:

"I say, kiddie, the governor's chucked us!"

And he added a sentence which nobody, save Prasville, was able tounderstand:

"Expect he prefers to pocket the proceeds of the crystal stopper. "

They went down the staircases. They crossed the prison-yards. Anendless, horrible distance. 

And, suddenly, in the frame of the great doorway, the wan light of day, the rain, the street, the outlines of houses, while far-off sounds camethrough the awful silence. 

They walked along the wall, to the corner of the boulevard. 

A few steps farther Vaucheray started back: he had seen!

Gilbert crept along, with lowered head, supported by an executioner'sassistant and by the chaplain, who made him kiss the crucifix as hewent. 

There stood the guillotine. 

"No, no, " shouted Gilbert, "I won't. .. I won't. .. Help! Help!"

A last appeal, lost in space. 

The executioner gave a signal. Vaucheray was laid hold of, lifted, dragged along, almost at a run. 

And then came this staggering thing: a shot, a shot fired from the otherside, from one of the houses opposite. 

The assistants stopped short. 

The burden which they were dragging had collapsed in their arms. 

"What is it? What's happened?" asked everybody. 

"He's wounded. .. "

Blood spurted from Vaucheray's forehead and covered his face. 

He spluttered:

"That's done it. .. One in a thousand! Thank you, governor, thank you. "

"Finish him off! Carry him there!" said a voice, amid the generalconfusion. 

"But he's dead!"

"Get on with it. .. Finish him off!"

Tumult was at its height, in the little group of magistrates, officialsand policemen. Every one was giving orders:

"Execute him!. .. The law must take its course!. .. We have no right todelay! It would be cowardice!. .. Execute him!"

"But the man's dead!"

"That makes no difference!. .. The law must be obeyed!. .. Execute him!"

The chaplain protested, while two warders and Prasville kept their eyeson Gilbert. In the meantime, the assistants had taken up the corpseagain and were carrying it to the guillotine. 

"Hurry up!" cried the executioner, scared and hoarse-voiced. "Hurry up!. .. And the other one to follow. .. Waste no time. .. "

He had not finished speaking, when a second report rang out. He spunround on his heels and fell, groaning:

"It's nothing. .. A wound in the shoulder. .. Go on. .. The next one'sturn!"

But his assistants were running away, yelling with terror. The spacearound the guillotine was cleared. And the prefect of police, rallyinghis men, drove everybody back to the prison, helter-skelter, like adisordered rabble: the magistrates, the officials, the condemned man, the chaplain, all who had passed through the archway two or threeminutes before. 

In the meanwhile, a squad of policemen, detectives and soldiers wererushing upon the house, a little old-fashioned, three-storied house, with a ground-floor occupied by two shops which happened to be empty. Immediately after the first shot, they had seen, vaguely, at one ofthe windows on the second floor, a man holding a rifle in his hand andsurrounded with a cloud of smoke. 

Revolver-shots were fired at him, but missed him. He, standing calmly ona table, took aim a second time, fired from the shoulder; and the crackof the second report was heard. Then he withdrew into the room. 

Down below, as nobody answered the peal at the bell, the assailantsdemolished the door, which gave way almost immediately. They made forthe staircase, but their onrush was at once stopped, on the firstfloor, by an accumulation of beds, chairs and other furniture, forminga regular barricade and so close-entangled that it took the aggressorsfour or five minutes to clear themselves a passage. 

Those four or five minutes lost were enough to render all pursuithopeless. When they reached the second floor they heard a voice shoutingfrom above:

"This way, friends! Eighteen stairs more. A thousand apologies forgiving you so much trouble!"

They ran up those eighteen stairs and nimbly at that! But, at the top, above the third story, was the garret, which was reached by a ladder anda trapdoor. And the fugitive had taken away the ladder and bolted thetrapdoor. 

The reader will not have forgotten the sensation created by this amazingaction, the editions of the papers issued in quick succession, thenewsboys tearing and shouting through the streets, the whole metropolison edge with indignation and, we may say, with anxious curiosity. 

But it was at the headquarters of police that the excitement developedinto a paroxysm. Men flung themselves about on every side. Messages, telegrams, telephone calls followed one upon the other. 

At last, at eleven o'clock in the morning, there was a meeting inthe office of the prefect of police, and Prasville was there. Thechief-detective read a report of his inquiry, the results of whichamounted to this: shortly before midnight yesterday some one had rungat the house on the Boulevard Arago. The portress, who slept in a smallroom on the ground-floor, behind one of the shops pulled the rope. A mancame and tapped at her door. He said that he had come from the police onan urgent matter concerning to-morrow's execution. The portress openedthe door and was at once attacked, gagged and bound. 

Ten minutes later a lady and gentleman who lived on the first floor andwho had just come home were also reduced to helplessness by the sameindividual and locked up, each in one of the two empty shops. Thethird-floor tenant underwent a similar fate, but in his own flat and hisown bedroom, which the man was able to enter without being heard. Thesecond floor was unoccupied, and the man took up his quarters there. Hewas now master of the house. 

"And there we are!" said the prefect of police, beginning to laugh, witha certain bitterness. "There we are! It's as simple as shelling peas. Only, what surprises me is that he was able to get away so easily. "

"I will ask you to observe, monsieur le prefet, that, being absolutemaster of the house from one o'clock in the morning, he had until fiveo'clock to prepare his flight. "

"And that flight took place. .. ?"

"Over the roofs. At that spot the houses in the next street, the Rue dela Glaciere, are quite near and there is only one break in the roofs, about three yards wide, with a drop of one yard in height. "

"Well?"

"Well, our man had taken away the ladder leading to the garret and usedit as a foot-bridge. After crossing to the next block of buildings, allhe had to do was to look through the windows until he found an emptyattic, enter one of the houses in the Rue de la Glaciere and walk outquietly with his hands in his pockets. In this way his flight, dulyprepared beforehand, was effected very simply and without the leastobstacle. "

"But you had taken the necessary measures. "

"Those which you ordered, monsieur le prefet. My men spent three hourslast evening visiting all the houses, so as to make sure that there wasno stranger hiding there. At the moment when they were leaving the lasthouse I had the street barred. Our man must have slipped through duringthat few minutes' interval. "

"Capital! Capital! And there is no doubt in your minds, of course: it'sArsene Lupin?"

"Not a doubt. In the first place, it was all a question of hisaccomplices. And then. .. And then. .. No one but Arsene Lupin wascapable of contriving such a master-stroke and carrying it out with thatinconceivable boldness. "

"But, in that case, " muttered the prefect of police--and, turning toPrasville, he continued--"but, in that case, my dear Prasville, the fellow of whom you spoke to me, the fellow whom you and thechief-detective have had watched since yesterday evening, in his flat inthe Place de Clichy, that fellow is not Arsene Lupin?"

"Yes, he is, monsieur le prefet. There is no doubt about that either. "

"Then why wasn't he arrested when he went out last night?"

"He did not go out. "

"I say, this is getting complicated!"

"It's quite simple, monsieur le prefet. Like all the houses in whichtraces of Arsene Lupin are to be found, the house in the Place de Cichyhas two outlets. "

"And you didn't know it?"

"I didn't know it. I only discovered it this morning, on inspecting theflat. "

"Was there no one in the flat?"

"No. The servant, a man called Achille, went away this morning, takingwith him a lady who was staying with Lupin. "

"What was the lady's name?"

"I don't know, " replied Prasville, after an imperceptible hesitation. 

"But you know the name under which Arsene Lupin passed?"

"Yes. M. Nicole, a private tutor, master of arts and so on. Here is hiscard. "

As Prasville finished speaking, an office-messenger came to tell theprefect of police that he was wanted immediately at the Elysee. Theprime minister was there already. 

"I'm coming, " he said. And he added, between his teeth, "It's to decideupon Gilbert's fate. "

Prasville ventured:

"Do you think they will pardon him, monsieur le prefet?"

"Never! After last night's affair, it would make a most deplorableimpression. Gilbert must pay his debt to-morrow morning. "

The messenger had, at the same time, handed Prasville a visiting-card. Prasville now looked at it, gave a start and muttered:

"Well, I'm hanged! What a nerve!"

"What's the matter?" asked the prefect of police. 

"Nothing, nothing, monsieur le prefet, " declared Prasville, who did notwish to share with another the honour of seeing this business through. "Nothing. .. An unexpected visit. .. I hope soon to have the pleasure oftelling you the result. "

And he walked away, mumbling, with an air of amazement:

"Well, upon my word! What a nerve the beggar has! What a nerve!"

The visiting-card which he held in his hand bore these words:

 M. Nicole, Master of Arts, Private Tutor. 

CHAPTER XIII. THE LAST BATTLE

When Prasville returned to his office he saw M. Nicole sitting on abench in the waiting-room, with his bent back, his ailing air, hisgingham umbrella, his rusty hat and his single glove:

"It's he all right, " said Prasville, who had feared for a moment thatLupin might have sent another M. Nicole to see him. "And the fact thathe has come in person proves that he does not suspect that I have seenthrough him. " And, for the third time, he said, "All the same, what anerve!"

He shut the door of his office and called his secretary:

"M. Lartigue, I am having a rather dangerous person shown in here. Thechances are that he will have to leave my office with the bracelets on. As soon as he is in my room, make all the necessary arrangements: sendfor a dozen inspectors and have them posted in the waiting-room and inyour office. And take this as a definite instruction: the moment I ring, you are all to come in, revolvers in hand, and surround the fellow. Doyou quite understand?"

"Yes, monsieur le secretaire-general. "

"Above all, no hesitation. A sudden entrance, in a body, revolvers inhand. Send M. Nicole in, please. "

As soon as he was alone, Prasville covered the push of an electric bellon his desk with some papers and placed two revolvers of respectabledimensions behind a rampart of books. 

"And now, " he said to himself, "to sit tight. If he has the list, let'scollar it. If he hasn't, let's collar him. And, if possible, let'scollar both. Lupin and the list of the Twenty-seven, on the same day, especially after the scandal of this morning, would be a scoop in athousand. "

There was a knock at the door. 

"Come in!" said Prasville. 

And, rising from his seat:

"Come in, M. Nicole, come in. "

M. Nicole crept timidly into the room, sat down on the extreme edge ofthe chair to which Prasville pointed and said:

"I have come. .. To resume. .. Our conversation of yesterday. .. Pleaseexcuse the delay, monsieur. "

"One second, " said Prasville. "Will you allow me?"

He stepped briskly to the outer room and, seeing his secretary:

"I was forgetting, M. Lartigue. Have the staircases and passagessearched. .. In case of accomplices. "

He returned, settled himself comfortably, as though for a long andinteresting conversation, and began:

"You were saying, M. Nicole?"

"I was saying, monsieur le secretaire-general, that I must apologizefor keeping you waiting yesterday evening. I was detained by differentmatters. First of all, Mme. Mergy. .. . "

"Yes, you had to see Mme. Mergy home. "

"Just so, and to look after her. You can understand the poor thing'sdespair. .. Her son Gilbert so near death. .. And such a death!. .. At thattime we could only hope for a miracle. .. An impossible miracle. I myselfwas resigned to the inevitable. .. You know as well as I do, when fateshows itself implacable, one ends by despairing. "

"But I thought, " observed Prasville, "that your intention, on leavingme, was to drag Daubrecq's secret from him at all costs. "

"Certainly. But Daubrecq was not in Paris. "

"Oh?"

"No. He was on his way to Paris in a motor-car. "

"Have you a motor-car, M. Nicole?"

"Yes, when I need it: an out-of-date concern, an old tin kettle ofsorts. Well, he was on his way to Paris in a motor-car, or rather onthe roof of a motor-car, inside a trunk in which I packed him. But, unfortunately, the motor was unable to reach Paris until after theexecution. Thereupon. .. "

Prasville stared at M. Nicole with an air of stupefaction. If he hadretained the least doubt of the individual's real identity, this mannerof dealing with Daubrecq would have removed it. By Jingo! To pack a manin a trunk and pitch him on the top of a motorcar!. .. No one but Lupinwould indulge in such a freak, no one but Lupin would confess it withthat ingenuous coolness!

"Thereupon, " echoed Prasville, "you decided what?"

"I cast about for another method. "

"What method?"

"Why, surely, monsieur le secretaire-general, you know as well as I do!"

"How do you mean?"

"Why, weren't you at the execution?"

"I was. "

"In that case, you saw both Vaucheray and the executioner hit, onemortally, the other with a slight wound. And you can't fail to see. .. "

"Oh, " exclaimed Prasville, dumbfounded, "you confess it? It was you whofired the shots, this morning?"

"Come, monsieur le secretaire-general, think! What choice had I? Thelist of the Twenty-seven which you examined was a forgery. Daubrecq, whopossessed the genuine one, would not arrive until a few hours after theexecution. There was therefore but one way for me to save Gilbert andobtain his pardon; and that was to delay the execution by a few hours. "

"Obviously. "

"Well, of course. By killing that infamous brute, that hardenedcriminal, Vaucheray, and wounding the executioner, I spread disorder andpanic; I made Gilbert's execution physically and morally impossible; andI thus gained the few hours which were indispensable for my purpose. "

"Obviously, " repeated Prasville. 

"Well, of course, " repeated Lupin, "it gives us all--the government, the president and myself--time to reflect and to see the question in aclearer light. What do you think of it, monsieur le secretaire-general?"

Prasville thought a number of things, especially that this Nicole wasgiving proof, to use a vulgar phrase, of the most infernal cheek, ofa cheek so great that Prasville felt inclined to ask himself if he wasreally right in identifying Nicole with Lupin and Lupin with Nicole. 

"I think, M. Nicole, that a man has to be a jolly good shot to kill aperson whom he wants to kill, at a distance of a hundred yards, and towound another person whom he only wants to wound. "

"I have had some little practice, " said M. Nicole, with modest air. 

"And I also think that your plan can only be the fruit of a longpreparation. "

"Not at all! That's where you're wrong! It was absolutely spontaneous!If my servant, or rather the servant of the friend who lent me his flatin the Place de Clichy, had not shaken me out of my sleep, to tellme that he had once served as a shopman in that little house on theBoulevard Arago, that it did not hold many tenants and that there mightbe something to be done there, our poor Gilbert would have had his headcut off by now. .. And Mme. Mergy would most likely be dead. "

"Oh, you think so?"

"I am sure of it. And that was why I jumped at that faithfulretainer's suggestion. Only, you interfered with my plans, monsieur lesecretaire-general. "

"I did?"

"Yes. You must needs go and take the three-cornered precaution ofposting twelve men at the door of my house. I had to climb five flightsof back stairs and go out through the servants' corridor and the nexthouse. Such useless fatigue!"

"I am very sorry, M. Nicole. Another time. .. "

"It was the same thing at eight o'clock this morning, when I was waitingfor the motor which was bringing Daubrecq to me in his trunk: I had tomarch up and down the Place de Clichy, so as to prevent the car fromstopping outside the door of my place and your men from interfering inmy private affairs. Otherwise, once again, Gilbert and Clarisse Mergywould have been lost. "

"But, " said Prasville, "those painful events, it seems to me, are onlydelayed for a day, two days, three days at most. To avert them for goodand all we should want. .. "

"The real list, I suppose?"

"Exactly. And I daresay you haven't got it. "

"Yes, I have. "

"The genuine list?"

"The genuine, the undoubtedly genuine list. "

"With the cross of Lorraine?"

"With the cross of Lorraine. "

Prasville was silent. He was labouring under violent emotion, nowthat the duel was commencing with that adversary of whose terrifyingsuperiority he was well aware; and he shuddered at the idea that ArseneLupin, the formidable Arsene Lupin, was there, in front of him, calm andplacid, pursuing his aims with as much coolness as though he had all theweapons in his hands and were face to face with a disarmed enemy. 

Not yet daring to deliver a frontal attack, feeling almost intimidated, Prasville said:

"So Daubrecq gave it up to you?"

"Daubrecq gives nothing up. I took it. "

"By main force, therefore?"

"Oh, dear, no!" said M. Nicole, laughing. "Of course, I was ready to goto all lengths; and, when that worthy Daubrecq was dug out of the basketin which he had been travelling express, with an occasional dose ofchloroform to keep his strength up, I had prepared things so that thefun might begin at once. Oh, no useless tortures. .. No vain sufferings!No. .. Death, simply. .. You press the point of a long needle on thechest, where the heart is, and insert it gradually, softly and gently. That's all but the point would have been driven by Mme. Mergy. Youunderstand: a mother is pitiless, a mother whose son is about to die!. .. 'Speak, Daubrecq, or I'll go deeper. .. . You won't speak?. .. Then I'llpush another quarter of an inch. .. And another still. ' And the patient'sheart stops beating, the heart that feels the needle coming. .. Andanother quarter of an inch. .. And one more. .. I swear before Heaven thatthe villain would have spoken!. .. We leant over him and waited for himto wake, trembling with impatience, so urgent was our hurry. .. Can't youpicture the scene, monsieur le secretaire-general? The scoundrel lyingon a sofa, well bound, bare-chested, making efforts to throw off thefumes of chloroform that dazed him. He breathes quicker. .. He gasps. .. He recovers consciousness. .. His lips move. .. . Already, Clarisse Mergywhispers, 'It's I. .. It's I, Clarisse. .. Will you answer, you wretch?'She has put her finger on Daubrecq's chest, at the spot where the heartstirs like a little animal hidden under the skin. But she says to me, 'His eyes. .. His eyes. .. I can't see them under the spectacles. .. I wantto see them. .. 'And I also want to see those eyes which I do not know, I want to see their anguish and I want to read in them, before I hear aword, the secret which is about to burst from the inmost recesses ofthe terrified body. I want to see. I long to see. The action which I amabout to accomplish excites me beyond measure. It seems to me that, when I have seen the eyes, the veil will be rent asunder. I shall knowthings. It is a presentiment. It is the profound intuition of the truththat keeps me on tenterhooks. The eye-glasses are gone. But the thickopaque spectacles are there still. And I snatch them off, suddenly. And, suddenly, startled by a disconcerting vision, dazzled by the quick lightthat breaks in upon me and laughing, oh, but laughing fit to break myjaws, with my thumb--do you understand? with my thumb--hop, I force outthe left eye!"

M. Nicole was really laughing, as he said, fit to break his jaws. And hewas no longer the timid little unctuous and obsequious provincial usher, but a well-set-up fellow, who, after reciting and mimicking the wholescene with impressive ardour, was now laughing with a shrill laughterthe sound of which made Prasville's flesh creep:

"Hop! Jump, Marquis! Out of your kennel, Towzer! What's the use of twoeyes? It's one more than you want. Hop! I say, Clarisse, look at itrolling over the carpet! Mind Daubrecq's eye! Be careful with thegrate!"

M. Nicole, who had risen and pretended to be hunting after somethingacross the room, now sat down again, took from his pocket a thing shapedlike a marble, rolled it in the hollow of his hand, chucked it in theair, like a ball, put it back in his fob and said, coolly:

"Daubrecq's left eye. "

Prasville was utterly bewildered. What was his strange visitor drivingat? What did all this story mean? Pale with excitement, he said:

"Explain yourself. "

"But it's all explained, it seems to me. And it fits in so well withthings as they were, fits in with all the conjectures which I had beenmaking in spite of myself and which would inevitably have led to mysolving the mystery, if that damned Daubrecq had not so cleverly sent meastray! Yes, think, follow the trend of my suppositions: 'As the list isnot to be discovered away from Daubrecq, ' I said to myself, 'it cannotexist away from Daubrecq. And, as it is not to be discovered in theclothes he wears, it must be hidden deeper still, in himself, to speakplainly, in his flesh, under his skin. .. "

"In his eye, perhaps?" suggested Prasville, by way of a joke. .. 

"In his eye? Monsieur le secretaire-general, you have said the word. "

"What?"

"I repeat, in his eye. And it is a truth that ought to have occurred tomy mind logically, instead of being revealed to me by accident. And Iwill tell you why. Daubrecq knew that Clarisse had seen a letter fromhim instructing an English manufacturer to 'empty the crystal within, so as to leave a void which it was unpossible to suspect. ' Daubrecq wasbound, in prudence, to divert any attempt at search. And it was for thisreason that he had a crystal stopper made, 'emptied within, ' after amodel supplied by himself. And it is this crystal stopper which you andI have been after for months; and it is this crystal stopper which I dugout of a packet of tobacco. Whereas all I had to do. .. "

"Was what?" asked Prasville, greatly puzzled. 

M. Nicole burst into a fresh fit of laughter:

"Was simply to go for Daubrecq's eye, that eye 'emptied within so as toleave a void which it is impossible to suspect, ' the eye which you seebefore you. "

And M. Nicole once more took the thing from his pocket and rapped thetable with it, producing the sound of a hard body with each rap. 

Prasville whispered, in astonishment:

"A glass eye!"

"Why, of course!" cried M. Nicole, laughing gaily. "A glass eye! Acommon or garden decanter-stopper, which the rascal stuck into hiseyesocket in the place of an eye which he had lost--a decanter-stopper, or, if you prefer, a crystal stopper, but the real one, this time, whichhe faked, which he hid behind the double bulwark of his spectaclesand eye-glasses, which contained and still contains the talisman thatenabled Daubrecq to work as he pleased in safety. "

Prasville lowered his head and put his hand to his forehead to hide hisflushed face: he was almost possessing the list of the Twenty-seven. Itlay before him, on the table. 

Mastering his emotion, he said, in a casual tone:

"So it is there still?"

"At least, I suppose so, " declared M. Nicole. 

"What! You suppose so?"

"I have not opened the hiding-place. I thought, monsieur lesecretaire-general, I would reserve that honour for you. "

Prasville put out his hand, took the thing up and inspected it. It wasa block of crystal, imitating nature to perfection, with all the detailsof the eyeball, the iris, the pupil, the cornea. 

He at once saw a movable part at the back, which slid in a groove. Hepushed it. The eye was hollow. 

There was a tiny ball of paper inside. He unfolded it, smoothed it outand, quickly, without delaying to make a preliminary examination of thenames, the hand-writing or the signatures, he raised his arms and turnedthe paper to the light from the windows. 

"Is the cross of Lorraine there?" asked M. Nicole. 

"Yes, it is there, " replied Prasville. "This is the genuine list. "

He hesitated a few seconds and remained with his arms raised, whilereflecting what he would do. Then he folded up the paper again, replacedit in its little crystal sheath and put the whole thing in his pocket. M. Nicole, who was looking at him, asked:

"Are you convinced?"

"Absolutely. "

"Then we are agreed?"

"We are agreed. "

There was a pause, during which the two men watched each other withoutappearing to. M. Nicole seemed to be waiting for the conversation to beresumed. Prasville, sheltered behind the piles of books on the table, sat with one hand grasping his revolver and the other touching the pushof the electric bell. He felt the whole strength of his position with akeen zest. He held the list. He held Lupin:

"If he moves, " he thought, "I cover him with my revolver and I ring. Ifhe attacks me, I shoot. "

And the situation appeared to him so pleasant that he prolonged it, withthe exquisite relish of an epicure. 

In the end, M. Nicole took up the threads:

"As we are agreed, monsieur le secretaire-general, I think there isnothing left for you to do but to hurry. Is the execution to take placeto-morrow?"

"Yes, to-morrow. "

"In that case, I shall wait here. "

"Wait for what?"

"The answer from the Elysee. "

"Oh, is some one to bring you an answer?"

"Yes. "

"You, monsieur le secretaire-general. "

Prasville shook his head:

"You must not count on me, M. Nicole. "

"Really?" said M. Nicole, with an air of surprise. "May I ask thereason?"

"I have changed my mind. "

"Is that all?"

"That's all. I have come to the conclusion that, as things stand, afterthis last scandal, it is impossible to try to do anything in Gilbert'sfavour. Besides, an attempt in this direction at the Elysee, underpresent conditions, would constitute a regular case of blackmail, towhich I absolutely decline to lend myself. "

"You are free to do as you please, monsieur. Your scruples do youhonour, though they come rather late, for they did not trouble youyesterday. But, in that case, monsieur le secretaire-general, asthe compact between us is destroyed, give me back the list of theTwenty-seven. "

"What for?"

"So that I may apply to another spokesman. "

"What's the good? Gilbert is lost. "

"Not at all, not at all. On the contrary, I consider that, now that hisaccomplice is dead, it will be much easier to grant him a pardon whicheverybody will look upon as fair and humane. Give me back the list. "

"Upon my word, monsieur, you have a short memory and none too nice aconscience. Have you forgotten your promise of yesterday?"

"Yesterday, I made a promise to a M. Nicole. "

"Well?"

"You are not M. Nicole. "

"Indeed! Then, pray, who am I?"

"Need I tell you?"

M. Nicole made no reply, but began to laugh softly, as though pleased atthe curious turn which the conversation was taking; and Prasville felta vague misgiving at observing that fit of merriment. He grasped thebutt-end of his revolver and wondered whether he ought not to ring forhelp. 

M. Nicole drew his chair close to the desk, put his two elbows on thetable, looked Prasville straight in the face and jeered:

"So, M. Prasville, you know who I am and you have the assurance to playthis game with me?"

"I have that assurance, " said Prasville, accepting the sneer withoutflinching. 

"Which proves that you consider me, Arsene Lupin--we may as well use thename: yes, Arsene Lupin--which proves that you consider me fool enough, dolt enough to deliver myself like this, bound hand and foot into yourhands. "

"Upon my word, " said Prasville, airily, patting the waistcoat-pocket inwhich he had secreted the crystal ball, "I don't quite see what you cando, M. Nicole, now that Daubrecq's eye is here, with the list of theTwenty-seven inside it. "

"What I can do?" echoed M. Nicole, ironically. 

"Yes! The talisman no longer protects you; and you are now no betteroff than any other man who might venture into the very heart of thepolice-office, among some dozens of stalwart fellows posted behind eachof those doors and some hundreds of others who will hasten up at thefirst signal. "

M. Nicole shrugged his shoulders and gave Prasville a look of greatcommiseration:

"Shall I tell you what is happening, monsieur le secretaire-general?Well, you too are having your head turned by all this business. Now thatyou possess the list, your state of mind has suddenly sunk to that ofa Daubrecq or a d'Albufex. There is no longer even a question, inyour thoughts, of taking it to your superiors, so that this fermentof disgrace and discord may be ended. No, no; a sodden temptation hasseized upon you and intoxicated you; and, losing your head, you say toyourself, 'It is here, in my pocket. With its aid, I am omnipotent. Itmeans wealth, absolute, unbounded power. Why not benefit by it? Whynot let Gilbert and Clarisse Mergy die? Why not lock up that idiot ofa Lupin? Why not seize this unparalleled piece of fortune by theforelock?'"

He bent toward Prasville and, very softly, in a friendly andconfidential tone, said:

"Don't do that, my dear sir, don't do it. "

"And why not?"

"It is not to your interest, believe me. "

"Really!"

"No. Or, if you absolutely insist on doing it, have the kindness firstto consult the twenty-seven names on the list of which you have justrobbed me and reflect, for a moment, on the name of the third person onit. "

"Oh? And what is the name of that third person?"

"It is the name of a friend of yours. "

"What friend?"

"Stanislas Vorenglade, the ex-deputy. "

"And then?" said Prasville, who seemed to be losing some of hisself-confidence. 

"Then? Ask yourself if an inquiry, however summary, would not end bydiscovering, behind that Stanislas Vorenglade, the name of one whoshared certain little profits with him. "

"And whose name is?"

"Louis Prasville. "

M. Nicole banged the table with his fist. 

"Enough of this humbug, monsieur! For twenty minutes, you and I havebeen beating about the bush. That will do. Let us understand each other. And, to begin with, drop your pistols. You can't imagine that I amfrightened of those playthings! Stand up, sir, stand up, as I am doing, and finish the business: I am in a hurry. "

He put his hand on Prasville's shoulder and, speaking with greatdeliberation, said:

"If, within an hour from now, you are not back from the Elysee, bringingwith you a line to say that the decree of pardon has been signed; if, within one hour and ten minutes, I, Arsene Lupin, do not walk out ofthis building safe and sound and absolutely free, this eveningfour Paris newspapers will receive four letters selected from thecorrespondence exchanged between Stanislas Vorenglade and yourself, thecorrespondence which Stanislas Vorenglade sold me this morning. Here'syour hat, here's your overcoat, here's your stick. Be off. I will waitfor you. "

Then happened this extraordinary and yet easily understood thing, thatPrasville did not raise the slightest protest nor make the least showof fight. He received the sudden, far-reaching, utter conviction ofwhat the personality known as Arsene Lupin meant, in all its breadth andfulness. He did not so much as think of carping, of pretending--ashe had until then believed--that the letters had been destroyed byVorenglade the deputy or, at any rate, that Vorenglade would not dareto hand them over, because, in so doing, Vorenglade was also workinghis own destruction. No, Prasville did not speak a word. He felthimself caught in a vise of which no human strength could force the jawsasunder. There was nothing to do but yield. He yielded. 

"Here, in an hour, " repeated M. Nicole. 

"In an hour, " said Prasville, tamely. Nevertheless, in order to knowexactly where he stood, he added, "The letters, of course, will berestored to me against Gilbert's pardon?"

"No. "

"How do you mean, no? In that case, there is no object in. .. "

"They will be restored to you, intact, two months after the day when myfriends and I have brought about Gilbert's escape. .. Thanks to thevery slack watch which will be kept upon him, in accordance with yourorders. "

"Is that all?"

"No, there are two further conditions: first, the immediate payment of acheque for forty thousand francs. "

"Forty thousand francs?"

"The sum for which Stanislas Vorenglade sold me the letters. It is onlyfair. .. "

"And next?"

"Secondly, your resignation, within six months, of your presentposition. "

"My resignation? But why?"

M. Nicole made a very dignified gesture:

"Because it is against public morals that one of the highest positionsin the police-service should be occupied by a man whose hands are notabsolutely clean. Make them send you to parliament or appoint you aminister, a councillor of State, an ambassador, in short, any postwhich your success in the Daubrecq case entitles you to demand. But notsecretary-general of police; anything but that! The very thought of itdisgusts me. "

Prasville reflected for a moment. He would have rejoiced in the suddendestruction of his adversary and he racked his brain for the means toeffect it. But he was helpless. 

He went to the door and called:

"M. Lartigue. " And, sinking his voice, but not very low, for he wishedM. Nicole to hear, "M. Lartigue, dismiss your men. It's a mistake. Andlet no one come into my office while I am gone. This gentleman will waitfor me here. "

He came back, took the hat, stick and overcoat which M. Nicole handedhim and went out. 

"Well done, sir, " said Lupin, between his teeth, when the door wasclosed. "You have behaved like a sportsman and a gentleman. .. So did I, for that matter. .. Perhaps with too obvious a touch of contempt. .. Anda little too bluntly. But, tush, this sort of business has to be carriedthrough with a high hand! The enemy's got to be staggered! Besides, whenone's own conscience is clear, one can't take up too bullying a tonewith that sort of individual. Lift your head, Lupin. You have been thechampion of outraged morality. Be proud of your work. And now take achair, stretch out your legs and have a rest. You've deserved it. "

When Prasville returned, he found Lupin sound asleep and had to tap himon the shoulder to wake him. 

"Is it done?" asked Lupin. 

"It's done. The pardon will be signed presently. Here is the writtenpromise. "

"The forty thousand francs?"

"Here's your cheque. "

"Good. It but remains for me to thank you, monsieur. "

"So the correspondence. .. "

"The Stanislas Vorenglade correspondence will be handed to you on theconditions stated. However, I am glad to be able to give you, here andnow, as a sign of my gratitude, the four letters which I meant to sendto the papers this evening. "

"Oh, so you had them on you?" said Prasville. 

"I felt so certain, monsieur le secretaire-general, that we should endby coming to an understanding. "

He took from his hat a fat envelope, sealed with five red seals, whichwas pinned inside the lining, and handed it to Prasville, who thrust itinto his pocket. Then he said:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, I don't know when I shall have thepleasure of seeing you again. If you have the least communicationto make to me, one line in the agony column of the Journal will besufficient. Just head it, 'M. Nicole. ' Good-day to you. "

And he withdrew. 

Prasville, when he was alone, felt as if he were waking from a nightmareduring which he had performed incoherent actions over which hisconscious mind had no control. He was almost thinking of ringing andcausing a stir in the passages; but, just then, there was a tap at thedoor and one of the office-messengers came hurrying in. 

"What's the matter?" asked Prasville. 

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, it's Monsieur le Depute Daubrecq askingto see you. .. On a matter of the highest importance. "

"Daubrecq!" exclaimed Prasville, in bewilderment. "Daubrecq here! Showhim in. "

Daubrecq had not waited for the order. He ran up to Prasville, out ofbreath, with his clothes in disorder, a bandage over his left eye, notie, no collar, looking like an escaped lunatic; and the door was notclosed before he caught hold of Prasville with his two enormous hands:

"Have you the list?"

"Yes. "

"Have you bought it?"

"Yes. "

"At the price of Gilbert's pardon?"

"Yes. "

"Is it signed?"

"Yes. "

Daubrecq made a furious gesture:

"You fool! You fool! You've been trapped! For hatred of me, I expect?And now you're going to take your revenge?"

"With a certain satisfaction, Daubrecq. Remember my little friend, theopera-dancer, at Nice. .. It's your turn now to dance. "

"So it means prison?"

"I should think so, " said Prasville. "Besides, it doesn't matter. You'redone for, anyhow. Deprived of the list, without defence of any kind, you're bound to fall to pieces of your own weight. And I shall bepresent at the break-up. That's my revenge. "

"And you believe that!" yelled Daubrecq, furiously. "You believe thatthey will wring my neck like a chicken's and that I shall not know howto defend myself and that I have no claws left and no teeth to bitewith! Well, my boy, if I do come to grief, there's always one who willfall with me and that is Master Prasville, the partner of StanislasVorenglade, who is going to hand me every proof in existence againsthim, so that I may get him sent to gaol without delay. Aha, I've got youfixed, old chap! With those letters, you'll go as I please, hang it all, and there will be fine days yet for Daubrecq the deputy! What! You'relaughing, are you? Perhaps those letters don't exist?"

Prasville shrugged his shoulders:

"Yes, they exist. But Vorenglade no longer has them in his possession. "

"Since when?"

"Since this morning. Vorenglade sold them, two hours ago, for the sum offorty thousand francs; and I have bought them back at the same price. "

Daubrecq burst into a great roar of laughter:

"Lord, how funny! Forty thousand francs! You've paid forty thousandfrancs! To M. Nicole, I suppose, who sold you the list of theTwenty-seven? Well, would you like me to tell you the real name of M. Nicole? It's Arsene Lupin!"

"I know that. "

"Very likely. But what you don't know, you silly ass, is that I havecome straight from Stanislas Vorenglade's and that Stanislas Vorengladeleft Paris four days ago! Oh, what a joke! They've sold you waste paper!And your forty thousand francs! What an ass! What an ass!"

He walked out of the room, screaming with laughter and leaving Prasvilleabsolutely dumbfounded. 

So Arsene Lupin possessed no proof at all; and, when he was threateningand commanding and treating Prasville with that airy insolence, it wasall a farce, all bluff!

"No, no, it's impossible, " thought the secretary-general. "I have thesealed envelope. .. . It's here. .. . I have only to open it. "

He dared not open it. He handled it, weighed it, examined it. .. Anddoubt made its way so swiftly into his mind that he was not in the leastsurprised, when he did open it, to find that it contained four blanksheets of note-paper. 

"Well, well, " he said, "I am no match for those rascals. But all is notover yet. "

And, in point of fact, all was not over. If Lupin had acted so daringly, it showed that the letters existed and that he relied upon buying themfrom Stanislas Vorenglade. But, as, on the other hand, Vorenglade wasnot in Paris, Prasville's business was simply to forestall Lupin's stepswith regard to Vorenglade and obtain the restitution of those dangerousletters from Vorenglade at all costs. The first to arrive would be thevictor. 

Prasville once more took his hat, coat and stick, went downstairs, stepped into a taxi and drove to Vorenglade's flat. 

Here he was told that the ex-deputy was expected home from London at sixo'clock that evening. 

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Prasville therefore had plenty oftime to prepare his plan. 

He arrived at the Gare du Nord at five o'clock and posted all around, in the waiting-rooms and in the railway-offices, the three or four dozendetectives whom he had brought with him. 

This made him feel easy. If M. Nicole tried to speak to Vorenglade, they would arrest Lupin. And, to make assurance doubly sure, they wouldarrest whosoever could be suspected of being either Lupin or one ofLupin's emissaries. 

Moreover, Prasville made a close inspection of the whole station. He discovered nothing suspicious. But, at ten minutes to six, Chief-inspector Blanchon, who was with him, said:

"Look, there's Daubrecq. "

Daubrecq it was; and the sight of his enemy exasperated thesecretary-general to such a pitch that he was on the verge of having himarrested. But he reflected that he had no excuse, no right, no warrantfor the arrest. 

Besides, Daubrecq's presence proved, with still greater force, thateverything now depended on Stanislas Vorenglade. Vorenglade possessedthe letters: who would end by having them? Daubrecq? Lupin? Or he, Prasville?

Lupin was not there and could not be there. Daubrecq was not in aposition to fight. There could be no doubt, therefore, about the result:Prasville would reenter into possession of his letters and, throughthis very fact, would escape Daubrecq's threats and Lupin's threats andrecover all his freedom of action against them. 

The train arrived. 

In accordance with orders, the stationmaster had issued instructionsthat no one was to be admitted to the platform. Prasville, therefore, walked on alone, in front of a number of his men, with Chief-inspectorBlanchon at their head. 

The train drew up. 

Prasville almost at once saw Stanislas Vorenglade at the window of afirst-class compartment, in the middle of the train. 

The ex-deputy alighted and then held out his hand to assist an oldgentleman who was travelling with him. 

Prasville ran up to him and said, eagerly:

"Vorenglade. .. I want to speak to you. .. "

At the same moment, Daubrecq, who had managed to pass the barrier, appeared and exclaimed:

"M. Vorenglade, I have had your letter. I am at your disposal. "

Vorenglade looked at the two men, recognized Prasville, recognizedDaubrecq, and smiled:

"Oho, it seems that my return was awaited with some impatience! What'sit all about? Certain letters, I expect?"

"Yes. .. Yes. .. " replied the two men, fussing around him. 

"You're too late, " he declared. 

"Eh? What? What do you mean?"

"I mean that the letters are sold. "

"Sold! To whom?"

"To this gentleman, " said Vorenglade, pointing to histravelling-companion, "to this gentleman, who thought that the businesswas worth going out of his way for and who came to Amiens to meet me. "

The old gentleman, a very old man wrapped in furs and leaning on hisstick, took off his hat and bowed. 

"It's Lupin, " thought Prasville, "it's Lupin, beyond a doubt. "

And he glanced toward the detectives, was nearly calling them, but theold gentleman explained:

"Yes, I thought the letters were good enough to warrant a few hours'railway journey and the cost of two return tickets. "

"Two tickets?"

"One for me and the other for one of my friends. "

"One of your friends?"

"Yes, he left us a few minutes ago and reached the front part of thetrain through the corridor. He was in a great hurry. "

Prasville understood: Lupin had taken the precaution to bring anaccomplice, and the accomplice was carrying off the letters. The gamewas lost, to a certainty. Lupin had a firm grip on his victim. There wasnothing to do but submit and accept the conqueror's conditions. 

"Very well, sir, " said Prasville. "We shall see each other when the timecomes. Good-bye for the present, Daubrecq: you shall hear from me. " And, drawing Vorenglade aside, "As for you, Vorenglade, you are playing adangerous game. "

"Dear me!" said the ex-deputy. "And why?"

The two men moved away. 

Daubrecq had not uttered a word and stood motionless, as though rootedto the ground. 

The old gentleman went up to him and whispered:

"I say, Daubrecq, wake up, old chap. .. It's the chloroform, I expect. .. "

Daubrecq clenched his fists and gave a muttered growl. 

"Ah, I see you know me!" said the old gentleman. "Then you will rememberour interview, some months ago, when I came to see you in the SquareLamartine and asked you to intercede in Gilbert's favour. I said toyou that day, 'Lay down your arms, save Gilbert and I will leave you inpeace. If not, I shall take the list of the Twenty-seven from you; andthen you're done for. ' Well, I have a strong suspicion that done for iswhat you are. That comes of not making terms with kind M. Lupin. Sooneror later, you're bound to lose your boots by it. However, let it be alesson to you. 

"By the way, here's your pocketbook which I forgot to give you. Excuseme if you find it lightened of its contents. There were not onlya decent number of bank-notes in it, but also the receipt from thewarehouse where you stored the Enghien things which you took back fromme. I thought I might as well save you the trouble of taking them outyourself. It ought to be done by now. No, don't thank me: it's not worthmentioning. Good-bye, Daubrecq. And, if you should want a louis ortwo, to buy yourself a new decanter-stopper, drop me a line. Good-bye, Daubrecq. "

He walked away. 

He had not gone fifty steps when he heard the sound of a shot. 

He turned round. 

Daubrecq had blown his brains out. 

"De profundis, " murmured Lupin, taking off his hat. 

Two months later, Gilbert, whose sentence had been commuted to one ofpenal servitude for life, made his escape from the Ile de Re, on the daybefore that on which he was to have been transported to New Caledonia. 

It was a strange escape. Its least details remained difficult tounderstand; and, like the two shots on the Boulevard Arago, it greatlyenhanced Arsene Lupin's prestige. 

"Taken all round, " said Lupin to me, one day, after telling me thedifferent episodes of the story, "taken all around, no enterprisehas ever given me more trouble or cost me greater exertions than thatconfounded adventure which, if you don't mind, we will call, The CrystalStopper; or, Never Say Die. In twelve hours, between six o'clock in themorning and six o'clock in the evening, I made up for six months of badluck, blunders, gropings in the dark and reverses. I certainly countthose twelve hours among the finest and the most glorious of my life. "

"And Gilbert?" I asked. "What became of him?"

"He is farming his own land, way down in Algeria, under his real name, his only name of Antoine Mergy. He is married to an Englishwoman, andthey have a son whom he insisted on calling Arsene. I often receive abright, chatty, warm-hearted letter from him. "

"And Mme. Mergy?"

"She and her little Jacques are living with them. "

"Did you see her again?"

"I did not. "

"Really!"

Lupin hesitated for a few moments and then said with a smile:

"My dear fellow, I will let you into a secret that will make me seemridiculous in your eyes. But you know that I have always been assentimental as a schoolboy and as silly as a goose. Well, on theevening when I went back to Clarisse Mergy and told her the news of theday--part of which, for that matter, she already knew--I felt twothings very thoroughly. One was that I entertained for her a much deeperfeeling than I thought; the other that she, on the contrary, entertainedfor me a feeling which was not without contempt, not without a ranklinggrudge nor even a certain aversion. "

"Nonsense! Why?"

"Why? Because Clarisse Mergy is an exceedingly honest woman and becauseI am. .. Just Arsene Lupin. "

"Oh!"

"Dear me, yes, an attractive bandit, a romantic and chivalrouscracksman, anything you please. For all that, in the eyes of a reallyhonest woman, with an upright nature and a well-balanced mind, I am onlythe merest riff-raff. "

I saw that the wound was sharper than he was willing to admit, and Isaid:

"So you really loved her?"

"I even believe, " he said, in a jesting tone, "that I asked her to marryme. After all, I had saved her son, had I not?. .. So. .. I thought. Whata rebuff!. .. It produced a coolness between us. .. Since then. .. "

"You have forgotten her?"

"Oh, certainly! But it required the consolations of one Italian, twoAmericans, three Russians, a German grand-duchess and a Chinawoman to doit!"

"And, after that. .. ?"

"After that, so as to place an insuperable barrier between myself andher, I got married. "

"Nonsense! You got married, you, Arsene Lupin?"

"Married, wedded, spliced, in the most lawful fashion. One of thegreatest names in France. An only daughter. A colossal fortune. .. What!You don't know the story? Well, it's worth hearing. "

And, straightway, Lupin, who was in a confidential vein, began to tellme the story of his marriage to Angelique de Sarzeau-Vendome, Princessede Bourbon-Conde, to-day Sister Marie-Auguste, a humble nun in theVisitation Convent. .. [*]

 * See The Confessions of Arsene Lupin By Maurice Leblanc Translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

But, after the first few words, he stopped, as though his narrative hadsuddenly ceased to interest him, and he remained pensive. 

"What's the matter, Lupin?"

"The matter? Nothing. "

"Yes, yes. .. There. .. Now you're smiling. .. Is it Daubrecq's secretreceptacle, his glass eye, that's making you laugh?"

"Not at all. "

"What then?"

"Nothing, I tell you. .. Only a memory. "

"A pleasant memory?"

"Yes!. .. Yes, a delightful memory even. It was at night, off the Ilede Re, on the fishing-smack in which Clarisse and I were taking Gilbertaway. .. . We were alone, the two of us, in the stern of the boat. .. AndI remember . .. I talked. .. I spoke words and more words. .. I said allthat I had on my heart. .. And then. .. Then came silence, a perturbingand disarming silence. "

"Well?"

"Well, I swear to you that the woman whom I took in my arms that nightand kissed on the lips--oh, not for long: a few seconds only, butno matter!--I swear before heaven that she was something more than agrateful mother, something more than a friend yielding to a momentof susceptibility, that she was a woman also, a woman quivering withemotion . .. " And he continued, with a bitter laugh, "Who ran away nextday, never to see me again. "

He was silent once more. Then he whispered:

"Clarisse. .. Clarisse. .. On the day when I am tired and disappointed andweary of life, I will come to you down there, in your little Arab house. .. In that little white house, Clarisse, where you are waiting forme. .. "