the crystal stopper-第13章

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he　police　would　make　much　of　it　either。

Nor；　on　the　other　hand；　did　it　look　as　though　the　police　would　consider　that　mystery　a　reason　for　delaying　proceedings。　　They　would　send　Vaucheray's　accomplice　for　trial　…　under　his　name　of　Gilbert　or　any　other　name　…　and　visit　him　with　the　same　inevitable　punishment。

〃Poor　boy！〃　repeated　Lupin。　　〃They're　persecuting　him　like　this　only　because　of　me。　　They　are　afraid　of　his　escaping　and　they　are　in　a　hurry　to　finish　the　business：　the　verdict　first　and　then。。。　the　execution。

Oh；　the　butchers！。。。　A　lad　of　twenty；　who　has　committed　no　murder；　who　is　not　even　an　accomplice　in　the　murder。。。

Alas；　Lupin　well　knew　that　this　was　a　thing　impossible　to　prove　and　that　he　must　concentrate　his　efforts　upon　another　point。　　But　upon　which？　Was　he　to　abandon　the　trail　of　the　crystal　stopper？

He　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　that。　　His　one　and　only　diversion　from　the　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　the　Villa　Marie…Therese。　　Apart　from　this；　he　applied　himself　to　the　question　of　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　the　gray…haired　lady；　the　spying　of　which　he　himself　was　the　object。

〃Steady；　Lupin；〃　he　said。　　〃One　only　argues　falsely　in　a　fever。　　So　hold　your　tongue。　　No　inferences；　above　all　things！　　Nothing　is　more　foolish　than　to　infer　one　fact　from　another　before　finding　a　certain　starting…point。　That's　where　you　get　up　a　tree。　Listen　to　your　instinct。　Act　according　to　your　instinct。　　And　as　you　are　persuaded；　outside　all　argument；　outside　all　logic；　one　might　say；　that　this　business　turns　upon　that　confounded　stopper；　go　for　it　boldly。　　Have　at　Daubrecq　and　his　bit　of　crystal！〃

Lupin　did　not　wait　to　arrive　at　these　conclusions　before　settling　his　actions　accordingly。　　At　the　moment　when　he　was　stating　them　in　his　mind；　three　days　after　the　scene　at　the　Vaudeville；　he　was　sitting；　dressed　like　a　retired　tradesman；　in　an　old　overcoat；　with　a　muffler　round　his　neck；　on　a　bench　in　the　Avenue　Victor…Hugo；　at　some　distance　from　the　Square　Lamartine。　　Victoire　had　his　instructions　to　pass　by　that　bench　at　the　same　hour　every　morning。

〃Yes；〃　he　repeated　to　himself；　〃the　crystal　stopper：　everything　turns　on　that。。。　Once　I　get　hold　of　it。。。　〃

Victoire　arrived；　with　her　shopping…basket　on　her　arm。　　He　at　once　noticed　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've　been　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　the　solution　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　any　possible　doubt　the　crystal　stopper　which　he　had　seen　before。　　He　even　remarked　a　tiny；　hardly　noticeable　little　scratch　on　the　stem　which　he　remembered　perfectly。

However；　while　the　thing　presented　all　the　same　characteristics；　it　possessed　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　from　other　stoppers。　　There　was　no　sign　upon　it；　no　stamp；　and；　being　cut　from　a　single　piece；　it　contained　no　foreign　object。

〃What　then？〃

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

It　was　a　question　which　was　impossible　of　solution；　but　which　forced　itself　upon　him　with　singular　directness。

〃No　blunders！〃　he　said　to　himself；　as　he　pocketed　the　stopper。　　〃In　this　confounded　business；　blunders　are　fatal。〃

He　had　not　taken　his　eyes　off　Victoire。　　Accompanied　by　a　shopman；　she　went　from　counter　to　counter；　among　the　throng　of　customers。　　She　next　stood　for　some　little　while　at　the　pay…desk　and　passed　in　front　of　Lupin。

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　find　the　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　last　night。〃

〃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　of　taking　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　find　out。　　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　free　from　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's　no　longer　a　tragedy　that　we're　acting；　but　a　fairy…tale；　as　much　a　fairy…tale　as　Puss　in　Boots　or　Jack　the　Beanstalk。　　I　must　write　it　when　I　get　a　few　weeks　to　myself：　The　Magic　Stopper；　or；　The　Mishaps　of　Poor　Arsene。〃

〃Well。。。　who　has　taken　it　from　you？〃

〃What　are　you　talking　about？。。。　It　has　flown　away。。。　vanished　from　my　pocket：　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　saw　you　give　me　the　stopper　and　took　advantage　of　the　crowd　in　the　shop　to　pick　my　pocket　of　it。　　That　only　shows　that　we　are　watched　more　closely　than　I　thought　and　by　adversaries　of　the　first　rank。　　But；　once　more；　be　easy。　　Honest　men　always　come　by　their　own。。。　Have　you　anything　else　to　tell　me？〃

〃Yes。　　Some　one　came　yesterday　evening；　while　M。　Daubrecq　was　out。　　I　saw　lights　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　suspects　nothing。〃

〃But　the　others！〃

〃The　others？　　If　it　was　to　their　interest　to　play　me　a　trick；　they'd　have　tried　before　now。　　I'm　in　their　way；　that's　all。　　They're　not　afraid　of　me。　　So　till　later；　Victoire；　at　five　o'clock　exactly。〃

One　further　surprise　awaited　Lupin。　　In　the　evening　his　old　nurse　told　him　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。　　He　simply　said　to　himself：

〃So　it's　been　brought　back。　　And　the　person　who　brought　it　back　and　who　enters　this　house　by　some　unexplained　means　considered；　as　I　did；　that　the　stopper　ought　not　to　disappear。　　And　yet　Daubrecq；　who　knows　that　he　is　being　spied　upon　to　his　very　bedroom；　has　once　more　left　the　stopper　in　a　drawer；　as　though　he　attached　no　importance　to　it　at　all！　　Now　what　is　one　to　make　of　that？

Though　Lupin　did　not　make　anything　of　it；　nevertheless　he　could　not　escape　certain　arguments；　certain　associations　of　ideas　that　gave　him　the　same　vague　foretaste　of　light　which　one　receives　on　approaching　the　outlet　o