the crystal stopper-第17章

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〃But　Prasville。。。　〃

〃There　was　no　doubt　of　the　truth　in　Prasville's　mind　or　ours。　　Daubrecq　had　tried　to　run　away　with　the　girl；　perhaps　tried　to　force　her；　to　hustle　her　and；　in　the　course　of　the　struggle；　maddened；　losing　his　head；　caught　her　by　the　throat　and　killed　her；　perhaps　without　knowing　what　he　was　doing。　　But　there　was　no　evidence　of　all　this；　and　Daubrecq　was　not　even　molested。〃

〃And　what　became　of　him　next？〃

〃For　some　years　we　heard　nothing　of　him。　　We　knew　only　that　he　had　lost　all　his　money　gambling　and　that　he　was　travelling　in　America。　　And；　in　spite　of　myself；　I　forgot　his　anger　and　his　threats　and　was　only　too　ready　to　believe　that　he　had　ceased　to　love　me　and　no　longer　harboured　his　schemes　of　revenge。　　Besides；　I　was　so　happy　that　I　did　not　care　to　think　of　anything　but　my　happiness；　my　love；　my　husband's　political　career；　the　health　of　my　son　Antoine。〃

〃Antoine？〃

〃Yes；　Antoine　is　Gilbert's　real　name。　　The　unhappy　boy　has　at　least　succeeded　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　not　to　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　was　fifteen；　we　put　him　to　a　boarding…school　in　one　of　the　suburbs；　with　the　deliberate　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　slip　out　at　night　and　also　that　he　would　disappear　for　weeks　at　a　time；　while　pretending　to　be　at　home　with　us。〃

〃What　used　he　to　do？〃

〃Amuse　himself　backing　horses；　spending　his　time　in　cafes　and　public　dancing…rooms。〃

〃Then　he　had　money？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Who　gave　it　him？〃

〃His　evil　genius；　the　man　who；　secretly；　unknown　to　his　parents；　enticed　him　away　from　school；　the　man　who　led　him　astray；　who　corrupted　him；　who　took　him　from　us；　who　taught　him　to　lie；　to　waste　his　substance　and　to　steal。〃

〃Daubrecq？〃

〃Daubrecq。〃

Clarisse　Mergy　put　her　hands　together　to　hide　the　blushes　on　her　forehead。　She　continued；　in　her　tired　voice：

〃Daubrecq　had　taken　his　revenge。　　On　the　day　after　my　husband　turned　our　unhappy　child　out　of　the　house；　Daubrecq　sent　us　a　most　cynical　letter　in　which　he　revealed　the　odious　part　which　he　had　played　and　the　machinations　by　which　he　had　succeeded　in　depraving　our　son。　　And　he　went　on　to　say；　'The　reformatory；　one　of　these　days。。。　Later　on；　the　assize…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　wish　which　he　expressed。　　But　oh；　how　it　terrified　me！　　I　was　ailing　at　the　time；　my　other　son；　my　little　Jacques；　had　just　been　born。　　And　every　day　we　heard　of　some　fresh　misdeed　of　Gilbert's　…　forgeries；　swindles　　…　so　much　so　that　we　spread　the　news；　in　our　immediate　surroundings；　of　his　departure　for　abroad；　followed　by　his　death。　　Life　was　a　misery；　and　it　became　still　more　so　when　the　political　storm　burst　in　which　my　husband　was　to　meet　his　death。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃A　word　will　be　enough：　my　husband's　name　was　on　the　list　of　the　Twenty…seven。〃

〃Ah！〃

The　veil　was　suddenly　lifted　from　Lupin's　eyes　and　he　saw；　as　in　a　flash　of　lightning；　a　whole　legion　of　things　which；　until　then；　had　been　hidden　in　the　darkness。

Clarisse　Mergy　continued；　in　a　firmer　voice：

〃Yes；　his　name　was　on　it；　but　by　mistake；　by　a　piece　of　incredible　ill…luck　of　which　he　was　the　victim。　　It　is　true　that　Victorien　Mergy　was　a　member　of　the　committee　appointed　to　consider　the　question　of　the　Two…Seas　Canal。　　It　is　true　that　he　voted　with　the　members　who　were　in　favour　of　the　company's　scheme。　　He　was　even　paid　…　yes；　I　tell　you　so　plainly　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；　and　it　proved　his　own　undoing。　　It　was　not　until　the　day　after　the　suicide　of　the　chairman　of　the　company　and　the　disappearance　of　the　secretary；　the　day　on　which　the　affair　of　the　canal　was　published　in　the　papers；　with　its　whole　series　of　swindles　and　abominations；　that　my　husband　knew　that　a　number　of　his　fellow…members　had　been　bribed　and　learnt　that　the　mysterious　list；　of　which　people　suddenly　began　to　speak；　mentioned　his　name　with　theirs　and　with　the　names　of　other　deputies；　leaders　of　parties　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　terror　and　denunciation　that　prevailed。　　Who　owned　the　list？　　Nobody　could　say。　　It　was　known　to　be　in　existence　and　that　was　all。　　Two　names　were　sacrificed　to　public　odium。　　Two　men　were　swept　away　by　the　storm。　　And　it　remained　unknown　where　the　denunciation　came　from　and　in　whose　hands　the　incriminating　documents　were。〃

〃Daubrecq；〃　suggested　Lupin。

〃No；　no！〃　cried　Madame　Mergy。　　〃Daubrecq　was　nothing　at　that　time：　he　had　not　yet　appeared　upon　the　scene。　　No；　don't　you　remember；　the　truth　came　out　suddenly　through　the　very　man　who　was　keeping　it　back：　　Germineaux；　the　ex…minister　of　justice；　a　cousin　of　the　chairman　of　the　Canal　Company。　　As　he　lay　dying　of　consumption；　he　wrote　from　his　sick…bed　to　the　prefect　of　police；　bequeathing　him　that　list　of　names；　which；　he　said；　would　be　found；　after　his　death；　in　an　iron　chest　in　the　corner　of　his　room。　　The　house　was　surrounded　by　police　and　the　prefect　took　up　his　quarters　by　the　sick　man's　bedside。　　Germineaux　died。　The　chest　was　opened　and　found　to　be　empty。〃

〃Daubrecq；　this　time；〃　Lupin　declared。

〃Yes；　Daubrecq；〃　said　Madame　Mergy；　whose　excitement　was　momentarily　increasing。　　〃Alexis　Daubrecq；　who；　for　six　months；　disguised　beyond　recognition；　had　acted　as　Germineaux's　secretary。　　It　does　not　matter　how　he　discovered　that　Germineaux　was　the　possessor　of　the　paper　in　question。　　The　fact　remains　that　he　broke　open　the　chest　on　the　night　before　the　death。　　So　much　was　proved　at　the　inquiry；　and　Daubrecq's　identity　was　established。〃

〃But　he　was　not　arrested？〃

〃What　would　have　been　the　use？　　They　knew　well　enough　that　he　must　have　deposited　the　list　in　a　place　of　safety。　　His　arrest　would　have　involved　a　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　he　acted　and　without　delay；　shamelessly；　making　straight　for　the　goal。　　A　week　after　the　theft；　he　went　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies；　asked　for　my　husband　and　bluntly　demanded　thirty　thousand　francs　of　him；　to　be　paid　within　twenty…four　hours。　　If　not；　he　threatened　him　with　exposure　and　disgrace。　　My　husband　knew　the　man　he　was　dealing　with；　knew　him　to　be　implacable　and　filled　with　relentless　hatred。　　He　lost　his　head　and　shot　himself。〃

〃How　absurd！〃　Lupin　could　not　help　saying。　　〃How　absurd！　　Daubrecq　possesses　a　list　of　twenty…seven　names。　　To　give　up　any　one　of　those　names　he　is　obliged；　if　he　would　have　his　accusation　believed；　to　publish　the　list　itself　…　that　is　to　say；　to　part　with　the　document；　or　at　least　a　photograph　of　it。　　Well；　in　so　doing；　he　creates　a　scandal；　it　is　true；　but　he　deprives　himself；　at　the　same　time；　of　all　further　means　of　levying　blackmail。〃

〃Yes　and　no；〃　she　said。

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃Through　Daubrecq　himself。　　The　villain　came　to　see　me　and　cynically　told　me　of　his　interview　with　my　husband　and　the　words　that　had　passed　between　them。　　Well；　there　is　more　than　that　list；　more　than　that　famous　bit　of　paper　on　which　the　secretary　put　down　the　names　and　the　amounts　paid　and　to　which；　you　will　remember；　the　chairman　of　the　company；　before　dying；　affixed　his　signature　in　letters　of　blood。　　There　is　more　than　that。　　There　are　certain　less　positive　proofs