the crystal stopper-第24章

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〃Up　to　the　present；　perhaps。　　But　not　now；　not　now　that　I　have　taken　a　hand　in　the　business。　　That　constitutes　a　new　factor；　which　you　choose　to　ignore。　　You　are　wrong。　　Gilbert　is　my　pal。　　Gilbert　is　my　chum。　Gilbert　has　to　be　saved　from　the　scaffold。　　Use　your　influence　to　that　end；　and　I　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　to　wage　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；　a　certain　defeat　for　you。〃

〃Meaning　thereby。。。　〃　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Meaning　thereby　that　I　shall　take　the　list　of　the　Twenty…seven　from　you。

〃Rot！　You　think　so；　do　you？〃

〃I　swear　it。〃

〃What　Prasville　and　all　his　men；　what　Clarisse　Mergy；　what　nobody　has　been　able　to　do；　you　think　that　you　will　do！〃

〃I　shall！〃

〃And　why？　　By　favour　of　what　saint　will　you　succeed　where　everybody　else　has　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　dominion　of　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　my　energies　until　victory　came：　complete；　decisive；　crushing；　irrevocable　victory。　　I　have　against　me　the　police；　the　government；　France；　the　world。　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　more　numerous　and　skilful　my　enemies；　the　more　cautiously　I　am　obliged　to　play。　　And　that　is　why；　my　dear　sir；　instead　of　having　you　arrested；　as　I　might　have　done　　…　yes；　as　I　might　have　done　and　very　easily　…　I　let　you　remain　at　large　and　beg　charitably　to　remind　you　that　you　must　quit　in　less　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　his　arrest　　…　that　is　to　say；　to　exercise　indirect　influence　with　the　minister　of　justice；　so　that　the　trial　may　be　hurried　on　and　end　in　the　way　in　which　I　want　to　see　it　end。〃

〃What！〃　cried　Lupin；　beside　himself　with　indignation。　　〃It's　because　of　you；　it's　for　you。。。　〃

〃Yes；　it's　for　me；　Daubrecq；　yes；　by　Jove！　　I　have　a　trump　card；　the　son's　head；　and　I　am　playing　it。　When　I　have　procured　a　nice　little　death…sentence　for　Gilbert；　when　the　days　go　by　and　Gilbert's　petition　for　a　reprieve　is　rejected　by　my　good　offices；　you　shall　see；　M。　Lupin；　that　his　mummy　will　drop　all　her　objections　to　calling　herself　Mme。　　lexis　Daubrecq　and　giving　me　an　unexceptionable　pledge　of　her　good…will。　That　fortunate　issue　is　inevitable；　whether　you　like　it　or　not。　　It　is　foredoomed。　　All　I　can　do　for　you　is　to　invite　you　to　the　wedding　and　the　breakfast。　　Does　that　suit　you？　　No？　　You　persist　in　your　sinister　designs？　　Well；　good　luck；　lay　your　traps；　spread　your　nets；　rub　up　your　weapons　and　grind　away　at　the　Complete　Foreign…post…paper　Burglar's　Handbook。　　You'll　need　it。　　And　now；　good…night。　　The　rules　of　open…handed　and　disinterested　hospitality　demand　that　I　should　turn　you　out　of　doors。　　Hop　it！〃

Lupin　remained　silent　for　some　time。　　With　his　eyes　fixed　on　Daubrecq；　he　seemed　to　be　taking　his　adversary's　size；　gauging　his　weight；　estimating　his　physical　strength；　discussing；　in　fine；　in　which　exact　part　to　attack　him。　　Daubrecq　clenched　his　fists　and　worked　out　his　plan　of　defence　to　meet　the　attack　when　it　came。

Half　a　minute　passed。　　Lupin　put　his　hand　to　his　hip…pocket。　　Daubrecq　　id　the　same　and　grasped　the　handie　of　his　revolver。

A　few　seconds　more。　　Coolly；　Lupin　produced　a　little　gold　box　of　the　kind　that　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　was　thrown　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　rather　novel；　in　the　circumstances。　　To　expect　a　pill　and　receive　a　cough…drop　is　by　way　of　being　a　sort　of　disappointment。　　It　left　the　old　chimpanzee　quite　flummoxed。〃

As　he　closed　the　gate；　a　motor…car　drove　up　and　a　man　sprang　out　briskly；　followed　by　several　others。

Lupin　recognized　Prasville：

〃Monsieur　le　secretaire…general；〃　he　muttered；　〃your　humble　servant。　I　have　an　idea　that；　some　day；　fate　will　bring　us　face　to　face：　and　I　am　sorry；　for　your　sake；　for　you　do　not　inspire　me　with　any　particular　esteem　and　you　have　a　bad　time　before　you；　on　that　day。　　Meanwhile；　if　I　were　not　in　such　a　hurry；　I　should　wait　till　you　leave　and　I　should　follow　Daubrecq　to　find　out　in　whose　charge　he　has　placed　the　child　whom　he　is　going　to　hand　back　to　me。　　But　I　am　in　a　hurry。　　Besides；　I　can't　tell　that　Daubrecq　won't　act　by　telephone。　　So　let　us　not　waste　ourselves　in　vain　efforts；　but　rather　join　Victoire；　Achille　and　our　precious　bag。〃

Two　hours　later；　Lupin；　after　taking　all　his　measures；　was　on　the　lookout　in　his　shed　at　Neullly　and　saw　Daubrecq　turn　out　of　an　adjoining　street　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　go　round　and　look。　　There　is　a　job…master's　yard　next　door：　you　have　only　to　ask　for　a　van　and　a　few　men。　　Where　is　the　child？〃

Daubrecq　first　inspected　the　articles　and　then　took　Lupin　to　the　Avenue　de　Neullly；　where　two　closely　veiled　old　ladies　stood　waiting　with　little　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　parts　had　been　got　by　heart　and　the　various　movements　settled　in　advance；　like　so　many　stage　entrances　and　exits。

At　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening　Lupin　kept　his　promise　and　handed　little　Jacques　to　his　mother。　　But　the　doctor　had　to　be　hurriedly　called　in；　for　the　child；　upset　by　all　those　happenings；　showed　great　signs　of　excitement　and　terror。　　It　was　more　than　a　fortnight　before　he　was　sufficiently　recovered　to　bear　the　strain　of　the　removal　which　Lupin　considered　necessary。　　Mme。　Mergy　herself　was　oniy　just　fit　to　travel　when　the　time　came。　　The　journey　took　place　at　night；　with　every　possible　precaution　and　under　Lupin's　escort。

He　took　the　mother　and　son　to　a　little　seaside　place　in　Brittany　and　entrusted　them　to　Victoire's　care　and　vigilance。

〃At　last；〃　he　reflected；　when　he　had　seen　them　settled；　〃there　is　no　one　between　the　Daubrecq　bird　and　me。　　He　can　do　nothing　more　to　Mme。　Mergy　and　the　kid；　and　she　no　longer　runs　the　risk　of　diverting　the　struggle　through　her　intervention。　　By　Jingo；　we　have　made　blunders　enough！　　First；　I　have　had　to　disclose　myself　to　Daubrecq。　　Secondly；　I　have　had　to　surrender　my　share　of　the　Enghien　movables。　　True；　I　shall　get　those　back；　sooner　or　later；　of　that　there　is　not　the　least　doubt。　　But；　all　the　same；　we　are　not　getting　on；　and；　in　a　week　from　now；　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　will　be　up　for　trial。〃

What　Lupin　felt　most　in　the　whole　business　was　Daubrecq's　revelation　of　the　whereabouts　of　the　flat。　　The　police　had　entered　his　place　in　the　Rue　Chateaubriand。　　The　identity　of　Lupin　and　Michel　Beaumont　had　been　recognized　and　certain　papers　discovered；　and　Lupin；　while　pursuing　his　aim；　while；　at　the　same　time；　managing　various　enterprises　on　which　he　had　embarked；　while　avoiding　the　searches　of　the　police；　which　were　becoming　more　zealous　and　persistent　than　ever；　had　to　set　to　work　and　reorganize　his　affairs　throughout　on　a　fresh　basis。

His　rage　with　Daubrecq；　therefore；　increased　in　proportion　to　the　worry　which　the　deputy　caused　him。　　He　had　but　one　longing；　to　po