the crystal stopper-第25章

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；　to　pocket　him；　as　he　put　it；　to　have　him　at　his　bidding　by　fair　means　or　foul；　to　extract　his　secret　from　him。　　He　dreamt　of　tortures　fit　to　unloose　the　tongue　of　the　most　silent　of　men。　　The　boot；　the　rack；　red…hot　pincers；　nailed　planks：　no　form　of　suffering；　he　thought；　was　more　than　the　enemy　deserved；　and　the　end　to　be　attained　justified　every　means。

〃Oh；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃oh；　for　a　decent　bench　of　inquisitors　and　a　couple　of　bold　executioners！。。。　　What　a　time　we　should　have！〃

Every　afternoon　the　Growler　and　the　Masher　watched　the　road　which　Daubrecq　took　between　the　Square　Lamartine；　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　and　his　club。　　Their　instructions　were　to　choose　the　most　deserted　street　and　the　most　favourable　moment　and；　one　evening；　to　hustle　him　into　a　motor…car。

Lupin；　on　his　side；　got　ready　an　old　building；　standing　in　the　middle　of　a　large　garden；　not　far　from　Paris；　which　presented　all　the　necessary　conditions　of　safety　and　isolation　and　which　he　called　the　Monkey's　Cage。

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　his　associates；　an　elderly　retired　grocer　called　Brindebois；　who　happened　to　live　in　Daubrecq's　electoral　district　and　interested　himself　in　politics。　Old　Brindebois　wrote　to　Daubrecq　from　Marseilles；　announcing　his　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　one　of　his　friends。　　The　attempt；　which　was　to　take　place　on　the　following　Thursday；　was　this　time　bound　to　succeed。

Meanwhile；　on　the　Monday　of　the　same　week；　the　trial　of　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　opened。

The　reader　will　remember　…　and　the　case　took　place　too　recently　for　me　to　recapitulate　its　details　…　the　really　incomprehensible　partiality　which　the　presiding　judge　showed　in　his　cross…examination　of　Gilbert。　The　thing　was　noticed　and　severely　criticised　at　the　time。　　Lupin　recognized　Daubrecq's　hateful　influence。

The　attitude　observed　by　the　two　prisoners　differed　greatiy。　　Vaucheray　was　gloomy；　silent；　hard…faced。　　He　cynically；　in　curt；　sneering；　almost　defiant　phrases；　admitted　the　crimes　of　which　he　had　formerly　been　guilty。　　But；　with　an　inconsistency　which　puzzled　everybody　except　Lupin；　he　denied　any　participation　in　the　murder　of　Leonard　the　valet　and　violently　accused　Gilbert。　　His　object；　in　thus　linking　his　fate　with　Gilbert's；　was　to　force　Lupin　to　take　identical　measures　for　the　rescue　of　both　his　accomplices。

Gilbert；　on　the　other　hand；　whose　frank　countenance　and　dreamy；　melancholy　eyes　won　every　sympathy；　was　unable　to　protect　himself　against　the　traps　laid　for　him　by　the　judge　or　to　counteract　Vaucheray's　lies。　He　burst　into　tears；　talked　too　much；　or　else　did　not　talk　when　he　should　have　talked。　　Moreover；　his　counsel；　one　of　the　Leaders　of　the　bar；　was　taken　ill　at　the　last　moment　…　and　here　again　Lupin　saw　the　hand　of　Daubrecq　…　and　he　was　replaced　by　a　junior　who　spoke　badiy；　muddied　the　whole　case；　set　the　jury　against　him　and　failed　to　wipe　out　the　impression　produced　by　the　speeches　of　the　advocate…general　and　of　Vaucheray's　counsel。

Lupin；　who　had　the　inconceivable　audacity　to　be　present　on　the　last　day　of　the　trial；　the　Thursday；　had　no　doubt　as　to　the　result。　　A　verdict　of　gullty　was　certain　in　both　cases。

It　was　certain　because　all　the　efforts　of　the　prosecution；　thus　supporting　Vaucheray's　tactics；　had　tended　to　link　the　two　prisoners　closely　together。　　It　was　certain；　also　and　above　all；　because　it　concerned　two　of　Lupin's　accomplices。　　From　the　opening　of　the　inquiry　before　the　magistrate　until　the　delivery　of　the　verdict；　all　the　proceedings　had　been　directed　against　Lupin；　and　this　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　prosecution；　for　want　of　sufficient　evidence　and　also　in　order　not　to　scatter　its　efforts　over　too　wide　an　area；　had　decided　not　to　include　Lupin　in　the　indictment。　　He　was　the　adversary　aimed　at；　the　leader　who　must　be　punished　in　the　person　of　his　friends；　the　famous　and　popular　scoundrel　whose　fascination　in　the　eyes　of　the　crowd　must　be　destroyed　for　good　and　all。　　With　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　executed；　Lupin's　halo　would　fade　away　the　legend　would　be　exploded。

Lupin　。。。　Lupin。。。　Arsene　Lupin：　it　was　the　one　name　heard　throughout　the　four　days。　　The　advocate…general；　the　presiding　judge；　the　jury；　the　counsel；　the　witnesses　had　no　other　words　on　their　lips。　　Every　moment；　Lupin　was　mentioned　and　cursed　at；　scoffed　at；　insulted　and　held　responsible　for　all　the　crimes　committed。　　It　was　as　though　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　figured　only　as　supernumeraries；　while　the　real　criminal　undergoing　trial　was　he；　Lupin；　Master　Lupin；　Lupin　the　burglar；　the　leader　of　a　gang　of　thieves；　the　forger；　the　incendiary；　the　hardened　offender；　the　ex…convict；　Lupin　the　murderer；　Lupin　stained　with　the　blood　of　his　victim；　Lupin　lurking　in　the　shade；　like　a　coward；　after　sending　his　friends　to　the　foot　of　the　scaffold。

〃Oh；　the　rascals　know　what　they're　about！〃　he　muttered。　　〃It's　my　debt　which　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　jury　returned　to　court　and　the　foreman　read　out　the　answers　to　the　questions　put　from　the　bench。　　The　answer　was　〃Yes〃　to　every　count　of　the　indictment；　a　verdict　of　guilty　without　extenuating　circumstances。

The　prisoners　were　brought　in。　　Standing　up；　but　staggering　and　white…faced；　they　received　their　sentence　of　death。

And；　amid　the　great；　solemn　silence；　in　which　the　anxiety　of　the　onlookers　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　well　as　myself；　I　am　easy。。。　　We　are　both　on　the　same　footing。。。　　The　governor　must　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　few　inarticulate　sentences。　　But；　when　the　judge　repeated　his　question；　he　succeeded　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。。。　And　I　don't　want　to　die。。。　it　would　be　too　horrible。。。　〃

He　swayed　from　side　to　side；　supported　by　the　warders；　and　he　was　heard　to　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　the　surrounding　clamour：

〃Don't　be　afraid；　little　‘un！。。。　The　governor's　here！〃

A　tumult　and　hustling　followed。　　The　municipal　guards　and　the　policemen　rushed　into　court　and　laid　hold　of　a　big；　red…faced　man；　who　was　stated　by　his　neighbours　to　be　the　author　of　that　outburst　and　who　struggled　hand　and　foot。

Questioned　without　delay；　he　gave　his　name；　Philippe　Bonel；　an　undertaker's　man；　and　declared　that　some　one　sitting　beside　him　had　offered　him　a　hundred…franc　note　if　he　would　consent；　at　the　proper　moment；　to　shout　a　few　words　which　his　neighbour　scribbled　on　a　bit　of　paper。　　How　could　he　refuse？

In　proof　of　his　statements；　he　produced　the　hundred…franc　note　and　the　scrap　of　paper。

Philippe　Bonel　was　let　go。

Meanwhile；　Lupin；　who　of　course　had　assisted　energetically　in　the　individual's　arrest　and　handed　him　over　to'　the　guards；　left　the　law…courts；　his　heart　heavy　with　anguish。　　His　car　was　waiting　for　him　on　the　quay。　　He　flung　himself　into　it；　in　despair；　seized　with　so　great　a　sorrow　that　he　had　to　make　an　effort　to　restrain　his　tears。　　Gilbert's　cry；　his　voice　wrung　with　affliction；　his　distorted　features；　his　tottering　frame：　all　this　haunted　his　brain；　a