the crystal stopper-第35章

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〃Prasville　is　away　on　leave。　　But　Chief…inspector　Blanchon；　who　has　charge　of　the　case；　and　the　detectives　who　are　guarding　the　house　declare　that；　in　accordance　with　Prasville's　instructions；　their　watch　is　not　relaxed　for　a　moment；　even　at　night；　that　one　of　them；　turn　and　turn　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　must　still　be　in　Daubrecq's　study？〃

〃If　it　was　there　before　Daubrecq's　disappearance；　it　should　be　there　now。〃

〃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　can　explore　it　in　twenty　minutes。　　One　can　demolish　it；　if　necessary；　in　ten。〃

The　conversation　had　tired　Arsene　Lupin　a　little。　　As　he　did　not　wish　to　commit　the　least　imprudence；　he　said　to　Clarisse：

〃Listen。　　I　will　ask　you　to　give　me　two　or　three　days　more。　　This　is　Monday；　the　4th　of　March。　　On　Wednesday　or　Thursday；　at　latest；　I　shall　be　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　the　Masher；　in　the　Hotel　Franklin；　near　the　Trocadoro；　and　keep　a　watch　on　Daubrecq's　house。　You　are　free　to　go　in　and　out　as　you　please。　Stimulate　the　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　remain　inactive　in　a　hotel　bedroom　and　how　useful　his　presence　would　have　been　on　the　battlefield！　　Perhaps　even　this　vague　idea　had　already　prolonged　his　illness　beyond　the　ordinary　limits。

He　murmured：

〃Go　now；　please。〃

There　was　a　constraint　between　them　which　increased　as　the　awful　day　drew　nigh。　　In　her　injustice；　forgetting　or　wishing　to　forget　that　it　was　she　who　had　forced　her　son　into　the　Enghien　enterprise；　Mme。　Mergy　did　not　forget　that　the　law　was　pursuing　Gilbert　with　such　rigour　not　so　much　because　he　was　a　criminal　as　because　he　was　an　accomplice　of　Arsene　Lupin's。　　And　then；　notwithstanding　all　his　efforts；　notwithstanding　his　prodigious　expenditure　of　energy；　what　result　had　Lupin　achieved；　when　all　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；　the　Wednesday；　when　his　doctor　wanted　him　to　keep　quiet　until　the　end　of　the　week；　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　in　Paris　by　mid…day。〃

What　decided　Lupin　to　start　at　once　was；　first；　a　letter　in　which　Clarisse　told　him　that　she　had　found　Daubrecq's　traces；　and；　also；　a　telegram；　published　in　the　Amiens　papers；　which　stated　that　the　Marquis　d'Albufex　had　been　arrested　for　his　complicity　in　the　affair　of　the　　canal。

Daubrecq　was　taking　his　revenge。

Now　the　fact　that　Daubrecq　was　taking　his　revenge　proved　that　the　marquis　had　not　been　able　to　prevent　that　revenge　by　seizing　the　document　which　was　on　the　writing…desk　in　the　study。　　It　proved　that　Chief…inspector　Blanchon　and　the　detectives　had　kept　a　good　watch。　　It　proved　that　the　crystal　stopper　was　still　in　the　Square　Lamartine。

It　was　still　there；　and　this　showed　either　that　Daubrecq　had　not　ventured　to　go　home；　or　else　that　his　state　of　health　hindered　him　from　doing　so；　or　else　again　that　he　had　sufficient　confidence　in　the　hiding…place　not　to　trouble　to　put　himself　out。

In　any　case；　there　was　no　doubt　as　to　the　course　to　be　pursued：　Lupin　must　act　and　he　must　act　smartly。　　He　must　forestall　Daubrecq　and　get　hold　of　the　crystal　stopper。

When　they　had　crossed　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　and　were　nearing　the　Square　Lamartine；　Lupin　took　leave　of　the　doctor　and　stopped　the　car。　　The　Growler　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　message　to　say　that　she　saw　Daubrecq　leaving　his　cousins'　place　and　getting　into　a　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　to　have　left　a　long　letter　behind　him；　confessing　his　fault；　but　accusing　Daubrecq　of　his　death　and　exposing　the　part　played　by　Daubrecq　in　the　canal　affair。〃

〃Is　that　all？〃

〃No。　　The　same　paper　stated　that　it　has　reason　to　believe　that　the　pardoning　commission；　after　examining　the　record；　has　rejected　Vaucheray　and　Gilbert's　petition　and　that　their　counsel　will　probably　be　received　in　audience　by　the　president　on　Friday。〃

Lupin　gave　a　shudder。

〃They're　losing　no　time；〃　he　said。　〃I　can　see　that　Daubrecq；　on　the　very　first　day；　put　the　screw　on　the　old　judicial　machine。　　One　short　week　more。。。　and　the　knife　falls。　　My　poor　Gilbert！　　If；　on　Friday　next；　the　papers　which　your　counsel　submits　to　the　president　of　the　Republic　do　not　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；　I　shall　see　Gilbert's　counsel。　　And　the　nightmare　will　be　over。〃

〃Well　done；　governor！　　That's　like　your　old　self。　　Shall　we　wait　for　you　here？〃

〃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　welcomed　him　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；　and　I　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　he　here？〃

〃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　the　crystal　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　he　has　taken　it。。。　　　Of　course；　it　was　inevitable。。。　with　d'Albufex　arrested；　with　d'Albufex　accused　and　accusing　him；　Daurecq　was　bound　to　defend　himself。　　It's　a　difficult　game　for　him。　After　months　and　months　of　mystery；　the　public　is　at　last　learning　that　the　infernal　being　who　contrived　the　whole　tragedy　of　the　Twenty…Seven　and　who　ruins　and　kills　his　adversaries　is　he；　Daubrecq。　　What　would　become　of　him　if；　by　a　miracle；　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　give　you　no　special　instructions　in　case　Daubrecq　should　return？〃

〃No。　　So；　in　M。　Prasville's　absence；　I　telephoned　to　the　police…office　and　I　am　waiting。　　The　disappearance　of　D