the crystal stopper-第36章

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〃No。　　So；　in　M。　Prasville's　absence；　I　telephoned　to　the　police…office　and　I　am　waiting。　　The　disappearance　of　Daubrecq　the　deputy　caused　a　great　stir；　as　you　know；　and　our　presence　here　has　a　reason；　in　the　eyes　of　the　public；　as　long　as　that　disappearance　continues。　　But；　now　that　Daubrecq　has　returned；　now　that　we　have　proofs　that　he　is　neither　under　restraint　nor　dead；　how　can　we　stay　in　the　house？〃

〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　said　Lupin；　absently。　　〃It　doesn't　matter　whether　the　house　is　guarded　or　not。　　Daubrecq　has　been；　therefore　the　crystal　stopper　is　no　longer　here。〃

He　had　not　finished　the　sentence；　when　a　question　quite　naturally　forced　itself　upon　his　mind。　　If　the　crystal　stopper　was　no　longer　there；　would　this　not　be　obvious　from　some　material　sign？　　Had　the　removal　of　that　object；　doubtless　contained　within　another　object；　left　no　trace；　no　void？

It　was　easy　to　ascertain。　　Lupin　had　simply　to　examine　the　writing…desk；　for　he　knew；　from　Sebastiarn's　chaff；　that　this　was　the　spot　of　the　hiding…place。　　And　the　hiding…place　could　not　be　a　complicated　one；　seeing　that　Daubrecq　had　not　remained　in　the　study　for　more　than　twenty　seconds；　just　long　enough；　so　to　speak；　to　walk　in　and　walk　out　again。

Lupin　looked。　And　the　result　was　immediate。　　His　memory　had　so　faithfully　recorded　the　picture　of　the　desk；　with　all　the　articles　lying　on　it；　that　the　absence　of　one　of　them　struck　him　instantaneously；　as　though　that　article　and　that　alone　were　the　characteristic　sign　which　distinguished　this　particular　writing…table　from　every　other　table　in　the　world。

〃Oh；〃　he　thought；　quivering　with　delight；　〃everything　fits　in！　　Everything！　。。。　　Down　to　that　half…word　which　the　torture　drew　from　Daubrecq　in　the　tower　at　Mortepierre！　　The　riddle　is　solved。　　There　need　be　no　more　hesitation；　no　more　groping　in　the　dark。　　The　end　is　in　sight。〃

And；　without　answering　the　inspector's　questions；　he　thought　of　the　simplicity　of　the　hiding…place　and　remembered　Edgar　Allan　Poe's　wonderful　story　in　which　the　stolen　letter；　so　eagerly　sought　for；　is；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；　displayed　to　all　eyes。　　People　do　not　suspect　what　does　not　appear　to　be　hidden。

〃Well；　well；〃　said　Lupin；　as　he　went　out；　greatly　excited　by　his　discovery；　〃I　seem　doomed；　in　this　confounded　adventure；　to　knock　up　against　disappointments　to　the　finish。　　Everything　that　I　build　crumbles　to　pieces　at　once。　　Every　victory　ends　in　disaster。〃

Nevertheless；　he　did　not　allow　himself　to　be　cast　down。　　On　the　one　hand；　he　now　knew　where　Daubrecq　the　deputy　hid　the　crystal　stopper。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　would　soon　learn　from　Clarisse　Mergy　where　Daubrecq　himself　was　lurking。　　The　rest；　to　him；　would　be　child's　play。

The　Growler　and　the　Masher　were　waiting　for　him　in　the　drawing…room　of　the　Hotel　Franklin；　a　small　family…hotel　near　the　Trocadero。　　Mme。　Mergy　had　not　yet　written　to　him。

〃Oh；〃　he　said；　〃I　can　trust　her！　　She　will　hang　on　to　Daubrecq　until　she　is　certain。〃

However；　toward　the　end　of　the　afternoon；　he　began　to　grow　impatient　and　anxious。　　He　was　fighting　one　of　those　battles　…　the　last；　he　hoped　…　in　which　the　least　delay　might　jeopardize　everything。　　If　Daubrecq　threw　Mme。　Mergy　off　the　scent；　how　was　he　to　be　caught　again？　　They　no　longer　had　weeks　or　days；　but　only　a　few　hours；　a　terribly　limited　number　of　hours；　in　which　to　repair　any　mistakes　that　they　might　commit。

He　saw　the　proprietor　of　the　hotel　and　asked　him：

〃Are　you　sure　that　there　is　no　express　letter　for　my　two　friends？〃

〃Quite　sure；　sir。〃

〃Nor　for　me；　M。　Nicole？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃That's　curious；〃　said　Lupin。　　〃We　were　certain　that　we　should　hear　from　Mme。　Audran。〃

Audran　was　the　name　under　which　Clarisse　was　staying　at　the　hotel。

〃But　the　lady　has　been；〃　said　the　proprietor。

〃What's　that？〃

〃She　came　some　time　ago　and；　as　the　gentlemen　were　not　there；　left　a　letter　in　her　room。　　Didn't　the　porter　tell　you？〃

Lupin　and　his　friends　hurried　upstairs。　　There　was　a　letter　on　the　table。

〃Hullo！〃　said　Lupin。　　〃It's　been　opened！　　How　is　that？　And　why　has　it　　een　cut　about　with　scissors？〃

The　letter　contained　the　following　lines：

　　　　　　　　〃Daubrecq　has　spent　the　week　at　the　Hotel　Central。　　This　morning　　　　　　　　　he　had　his　luggage　taken　to　the　Gare　de　…　　and　telephoned　to　　　　　　　　　reserve　a　berth　in　the　sleeping…car　…　for　…　　

　　　　　　　　〃I　do　not　know　when　the　train　starts。　　But　I　shall　be　at　the　　　　　　　　　station　all　the　afternoon。　　Come　as　soon　as　you　can；　all　three　　　　　　　　　of　you。　　We　will　arrange　to　kidnap　him。〃

〃What　next？〃　said　the　Masher。　　〃At　which　station？　　And　where's　the　sleeping…car　for？　　She　has　cut　out　just　the　words　we　wanted！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　Growler。　　〃Two　snips　with　the　scissors　in　each　place；　and　the　words　which　we　most　want　are　gone。　　Who　ever　saw　such　a　thing？　Has　Mme。　Mergy　lost　her　head？〃

Lupin　did　not　move。　　A　rush　of　blood　was　beating　at　his　temples　with　such　violence　that　he　glued　his　fists　to　them　and　pressed　with　all　his　might。　　His　fever　returned；　burning　and　riotous；　and　his　will；　incensed　to　the　verge　of　physical　suffering；　concentrated　itself　upon　that　stealthy　enemy；　which　must　be　controlled　then　and　there；　if　he　himself　did　not　wish　to　be　irretrievably　beaten。

He　muttered；　very　calmly：　　　　　　　　　　〃Daubrecq　has　been　here。〃

〃Daubrecq！〃

〃We　can't　suppose　that　Mme。　Mergy　has　been　amusing　herself　by　cutting　out　those　two　words。　　Daubrecq　has　been　here。　　Mme。　Mergy　thought　that　she　was　watching　him。　　He　was　watching　her　instead。〃

〃How？〃

〃Doubtless　through　that　hall…porter　who　did　not　tell　us　that　Mme。　Mergy　had　been　to　the　hotel；　but　who　must　have　told　Daubrecq。　　He　came。　　He　read　the　letter。　　And；　by　way　of　getting　at　us；　he　contented　himself　with　cutting　out　the　essential　words。〃

〃We　can　find　out。。。　we　can　ask。。。　〃

〃What's　the　good？　　What's　the　use　of　finding　out　how　he　came；　when　we　know　that　he　did　come？〃

He　examined　the　letter　for　some　time；　turned　it　over　and　over；　then　stood　up　and　said：

〃Come　along。〃

〃Where　to？〃

〃Gare　de　Lyon。〃

〃Are　you　sure？〃

〃I　am　sure　of　nothing　with　Daubrecq。　　But；　as　we　have　to　choose；　according　to　the　contents　of　the　letter；　between　the　Gare　de　l'Est　and　the　Gare　de　Lyon；*　I　am　presuming　that　his　business；　his　pleasure　and　his　health　are　more　likely　to　take　Daubrecq　in　the　direction　of　Marseilles　and　the　Riviera　than　to　the　Gare　de　l'Est。〃　________________________________________________________________________

*These　are　the　only　two　main…line　stations　in　Paris　with　the　word　de　in　their　name。　　The　others　have　du；　as　the　Gare　du　Nord　or　the　Gare　du　Luxembourg；　d'　as　the　Gare　d'Orleans；　or　no　particle　at　all；　as　the　Gare　Saint…Lazare　or　the　Gare　Montpamasse。　…　Translator's　Note。　________________________________________________________________________

It　was　past　seven　when　Lupin　and　his　companions　left　the　Hotel　Franklin。　A　motor…car　took　them　across　Paris　at　full　speed；　but　they　soon　saw　that　Clarisse　Mergy　was　not　outside　the　station；　nor　in　the　waiting…rooms；　nor　on　any　of　the　platforms。

〃Still；〃　muttered　Lupin；　whose　agitation　grew　as　the　obstacles　increased；　〃still；　if　Daubrecq　booked　a　berth　in　a　sleeping…car；　it　can　only　have　been　in　an　evening　train。　　And　it　is　barely　half…past　seven！〃

A　train　was　starting；　the　night　express。　　They　had　time　to　rush　along　the　corridor。　　Nobody。。。　　neither　Mme。　Mergy　nor　Daubrecq。。。

But；　as　they　were　all　three　going；　a　porter　accosted　them　near　the　refreshment…room：

〃Is　one　of　you　gentlemen　looking　for　a　lady？〃

〃Yes；　yes；。。。　I　am；〃　said　Lupin。　　〃Quick；　what　is　it？〃

〃Oh；　it's　you；　sir！　　The　lady　told　me　there　might　be　three　of　you　or　two　of　you。。。。　And　I　didn't　know。。。　〃

〃But；　in　heaven's　name；　speak；　man！　　What　lady？〃　

〃The　lady　who　spent　the　whole　day　on　the　pavement；　with　the　luggage；　waiting。〃

〃Well；　out　with　it！　　Has　she　taken　a　train？〃

〃Yes；　the　train…de…luxe；　at　six…thirty：　she　made　up　her　mind　at　the　last　moment；　she　told　me　to　say。　　And　I　was　also　to　say　that　the　gentleman　was　in　the　same　train　and　that　they　were　going　to　Monte　Carlo。〃

〃Damn　it！〃　muttered　Lupin。　　〃We　ought　to　have　taken　the　express　just　now！　There's　nothing　left　but　the　evening　trains；　and　they　crawl！　　We've　lost