the crystal stopper-第43章

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〃Speak；　my　friend；　and　speak　quite　frankly。　　I　do　not　scruple　to　say　that　we　wish　to　have　that　paper。〃

〃If　it　is　only　a　wish；〃　remarked　Clarisse；　whom　Lupin　had　coached　in　her　part　down　to　the　least　detail；　〃if　it　is　oniy　a　wish；　I　fear　that　we　shall　not　be　able　to　come　to　an　arrangement。〃

Prasville　smiled：

〃The　wish；　obviously；　would　lead　us　to　make　certain　sacrifices。〃

〃Every　sacrifice；〃　said　Mme。　Mergy；　correcting　him。

〃Every　sacrifice；　provided；　of　course；　that　we　keep　within　the　bounds　of　acceptable　requirements。〃

〃And　even　if　we　go　beyond　those　bounds；〃　said　Clarisse；　inflexibly。

Prasville　began　to　lose　patience：

〃Come；　what　is　it　all　about？　　Explain　yourself。〃

〃Forgive　me；　my　friend；　but　I　wanted　above　all　to　mark　the　great　importance　which　you　attach　to　that　paper　and；　in　view　of　the　immediate　transaction　which　we　are　about　to　conclude；　to　specify　…　what　shall　I　say？　…　the　value　of　my　share　in　it。　　That　value；　which　has　no　limits；　must；　I　repeat；　be　exchanged　for　an　unlimited　value。〃

〃Agreed；〃　said　Prasville；　querulously。

〃I　presume；　therefore；　that　it　is　unnecessary　for　me　to　trace　the　whole　story　of　the　business　or　to　enumerate；　on　the　one　hand；　the　disasters　which　the　possession　of　that　paper　would　have　allowed　you　to　avert　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　incalculable　advantages　which　you　will　be　able　to　derive　from　its　possession？〃

Prasville　had　to　make　an　effort　to　contain　himself　and　to　answer　in　a　tone　that　was　civil；　or　nearly　so：

〃I　admit　everything。　　Is　that　enough？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　but　we　cannot　explain　ourselves　too　plainly。　　And　there　is　one　point　that　remains　to　be　cleared　up。　Are　you　in　a　position　to　treat；　personally？〃

〃How　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　want　to　know　not；　of　course；　if　you　are　empowered　to　settie　this　business　here　and　now；　but　if；　in　dealing　with　me；　you　represent　the　views　of　those　who　know　the　business　and　who　are　qualified　to　settle　it。〃

〃Yes；〃　declared　Prasville；　forcibly。

〃So　that　I　can　have　your　answer　within　an　hour　after　I　have　told　you　my　conditions？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Will　the　answer　be　that　of　the　government？〃

〃Yes。〃

Clarisse　bent　forward　and；　sinking　her　voice：

〃Will　the　answer　be　that　of　the　Elysee？〃

Prasville　appeared　surprised。　　He　reflected　for　a　moment　and　then　said：

〃Yes。〃

〃It　only　remains　for　me　to　ask　you　to　give　me　your　word　of　honour　that；　however　incomprehensible　my　conditions　may　appear　to　you；　you　will　not　insist　on　my　revealing　the　reason。　　They　are　what　they　are。　　Your　answer　must　be　yes　or　no。〃

〃I　give　you　my　word　of　honour；〃　said　Prasville；　formally。

Clarisse　underwent　a　momentary　agitation　that　made　her　turn　paler　still。　Then；　mastering　herself；　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　Prasville's　eyes；　she　said：

〃You　shall　have　the　list　of　the　Twenty…seven　in　exchange　for　the　pardon　of　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray。〃

〃Eh？　What？〃

Prasville　leapt　from　his　chair；　looking　absolutely　dumbfounded：

〃The　pardon　of　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray？　　Of　Arsene　Lupin's　accomplices？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said。

〃The　murderers　of　the　Villa　Marie…Therese？　　The　two　who　are　due　to　die　to…morrow？〃

〃Yes；　those　two；〃　she　said。　in　a　loud　voice。　　〃I　ask？　　I　demand　their　pardon。〃

〃But　this　is　madness！　　Why？　　Why　should　you？〃

〃I　must　remind　you；　Prasville；　that　you　gave　me　your　word。。。　〃

〃Yes。。。　yes。。。　I　know。。。　But　the　thing　is　so　unexpected。。。　'

〃Why？〃

〃Why？　For　all　sorts　of　reasons！〃

〃What　reasons？〃

〃Well。。。　well；　but。。。　think！　　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　have　been　sentenced　to　death！〃

〃Send　them　to　penal　servitude：　that's　all　you　have　to　do。〃

〃Impossible！　　The　case　has　created　an　enormous　sensation。　　They　are　Arsene　Lupin's　accomplices。　　The　whole　worid　knows　about　the　verdict。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　we　cannot；　no；　we　cannot　go　against　the　decrees　of　justice。〃

〃You　are　not　asked　to　do　that。　　You　are　asked　for　a　commutation　of　punishment　as　an　act　of　mercy。　　Mercy　is　a　legal　thing。〃

〃The　pardoning…commission　has　given　its　findmg。。。　〃

〃True；　but　there　remains　the　president　of　the　Republic。〃

〃He　has　refused。〃

〃He　can　reconsider　his　refusal。〃

〃Impossible！〃

〃Why？〃

〃There's　no　excuse　for　it。〃

〃He　needs　no　excuse。　　The　right　of　mercy　is　absolute。　　It　is　exercised　without　control；　without　reason；　without　excuse　or　explanation。　　It　is　a　royal　prerogative；　the　president　of　the　Republic　can　wield　it　according　to　his　good　pleasure；　or　rather　according　to　his　conscience；　in　the　best　interests　of　the　State。〃

〃But　it　is　too　late！　　Everything　is　ready。　　The　execution　is　to　take　place　in　a　few　hours。〃

〃One　hour　is　long　enough　to　obtain　your　answer；　you　have　just　told　us　so。〃

〃But　this　is　confounded　madness！　　There　are　insuperable　obstacles　to　your　conditions。　　I　tell　you　again；　it's　impossible；　physically　impossible。〃

〃Then　the　answer　is　no？〃

〃No！　　No！　　A　thousand　times　no！〃

〃In　that　case；　there　is　nothing　left　for　us　to　do　but　to　go。〃

She　moved　toward　the　door。　　M。　Nicole　followed　her。　　Prasville　bounded　across　the　room　and　barred　their　way：

〃Where　are　you　going？〃

〃Well；　my　friend；　it　seems　to　me　that　our　conversation　is　at　an　end。　　As　you　appear　to　think；　as；　in　fact；　you　are　certain　that　the　president　of　the　Republic　will　not　consider　the　famous　list　of　the　Twenty…seven　to　be　worth。。。　〃

〃Stay　where　you　are；〃　said　Prasville。

He　turned　the　key　in　the　door　and　began　to　pace　the　room；　with　his　hands　behind　his　back　and　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　floor。

And　Lupin；　who　had　not　breathed　a　word　during　the　whole　of　this　scene　and　who　had　prudently　contented　himself　with　playing　a　colourless　part；　said　to　himself：

〃What　a　fuss！　　What　a　lot　of　affectation　to　arrive　at　the　inevitable　result！　　As　though　Prasville；　who　is　not　a　genius；　but　not　an　absolute　blockhead　either；　would　be　likely　to　lose　the　chance　of　revenging　himself　on　his　mortal　enemy！　　There；　what　did　I　say？　　The　idea　of　hurling　Daubrecq　into　the　bottomless　pit　appeals　to　him。　　Come；　we've　won　the　rubber。〃

Prasville　was　opening　a　small　inner　door　which　led　to　the　office　of　his　private　secretary。

He　gave　an　order　aloud：

〃M。　Lartigue；　telephone　to　the　Elysee　and　say　that　I　request　the　favour　of　an　audience　for　a　communication　of　the　utmost　importance。〃

He　dosed　the　door；　came　back　to　Clarisse　and　said：

〃In　any　case；　my　intervention　is　limited　to　submitting　your　proposal。〃

〃Once　you　submit　it；　it　will　be　accepted。〃

A　long　silence　followed。　　Clarisse's　features　expressed　so　profound　a　delight　that　Prasville　was　struck　by　it　and　looked　at　her　with　attentive　curiosity。　　For　what　mysterious　reason　did　Clarisse　wish　to　save　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray？　　What　was　the　incomprehensible　link　that　bound　her　to　those　two　men？　　What　tragedy　connected　those　three　lives　and；　no　doubt；　Daubrecq's　in　addition？

〃Go　ahead；　old　boy；〃　thought　Lupin；　〃cudgel　your　brains：　you'll　never　spot　it！　　Ah；　if　we　had　asked　for　Gilbert's　pardon　only；　as　Clarisse　wished；　you　might　have　twigged　the　secret！　　But　Vaucheray；　that　brute　of　a　Vaucheray；　there　really　could　not　be　the　least　bond　between　Mme。　Mergy　and　him。。。。　Aha；　by　Jingo；　it's　my　turn　now！。。。　He's　watching　me　。。。　The　inward　soliloquy　is　turning　upon　myself。。。　'I　wonder　who　that　M。　Nicole　can　be？　　Why　has　that　little　provincial　usher　devoted　himself　body　and　soul　to　Clarisse　Mergy？　　Who　is　that　old　bore；　if　the　truth　were　known？　　I　made　a　mistake　in　not　inquiring。。。　I　must　look　into　this。。。。　I　must　rip　off　the　beggar's　mask。　　For；　after　all；　it's　not　natural　that　a　man　should　take　so　much　trouble　about　a　matter　in　which　he　is　not　directly　interested。　　Why　should　he　also　wish　to　save　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray？　　Why？　　Why　should　he？　。。。　〃　　Lupin　turned　his　head　away。　〃Look　out！。。。　　Look　out！。。。　There's　a　notion　passing　through　that　red…tape…merchant's　skull：　a　confused　notion　which　he　can't　put　into　words。　　Hang　it　all；　he　mustn't　suspect　M。　Lupin　under　M。　Nicole！　　The　thing's　complicated　enough　as　it　is；　in　all　conscience！。。。

But　there　was　a　welcome　interruption。　　Prasville's　secretary　came　to　say　that　the　audience　would　take　place　in　an　hour's　time。

〃Very　well。　　Thank　you；〃　said　Prasville。　　〃That　will　do。〃

And；　resuming　the　interview；　with　no　further　circumlocution；　speaking　like　a　m