The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
M >>
Maurice Leblanc >> The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 | 12 |
13
Horace Velmont laughed heartily, and exclaimed:
"At last! And now that we have the magic key, where is the man who
can fit it to the invisible lock?"
"Laugh as much as you please, monsieur," said Father Gelis, "but I
am confident the solution is contained in those two sentences, and
some day we will find a man able to interpret them."
"Sherlock Holmes is the man," said Mon. Devanne, "unless Arsene
Lupin gets ahead of him. What is your opinion, Velmont?"
Velmont arose, placed his hand on Devanne's shoulder, and declared:
"I think that the information furnished by your book and the book
of the National Library was deficient in a very important detail
which you have now supplied. I thank you for it."
"What is it?"
"The missing key. Now that I have it, I can go to work at once,"
said Velmont.
"Of course; without losing a minute," said Devanne, smiling.
"Not even a second!" replied Velmont. "To-night, before the
arrival of Sherlock Holmes, I must plunder your castle."
"You have no time to lose. Oh! by the way, I can drive you over
this evening."
"To Dieppe?"
"Yes. I am going to meet Monsieur and Madame d'Androl and a young
lady of their acquaintance who are to arrive by the midnight
train."
Then addressing the officers, Devanne added:
"Gentlemen, I shall expect to see all of you at breakfast to-
morrow."
The invitation was accepted. The company dispersed, and a few
moments later Devanne and Velmont were speeding toward Dieppe in an
automobile. Devanne dropped the artist in front of the Casino, and
proceeded to the railway station. At twelve o'clock his friends
alighted from the train. A half hour later the automobile was at
the entrance to the castle. At one o'clock, after a light supper,
they retired. The lights were extinguished, and the castle was
enveloped in the darkness and silence of the night.
* * * * *
The moon appeared through a rift in the clouds, and filled the
drawing-room with its bright white light. But only for a moment.
Then the moon again retired behind its ethereal draperies, and
darkness and silence reigned supreme. No sound could be heard,
save the monotonous ticking of the clock. It struck two, and then
continued its endless repetitions of the seconds. Then, three
o'clock.
Suddenly, something clicked, like the opening and closing of a
signal-disc that warns the passing train. A thin stream of light
flashed to every corner of the room, like an arrow that leaves
behind it a trail of light. It shot forth from the central fluting
of a column that supported the pediment of the bookcase. It rested
for a moment on the panel opposite like a glittering circle of
burnished silver, then flashed in all directions like a guilty eye
that scrutinizes every shadow. It disappeared for a short time,
but burst forth again as a whole section of the bookcase revolved
on a picot and disclosed a large opening like a vault.
A man entered, carrying an electric lantern. He was followed by a
second man, who carried a coil of rope and various tools. The
leader inspected the room, listened a moment, and said:
"Call the others."
Then eight men, stout fellows with resolute faces, entered the
room, and immediately commenced to remove the furnishings. Arsene
Lupin passed quickly from one piece of furniture to another,
examined each, and, according to its size or artistic value, he
directed his men to take it or leave it. If ordered to be taken,
it was carried to the gaping mouth of the tunnel, and ruthlessly
thrust into the bowels of the earth. Such was the fate of six
armchairs, six small Louis XV chairs, a quantity of Aubusson
tapestries, some candelabra, paintings by Fragonard and Nattier, a
bust by Houdon, and some statuettes. Sometimes, Lupin would linger
before a beautiful chest or a superb picture, and sigh:
"That is too heavy....too large....what a pity!"
In forty minutes the room was dismantled; and it had been
accomplished in such an orderly manner and with as little noise as
if the various articles had been packed and wadded for the
occasion.
Lupin said to the last man who departed by way of the tunnel:
"You need not come back. You understand, that as soon as the auto-
van is loaded, you are to proceed to the grange at Roquefort."
"But you, patron?"
"Leave me the motor-cycle."
When the man had disappeared, Arsene Lupin pushed the section of
the bookcase back into its place, carefully effaced the traces of
the men's footsteps, raised a portiere, and entered a gallery,
which was the only means of communication between the tower and the
castle. In the center of this gallery there was a glass cabinet
which had attracted Lupin's attentions. It contained a valuable
collection of watches, snuff-boxes, rings, chatelaines and
miniatures of rare and beautiful workmanship. He forced the lock
with a small jimmy, and experienced a great pleasure in handling
those gold and silver ornaments, those exquisite and delicate works
of art.
He carried a large linen bag, specially prepared for the removal of
such knick-knacks. He filled it. Then he filled the pockets of
his coat, waistcoat and trousers. And he was just placing over his
left arm a number of pearl reticules when he heard a slight sound.
He listened. No, he was not deceived. The noise continued. Then
he remembered that, at one end of the gallery, there was a stairway
leading to an unoccupied apartment, but which was probably occupied
that night by the young lady whom Mon. Devanne had brought from
Dieppe with his other visitors.
Immediately he extinguished his lantern, and had scarcely gained
the friendly shelter of a window-embrasure, when the door at the
top of the stairway was opened and a feeble light illuminated the
gallery. He could feel--for, concealed by a curtain, he could not
see--that a woman was cautiously descending the upper steps of the
stairs. He hoped she would come no closer. Yet, she continued to
descend, and even advanced some distance into the room. Then she
uttered a faint cry. No doubt she had discovered the broken and
dismantled cabinet.
She advanced again. Now he could smell the perfume, and hear the
throbbing of her heart as she drew closer to the window where he
was concealed. She passed so close that her skirt brushed against
the window-curtain, and Lupin felt that she suspected the presence
of another, behind her, in the shadow, within reach of her hand.
He thought: "She is afraid. She will go away." But she did not
go. The candle, that she carried in her trembling hand, grew
brighter. She turned, hesitated a moment, appeared to listen, then
suddenly drew aside the curtain.
They stood face to face. Arsene was astounded. He murmured,
involuntarily:
"You--you--mademoiselle."
It was Miss Nelly. Miss Nelly! his fellow passenger on the
transatlantic steamer, who had been the subject of his dreams on
that memorable voyage, who had been a witness to his arrest, and
who, rather than betray him, had dropped into the water the kodak
in which he had concealed the bank-notes and diamonds. Miss Nelly!
that charming creature, the memory of whose face had sometimes
sheered, sometimes saddened the long hours of imprisonment.
It was such an unexpected encounter that brought them face to face
in that castle at that hour of the night, that they could not move,
nor utter a word; they were amazed, hypnotized, each at the sudden
apparition of the other. Trembling with emotion, Miss Nelly
staggered to a seat. He remained standing in front of her.
Gradually, he realized the situation and conceived the impression
he must have produced at that moment with his arms laden with
knick-knacks, and his pockets and a linen sack overflowing with
plunder. He was overcome with confusion, and he actually blushed
to find himself in the position of a thief caught in the act. To
her, henceforth, he was a thief, a man who puts his hand in
another's pocket, who steals into houses and robs people while they
sleep.
A watch fell upon the floor; then another. These were followed by
other articles which slipped from his grasp one by one. Then,
actuated by a sudden decision, he dropped the other articles into
an armchair, emptied his pockets and unpacked his sack. He felt
very uncomfortable in Nelly's presence, and stepped toward her with
the intention of speaking to her, but she shuddered, rose quickly
and fled toward the salon. The portiere closed behind her. He
followed her. She was standing trembling and amazed at the sight
of the devastated room. He said to her, at once:
"To-morrow, at three o'clock, everything will be returned. The
furniture will be brought back."
She made no reply, so he repeated:
"I promise it. To-morrow, at three o'clock. Nothing in the world
could induce me to break that promise....To-morrow, at three
o'clock."
Then followed a long silence that he dared not break, whilst the
agitation of the young girl caused him a feeling of genuine regret.
Quietly, without a word, he turned away, thinking: "I hope she will
go away. I can't endure her presence." But the young girl
suddenly spoke, and stammered:
"Listen....footsteps....I hear someone...."
He looked at her with astonishment. She seemed to be overwhelmed
by the thought of approaching peril.
"I don't hear anything," he said.
"But you must go--you must escape!"
"Why should I go?"
"Because--you must. Oh! do not remain here another minute. Go!"
She ran, quickly, to the door leading to the gallery and listened.
No, there was no one there. Perhaps the noise was outside. She
waited a moment, then returned reassured.
But Arsene Lupin had disappeared.
* * * * *
As soon as Mon. Devanne was informed of the pillage of his castle,
he said to himself: It was Velmont who did it, and Velmont is
Arsene Lupin. That theory explained everything, and there was no
other plausible explanation. And yet the idea seemed preposterous.
It was ridiculous to suppose that Velmont was anyone else than
Velmont, the famous artist, and club-fellow of his cousin
d'Estevan. So, when the captain of the gendarmes arrived to
investigate the affair, Devanne did not even think of mentioning
his absurd theory.
Throughout the forenoon there was a lively commotion at the castle.
The gendarmes, the local police, the chief of police from Dieppe,
the villagers, all circulated to and fro in the halls, examining
every nook and corner that was open to their inspection. The
approach of the maneuvering troops, the rattling fire of the
musketry, added to the picturesque character of the scene.
The preliminary search furnished no clue. Neither the doors nor
windows showed any signs of having been disturbed. Consequently,
the removal of the goods must have been effected by means of the
secret passage. Yet, there were no indications of footsteps on the
floor, nor any unusual marks upon the walls.
Their investigations revealed, however, one curious fact that
denoted the whimsical character of Arsene Lupin: the famous
Chronique of the sixteenth century had been restored to its
accustomed place in the library and, beside it, there was a similar
book, which was none other than the volume stolen from the National
Library.
At eleven o'clock the military officers arrived. Devanne welcomed
them with his usual gayety; for, no matter how much chagrin he
might suffer from the loss of his artistic treasures, his great
wealth enabled him to bear his loss philosophically. His guests,
Monsieur and Madame d'Androl and Miss Nelly, were introduced; and
it was then noticed that one of the expected guests had not
arrived. It was Horace Velmont. Would he come? His absence had
awakened the suspicions of Mon. Devanne. But at twelve o'clock he
arrived. Devanne exclaimed:
"Ah! here you are!"
"Why, am I not punctual?" asked Velmont.
"Yes, and I am surprised that you are....after such a busy night!
I suppose you know the news?"
"What news?"
"You have robbed the castle."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Velmont, smiling.
"Exactly as I predicted. But, first escort Miss Underdown to the
dining-room. Mademoiselle, allow me--"
He stopped, as he remarked the extreme agitation of the young girl.
Then, recalling the incident, he said:
"Ah! of course, you met Arsene Lupin on the steamer, before his
arrest, and you are astonished at the resemblance. Is that it?"
She did not reply. Velmont stood before her, smiling. He bowed.
She took his proffered arm. He escorted her to her place, and took
his seat opposite her. During the breakfast, the conversation
related exclusively to Arsene Lupin, the stolen goods, the secret
passage, and Sherlock Holmes. It was only at the close of the
repast, when the conversation had drifted to other subjects, that
Velmont took any part in it. Then he was, by turns, amusing and
grave, talkative and pensive. And all his remarks seemed to be
directed to the young girl. But she, quite absorbed, did not
appear to hear them.
Coffee was served on the terrace overlooking the court of honor and
the flower garden in front of the principal facade. The regimental
band played on the lawn, and scores of soldiers and peasants
wandered through the park.
Miss Nelly had not forgotten, for one moment, Lupin's solemn
promise: "To-morrow, at three o'clock, everything will be
returned."
At three o'clock! And the hands of the great clock in the right
wing of the castle now marked twenty minutes to three. In spite of
herself, her eyes wandered to the clock every minute. She also
watched Velmont, who was calmly swinging to and fro in a
comfortable rocking chair.
Ten minutes to three!....Five minutes to three!....Nelly was
impatient and anxious. Was it possible that Arsene Lupin would
carry out his promise at the appointed hour, when the castle, the
courtyard, and the park were filled with people, and at the very
moment when the officers of the law were pursuing their
investigations? And yet....Arsene Lupin had given her his solemn
promise. "It will be exactly as he said," thought she, so deeply
was she impressed with the authority, energy and assurance of that
remarkable man. To her, it no longer assumed the form of a
miracle, but, on the contrary, a natural incident that must occur
in the ordinary course of events. She blushed, and turned her
head.
Three o'clock! The great clock struck slowly:
one....two....three....Horace Velmont took out his watch, glanced
at the clock, then returned the watch to his pocket. A few seconds
passed in silence; and then the crowd in the courtyard parted to
give passage to two wagons, that had just entered the park-gate,
each drawn by two horses. They were army-wagons, such as are used
for the transportation of provisions, tents, and other necessary
military stores. They stopped in front of the main entrance, and a
commissary-sergeant leaped from one of the wagons and inquired for
Mon. Devanne. A moment later, that gentleman emerged from the
house, descended the steps, and, under the canvas covers of the
wagons, beheld his furniture, pictures and ornaments carefully
packaged and arranged.
When questioned, the sergeant produced an order that he had
received from the officer of the day. By that order, the second
company of the fourth battalion were commanded to proceed to the
crossroads of Halleux in the forest of Arques, gather up the
furniture and other articles deposited there, and deliver same to
Monsieur Georges Devanne, owner of the Thibermesnil castle, at
three o'clock. Signed: Col. Beauvel.
"At the crossroads," explained the sergeant, "we found everything
ready, lying on the grass, guarded by some passers-by. It seemed
very strange, but the order was imperative."
One of the officers examined the signature. He declared it a
forgery; but a clever imitation. The wagons were unloaded, and the
goods restored to their proper places in the castle.
During this commotion, Nelly had remained alone at the extreme end
of the terrace, absorbed by confused and distracted thoughts.
Suddenly, she observed Velmont approaching her. She would have
avoided him, but the balustrade that surrounded the terrace cut off
her retreat. She was cornered. She could not move. A gleam of
sunshine, passing through the scant foliage of a bamboo, lighted up
her beautiful golden hair. Some one spoke to her in a low voice:
"Have I not kept my promise?"
Arsene Lupin stood close to her. No one else was near. He
repeated, in a calm, soft voice:
"Have I not kept my promise?"
He expected a word of thanks, or at least some slight movement that
would betray her interest in the fulfillment of his promise. But
she remained silent.
Her scornful attitude annoyed Arsene Lupin; and he realized the
vast distance that separated him from Miss Nelly, now that she had
learned the truth. He would gladly have justified himself in her
eyes, or at least pleaded extenuating circumstances, but he
perceived the absurdity and futility of such an attempt. Finally,
dominated by a surging flood of memories, he murmured:
"Ah! how long ago that was! You remember the long hours on the
deck of the `Provence.' Then, you carried a rose in your hand, a
white rose like the one you carry to-day. I asked you for it. You
pretended you did not hear me. After you had gone away, I found
the rose--forgotten, no doubt--and I kept it."
She made no reply. She seemed to be far away. He continued:
"In memory of those happy hours, forget what you have learned
since. Separate the past from the present. Do not regard me as
the man you saw last night, but look at me, if only for a moment,
as you did in those far-off days when I was Bernard d'Andrezy, for
a short time. Will you, please?"
She raised her eyes and looked at him as he had requested. Then,
without saying a word, she pointed to a ring he was wearing on his
forefinger. Only the ring was visible; but the setting, which was
turned toward the palm of his hand, consisted of a magnificent
ruby. Arsene Lupin blushed. The ring belonged to Georges Devanne.
He smiled bitterly, and said:
"You are right. Nothing can be changed. Arsene Lupin is now and
always will be Arsene Lupin. To you, he cannot be even so much as
a memory. Pardon me....I should have known that any attention I
may now offer you is simply an insult. Forgive me."
He stepped aside, hat in hand. Nelly passed before him. He was
inclined to detain her and beseech her forgiveness. But his
courage failed, and he contented himself by following her with his
eyes, as he had done when she descended the gangway to the pier at
New York. She mounted the steps leading to the door, and
disappeared within the house. He saw her no more.
A cloud obscured the sun. Arsene Lupin stood watching the imprints
of her tiny feet in the sand. Suddenly, he gave a start. Upon the
box which contained the bamboo, beside which Nelly had been
standing, he saw the rose, the white rose which he had desired but
dared not ask for. Forgotten, no doubt--it, also! But how--
designedly or through distraction? He seized it eagerly. Some of
its petals fell to the ground. He picked them up, one by one, like
precious relics.
"Come!" he said to himself, "I have nothing more to do here. I
must think of my safety, before Sherlock Holmes arrives."
* * * * *
The park was deserted, but some gendarmes were stationed at the
park-gate. He entered a grove of pine trees, leaped over the wall,
and, as a short cut to the railroad station, followed a path across
the fields. After walking about ten minutes, he arrived at a spot
where the road grew narrower and ran between two steep banks. In
this ravine, he met a man traveling in the opposite direction. It
was a man about fifty years of age, tall, smooth-shaven, and
wearing clothes of a foreign cut. He carried a heavy cane, and a
small satchel was strapped across his shoulder. When they met, the
stranger spoke, with a slight English accent:
"Excuse me, monsieur, is this the way to the castle?"
"Yes, monsieur, straight ahead, and turn to the left when you come
to the wall. They are expecting you."
"Ah!"
"Yes, my friend Devanne told us last night that you were coming,
and I am delighted to be the first to welcome you. Sherlock Holmes
has no more ardent admirer than....myself."
There was a touch of irony in his voice that he quickly regretted,
for Sherlock Holmes scrutinized him from head to foot with such a
keen, penetrating eye that Arsene Lupin experienced the sensation
of being seized, imprisoned and registered by that look more
thoroughly and precisely than he had ever been by a camera.
"My negative is taken now," he thought, "and it will be useless to
use a disguise with that man. He would look right through it.
But, I wonder, has he recognized me?"
They bowed to each other as if about to part. But, at that moment,
they heard a sound of horses' feet, accompanied by a clinking of
steel. It was the gendarmes. The two men were obliged to draw
back against the embankment, amongst the brushes, to avoid the
horses. The gendarmes passed by, but, as they followed each other
at a considerable distance, they were several minutes in doing so.
And Lupin was thinking:
"It all depends on that question: has he recognized me? If so, he
will probably take advantage of the opportunity. It is a trying
situation."
When the last horseman had passed, Sherlock Holmes stepped forth
and brushed the dust from his clothes. Then, for a moment, he and
Arsene Lupin gazed at each other; and, if a person could have seen
them at that moment, it would have been an interesting sight, and
memorable as the first meeting of two remarkable men, so strange,
so powerfully equipped, both of superior quality, and destined by
fate, through their peculiar attributes, to hurl themselves one at
the other like two equal forces that nature opposes, one against
the other, in the realms of space.
Then the Englishman said: "Thank you, monsieur."
They parted. Lupin went toward the railway station, and Sherlock
Holmes continued on his way to the castle.
The local officers had given up the investigation after several
hours of fruitless efforts, and the people at the castle were
awaiting the arrival of the English detective with a lively
curiosity. At first sight, they were a little disappointed on
account of his commonplace appearance, which differed so greatly
from the pictures they had formed of him in their own minds. He
did not in any way resemble the romantic hero, the mysterious and
diabolical personage that the name of Sherlock Holmes had evoked in
their imaginations. However, Mon. Devanne exclaimed with much
gusto:
"Ah! monsieur, you are here! I am delighted to see you. It is a
long-deferred pleasure. Really, I scarcely regret what has
happened, since it affords me the opportunity to meet you. But,
how did you come?"
"By the train."
"But I sent my automobile to meet you at the station."
"An official reception, eh? with music and fireworks! Oh! no, not
for me. That is not the way I do business," grumbled the
Englishman.
This speech disconcerted Devanne, who replied, with a forced smile:
"Fortunately, the business has been greatly simplified since I
wrote to you."
"In what way?"
"The robbery took place last night."
"If you had not announced my intended visit, it is probable the
robbery would not have been committed last night."
"When, then?"
"To-morrow, or some other day."
"And in that case?"
"Lupin would have been trapped," said the detective.
"And my furniture?"
"Would not have been carried away."
"Ah! but my goods are here. They were brought back at three
o'clock."
"By Lupin."
"By two army-wagons."
Sherlock Holmes put on his cap and adjusted his satchel. Devanne
exclaimed, anxiously:
"But, monsieur, what are you going to do?"
"I am going home."
"Why?"
"Your goods have been returned; Arsene Lupin is far away--there is
nothing for me to do."
"Yes, there is. I need your assistance. What happened yesterday,
may happen again to-morrow, as we do not know how he entered, or
how he escaped, or why, a few hours later, he returned the goods."
"Ah! you don't know--"
The idea of a problem to be solved quickened the interest of
Sherlock Holmes.
"Very well, let us make a search--at once--and alone, if possible."
Devanne understood, and conducted the Englishman to the salon. In
a dry, crisp voice, in sentences that seemed to have been prepared
in advance, Holmes asked a number of questions about the events of
the preceding evening, and enquired also concerning the guests and
the members of the household. Then he examined the two volumes of
the "Chronique," compared the plans of the subterranean passage,
requested a repetition of the sentences discovered by Father Gelis,
and then asked:
"Was yesterday the first time you have spoken hose two sentences to
any one?"
"Yes."
"You had never communicated then to Horace Velmont?"
"No."
"Well, order the automobile. I must leave in an hour."
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 | 12 |
13