The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
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Maurice Leblanc >> The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
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"Not at all. I have read the newspapers and I will frankly state
that you have made very little progress."
"And that is the reason I have come to see you."
"I am entirely at your service."
"In the first place, the Cahorn affair was managed by you?"
"From A to Z."
"The letter of warning? the telegram?"
"All mine. I ought to have the receipts somewhere."
Arsene opened the drawer of a small table of plain white wood
which, with the bed and stool, constituted all the furniture in
his cell, and took therefrom two scraps of paper which he handed
to Ganimard.
"Ah!" exclaimed the detective, in surprise, "I though you were
closely guarded and searched, and I find that you read the
newspapers and collect postal receipts."
"Bah! these people are so stupid! They open the lining of my
vest, they examine the soles of my shoes, they sound the walls of
my cell, but they never imagine that Arsene Lupin would be foolish
enough to choose such a simple hiding place."
Ganimard laughed, as he said:
"What a droll fellow you are! Really, you bewilder me. But, come
now, tell me about the Cahorn affair."
"Oh! oh! not quite so fast! You would rob me of all my secrets;
expose all my little tricks. That is a very serious matter."
"Was I wrong to count on your complaisance?"
"No, Ganimard, and since you insist---"
Arsene Lupin paced his cell two or three times, then, stopping
before Ganimard, he asked:
"What do you think of my letter to the baron?"
"I think you were amusing yourself by playing to the gallery."
"Ah! playing to the gallery! Come, Ganimard, I thought you knew
me better. Do I, Arsene Lupin, ever waste my time on such
puerilities? Would I have written that letter if I could have
robbed the baron without writing to him? I want you to understand
that the letter was indispensable; it was the motor that set the
whole machine in motion. Now, let us discuss together a scheme
for the robbery of the Malaquis castle. Are you willing?"
"Yes, proceed."
"Well, let us suppose a castle carefully closed and barricaded
like that of the Baron Cahorn. Am I to abandon my scheme and
renounce the treasures that I covet, upon the pretext that the
castle which holds them is inaccessible?"
"Evidently not."
"Should I make an assault upon the castle at the head of a band of
adventurers as they did in ancient times?"
"That would be foolish."
"Can I gain admittance by stealth or cunning?"
"Impossible."
"Then there is only one way open to me. I must have the owner of
the castle invite me to it."
"That is surely an original method."
"And how easy! Let us suppose that one day the owner receives a
letter warning him that a notorious burglar known as Arsene Lupin
is plotting to rob him. What will he do?"
"Send a letter to the Procureur."
"Who will laugh at him, *because the said Arsene Lupin is actually
in prison.* Then, in his anxiety and fear, the simple man will
ask the assistance of the first-comer, will he not?"
"Very likely."
"And if he happens to read in a country newspaper that a
celebrated detective is spending his vacation in a neighboring
town---"
"He will seek that detective."
"Of course. But, on the other hand, let us presume that, having
foreseen that state of affairs, the said Arsene Lupin has
requested one of his friends to visit Caudebec, make the
acquaintance of the editor of the `Reveil,' a newspaper to which
the baron is a subscriber, and let said editor understand that
such person is the celebrated detective--then, what will happen?"
"The editor will announce in the `Reveil' the presence in Caudebec
of said detective."
"Exactly; and one of two things will happen: either the fish--I
mean Cahorn--will not bite, and nothing will happen; or, what is
more likely, he will run and greedily swallow the bait. Thus,
behold my Baron Cahorn imploring the assistance of one of my
friends against me."
"Original, indeed!"
"Of course, the pseudo-detective at first refuses to give any
assistance. On top of that comes the telegram from Arsene Lupin.
The frightened baron rushes once more to my friend and offers him
a definite sum of money for his services. My friend accepts and
summons two members of our band, who, during the night, whilst
Cahorn is under the watchful eye of his protector, removes certain
articles by way of the window and lowers them with ropes into a
nice little launch chartered for the occasion. Simple, isn't it?"
"Marvelous! Marvelous!" exclaimed Ganimard. "The boldness of the
scheme and the ingenuity of all its details are beyond criticism.
But who is the detective whose name and fame served as a magnet to
attract the baron and draw him into your net?"
"There is only one name could do it--only one."
"And that is?"
"Arsene Lupin's personal enemy--the most illustrious Ganimard."
"I?"
"Yourself, Ganimard. And, really, it is very funny. If you go
there, and the baron decides to talk, you will find that it will
be your duty to arrest yourself, just as you arrested me in
America. Hein! the revenge is really amusing: I cause Ganimard to
arrest Ganimard."
Arsene Lupin laughed heartily. The detective, greatly vexed, bit
his lips; to him the joke was quite devoid of humor. The arrival
of a prison guard gave Ganimard an opportunity to recover himself.
The man brought Arsene Lupin's luncheon, furnished by a
neighboring restaurant. After depositing the tray upon the table,
the guard retired. Lupin broke his bread, ate a few morsels, and
continued:
"But, rest easy, my dear Ganimard, you will not go to Malaquis. I
can tell you something that will astonish you: the Cahorn affair
is on the point of being settled."
"Excuse me; I have just seen the Chief of the Surete."
"What of that? Does Mon. Dudouis know my business better than I
do myself? You will learn that Ganimard--excuse me--that the
pseudo-Ganimard still remains on very good terms with the baron.
The latter has authorized him to negotiate a very delicate
transaction with me, and, at the present moment, in consideration
of a certain sum, it is probable that the baron has recovered
possession of his pictures and other treasures. And on their
return, he will withdraw his complaint. Thus, there is no longer
any theft, and the law must abandon the case."
Ganimard regarded the prisoner with a bewildered air.
"And how do you know all that?"
"I have just received the telegram I was expecting."
"You have just received a telegram?"
"This very moment, my dear friend. Out of politeness, I did not
wish to read it in your presence. But if you will permit me---"
"You are joking, Lupin."
"My dear friend, if you will be so kind as to break that egg, you
will learn for yourself that I am not joking."
Mechanically, Ganimard obeyed, and cracked the egg-shell with the
blade of a knife. He uttered a cry of surprise. The shell
contained nothing but a small piece of blue paper. At the request
of Arsene he unfolded it. It was a telegram, or rather a portion
of a telegram from which the post-marks had been removed. It read
as follows:
"Contract closed. Hundred thousand balls delivered. All well."
"One hundred thousand balls?" said Ganimard.
"Yes, one hundred thousand francs. Very little, but then, you
know, these are hard times....And I have some heavy bills to meet.
If you only knew my budget....living in the city comes very high."
Ganimard arose. His ill humor had disappeared. He reflected for
a moment, glancing over the whole affair in an effort to discover
a weak point; then, in a tone and manner that betrayed his
admiration of the prisoner, he said:
"Fortunately, we do not have a dozen such as you to deal with; if
we did, we would have to close up shop."
Arsene Lupin assumed a modest air, as he replied:
"Bah! a person must have some diversion to occupy his leisure
hours, especially when he is in prison."
"What!" exclaimed Ganimard, "your trial, your defense, the
examination--isn't that sufficient to occupy your mind?"
"No, because I have decided not to be present at my trial."
"Oh! oh!"
Arsene Lupin repeated, positively:
"I shall not be present at my trial."
"Really!"
"Ah! my dear monsieur, do you suppose I am going to rot upon the
wet straw? You insult me. Arsene Lupin remains in prison just as
long as it pleases him, and not one minute more."
"Perhaps it would have been more prudent if you had avoided
getting there," said the detective, ironically.
"Ah! monsieur jests? Monsieur must remember that he had the honor
to effect my arrest. Know then, my worthy friend, that no one,
not even you, could have placed a hand upon me if a much more
important event had not occupied my attention at that critical
moment."
"You astonish me."
"A woman was looking at me, Ganimard, and I loved her. Do you
fully understand what that means: to be under the eyes of a woman
that one loves? I cared for nothing in the world but that. And
that is why I am here."
"Permit me to say: you have been here a long time."
"In the first place, I wished to forget. Do not laugh; it was a
delightful adventure and it is still a tender memory. Besides, I
have been suffering from neurasthenia. Life is so feverish these
days that it is necessary to take the `rest cure' occasionally,
and I find this spot a sovereign remedy for my tired nerves."
"Arsene Lupin, you are not a bad fellow, after all."
"Thank you," said Lupin. "Ganimard, this is Friday. On Wednesday
next, at four o'clock in the afternoon, I will smoke my cigar at
your house in the rue Pergolese."
"Arsene Lupin, I will expect you."
They shook hands like two old friends who valued each other at
their true worth; then the detective stepped to the door.
"Ganimard!"
"What is it?" asked Ganimard, as he turned back.
"You have forgotten your watch."
"My watch?"
"Yes, it strayed into my pocket."
He returned the watch, excusing himself.
"Pardon me....a bad habit. Because they have taken mine is no
reason why I should take yours. Besides, I have a chronometer
here that satisfies me fairly well."
He took from the drawer a large gold watch and heavy chain.
"From whose pocket did that come?" asked Ganimard.
Arsene Lupin gave a hasty glance at the initials engraved on the
watch.
"J.B.....Who the devil can that be?....Ah! yes, I remember. Jules
Bouvier, the judge who conducted my examination. A charming
fellow!...."
III. The Escape of Arsene Lupin
Arsene Lupin had just finished his repast and taken from his
pocket an excellent cigar, with a gold band, which he was
examining with unusual care, when the door of his cell was opened.
He had barely time to throw the cigar into the drawer and move
away from the table. The guard entered. It was the hour for
exercise.
"I was waiting for you, my dear boy," exclaimed Lupin, in his
accustomed good humor.
They went out together. As soon as they had disappeared at a turn
in the corridor, two men entered the cell and commenced a minute
examination of it. One was Inspector Dieuzy; the other was
Inspector Folenfant. They wished to verify their suspicion that
Arsene Lupin was in communication with his accomplices outside of
the prison. On the preceding evening, the `Grand Journal' had
published these lines addressed to its court reporter:
"Monsieur:
"In a recent article you referred to me in most unjustifiable
terms. Some days before the opening of my trial I will call you
to account. Arsene Lupin."
The handwriting was certainly that of Arsene Lupin. Consequently,
he sent letters; and, no doubt, received letters. It was certain
that he was preparing for that escape thus arrogantly announced by
him.
The situation had become intolerable. Acting in conjunction with
the examining judge, the chief of the Surete, Mon. Dudouis, had
visited the prison and instructed the gaoler in regard to the
precautions necessary to insure Lupin's safety. At the same time,
he sent the two men to examine the prisoner's cell. They raised
every stone, ransacked the bed, did everything customary in such a
case, but they discovered nothing, and were about to abandon their
investigation when the guard entered hastily and said:
"The drawer....look in the table-drawer. When I entered just now
he was closing it."
They opened the drawer, and Dieuzy exclaimed:
"Ah! we have him this time."
Folenfant stopped him.
"Wait a moment. The chief will want to make an inventory."
"This is a very choice cigar."
"Leave it there, and notify the chief."
Two minutes later Mon. Dudouis examined the contents of the
drawer. First he discovered a bundle of newspaper clippings
relating to Arsene Lupin taken from the `Argus de la Presse,' then
a tobacco-box, a pipe, some paper called "onion-peel," and two
books. He read the titles of the books. One was an English
edition of Carlyle's "Hero-worship"; the other was a charming
elzevir, in modern binding, the "Manual of Epictetus," a German
translation published at Leyden in 1634. On examining the books,
he found that all the pages were underlined and annotated. Were
they prepared as a code for correspondence, or did they simply
express the studious character of the reader? Then he examined
the tobacco-box and the pipe. Finally, he took up the famous
cigar with its gold band.
"Fichtre!" he exclaimed. "Our friend smokes a good cigar. It's a
Henry Clay."
With the mechanical action of an habitual smoker, he placed the
cigar close to his ear and squeezed it to make it crack.
Immediately he uttered a cry of surprise. The cigar had yielded
under the pressure of his fingers. He examined it more closely,
and quickly discovered something white between the leaves of
tobacco. Delicately, with the aid of a pin, he withdrew a roll of
very thin paper, scarcely larger than a toothpick. It was a
letter. He unrolled it, and found these words, written in a
feminine handwriting:
"The basket has taken the place of the others. Eight out of ten
are ready. On pressing the outer foot the plate goes downward.
From twelve to sixteen every day, H-P will wait. But where?
Reply at once. Rest easy; your friend is watching over you."
Mon. Dudouis reflected a moment, then said:
"It is quite clear....the basket....the eight compartments....
From twelve to sixteen means from twelve to four o'clock."
"But this H-P, that will wait?"
"H-P must mean automobile. H-P, horsepower, is the way they
indicate strength of the motor. A twenty-four H-P is an
automobile of twenty-four horsepower."
Then he rose, and asked:
"Had the prisoner finished his breakfast?"
"Yes."
"And as he has not yet read the message, which is proved by the
condition of the cigar, it is probable that he had just received
it."
"How?"
"In his food. Concealed in his bread or in a potato, perhaps."
"Impossible. His food was allowed to be brought in simply to trap
him, but we have never found anything in it."
"We will look for Lupin's reply this evening. Detain him outside
for a few minutes. I shall take this to the examining judge, and,
if he agrees with me, we will have the letter photographed at
once, and in an hour you can replace the letter in the drawer in a
cigar similar to this. The prisoner must have no cause for
suspicion."
It was not without a certain curiosity that Mon. Dudouis returned
to the prison in the evening, accompanied by Inspector Dieuzy.
Three empty plates were sitting on the stove in the corner.
"He has eaten?"
"Yes," replied the guard.
"Dieuzy, please cut that macaroni into very small pieces, and open
that bread-roll....Nothing?"
"No, chief."
Mon. Dudouis examined the plates, the fork, the spoon, and the
knife--an ordinary knife with a rounded blade. He turned the
handle to the left; then to the right. It yielded and unscrewed.
The knife was hollow, and served as a hiding-place for a sheet of
paper.
"Peuh!" he said, "that is not very clever for a man like Arsene.
But we mustn't lose any time. You, Dieuzy, go and search the
restaurant."
Then he read the note:
"I trust to you, H-P will follow at a distance every day. I will
go ahead. Au revoir, dear friend."
"At last," cried Mon. Dudouis, rubbing his hands gleefully, "I
think we have the affair in our own hands. A little strategy on
our part, and the escape will be a success in so far as the arrest
of his confederates are concerned."
"But if Arsene Lupin slips through your fingers?" suggested the
guard.
"We will have a sufficient number of men to prevent that. If,
however, he displays too much cleverness, ma foi, so much the
worse for him! As to his band of robbers, since the chief refuses
to speak, the others must."
* * * * *
And, as a matter of fact, Arsene Lupin had very little to say.
For several months, Mon. Jules Bouvier, the examining judge, had
exerted himself in vain. The investigation had been reduced to a
few uninteresting arguments between the judge and the advocate,
Maitre Danval, one of the leaders of the bar. From time to time,
through courtesy, Arsene Lupin would speak. One day he said:
"Yes, monsieur, le judge, I quite agree with you: the robbery of
the Credit Lyonnais, the theft in the rue de Babylone, the issue
of the counterfeit bank-notes, the burglaries at the various
chateaux, Armesnil, Gouret, Imblevain, Groseillers, Malaquis, all
my work, monsieur, I did it all."
"Then will you explain to me---"
"It is useless. I confess everything in a lump, everything and
even ten times more than you know nothing about."
Wearied by his fruitless task, the judge had suspended his
examinations, but he resumed them after the two intercepted
messages were brought to his attention; and regularly, at mid-day,
Arsene Lupin was taken from the prison to the Depot in the
prison-van with a certain number of other prisoners. They
returned about three or four o'clock.
Now, one afternoon, this return trip was made under unusual
conditions. The other prisoners not having been examined, it was
decided to take back Arsene Lupin first, thus he found himself
alone in the vehicle.
These prison-vans, vulgarly called "panniers a salade"--or salad-
baskets--are divided lengthwise by a central corridor from which
open ten compartments, five on either side. Each compartment is
so arranged that the occupant must assume and retain a sitting
posture, and, consequently, the five prisoners are seated one upon
the other, and yet separated one from the other by partitions. A
municipal guard, standing at one end, watches over the corridor.
Arsene was placed in the third cell on the right, and the heavy
vehicle started. He carefully calculated when they left the quai
de l'Horloge, and when they passed the Palais de Justice. Then,
about the centre of the bridge Saint Michel, with his outer foot,
that is to say, his right foot, he pressed upon the metal plate
that closed his cell. Immediately something clicked, and the
metal plate moved. He was able to ascertain that he was located
between the two wheels.
He waited, keeping a sharp look-out. The vehicle was proceeding
slowly along the boulevard Saint Michel. At the corner of Saint
Germain it stopped. A truck horse had fallen. The traffic having
been interrupted, a vast throng of fiacres and omnibuses had
gathered there. Arsene Lupin looked out. Another prison-van had
stopped close to the one he occupied. He moved the plate still
farther, put his foot on one of the spokes of the wheel and leaped
to the ground. A coachman saw him, roared with laughter, then
tried to raise an outcry, but his voice was lost in the noise of
the traffic that had commenced to move again. Moreover, Arsene
Lupin was already far away.
He had run for a few steps; but, once upon the sidewalk, he turned
and looked around; he seemed to scent the wind like a person who
is uncertain which direction to take. Then, having decided, he
put his hands in his pockets, and, with the careless air of an
idle stroller, he proceeded up the boulevard. It was a warm,
bright autumn day, and the cafes were full. He took a seat on the
terrace of one of them. He ordered a bock and a package of
cigarettes. He emptied his glass slowly, smoked one cigarette and
lighted a second. Then he asked the waiter to send the proprietor
to him. When the proprietor came, Arsene spoke to him in a voice
loud enough to be heard by everyone:
"I regret to say, monsieur, I have forgotten my pocketbook.
Perhaps, on the strength of my name, you will be pleased to give
me credit for a few days. I am Arsene Lupin."
The proprietor looked at him, thinking he was joking. But Arsene
repeated:
"Lupin, prisoner at the Sante, but now a fugitive. I venture to
assume that the name inspires you with perfect confidence in me."
And he walked away, amidst shouts of laughter, whilst the
proprietor stood amazed.
Lupin strolled along the rue Soufflot, and turned into the rue
Saint Jacques. He pursued his way slowly, smoking his cigarettes
and looking into the shop-windows. At the Boulevard de Port Royal
he took his bearings, discovered where he was, and then walked in
the direction of the rue de la Sante. The high forbidding walls
of the prison were now before him. He pulled his hat forward to
shade his face; then, approaching the sentinel, he asked:
"It this the prison de la Sante?"
"Yes."
"I wish to regain my cell. The van left me on the way, and I
would not abuse--"
"Now, young man, move along--quick!" growled the sentinel.
"Pardon me, but I must pass through that gate. And if you prevent
Arsene Lupin from entering the prison it will cost you dear, my
friend."
"Arsene Lupin! What are you talking about!"
"I am sorry I haven't a card with me," said Arsene, fumbling in
his pockets.
The sentinel eyed him from head to foot, in astonishment. Then,
without a word, he rang a bell. The iron gate was partly opened,
and Arsene stepped inside. Almost immediately he encountered the
keeper of the prison, gesticulating and feigning a violent anger.
Arsene smiled and said:
"Come, monsieur, don't play that game with me. What! they take
the precaution to carry me alone in the van, prepare a nice little
obstruction, and imagine I am going to take to my heels and rejoin
my friends. Well, and what about the twenty agents of the Surete
who accompanied us on foot, in fiacres and on bicycles? No, the
arrangement did not please me. I should not have got away alive.
Tell me, monsieur, did they count on that?"
He shrugged his shoulders, and added:
"I beg of you, monsieur, not to worry about me. When I wish to
escape I shall not require any assistance."
On the second day thereafter, the `Echo de France,' which had
apparently become the official reporter of the exploits of Arsene
Lupin,--it was said that he was one of its principal shareholders--
published a most complete account of this attempted escape. The
exact wording of the messages exchanged between the prisoner and
his mysterious friend, the means by which correspondence was
constructed, the complicity of the police, the promenade on the
Boulevard Saint Michel, the incident at the cafe Soufflot,
everything was disclosed. It was known that the search of the
restaurant and its waiters by Inspector Dieuzy had been fruitless.
And the public also learned an extraordinary thing which
demonstrated the infinite variety of resources that Lupin
possessed: the prison-van, in which he was being carried, was
prepared for the occasion and substituted by his accomplices for
one of the six vans which did service at the prison.
The next escape of Arsene Lupin was not doubted by anyone. He
announced it himself, in categorical terms, in a reply to Mon.
Bouvier on the day following his attempted escape. The judge
having made a jest about the affair, Arsene was annoyed, and,
firmly eyeing the judge, he said, emphatically:
"Listen to me, monsieur! I give you my word of honor that this
attempted flight was simply preliminary to my general plan of
escape."
"I do not understand," said the judge.
"It is not necessary that you should understand."
And when the judge, in the course of that examination which was
reported at length in the columns of the `Echo de France,' when
the judge sought to resume his investigation, Arsene Lupin
exclaimed, with an assumed air of lassitude:
"Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu, what's the use! All these questions are of
no importance!"
"What! No importance?" cried the judge.
"No; because I shall not be present at the trial."
"You will not be present?"
"No; I have fully decided on that, and nothing will change my
mind."
Such assurance combined with the inexplicable indiscretions that
Arsene committed every day served to annoy and mystify the
officers of the law. There were secrets known only to Arsene
Lupin; secrets that he alone could divulge. But for what purpose
did he reveal them? And how?
Arsene Lupin was changed to another cell. The judge closed his
preliminary investigation. No further proceedings were taken in
his case for a period of two months, during which time Arsene was
seen almost constantly lying on his bed with his face turned
toward the wall. The changing of his cell seemed to discourage
him. He refused to see his advocate. He exchanged only a few
necessary words with his keepers.
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