Arsene Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes

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O ' PEP'^D i I?

The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin

ARSENE LUPIN

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

BY

MAURICE LEBLANC

Translated from the French
By GEORGE MOREHEAD

M. A. DONOHUE & CO.
CHICAGO

Copyright, 1910,
By M. A. DONOHUE A

2623

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Lottery Ticket Xo. 514 5

II. The Blue Diamond 50

III. Herlock Sholmes Opens Hostilities 92

IV. Light in the Darkness 133

V. An Abduction 170

VI. Second Arrest of Arsene Lupin 212

VII. The Jewish Lamp 253

VIII. The Shipwreck 300

STi^O^ ^-i **

IVi * /<J3- r Xrf

ARSENE LUPIN

Versus Herlock Sholmes

CHAPTEK I.

LOTTERY TICKET NO. 514.

N" the eighth day of last December,
Mon. Gerbois, professor of mathe
matics at the College of Versailles,
while rummaging in an old curiosity-shop, un
earthed a small mahogany writing-desk which
pleased him very much on account of the mul
tiplicity of its drawers.

4 * Just the thing for Suzanne's birthday
present," thought he. And as he always tried
to furnish some simple pleasures for his
daughter, consistent with his modest income,
he enquired the price, and, after some keen
bargaining, purchased it for sixty-five francs.
As he was giving his address to the shop
keeper, a young man, dressed with elegance
and taste, who had been exploring the stock

5

ARSENE LUPIN

of antiques, caught Fight of the writing-desk,
and immediately enquired its price.
"It is sold," replied the shopkeeper.
"Ah! to this gentleman, I presume!"
Monsieur Gerhois bowed, and left the store,
quite proud to be the possessor of an article
which had attracted the attention of a gentle
man of quality. But he had not taken a dozen
steps in the street, when he was overtaken by
the young man who, hat in hand and in a tone
of perfect courtesy, thus addressed him :

"I beg your pardon, monsieur ; I am going
to ask you a question that you may deem im
pertinent. It is this : Did you have any spe
cial object in view when you bought that writ
ing-desk?"

"No, I came across it by chance and it
struck my fancy. ' '

"But you do not care for it particularly?"
"Oh! I shall keep it— that is all."
"Because it is an antique, perhaps?"
"No; because it is convenient," declared
Mon. Gerbois.

"In that case, you would consent to ex
change it for another desk that would be quite
as convenient and in better condition?"

"Oh! this one is in good condition, and I
see no object in making an exchange, "

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

But-

Mon. Gerbois is a man of irritable disposi
tion and hasty temper. So he replied, testily :

"I beg of you, monsieur, do not insist."

But the young man firmly held his ground.

"I don't know how much you paid for it,
monsieur, but I offer you double. "

"No."

i ' Three times the amount. ' '

' ' Oh ! that will do, ' ' exclaimed the profes
sor, impatiently; "I don't wish to sell it."

The young man stared at him for a moment
in a manner that Mon. Gerbois would not
readily forget, then turned and walked rap
idly away.

An hour later, the desk was delivered at the
professor's house on the Viroflay road. He
called his daughter, and said :

' * Here is something for you, Suzanne, pro
vided you like it."

Suzanne was a pretty girl, with a gay and
affectionate nature. She threw her arms
around her father's neck and kissed him rap
turously. To her, the desk had all the sem
blance of a royal gift. That evening, assisted
by Hortense, the servant, she placed the desk
in her room ; then she dusted it, cleaned the
drawers and pigeon-holes, and carefully ar-

ARSENE LUPIN

ranged within it her papers, writing ma
terial, correspondence, a collection of post
cards, and some souvenirs of her cousin
Philippe that she kept in secret.

Next morning, at half past seven, Mon.
Gerbois went to the college. At ten o'clock,
in pursuance of her usual custom, Suzanne
went to meet him, and it was a great pleasure
for him to see her slender figure and childish
smile waiting for him at the college gate.
They returned home together.

"And your writing desk — how is it this
morning?"

' l Marvellous ! Hortense and I have polished
the brass mountings until they look like
gold."

"So you are pleased with it?"

"Pleased with it! Why, I don't see how I
managed to get on without it for such a long
time. ' '

As they were walking up the pathway to
the house, Mon. Gerbois said :

"Shall we go and take a look at it before
breakfast?"

"Oh! yes, that's a splendid idea!"

She ascended the stairs ahead of her
father, but, on arriving at the door of her

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

room, she uttered a cry of surprise and dis
may.

"What's the matter?7' stammered Mon.
Gerbois.

"The writing-desk is gone!"

*****

When the police were called in, they were
astonished at the admirable simplicity of the
means employed by the thief. During
Suzanne's absence, the servant had gone to
market, and while the house was thus left un
guarded, a drayman, wearing a badge — some
of the neighbors saw it — stopped his cart in
front of the house and rang twice. Not know
ing that Hortense was absent, the neighbors
were not suspicious; consequently, the man
carried on his work in peace and tranquility.

Apart from the desk, not a thing in the
house had been disturbed. Even Suzanne's
purse, which she had left upon the writing-
desk, was found upon an adjacent table with
its contents untouched. It was obvious that
the thief had come with a set purpose, which
rendered the crime even more mysterious;
because, why did he assume so great a risk
for such a trifling object?

The only clue the professor could furnish

10 ARSENE LUPIN

was the strange incident of the preceding
evening. He declared :

4 ' The young man was greatly provoked at
my refusal, and I had an idea that he threat
ened me as he went away."

But the clue was a vague one. The shop
keeper could not throw any light on the
affair. He did not know either of the gentle
men. As to the desk itself, he had purchased
it for forty francs at an executor's sale at
Chevreuse, and believed he had resold it at
its fair value. The police investigation dis
closed nothing more.

But Mon. Gerbois entertained the idea that
he had suffered an enormous loss. There
must have been a fortune concealed in a
secret drawer, and that was the reason the
young man had resorted to crime.

* i My poor father, what would we have done
with that fortune?" asked Suzanne.

* ' My child ! with such a fortune, you could
make a most advantageous marriage."

Suzanne sighed bitterly. Her aspirations
soared no higher than her cousin Philippe,
who was indeed a most deplorable object.
And life, in the little house at Versailles, was
not so happy and contented as of yore.

Two months passed away. Then came a

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

11

succession of startling events, a strange
blending of good luck and dire misfortune !

On the first day of February, at half -past
five, Mon. Gerbois entered the house, carry
ing an evening paper, took a seat, put on his
spectacles, and commenced to read. As poli
tics did not interest him, he turned to the in
side of the paper. Immediately his attention
was attracted by an article entitled :

"Third Drawing of the Press Association
Lottery.

"No. 514, series 23, draws a million. "

The newspaper slipped from his fingers.
The walls swam before his eyes, and his heart
ceased to beat. He held No. 514, series 23.
He had purchased it from a friend, to oblige
him, without any thought of success, and be
hold, it was the lucky number !

Quickly, he took out his memorandum-book.
Yes, he was quite right. The No. 514, series
23, was written there, on the inside of the
cover. But the ticket!

He rushed to his desk to find the envelope-
box in which he had placed the precious
ticket ; but the box was not there, and it sud
denly occurred to him that it had not been
there for several weeks. He heard footsteps
on the gravel walk leading from the street.

12 ARSENE LUPIN

He called :

' i Suzanne ! Suzanne ! ' '

She was returning from a walk. She en
tered hastily. He stammered, in a choking
voice :

"Suzanne ... the box . . . the
box of envelopes ?"

"What box?"

"The one I bought at the Louvre . . .
one Saturday . . . it was at the end of
that table."

"Don't you remember, father, we put all
those things away together."

"When?"

"The evening . . . you know . . .
the same evening . . ."

"But where? . . . Tell me, quick!
. . . Where?"

' ' Where ? Why, in the writing-desk. ' '

"In the writing-desk that was stolen?"

"Yes."

"Oh, mon Dieu! ... In the stolen
desk!"

He uttered the last sentence in a low voice,
in a sort of stupor. Then he seized her hand,
and in a still lower voice, he said :

"It contained a million, my child."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 13

''Ah! father, why didn't you tell me!" she
murmured, naively.

"A million!" he repeated. "It contained
the ticket that drew the grand prize in the
Press Lottery."

The colossal proportions of the disaster
overwhelmed them, and for a long time they
maintained a silence that they feared to
break. At last, Suzanne said:

"But, father, they will pay you just the
same. ' '

4 ' How ? On what proof ? ' '

"Must you have proof?"

"Of course."

"And you haven't any?"

' * It was in the box. ' '

"In the box that has disappeared."

"Yes; and now the thief will get the
money. ' '

"Oh! that would be terrible, father. You
must prevent it. ' '

For a moment he was silent; then, in an
outburst of energy, he leaped up, stamped on
the floor, and exclaimed :

"No, no, he shall not have that million;
he shall not have it ! "Why should he have it?
Ah! clever as he is, he can do nothing. If he
goes to claim the money, they will arrest him.

14 ARSENE LUPIN

Ah ! now, we will see, my fine fellow ! ' '

' ' What will you do, father!"

"Defend our just rights, whatever hap
pens! And we will succeed. The million
francs belong to me, and I intend to have
them."

A few minutes later, he sent this telegram :
"Governor Credit Foncier

"rue Capucines, Paris.

"Am holder of No. 514, series 23. Oppose
by all legal means any other claimant.

"GERBOIS."

Almost at the same moment, the Credit
Foncier received the following telegram :

"No. 514, series 23, is in my possession.

"ARSENE LUPIN."

# * * * *

Every time I undertake to relate one of the
many extraordinary adventures that mark
the life of Arsene Lupin, I experience a feel
ing of embarrassment, as it seems to me that
the most commonplace of those adventures is
already well known to my readers. In fact,
there is not a movement of our "national
thief," as he has been so aptly described, that
has not been given the widest publicity, not
an exploit that has not been studied in all its
phases, not an action that has not been dis-

VERSUS HEKLOCK SHOLMES 15

cussed with that particularity usually re
served for the recital of heroic deeds.

For instance, who does not know the
strange history of ' l The Blonde Lady, ' ' with
those curious episodes which were proclaimed
by the newspapers with heavy black head
lines, as follows: " Lottery Ticket No. 514 !"
. . . "The Crime on the Avenue Henri-
Martin !" . . . "The Blue Diamond !"
. . . The interest created by the interven
tion of the celebrated English detective, Her-
lock Sholmes! The excitement aroused by
the various vicissitudes which marked the
struggle between those famous artists ! And
what a commotion on the boulevards, the day
on which the newsboys announced: "Arrest
of Arsene Lupin ! ' '

My excuse for repeating these stories at
this time is the fact that I produce the key
to the enigma. Those adventures have always
been enveloped in a certain degree of ob
scurity, which I now remove. I reproduce
old newspaper articles, I relate old-time in
terviews, I present ancient letters ; but I have
arranged and classified all that material and
reduced it to the exact truth. My collaborators
in this work have been Arsene Lupin himself,

16 ARSENE LUPIN

and also the ineffable Wilson, the friend and
confidant of Herlock Sholmes.

Every one will recall the tremendous burst
of laughter which greeted the publication of
those two telegrams. The name "Arsene
Lupin " was in itself a stimulus to curiosity,
a promise of amusement for the gallery.
And, in this case, the gallery means the en
tire world.

An investigation was immediately com
menced by the Credit Foncier, which estab
lished these facts : That ticket No. 514, series
23, had been sold by the Versailles branch
office of the Lottery to an artillery officer
named Bessy, who was afterward killed by a
fall from his horse. Some time before his
death, he informed some of his comrades that
he had transferred his ticket to a friend.

"And I am that friend," affirmed Mon.
Gerbois.

"Prove it," replied the governor of the
Credit Foncier.

' ' Of course I can prove it. Twenty people
can tell you that I was an intimate friend of
Monsieur Bessy, and that we frequently met
at the Cafe de la Place-d'Armes. It was
there, one day, I purchased the ticket from

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 17

him for twenty francs — simply as an accom
modation to him.

"Have you any witnesses to that transac
tion?"

"No."

' i Well, how do you expect to prove it f ' '

' ' By a letter he wrote to me. ' '

"What letter!"

"A letter that was pinned to the ticket."

"Produce it."

"It was stolen at the same time as the
ticket."

"Well, you must find it."

It was soon learned that Arsejie Lupin had
the letter. A short paragraph appeared in
the Echo de France — which has the honor to
be his official organ, and of which, it is said,
he is one of the principal shareholders — the
paragraph announced that Arsene Lupin had
placed in the hands of Monsieur Detinan, his
advocate and legal adviser, the letter that
Monsieur Bessy had written to him — to him
personally.

This announcement provoked an outburst
of laughter. Arsene Lupin had engaged a
lawyer! Arsene Lupin, conforming to the
rules and customs of modern society, had ap
pointed a legal representative in the person

18 ARSJNE LUPIN

of a well-known member of the Parisian bar !

Mon. Detinan had never enjoyed the pleas
ure of meeting Arsene Lupin — a fact he
deeply regretted — but he had actually been
retained by that mysterious gentleman and
felt greatly honored by the choice. He was
prepared to defend the interests of his client
to the best of his ability. He was pleased,
even proud, to exhibit the letter of Mon.
Bessy, but, although it proved the transfer
of the ticket, it did not mention the name of
the purchaser. It was simply addressed to
"My Dear Friend. "

' * My Dear Friend ! that is I, ' ' added Arsene
Lupin, in a note attached to Mon. Bessy's let
ter. "And the best proof of that fact is that
I hold the letter. »

The swarm of reporters immediately rushed
to see Mon. Gerbois, who could only repeat:

"My Dear Friend! that is I. . . .
Arsene Lupin stole the letter with the lottery
ticket. "

"Let him prove it!" retorted Lupin to the
reporters.

' ' He must have done it, because he stole the
writing-desk!" exclaimed Mon. Gerbois be
fore the same reporters.

"Let him prove it !" replied Lupin.

VERSUS HEKLOCK SHOLMES

19

Such was the entertaining comedy enacted
by the two claimants of ticket No. 514; and
the calm demeanor of Arsene Lupin con
trasted strangely with the nervous perturba
tion of poor Mon. Gerbois. The newspapers
were filled with the lamentations of that un
happy man. He announced his misfortune
with pathetic candor.

"Understand, gentlemen, it was Suzanne's
dowry that the rascal stole! Personally, I
don't care a straw for it, ... but for
Suzanne! Just think of it, a whole million!
Ten times one hundred thousand francs ! Ah !
I knew very well that the desk contained a
treasure!"

It was in vain to tell him that his ad
versary, when stealing the desk, was unaware
that the lottery ticket was in it, and that, in
any event, he could not foresee that the ticket
would draw the grand prize. He would reply :

"Nonsense! of course, he knew it . . ,
else why would he take the trouble to steal a
poor, miserable desk?"

"For some unknown reason; but certainly
not for a small scrap of paper which was
then worth only twenty francs."

"A million francs! He knew it; . . .
he knows everything ! Ah ! you do not kno\*

20 ARSENE LUPIN

him — the scoundrel ! . . . He hasn't robbed
you of a million francs ! ' '

The controversy would have lasted for a
much longer time, but, on the twelfth day,
Mon. Gerbois received from Arsene Lupin a
letter, marked "confidential," which read as
follows :

"Monsieur, the gallery is being amused at
our expense. Do you not think it is time for
us to be serious! The situation is this: I
possess a ticket to which I have no legal right,
and you have the legal right to a ticket you
do not possess. Neither of us can do any
thing. You will not relinquish your rights to
me ; I will not deliver the ticket to you. Now,
what is to be done ?

"I see only one way out of the difficulty:
Let us divide the spoils. A half-million for
you ; a half -million for me. Is not that a fair
division? In my opinion, it is an equitable
solution, and an immediate one. I will give
you three days' time to consider the proposi
tion. On Thursday morning I shall expect to
read in the personal column of the Echo de
France a discreet message addressed to M.
Ars. Lup, expressing in veiled terms your
consent to my offer. By so doing you will re
cover immediate possession of the ticket;

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 21

then you can collect the money and send me
half a million in a manner that I will describe
to you later.

"In case of your refusal, I shall resort to
other measures to accomplish the same result.
But, apart from the very serious annoyances
that such obstinacy on your part will cause
you, it will cost you twenty-five thousand
francs for supplementary expenses.

"Believe me, monsieur, I remain your de
voted servant, ARSENE LUPIN. "

In a fit of exasperation Mon. Gerbois com
mitted the grave mistake of showing that let
ter and allowing a copy of it to be taken. His
indignation overcame his discretion.

"Nothing! He shall have nothing!'' he
exclaimed, before a crowd of reporters. ' ' To
divide my property with him? Never! Let
him tear up the ticket if he wishes ! ' '

"Yet five hundred thousand francs is bet
ter than nothing."

"That is not the question. It is a question
of my just right, and that right I will estab
lish before the courts. ' '

"What! attack Arsene Lupin! That would
be amusing."

"No; but the Credit Foncier. They must
pay me the million francs."

22 AKSENE LUPIN"

i i Without producing the ticket, or, at least,
without proving that you bought it?"

4 ' That proof exists, since Arsene Lupin ad
mits that he stole the writing-desk."

"But would the word of Arsene Lupin
carry any weight with the court ? ' '

"No matter; I will fight it out."

The gallery shouted with glee ; and wagers
were freely made upon the result with the
odds in favor of Lupin. On the following
Thursday the personal column in the Echo
de France was eagerly perused by the ex
pectant public, but it contained nothing ad
dressed to M. Ars. Lup. Mon. Gerbois had
not replied to Arsene Lupin's letter. That
was the declaration of war.

That evening the newspapers announced

the abduction of Mile. Suzanne Gerbois.

* * * * #

The most entertaining feature in what
might be called the Arsene Lupin dramas is
the comic attitude displayed by the Parisian
police. Arsene Lupin talks, plans, writes,
commands, threatens and executes as if the
police did not exist. They never figure in his
calculations.

And yet the police do their utmost. But

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 23

what can they do against such a foe — a foe
that scorns and ignores them?

Suzanne had left the house at twenty
minutes to ten; such was the testimony of the
servant. On leaving the college, at five
minutes past ten, her father did not find her
at the place she was accustomed to wait for
him. Consequently, whatever had happened
must have occurred during the course of
Suzanne's walk from the house to the col
lege. Two neighbors had met her about three
hundred yards from the house. A lady had
seen, on the avenue, a young girl correspond
ing to Suzanne's description. No one else
had seen her.

Inquiries were made in all directions; the
employees of the railways and street-car lines
were questioned, but none of them had seen
anything of the missing girl. However, at
Ville-d'Avray, they found a shopkeeper who
had furnished gasoline to an automobile that
had come from Paris on the day of the ab
duction. It was occupied by a blonde woman
—extremely blonde, said the witness. An
hour later, the automobile again passed
through Ville-d'Avray on its way from Ver
sailles to Paris. The shopkeeper declared
that the automobile now contained a second

24 ARSENE LUPIN

woman who was heavily veiled. No doubt, it
was Suzanne Gerbois.

The abduction must have taken place in
broad daylight, on a frequented street, in the
very heart of the town. How? And at what
spot ? Not a cry was heard ; not a suspicious
action had been seen. The shopkeeper
described the automobile as a royal-blue
limousine of twenty-four horse-power made
by the firm of Peugeon & Co. Inquiries were
then made at the Grand-Garage, managed by
Madame Bob-Walthour, who made a spe
cialty of abductions by automobile. It was
learned that she had rented a Peugeon
limousine on that day to a blonde woman
whom she had never seen before nor since.

"Who was the chauffeur!"

"A young man named Ernest, whom I had
engaged only the day before. He came well
recommended. ' '

"Is he here now!"

"No. He brought back the machine, but
I haven't seen him since," said Madame Bob-
Walthour.

"Do you know where we can find him!"

"You might see the people who recom
mended him to me. Here are the names."

Upon inquiry, it was learned that none of

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

25

these people knew the man called Ernest.
The recommendations were forged.

Such was the fate of every clue followed
by the police. It ended nowhere. The
mystery remained unsolved.

Mon. Gerbois had not the strength or
courage to wage such an unequal battle. The
disappearance of his daughter crushed him;
he capitulated to the enemy. A short an-
announcement in the Echo de France pro
claimed his unconditional surrender.

Two days later, Mon. Gerbois visited the
office of the Credit Foncier and handed
lottery ticket number 514, series 23, to the
governor, who exclaimed, with surprise:

"Ah! you have it! He has returned it to
you!"

"It was mislaid. That was all," replied
Mon. Gerbois.

"But you pretended that it had been
stolen." "

"At first, I thought it had . . . but
here it is."

"We will require some evidence to
establish your right to the ticket."

"Will the letter of the purchaser, Monsieur
Bessy, be sufficient!"

"Yes, that will do."

26 ARSENE LUPIN

"Here it is," said Mon. Gerbois, producing
the letter.

"Very well. Leave these papers with us.
The rules of the lottery allow us fifteen days '
time to investigate your claim. I will let you
know when to call for your money. I pre
sume you desire, as much as I do, that this
affair should be closed without further pub
licity."

"Quite so."

Mon. Gerbois and the governor henceforth
maintained a discreet silence. But the secret
was revealed in some way, for it was soon
commonly known that Arsene Lupin had re
turned the lottery ticket to Mon. Gerbois.
The public received the news with astonish
ment and admiration. Certainly, he was a
bold gamester who thus threw upon the table
a trump card of such importance as the
precious ticket. But, it was true, he still re
tained a trump card of equal importance.
However, if the young girl should escape?
If the hostage held by Arsene Lupin should
be rescued?

The police thought they had discovered the
weak spot of the enemy, and now redoubled
their efforts. Arsene Lupin disarmed by his
own act, crushed by the wheels of his own

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

27

machination, deprived of every sou of the
coveted million . . . public interest now
centered in the camp of his adversary.

But it was necessary to find Suzanne. And
they did not find her, nor did she escape.
Consequently, it must be admitted, Arsene
Lupin had won the first hand. But the game
was not yet decided. The most difficult point
remained. Mile. Gerbois is in his possession,
and he will hold her until he receives five
hundred thousand francs. But how and
where will such an exchange be made? For
that purpose, a meeting must be arranged,
and then what will prevent Mon. Gerbois
from warning the police and, in that way,
effecting the rescue of his daughter and, at
the same time, keeping his money ! The pro
fessor was interviewed, but he was ex
tremely reticent. His answer was :

"I have nothing to say/'

"And Mile. Gerbois!' '

' ' The search is being continued. ' '

"But Arsene Lupin has written to you?"

"No."

"Do you swear to that?"

"No."

"Then it is true. What are his instruc
tions I"

28 ARSENE LUPIN"

"I have nothing to say."

Then the interviewers attacked Mon. Deti-
nan, and found his equally discreet.

"Monsieur Lupin is my client, and I can
not discuss his affairs," he replied, with an
affected air of gravity.

These mysteries served to irritate the
gallery. Obviously, some secret negotiations
were in progress. Arsene Lupin had ar
ranged and tightened the meshes of his net,
while the police maintained a close watch,
day and night, over Mon. Gerbois. And the
three and only possible denouements — the ar
rest, the triumph, or the ridiculous and piti
ful abortion — were freely discussed; but the
curiosity of the public was only partially
satisfied, and it was reserved for these pages

to reveal the exact truth of the affair.

*****

On Monday, March 12th, Mon. Gerbois re
ceived a notice from the Credit Foncier. On
Wednesday, he took the one o 'clock train for
Paris. At two o'clock, a thousand bank-notes
of one thousand francs each were delivered
to him. Whilst he was counting them, one
by one, in a state of nervous agitation — that
money, which represented Suzanne's ransom
— a carriage containing two men stopped at

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

29

the curb a short distance from the bank. One
of the men had grey hair and an unusually
shrewd expression which formed a striking
contrast to his shabby make-up. It was De
tective Ganimard, the relentless enemy of
Arsene Lupin. Ganimard said to his com
panion, Folenfant:

"In five minutes, we will see our clever
friend Lupin. Is everything ready ? ' '

"Yes."

"How many men have we!"

"Eight — two of them on bicycles."

"Enough, but not too many. On no ac
count, must Gerbois escape us ; if he does, it
is all up. He will meet Lupin at the ap
pointed place, give half a million in exchange
for the girl, and the game will be over."

"But why doesn't Gerbois work with us!
That would be the better way, and he could
keep all the money himself. ' '

"Yes, but he is afraid that if he deceives
the other, he will not get his daughter."

"What other?"

"Lupin."

Ganimard pronounced the word in a
solemn tone, somewhat timidly, as if he were
speaking of some supernatural creature
whose claws he alreadv felt.

30 ARSl&NE LUPIN

"It is very strange, " remarked Folenfant,
judiciously, "that we are obliged to protect
this gentleman contrary to his own wishes/'

"Yes, but Lupin always turns the world
upside down," said Ganimard, mournfully.

A moment later, Mon. Gerbois appeared,
and started up the street. At the end of the
rue des Capucines, he turned into the boule
vards, walking slowly, and stopping fre
quently to gaze at the shop-windows.

"Much too calm, too self -possessed, " said
Ganimard. "A man with a million in his
pocket would not have that air of tran
quillity. ' '

"What is he doing?"

"Oh! nothing, evidently . . . But I
have a suspicion that it is Lupin — yes,
Lupin!"

At that moment, Mon. Gerbois stopped at
a news-stand, purchased a paper, unfolded
it and commenced to read it as he walked
slowly away. A moment later, he gave a
sudden bound into an automobile that was
standing at the curb. Apparently, the ma
chine had been waiting for him, as it started
away rapidly, turned at the Madeleine and
disappeared.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 31

"Nom de nom!" cried Ganimard, "that's
one of his old tricks ! ' '

Ganimard hastened after the automobile
around the Madeleine. Then, he burst into
laughter. At the entrance to the Boulevard
Malesherbes, the automobile had stopped and
Mon Gerbois had alighted.

"Quick, Folenfant, the chauffeur! It may
be the man Ernest.'7

Folenfant interviewed the chauffeur. His
name was Gaston ; he was an employee of the
automobile cab company; ten minutes ago, a
gentleman had engaged him and told him to
wait near the news-stand for another
gentleman.

"And the second man — what address did
he give I " asked Folenfant.

"No address. ' Boulevard Malesherbes
. . . avenue de Messine . . . double
pourboire.' That is all."

But, during this time, Mon. Gerbois had
leaped into the first passing carriage.

"To the Concorde station, Metropolitan,"
he said to the driver.

He left the underground at the Place du
Palais-Royal, ran to another carriage and
ordered it to go to the Place de la Bourse.
Then a second journey by the underground to

32 ARSENE LUPIN

the Avenue de Villiers, followed by a third
carriage drive to number 25 rue Clapeyron.

Number 25 rue Clapeyron is separated
from the Boulevard des Batignolles by the
house which occupies the angle formed by the
two streets. He ascended to the first floor
and rang. A gentleman opened the door.

"Does Monsieur Detinan live here?"

i i Yes, that is my name. Are you Monsieur
Gerbois!"

"Yes."

"I was expecting you. Step in."

As Mon. Gerbois entered the lawyer's of
fice, the clock struck three. He said :

' ' I am prompt to the minute. Is he here ? ' '

"Not yet."

Mon. Gerbois took a seat, wiped his fore
head, looked at his watch as if he did not
know the time, and inquired, anxiously :

"Will he come?"

"Well, monsieur," replied the lawyer,
"that I do not know, but I am quite as
anxious and impatient as you are to find out.
If he comes, he will run a great risk, as this
house has been closely watched for the last
two weeks. They distrust me."

"They suspect me, too. I am not sure

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 33

whether the detectives lost sight of me or not
on my way here.

"But you were — "

"It wouldn't be my fault," cried the pro
fessor, quickly. "You cannot reproach me.
I promised to obey his orders, and I followed
them to the very letter. I drew the money
at the time fixed by him, and I came here in
the manner directed by him. I have faith
fully performed my part of the agreement —
let him do his ! ' '

After a short silence, he asked, anxiously :

"He will bring my daughter, won't he?"

4 i I expect so. ' '

"But . . . you have seen him!"

"I? No, not yet. He made the appoint
ment by letter, saying both of you would be
here, and asking me to dismiss my servants
before three o'clock and admit no one while
you were here. If I would not consent to
that arrangement, I was to notify him by a
few words in the Echo de France. But I am
only too happy to oblige Mon. Lupin, and so
I consented."

"Ah! how will this end?" moaned Mon.
Gerbois.

He took the bank-notes from his pocket,
placed them on the table and divided them

34 ARSENE LUPIN"

into two equal parts. Then the two men sat
there in silence. From time to time, Mon.
Gerbois would listen. Did someone ring!
. . . His nervousness increased every
minute, and Monsieur Detinan also displayed
considerable anxiety. At last, the lawyer
lost his patience. He rose abruptly, and
said:

"He will not come . . . We shouldn't
expect it. It would be folly on his part. He
would run too great a risk."

And Mon. Gerbois, despondent, his hands
resting on the bank-notes, stammered:

"Oh! Mon Dieu! I hope he will come. I
would give the whole of that money to see
my daughter again."

The door opened.

"Half of it will be sufficient, Monsieur
Gerbois."

These words were spoken by a well-dressed
young man who now entered the room and
was immediately recognized by Mon. Gerbois
as the person who had wished to buy the desk
from him at Versailles. He rushed toward
him.

"Where is my daughter — my Suzanne?"

Arsene Lupin carefully closed the door,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

35

and, while slowly removing his gloves, said to
the lawyer:

"My dear maitre, I am indebted to you
very much for your kindness in consenting
to defend my interests. I shall not forget
it."

Mon. Detinan murmured:

' ' But you did not ring. I did not hear the
door—"

"Doors and bells are things that should
work without being heard. I am here, and
that is the important point."

"My daughter! Suzanne! Where is
she ? ' ' repeated the professor.

"Mon Dieu, monsieur," said Lupin,
"what's your hurry? Your daughter will be
here in a moment."

Lupin walked to and fro for a minute, then,
with the pompous air of an orator, he said:

"Monsieur Gerbois, I congratulate you on
the clever way in which you made the jour
ney to this place."

Then, perceiving the two piles of bank
notes, he exclaimed:

"Ah! I see! the million is here. We will
not lose any time. Permit me."

"One moment," said the lawyer, placing

36 ARSENE LUPIN

Mmself before the table. "Mile. Gerbois has
not yet arrived. "

"Well!"

"Is not her presence indispensable!"

"I understand! I understand! Arsene
Lupin inspires only a limited confidence. He
might pocket the half-million and not restore
the hostage. Ah! monsieur, people do not
understand me. Because I have been obliged,
by force of circumstances, to commit certain
actions a little . . . out of the ordinary,
my good faith is impugned ... I, who
have always observed the utmost scru
pulosity and delicacy in business affairs.
Besides, my dear monsieur if you have
any fear, open the window and call.
There are at least a dozen detectives in the
street."

"Do you think so?"

Arsene Lupin raised the curtain.

"I think that Monsieur Gerbois could not
throw Ganimard off the scent . . . What
did I tell you f There he is now. ' '

"Is it possible!" exclaimed the pro
fessor. "But I swear to you — "

"That you have not betrayed me? . . .
I do not doubt you, but those fellows are
clever — sometimes. Ah ! I can see Folenf ant,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

37

and Greaume, and Dieuzy — all good friends
of mine I"

Mon. Detinan looked at Lupin in amaze
ment. What assurance! He laughed as
merrily as if engaged in some childish sport,
as if no danger threatened him. This un
concern reassured the lawyer more than the
presence of the detectives. He left the table
on which the bank-notes were lying. Arsene
Lupin picked up one pile of bills after the
other, took from each of them twenty-five
bank-notes which he offered to Mon. Detinan,
saying:

' * The reward of your services to Monsieur
Gerbois and Arsene Lupin. You well deserve
it."

"You owe me nothing/' replied the
lawyer.

"What! After all the trouble we have
caused you ! ' '

4 1 And all the pleasure you have given me ! ' '

4 ' That means, my dear monsieur, that you
do not wish to accept anything from Arsene
Lupin. See what it is to have a bad reputa
tion."

He then offered the fifty thousand francs
to Mon. Gerbois, saying:

"Monsieur, in memory of our pleasant in-

ARSENE LUPIN

terview, permit me to return you this as a
wedding-gift to Mile. Gerbois."

Mon. Gerbois took the money, but said:
' ' My daughter will not marry. ' '
"She will not marry if you refuse your
consent; but she wishes to marry."
"What do you know about it?"
"I know that young girls often dream of
such things unknown to their parents. For
tunately, there are sometimes good genii like
Arsene Lupin who discover their little secrets
in the drawers of their writing desks."

"Did you find anything else!" asked the
lawyer. "I confess I am curious to know
why you took so much trouble to get pos
session of that desk."

"On account of its historic interest, my
friend. Although despite the opinion of Mon
sieur Gerbois, the desk contained no
treasure except the lottery ticket — and that
was unknown to me — I had been seeking it
for a long time. That writing-desk of yew
and mahogany was discovered in the little
house in which Marie Walewska once lived in
Boulogne, and, on one of the drawers there
is this inscription : 'Dedicated to Napoleon I,
Emperor of the French, loy his very faithful
servant, Mancion.' And above it, these words,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

engraved with the point of a knife : * To you,
Marie.' Afterwards, Napoleon had a similar
desk made for the Empress Josephine; so
that the secretary that was so much admired
at the Malmaison was only an imperfect copy
of the one that will henceforth form part of
my collection. ' '

i ' Ah ! if I had known, when in the shop, I
would gladly have given it up to you," said
the professor.

Arsene Lupin smiled, as he replied:

"And you would have had the advantage
of keeping for your own use lottery ticket
number 514."

"And you would not have found it neces
sary to abduct my daughter."

"Abduct your daughter!"

"Yes."

"My dear monsieur, you are mistaken.
Mile. Gerbois was not abducted. ' '

"No!"

"Certainly not. Abduction means force
or violence. And I assure you that she
served as hostage of her own free will."

"Of her own free will!" repeated Mon.
Gerbois, in amazement.

"In fact, she almost asked to be taken.
Why, do you suppose that an intelligent

40 ARSESTE LUPIN

young girl like Mile. Gerbois, and who, more
over, nourishes an unacknowledged passion,
would hesitate to do what was necessary to
secure her dowry. Ah ! I swear to you it was
not difficult to make- her understand that it
was the only way to overcome your ob
stinacy. ' '

Mon. Detinan was greatly amused. He
replied to Lupin:

"But I should think it was more difficult
to get her to listen to you. How did you
approach her?"

" Oh ! I didn't approach her myself. I have
not the honor of her acquaintance. A friend
of mine, a lady, carried on the negotiations. ' '

"The blonde woman in the automobile, no
doubt.'7

"Precisely. All arrangements were made
at the first interview near the college. Since
then, Mile. Gerbois and her new friend have
been travelling in Belgium and Holland in
a manner that should prove most pleasing
and instructive to a young girl. She will
tell you all about it herself — "

The bell of the vestibule door rang, three
rings in quick succession, followed by two
isolated rings.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

"It is she/7 said Lupin. "Monsieur Deti-
nan, if you will be so kind — "

The lawyer hastened to the door.

Two young women entered. One of them
threw herself into the arms of Mon. Gerbois.
The other approached Lupin. The latter was
a tall woman of a good figure, very pale com
plexion, and with blond hair, parted over her
forehead in undulating waves, that glistened
and shone like the setting sun. She was
dressed in black, with no display of jewelled
ornaments; but, on the contrary, her ap
pearance indicated good taste and refined
elegance. Arsene Lupin spoke a few words
to her; then, bowing to Mile. Gerbois, he
said:

"I owe you an apology, mademoiselle, for
all your troubles, but I hope you have not
been too unhappy—

1 ' Unhappy ! Why, I should have been very
happy, indeed, if it hadn't been for leaving
my poor father. ' '

"Then all is for the best. Kiss him again,
and take advantage of the opportunity — it
is an excellent one — to speak to him about
your cousin."

4 ' My cousin ! What do you mean ? I don 't
understand."

42 ARSENE LUPIN

1 1 1

Of course, you understand. Your
cousin Philippe. The young man whose let
ters you kept so carefully."

Suzanne blushed; but, following Lupin's
advice, she again threw herself into her
father's arms. Lupin gazed upon them with
a tender look.

"Ah! Such is my reward for a virtuous
act! What a touching picture! A happy
father and a happy daughter ! And to know
that their joy is your work, Lupin! Here
after these people will bless you, and rever
ently transmit your name unto their descend
ants, even unto the fourth generation.
What a glorious reward, Lupin, for one act
of kindness!"

He walked to the window.

"Is dear old Ganimard still waiting?
. . . He would like very much to be
present at this charming domestic scene!
. . . Ah! he is not there. . . . Nor
any of the others. ... I don't see any
one. The deuce ! The situation is becoming
serious. I dare say they are already under
the porte-cochere . * . talking to the
concierge, perhaps . . . or, even, ascend
ing the stairs ! ' '

Mon. Gerbois made a sudden movement.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

43

Now, that his daughter had been restored to
him, he saw the situation in a different light.
To him, the arrest of his adversary meant
half-a-million francs. Instinctively, he made
a step forward. As if by chance, Lupin stood
in his way.

"Where are you going, Monsieur Gerboisf
To defend me against them? That is very
kind of you, but I assure you it is not neces
sary. They are more worried than I. ' '

Then he continued to speak, with calm de
liberation:

"But, really, what do they know! That
you are here, and, perhaps, that Mile. Ger-
bois is here, for they may have seen her ar
rive with an unknown lady. But they do not
imagine that I am here. How is it possible
that I could be in a house that they ran
sacked from cellar to garret this morning?
They suppose that the unknown lady was sent
by me to make the exchange, and they will
be ready to arrest her when she goes out—

At that moment, the bell rang. With a
brusque movement, Lupin seized Mon. Ger-
bois, and said to him, in an imperious tone:

i i Do not move ! Remember your daughter,
and be prudent — otherwise — As to you, Mon
sieur Detinan, I have your promise."

44 ARSENE LUPIN

Mon. Gerbois was rooted to the spot. The
lawyer did not stir. Without the least sign
of haste, Lupin picked up his hat and brushed
the dust from off it with his sleeve.

* ' My dear Monsieur Detinan, if I can ever
be of service to you. . . . My best wishes,
Mademoiselle Suzanne, and my kind regards
to Monsieur Philippe. "

He drew a heavy gold watch from his
pocket.

"Monsieur Gerbois, it is now forty-two
minutes past three. At forty-six minutes past
three, I give you permission to leave this
room. Not one minute sooner than forty-six
minutes past three."

"But they will force an entrance," sug
gested Mon. Detinan.

"You forget the law, my dear monsieur!
Ganimard would never venture to violate the
privacy of a French citizen. But, pardon me,
time flies, and you are all slightly nervous."

He placed his watch on the table, opened
the door of the room and addressing the
blonde lady he said:

' ' Are you ready my dear f ' '

He drew back to let her pass, bowed re
spectfully to Mile. Gerbois, and went out,
closing the door behind him. Then they heard

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 45

liim in the vestibule, speaking, in a loud voice :

"Good-day, Ganimard, how goes it? Ee-
inember me to Madame Ganimard. One of
these days, I shall invite her to breakfast.
Au revoir, Ganimard. ' '

The bell rang violently, followed by re
peated rings, and voices on the landing.

* ' Forty-five minutes, ' ' muttered Mon. Ger-
bois.

After a few seconds, he left the room and
stepped into the vestibule. Arsene Lupin and
the blonde lady had gone.

"Papa! . . . you mustn't! Wait!''
cried Suzanne.

"Wait! you are foolish ! . . . No quar
ter for that rascal! . . . And the half-
millionf"

He opened the outer door. Ganimard
rushed in.

"That woman — where is she? And
Lupin! "

"He was here . . . he is here."

Ganimard uttered a cry of triumph.

t ' We have him. The house is surrounded. * '

"But the servant's stairway?" suggested
Mon. Detinan.

"It leads to the court," said Ganimard.
"There is only one exit — the street-door.

46 ARSENE LUPIN

Ten men are guarding it. ' '

4 'But he didn't come in by the street-door,
and he will not go out that way. ' '

"What way, then?" asked Ganimard.
"Through the air?"

He drew aside a curtain and exposed a long
corridor leading to the kitchen. Ganimard
ran along it and tried the door of the serv
ants' stairway. It was locked. From the
window he called to one of his assistants :

"Seen anyone?"

"No."

"Then they are still in the house!" he ex
claimed. "They are hiding in one of the
rooms! They cannot have escaped. Ah!
Lupin, you fooled me before, but, this time,

I get my revenge."

*****

At seven o'clock in the evening, Mon.
Dudonis, chief of the detective service, aston
ished at not receiving any news, visited the
rue Clapeyron. He questioned the detectives
who were guarding the house, then ascended
to Mon. Detinan's apartment. The lawyer
led him into his room. There, Mon. Dudonis
beheld a man, or rather two legs kicking in
the air, while the body to which they belonged
was hidden in the depths of the chimney.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 47

• - ,

Ohe! . . . Ohe!" gasped a stifled
voice. And a more distant voice, from on
high, replied:

"Ohe! . . . Ohe!"

Mon. Dudonis laughed, and exclaimed:

* i Here ! Ganimard, have you turned chim
ney-sweep!"

The detective crawled out of the chimney.
With his blackened face, his sooty clothes,
and his feverish eyes, he was quite unrecog
nizable.

"I am looking for him/9 he growled.

"Who!"

"Arsene Lupin . . . and his friend. "

4 'Well, do you suppose they are hiding in
the chimney?"

Ganimard arose, laid his sooty hand on
the sleeve of his superior officer's coat, and
exclaimed, angrily :

"Where do you think they are, chief? They
must be somewhere! They are flesh and
blood like you and me, and can't fade away
like smoke."

"No, but they have faded away just the
same."

"But how? How? The house is sur
rounded by our men — even on the roof."

48 ARSENE LUPIN"

"What about the adjoining house ?"
"There's no communication with it."
"And the apartments on the other floors?"
"I know all the tenants. They have not
seen anyone."

"Are you sure you know all of them?"
"Yes. The concierge answers for them.
Besides, as an extra precaution, I have placed
a man in each apartment. They can't escape.
If I don't get them to-night, I will get them
to-morrow. I shall sleep here. ' '

He slept there that night and the two fol
lowing nights. Three days and nights passed
away without the discovery of the irrepressi
ble Lupin or his female companion; more
than that, Ganimard did not unearth the
slightest clue on which to base a theory to
explain their escape. For that reason, he
adhered to his first opinion.

"There is no trace of their escape; there
fore, they are here. ' '

It may be that, at the bottom of his heart,
his conviction was less firmly established, but
he would not confess it. No, a thousand
times, no! A man and a woman could not
vanish like the evil spirits in a fairy tale.
And, without losing his courage, he continued

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 49

his searches, as if he expected to find the
fugitives concealed in some impenetrable re
treat, or embodied in the stone walls of the
house.

CHAPTER II

THE BLUE DIAMOND.

N the evening of March 27, at number
134 avenue Henri-Martin, in the house
that he had inherited from his brother
six months before, the old general Baron
d'Hautree, ambassador at Berlin under the
second Empire, was asleep in a comfortable
armchair, while his secretary was reading to
him, and the Sister Auguste was warming his
bed and preparing the night-lamp. At eleven
o 'clock, the Sister, who was obliged to return
to the convent of her order at that hour, said
to the secretary :

"Mademoiselle Antoinette, my work is fin
ished ; I am going. ' '

"Very well, Sister."

"Do not forget that the cook is away, and
that you are alone in the house with the
servant."

"Have no fear for the Baron. I sleep in
the adjoining room and always leave the door
open."

The Sister left the house. A few moments
so

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

later, Charles, the servant, came to receive
his orders. The Baron was now awake, and
spoke for himself.

"The usual orders, Charles: see that the
electric bell rings in your room, and, at the
first alarm, run for the doctor. Now, Made
moiselle Antoinette, how far did we get in
our reading?7'

"Is Monsieur not going to bed now?"

"No, no, I will go later. Besides, I don't
need anyone."

Twenty minutes later, he was sleeping
again, and Antoinette crept away on tiptoe.
At that moment, Charles was closing the shut
ters on the lower floor. In the kitchen, he
bolted the door leading to the garden, and,
in the vestibule, he not only locked the door
but hooked the chain as well. Then he as
cended to his room on the third floor, went to
bed, and was soon asleep.

Probably an hour had passed, when he
leaped from his bed in alarm. The bell was
ringing. It rang for some time, seven or
eight seconds perhaps, without intermission.

"Well!" muttered Charles, recovering his
wits, "another of the Baron's whims."

He dressed himself quickly, descended the
stairs, stopped in front of the door, and

52 ARSENE LUPIN

rapped, according to his custom. He received
no reply. He opened the door and entered.

"All! no light," he murmured. "What is
that for?"

Then, in a low voice, he called :

"Mademoiselle?"

No reply.

"Are you there, mademoiselle? What's
the matter? Is Monsieur le Baron ill?"

No reply. Nothing but a profound silence
that soon became depressing. He took two
steps forward; his foot struck a chair, and,
having touched it, he noticed that it was over
turned. Then, with his hand, he discovered
other objects on the floor — a small table and
a screen. Anxiously, he approached the wall,
felt for the electric button, and turned on the
light.

In the centre of the room, between the table
and dressing-case, lay the body of his master,
the Baron d'Hautrec.

"What! . . . It can't be possible!" he
stammered.

He could not move. He stood there, with
bulging eyes, gazing stupidly at the terrible
disorder, the overturned chairs, a large crys
tal candelabra shattered in a thousand pieces,
the clock lying on the marble hearthstone, all

>7ER6US HERLOCK SHOLMES

evidence of a fearful and desperate struggle.
The handle of a stiletto glittered, not far from
the corpse ; the blade was stained with blood.
A handkerchief, marked with red spots, was
lying on the edge of the bed.

Charles recoiled with horror: the body
lying at his feet extended itself for a moment,
then shrunk up again ; two or three tremors,
and that was the end.

He stooped over the body. There was a
clean-cut wound on the neck from which the
blood was flowing and then congealing in a
black pool on the carpet. The face retained
an expression of extreme terror.

"Some one has killed him!" he muttered,
' i some one has killed him ! ' '

Then he shuddered at the thought that
there might be another dreadful crime. Did
not the baron's secretary sleep in the ad
joining room? Had not the assassin killed
her also ? He opened the door ; the room was
empty. He concluded that Antoinette had
been abducted, or else she had gone away
before the crime. He returned to the baron's
chamber, his glance falling on the secretary,
he noticed that that article of furniture re
mained intact. Then, he saw upon a table,
beside a bunch of keys and a pocket-book

ARSENE LUPIN

that the baron placed there every night, a
handful of golden louis. Charles seized the
pocket-book, opened it, and found some bank
notes. He counted them; there were thirteen
notes of one hundred francs each.

Instinctively, mechanically, he put the
bank-notes in his pocket, rushed down the
stairs, drew the bolt, unhooked the chain,
closed the door behind him, and fled to the

street.

*****

Charles was an honest man. He had
scarcely left the gate, when, cooled by the
night air and the rain, he came to a sudden
halt. Now, he saw his action in its true light,
and it filled him with horror. He hailed a
passing cab, and said to the driver :

4 * Go to the police-office, and bring the com
missary. Hurry ! There has been a murder
in that house. "

The cab-driver whipped his horse. Charles
wished to return to the house, but found the
gate locked. He had closed it himself when
he came out, and it could not be opened from
the outside. On the other hand, it was use
less to ring, as there was no one in the house.

It was almost an hour before the arrival of
the police. When they came, Charles told

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

his story and handed the bank-notes to the
commissary. A locksmith was summoned,
and, after considerable difficulty, he suc
ceeded in forcing open the garden gate and
the vestibule door. The commissary of po
lice entered the room first, but, immediately,
turned to Charles and said :

"You told me that the room was in the
greatest disorder. "

Charles stood at the door, amazed, be
wildered; all the furniture had been re
stored to its accustomed place. The small
table was standing between the two windows,
the chairs were upright, and the clock was on
the centre of the mantel. The debris of the
candelabra had been removed.

"Where is ... Monsieur le Baron?"
stammered Charles.

"That's so!" exclaimed the officer, "where
is the victim?"

He approached the bed, and drew aside a
large sheet, under which reposed the Baron
d'Hautrec, formerly French Ambassador at
Berlin. Over him, lay his military coat,
adorned with the Cross of Honor. His fea
tures were calm. His eyes were closed.

"Some one has been here," said Charles.

"How did they get in?"

56 ARSENE LUPIN

"I don't know, but some one has been here
during my absence. There was a stiletto
on the floor — there! And a handkerchief,
stained with blood, on the bed. They are not
here now. They have been carried away.
And some one has put the room in order."

"Who would do that!"

"The assassin."

"But we found all the doors locked."

"He must have remained in the house."

"Then he must be here yet, as you were
in front of the house all the time."

Charles reflected a moment, then said,
slowly :

"Yes . . . of course . . . I didn't
go away from the gate."

"Who was the last person you saw with
the baron?"

"Mademoiselle Antoinette, his secretary."

' ' What has become of her !' '

"I don't know. Her bed wasn't occupied,
so she must have gone out. I am not sur
prised at that, as she is young and pretty."

"But how could she leave the house?"

"By the door," said Charles.

"But you had bolted and chained it."

"Yes, but she must have left before that"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 57

"And the crime was committed after her
departure ? ' '

"Of course," said the servant.

The house was searched from cellar to
garret, but the assassin had fled. How? And
when ! Was it he or an accomplice who had
returned to the scene of the crime and re
moved everything that might furnish a clue
to his identity? Such were the questions the
police were called upon to solve.

The coroner came at seven o'clock; and,
at eight o'clock, Mon. Dudouis, the head of
the detective service, arrived on the scene.
They were followed by the Procureur of the
Eepublic and the investigating magistrate.
In addition to these officials, the house was
overrun with policemen, detectives, news
paper reporters, photographers, and rela
tives and acquaintances of the murdered
man.

A thorough search was made ; they studied
out the position of the corpse according to
the information furnished by Charles; they
questioned Sister Auguste when she arrived ;
but they discovered nothing new. Sister
Auguste was astonished to learn of the dis
appearance of Antoinette Brehat. She had
engaged the young girl twelve days before,

ARSENE LUPIN

on excellent recommendations, and refused to
believe that she would neglect her duty by
leaving the house during the night.

"But, you see, she hasn't returned yet,"
said the magistrate, "and we are still con
fronted with the question : What has become
of her!"

"I think she was abducted by the as
sassin," said Charles.

The theory was plausible, and was borne
out by certain facts. Mon. Dudouis agreed
with it. He said:

"Abducted! ma foi! that is not im
probable. ' '

"Not only improbable," said a voice, "but
absolutely opposed to the facts. There is not
a particle of evidence to support such a
theory. ' '

The voice was harsh, the accent sharp, and
no one was surprised to learn that the
speaker was Ganimard. In no one else,
would they tolerate such a domineering tone,

"Ah! it is you, Ganimard!" exclaimed
Mon. Dudouis. "I had not seen you before."

"I have been here since two o'clock."

"So you are interested in some things out
side of lottery ticket number 514, the affair

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

of the rue Clapeyron, the blonde lady and
Arsene Lupin ?"

"Ha-ha!" laughed the veteran detective.
"I would not say that Lupin is a stranger to
the present case. But let us forget the affair
of the lottery ticket for a few moments, and

try to unravel this new mystery."

*****

Ganimard is not one of those celebrated de
tectives whose methods will create a school,
or whose name will be immortalized in the
criminal annals of his country. He is devoid
of those flashes of genius which characterize
the work of Dupin, Lecoq and Sherlock
Holmes. Yet, it must be admitted, he pos
sesses superior qualities of observation, sa
gacity, perseverance and even intuition. His
merit lies in his absolute independence. Noth
ing troubles or influences him, except, perhaps,
a sort of fascination that Arsene Lupin holds
over him. However that may be, there is no
doubt that his position on that morning, in
the house of the late Baron d'Hautrec, was
one of undoubted superiority, and his col
laboration in the case was appreciated and
desired by the investigating magistrate.

"In the first place," said Ganimard, "I
will ask Monsieur Charles to be very par-

ARSENE LUPIN

ticular on one point: He says that, on the
occasion of his first visit to the room, various
articles of furniture were overturned and
strewn about the place; now, I ask him
whether, on his second visit to the room, he
found all those articles restored to their ac
customed places — I mean, of course, correctly
placed. ' '

"Yes, all in their proper places/' replied
Charles.

"It is obvious, then, that the person who
replaced them must have been familiar with
the location of those articles. ' 9

The logic of this remark was apparent to
his hearers. Ganimard continued:

"One more question, Monsieur Charles.
You were awakened by the ringing of your
bell. Now, who, do you think, rang it ! "

"Monsieur le baron, of course."

"When could he ring it?"

"After the struggle . . . when he was
dying."

"Impossible; because you found him lying,
unconscious, at a point more than foul-
metres from the bell-button."

"Then he must have rung during the
struggle. ' '

"Impossible," declared Ganimard, "since

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 61

the ringing, as you have said, was continu
ous and uninterrupted, and lasted seven or
eight seconds. Do you think his antagonist
would have permitted him to ring the bell in
that leisurely manner ? ' '

"Well, then, it was before the attack."

"Also, quite impossible, since you have
told us that the lapse of time between the
ringing of the bell and your entrance to the
room was not more than three minutes.
Therefore, if the baron rang before the at
tack, we are forced to the conclusion that
the struggle, the murder and the flight of the
assassin, all occurred within the short space
of three minutes. I repeat: that is impos
sible."

"And yet," said the magistrate, "some
one rang. If it were not the baron, who was
it!"

"The murderer."

"For what purpose?"

"I do not know. But the fact that he did
ring proves that he knew that the bell com
municated with the servant's room. Now,
who would know that, except an inmate of the
house?"

Ganimard was drawing the meshes of his
net closer and tighter. In a few clear and

62 ARSENE LUPIN

logical sentences, lie had unfolded and de
fined his theory of the crime, so that it
seemed quite natural when the magistrate
said:

"As I understand it, Ganimard, you
suspect the girl Antoinette Brehat?"

"I do not suspect her; I accuse her."

"You accuse her of being an accomplice ?"

"I accuse her of having killed Baron
d'Hautrec."

* ' Nonsense ! What proof have you f ' '

"The handful of hair I found in the right
hand of the victim."

He produced the hair ; it was of a beautiful
blond color, and glittered like threads of gold.
Charles looked at it, and said :

"That is Mademoiselle Antoinette's hair.
There can be no doubt of it. And, then, there
is another thing. I believe that the knife,
which I saw on my first visit to the room, be
longed to her. She used it to cut the leaves
of books."

A long, dreadful silence followed, as if the
crime had acquired an additional horror by
reason of having been committed by a woman.
At last, the magistrate said :

"Let us assume, until we are better in
formed, that the baron was killed by An-

VERSUS IIERLOCK SHOLMES

63

toinette Brehat. We have yet to learn
where she concealed herself after the crime,
how she managed to return after Charles
left the house, and how she made her escape
after the arrival of the police. Have you
formed any opinion on those points Gani-
mard?"
"None."

"Well, then, where do we stand?"
Ganimard was embarrassed. Finally, with
a visible effort, he said :

"All I can say is that I find in this case the
same method of procedure as we found in the
affair of the lottery ticket number 514; the
same phenomena, which might be termed the
faculty of disappearing. Antoinette Brehat
has appeared and disappeared in this house
as mysteriously as Arsene Lupin entered the
house of Monsieur Detinan and escaped
therefrom in the company of the blonde lady.
"Does that signify anything?"
"It does to me. I can see a probable con
nection between those two strange incidents.
Antoinette Brehat was hired by Sister
Auguste twelve days ago, that is to say, on
the day after the blonde Lady so cleverly
slipped through my fingers. In the second
place, the hair of the blonde Lady was ex-

64 ARSENE LUPItf

actly of the same brilliant golden hue as the
hair found in this case."

"So that, in your opinion, Antoinette
Brehat— "

"Is the blonde Lady — precisely. "

"And that Lupin had a hand in both
cases!"

"Yes, that is my opinion."

This statement was greeted with an out
burst of laughter. It came from Mon. Du-
douis.

"Lupin! always Lupin! Lupin is into
everything; Lupin is everywhere!"

' ' Yes, Lupin is into everything of any con
sequence," replied Ganimard, vexed at the
ridicule of his superior.

"Well, so far as I see," observed Mon.
Dudouis, "you have not discovered any
motive for this crime. The secretary was not
broken into, nor the pocketbook carried
away. Even, a pile of gold was left upon the
table."

"Yes, that is so," exclaimed Ganimard,
"but the famous diamond!"

"What diamond?"

"The blue diamond! The celebrated dia
mond which formed part of the royal crown
of France, and which was given by the Duke

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 65

d'Aumale to Leonide Lebrun, and, at the
death of Leonide Lebrun, was purchased by
the Baron d'Hautrec as a souvenir of the
charming comedienne that he had loved so
well. That is one of those things that an old
Parisian, like I, does not forget."

4 'It is obvious that if the blue diamond is
not found, the motive for the crime is dis
closed," said the magistrate. But where
should we search for it?"

4 'On the baron's finger," replied Charles.
"He always wore the blue diamond on his
left hand."

"I saw that hand, and there was only a
plain gold ring on it," said Ganimard, as he
approached the corpse.

"Look in the palm of the hand," replied
the servant.

Ganimard opened the stiffened hand. The
bezel was turned inward, and, in the centre
of that bezel, the blue diamond shone with all
its glorious splendor.

"The deuce!" muttered Ganimard, ab
solutely amazed, "I don't understand it."

' ' You will now apologize to Lupin for hav
ing suspected him, eh?" said Mon. Dudouis,
laughing.

Ganimard paused for a moment's reflec-

ARSENE LUPIN

tion, and then replied, sententicmsly :

"It is only when I do not understand
things that I suspect Arsene Lupin."

Such were the facts established by the po
lice on the day after the commission of that
mysterious crime. Facts that were vague
and incoherent in themselves, and which
were not explained by any subsequent dis
coveries. The movements of Antoinette Bre-
hat remained as inexplicable as those of the
blonde Lady, and the police discovered no
trace of that mysterious creature with the
golden hair who had killed Baron d'Hautrec
and had failed to take from his finger the
famous diamond that had once shone in the

royal crown of France.

*****

The heirs of the Baron d'Hautrec could
not fail to benefit by such notoriety. They
established in the house an exhibition of the
furniture and other objects which were to be
sold at the auction rooms of Drouot & Co.
Modern furniture of indifferent taste, vari
ous objects of no artistic value . . . but,
in the centre of the room, in a case of purple
velvet, protected by a glass globe, and
guarded by two officers, was the famous blue
diamond ring.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

67

A large magnificent diamond of incom
parable purity, and of that indefinite blue
which the clear water receives from an un
clouded sky, of that blue which can be de
tected in the whiteness of linen. Some ad
mired, some enthused . . . and some
looked with horror on the chamber of the vic
tim, on the spot where the corpse had lain,
on the floor divested of its blood-stained car
pet, and especially the walls, the unsur-
mountable walls over which the criminal
must have passed. Some assured themselves
that the marble mantel did not move, others
imagined gaping holes, mouths of tunnels,
secret connections with the sewers, and the
catacombs—

The sale of the blue diamond took place at
the salesroom of Drouot & Co. The place was
crowded to suffocation, and the bidding was
carried to the verge of folly. The sale was
attended by all those who usually appear at
similar events in Paris; those who buy, and
those who make a pretense of being able to
buy; bankers, brokers, artists, women of all
classes, two cabinet ministers, an Italian
tenor, an exiled king who, in order to main
tain his credit, bid, with much ostentation,
and in a loud voice, as high as one hundred

68 ARSENE LUPIN

thousand francs. One hundred thousand
francs ! He could offer that sum without any
danger of his bid being accepted. The Italian
tenor risked one hundred and fifty thousand,
and a member of the Comedie-Francaise bid
one hundred and seventy-five thousand
francs.

When the bidding reached two hundred
thousand francs, the smaller competitors fell
out of the race. At two hundred and fifty
thousand, only two bidders remained in the
field : Herschrnann, the well-known capitalist,
the king of gold mines ; and the Countess de
Crozon, the wealthy American, whose collec
tion of diamonds and precious stones is
famed throughout the world.

"Two hundred and sixty thousand
. . . two hundred and seventy thousand
. . . seventy-five . . . eighty" . . .
exclaimed the auctioneer, as he glanced at the
two competitors in succession. "Two
hundred and eighty thousand for madame
. . . Do I hear any more!"

"Three hundred thousand, " said Hersch-
mann.

There was a short silence. The countess
was standing, smiling, but pale from excite
ment. She was leaning against the back of

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 69

the chair in front of her. She knew, and so
did everyone present, that the issue of the
duel was certain ; logically, inevitably, it must
terminate to the advantage of the capitalist,
who had untold millions with which to in
dulge his caprices. However, the countess
made another bid:

"Three hundred and five thousand. "

Another silence. All eyes were now di
rected to the capitalist in the expectation that
he would raise the bidding. But Herschmann
was not paying any attention to the sale ; his
eyes were fixed on a sheet of paper which he
held in his right hand, while the other hand
held a torn envelope.

" Three hundred and five thousand, ". re
peated the auctioneer. "Once! .
Twice! . . . For the last time * .. .
Do I hear any more! . . . Once! . . ..
Twice! . . . Am I offered any more?
Last chance! . . ."

Herschmann did not move.

"Third and last time! . . . Sold! "ex
claimed the auctioneer, as his hammer fell.

"Four hundred thousand," cried Hersch-
man, starting up, as if the sound of the ham
mer had roused him from his stupor.

Too late; the auctioneer's decision was ir-

70 ARSENE LUPIN

revokable. Some of Herschmann's ac
quaintances pressed around him. What was
the matter? Why did he not speak sooner?
He laughed, and said:

"Ma foi! I simply forgot — in a moment
of abstraction."

"That is strange."

"You see, I just received a letter."

"And that letter was sufficient — "

"To distract my attention! Yes, for a mo
ment. ' '

Ganimard was there. He had come to wit
ness the sale of the ring. He stopped one
of the attendants of the auction room, and
said :

"Was it you who carried the letter to Mon
sieur Herschniann?"

"Yes."

"Who gave it to you!"

"A lady."

"Where is she?"

"Where is she? . . . She was sitting
down there . . . the lady who wore a
thick veil."

"She has gone?"

"Yes, just this moment."

Ganimard hastened to the door, and saw
the lady descending the stairs. He ran after

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 71

her. A crush of people delayed him at the
entrance. When he reached the sidewalk, she
had disappeared. He returned to the auction
room, accosted Herschmann, introduced him
self, and enquired about the letter. Hersch
mann handed it to him. It was carelessly
scribbled in pencil, in a handwriting un
known to the capitalist, and contained these
few words :

"The blue diamond brings misfortune. Re
member the Baron d'Hautrec."

*****

The vicissitudes of the blue diamond were
not yet at an end. Although it had become
well-known through the murder of the Baron
d'Hautrec and the incidents at the auction-
rooms, it was six months later that it attained
even greater celebrity. During the following
summer, the Countess de Crozon was robbed
of the famous jewel she had taken so much
trouble to acquire.

Let me recall that strange affair, of which
the exciting and dramatic incidents sent a
thrill through all of us, and over which I am
now permitted to throw some light.

On the evening of August 10, the guests of
the Count and .Countess de Crozon were as
sembled in the drawing-room of the mag-

72 ARSfiNE LUPIN"

nificent chateau which overlooks the Bay de
Somme. To entertain her friends, the
countess seated herself at the piano to play
for them, after first placing her jewels on a
small table near the piano, and, amongst
them, was the ring of the Baron d'Hautrec.

An hour later, the count and the majority
of the guests retired, including his two
cousins and Madame de Eeal, an intimate
friend of the countess. The latter remained
in the drawing-room with Herr Bleichen, the
Austrian consul, and his wife.

They conversed for a time, and then the
countess extinguished the large lamp that
stood on a table in the centre of the room. At
the same moment, Herr Bleichen extinguished
the two piano lamps. There was a momen
tary darkness; then the consul lighted a
candle, and the three of them retired to their
rooms. But, as soon as she reached her
apartment, the countess remembered her
jewels and sent her maid to get them. When
the maid returned with the jewels, she placed
them on the mantel without the countess look
ing at them. Next day, Madame de Crozon
found that one of her rings was missing; it
was the blue diamond ring.

She informed her husband, and, after talk-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

73

ing it over, they reached the conclusion that
the maid was above suspicion, and that the
guilty party must be Herr Bleichen.

The count notified the commissary of po
lice at Amiens, who commenced an investiga
tion and, discreetly, exercised a strict surveil
lance over the Austrian consul to prevent his
disposing of the ring.

The chateau was surrounded by detectives
day and night. Two weeks passed without
incident. Then Herr Bleichen announced his
intended departure. That day, a formal com
plaint was entered against him. The police
made an official examination of his luggage.
In a small satchel, the key to which was al
ways carried by the consul himself, they
found a bottle of dentifrice, and in that bot
tle they found the ring.

Madame Bleichen fainted. Her husband
was placed under arrest.

Everyone will remember the line of de
fense adopted by the accused man. He de
clared that the ring must have been placed
there by the Count de Crozen as an act of
revenge. He said:

"The count is brutal and makes his wife
very unhappy. She consulted me, and I ad
vised her to get a divorce. The count heard

74 ABSENE LUPIN

of it in some way, and, to be revenged on rne,
he took the ring and placed it in my satchel."

The count and countess persisted in press
ing the charge. Between the explanation
which they gave and that of the consul, both
equally possible and equally probable, the
public had to choose. No new fact was dis
covered to turn the scale in either direction.
A month of gossip, conjectures and investi
gations failed to produce a single ray of
light.

Wearied of the excitement and notoriety,
and incapable of securing the evidence neces
sary to sustain their charge against the con
sul, the count and countess at last sent to
Paris for a detective competent to unravel
the tangled threads of this mysterious skein.
This brought Ganimard into the case.

For four days, the veteran detective
searched the house from top to bottom, ex
amined every foot of the ground, had long
conferences with the maid, the chauffeur, the
gardeners, the employees in the neighboring
post-offices, visited the rooms that had been
occupied by the various guests. Then, one
morning, he disappeared without taking
leave of his host or hostess. But a week later,
they received this telegram:

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

75

"Please coine to the Japanese Tea-room,
rue Boissy d'Anglas, tomorrow, Friday,

evening at five o'clock. Ganimard."

* * * ' * *

At five o 'clock, Friday evening, their auto
mobile stopped in front of number nine rue
Boissy-d'Anglas. The old detective was
standing on the sidewalk, waiting for them.
Without a word, he conducted them to the
first floor of the Japanese Tea-room. In one
of the rooms, they met two men, whom Gani-
mard introduced in these words:

4 'Monsieur Gerbois, professor in the Col
lege of Versailles, from whom, you will re
member, Arsene Lupin stole half a million;
Monsieur Leonce d'Hautrec, nephew and sole
legatee of the Baron d'Hautrec."

A few minutes later, another man arrived.
It was Mon. Dudouis, head of the detective
service, and he appeared to be in a particu
larly bad temper. He bowed, and then said:

"What's the trouble now, Ganimard! I
received your telephone message asking me
to come here. Is it anything of conse
quence ? ' '

' k Yes, chief, it is a very important matter.
Within an hour, the last two cases to which
I was assigned will have their denouement

76 ARSENE LUPIX

here. It seemed to me that your presence was
indispensable."

"And also the presence of Dieuzy and
Folenfant, whom I noticed standing near the
door as I came in!"

"Yes, chief."

"For what! Are you going to make an
arrest, and you wish to do it with a flourish !
Come, Ganimard, I am anxious to hear about
it."

Ganimard hesitated a moment, then spoke
with the obvious intention of making an im
pression on his hearers :

"In the first place, I wish to state that
Herr Bleichen had nothing to do with the
theft of the ring."

"Oh! oh!" exclaimed Mon. Dudouis, "that
is a bold statement and a very serious one."

"And is that all you have discovered?"
asked the Count de Crozon.

"Not at all. On the second day after
the theft, three of your guests went on an
automobile trip as far as Crecy. Two of them
visited the famous battle-field; and, while
they were there, the third party paid a hasty
visit to the post-office, and mailed a small
box, tied and sealed according to the regula-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 77

tions, and declared its value to be one
hundred francs."

* 'I see nothing strange in that," said the
count.

" Perhaps you will see something strange
in it when I tell you that this person, in place
of giving her true name, sent the box under
the name of Eousseau, and the person to
whom it was addressed, a certain Monsieur
Beloux of Paris, moved his place of residence
immediately after receiving the box, in other
words, the ring."

"I presume you refer to one of my cousins
d'Andelle!"

"No," replied Ganimard.

"Madame de Real, then?"

"Yes."

"You accuse my friend, Madam de Real?"
cried the countess, shocked and amazed.

"I wish to ask you one question, madame,"
said Ganimard. "Was Madam de Real
present when you purchased the ring?"

* ' Yes, but we did not go there together. ' '

"Did she advise you to buy the ring?"

The countess considered for a moment,
then said:

"Yes, I think she mentioned it first — "
Thank you, madame. Your answer

i i

78 ARSENE LUPIN

establishes the fact that it was Madame de
Real who was the first to mention the ring,
and it was she who advised you to buy it."

"But, I consider my friend is quite in
capable — "

"Pardon me, countess, when I remind you
that Madame de Eeal is only a casual ac
quaintance and not your intimate friend, as
the newspapers have announced. It was only
last winter that you met her for the first
time. Now, I can prove that everything she
has told you about herself, her past life, and
her relatives, is absolutely false; that
Madame Blanche de Real had no actual ex
istence before she met you, and she has now
ceased to exist."

"Well!"

"Well?" replied Ganimard.

"Your story is a very strange one," said
the countess, "but it has no application to
our case. If Madame de Real had taken the
ring, how do you explain the fact that it was
found in Herr Bleichen's tooth-powder?
Anyone who would take the risk and trouble
of stealing the blue diamond would certainly
keep it. What do you say to that?"

"I — nothing — but Madame de Real will
answer it."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 79

"Oh! she does exist, then!"

44 She does — and does not. I will explain
in a few words. Three days ago, while read
ing a newspaper, I glanced over the list of
hotel arrivals at Trouvilie, and there I read :
'Hotel Beaurivage — Madame de Real, etc.'
I went to Trouvilie immediately, and inter
viewed the proprietor of the hotel.

From the description and other informa
tion I received from him, I concluded that she
was the very Madame de Real that I was
seeking ; but she had left the hotel, giving her
address in Paris as number three rue de
Colisee. The day before yesterday I went to
that address, and learned that there was no
person there called Madame de Real, but
there was a Madame Real, living on the sec
ond floor, who acted as a diamond broker and
was frequently away from home. She had re
turned from a journey on the preceding even
ing. Yesterday, I called on her and, under an
assumed name, I offered to act as an inter
medium in the sale of some diamonds to cer
tain wealthy friends of mine. She is to meet
me here today to carry out that arrange
ment."

' ' What ! You expect her to come here ! ' '

" Yes, at half-past five."

80 ARSENE LUPIN

i ' Are you sure it is she ? ' '

"Madame de Beal of the Chateau de Cro-
zon? Certainly. I have convincing evidence
of that fact. But ... listen! ... I
hear Folenf ant's signal."

It was a whistle. Ganimard arose quickly.

"There is no time to lose. Monsieur and
Madame de Crozon, will you be kind enough
to go into the next room. You also, Monsieur
d'Hautrec, and you, Monsieur Gerbois. The
door will remain open, and when I give the
signal, you will come out. Of course, Chief,
you will remain here."

"We may be disturbed by other people,"
said Mon. Dudouis.

1 1 No. This is a new establishment, and the
proprietor is one of my friends. He will not
let anyone disturb us — except the blonde
Lady."

t ' The blonde Lady ! What do you mean ! ' '

"Yes, the blonde Lady herself, chief; the
friend and accomplice of Arsene Lupin, the
mysterious blonde Lady against whom I hold
convincing evidence ; but, in addition to that,
I wish to confront her with all the people she
has robbed. ' '

He looked through the window.

"I see her. She is coming in the door now.

VERSUS IIERLOCK SHOLMES 81

She can't escape: Folenfant and Dieuzy are
guarding the door . . . The blonde Lady
is captured at last, Chief!"

A moment later a woman appeared at the
door; she was tall and slender, with a very
pale complexion and bright golden hair. Gani-
mard trembled with excitement ; he could not
move, nor utter a word. She was there, in
front of him, at his mercy ! What a victory
over Arsene Lupin! And what a revenge!
And, at the same time, the victory was such
an easy one that he asked himself if the
blonde Lady would not yet slip through his
fingers by one of those miracles that usually
terminated the exploits of Arsene Lupin. She
remained standing near the door, surprised at
the silence, and looked about her without any
display of suspicion or fear.

' • She will get away ! She will disappear ! ' '
thought Ganimard.

Then he managed to get between her and
the door. She turned to go out.

"No, no!" he said. "Why are you going
away?"

"Really, monsieur, I do not understand
what this means. Allow me — "

"There is no reason why you should go,

ARSEXE LUPIN

madame, and very good reasons why you
should remain. "

"But— "

"It is useless, madame. You cannot go."

Trembling, she sat on a chair, and stam
mered :

i ' What is it you want !"

Ganimard had won the battle and captured
the blonde Lady. He said to her :

" Allow me to present the friend I men
tioned, who desires to purchase some dia
monds. Have you procured the stones you
promised to bring f "

"No — no — I don't know. I don't remem
ber."

"Come! Jog your memory! A person
of your acquaintance intended to send you a
tinted stone. . . . ' Something like the blue
diamond,' I said, laughing; and you replied:
4 Exactly, I expect to have just what you
want.' Do you remember?"

She made no reply. A small satchel fell
from her hand. She picked it up quickly,
and held it securely. Her hands trembled
slightly.

"Come!" said Ganimard, "I see you have
no confidence in us, Madame de Real. I shall

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 83

set you a good example by showing you what
I have."

He took from his pocketbook a paper which
he unfolded, and disclosed a lock of hair.

* * These are a few hairs torn from the head
of Antoinette Brehat by the Baron d'Hautrec,
which I found clasped in his dead hand. I
have shown them to Mile. Gerbois, who de
clares they are of the exact color of the hair
of the blonde Lady. Besides, they are exactly
the color of your hair — the identical color. ' '

Madame Real looked at him in bewilder
ment, as if she did not understand his mean
ing. He continued :

"And here are two perfume bottles, with
out labels, it is true, and empty, but still suf
ficiently impregnated with their odor to
enable Mile. Gerbois to recognize in them the
perfume used by that blonde Lady who was
her traveling companion for two weeks. Now,
one of these bottles was found in the room
that Madame de Real occupied at the chateau
de Crozon, and the other in the room that you
occupied at the Hotel Beaurivage."

"What do you say? ... The blonde
Lady . . . the chateau de Crozon. . . . "

The detective did not reply. He took from
his pocket and placed on the table, side by

84 ARSENE LUPIN

side, four small sheets of paper. Then he
said:

' i I have, on these four pieces of paper, vari
ous specimens of handwriting ; the first is the
writing of Antoinette Brehat ; the second was
written by the woman who sent the note to
Baron Herschmann at the auction sale of the
blue diamond ; the third is that of Madame de
Eeal, written while she was stopping at the
chateau de Crozon; and the fourth is your
handwriting, madame ... it is your
name and address, which you gave to the
porter of the Hotel Beaurivage at Trouville.
Now, compare the four handwritings. They
are identical."

"What absurdity is this? Eeally, mon
sieur, I do not understand. What does it
mean!"

"It means, madame," exclaimed Ganimard,
"that the blonde Lady, the friend and ac
complice of Arsene Lupin, is none other than
you, Madame Real."

Ganimard went to the adjoining room and
returned with Mon. Gerbois, whom he placed
in front of Madame Eeal, as he said :

* t Monsieur Gerbois, is this the person who
abducted your daughter, the woman you saw
at the house of Monsieur Detinanf"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

85

"No."

Ganimard was so surprised that lie could
not speak for a moment ; finally, he said :

"No? . . . You must be mistaken.
>>

"I am not mistaken. Madame is blonde,
it is true, and in that respect resembles the
blonde Lady ; but, in all other respects, she is
totally different. "

"I can't believe it. You must be mis
taken."

Ganimard called in his other witnesses.

"Monsieur d'Hautrec," he said, "do you
recognize Antoinette Brehat?"

"No, this is not the person I saw at my
uncle's house."

' ' This woman is not Madame de Real, ' ' de
clared the Count de Crozon.

That was the finishing touch. Ganimard
was crushed. He was buried beneath the
ruins of the structure he had erected with
so much care and assurance. His pride was
humbled, his spirit was broken, by the force
of this unexpected blow.

Mon. Dudouis arose, and said:

"We owe you an apology, madame, for this
unfortunate mistake. But, since your ar
rival here, I have noticed your nervous agi-

AESE^E LUPIN

tation. Something troubles you; may I ask
what it is!"

"Mon Dieu, monsieur, I was afraid. My
satchel contains diamonds to the value of a
hundred thousand francs, and the conduct of
your friend was rather suspicious."

44 But you were frequently absent from
Paris. How do you explain that?"

"I make frequent journeys to other cities
in the course of my business. That is all. ' '

Mon. Dudouis had nothing more to ask.
He turned to his subordinate, and said :

4 'Your investigation has been very super
ficial, Ganimard, and your conduct toward
this lady is really deplorable. You will come
to my office tomorrow and explain it."

The interview was at an end, and Mon. Du
douis was about to leave the room when a
most annoying incident occurred. Madame
Real turned to Ganimard, and said:

"I understand that you are Monsieur Gani
mard. Am I right!"

"Yes."

"Then, this letter must be for you. I re
ceived it this morning. It was addressed to
'Mon. Justin Ganimard, care of Madame
Real/ I thought it was a joke, because I did
not know you under that name, but it ap-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

pears that your unknown correspondent
knew of our rendezvous. ' '

Ganimard was inclined to put the letter in
Lis pocket unread, but he dared not do so in
the presence of his superior, so he opened the
envelope and read the letter aloud, in an al
most inaudible tone :

"Once upon a time, there were a blonde
Lady, a Lupin, and a Ganimard. Now, the
wicked Ganimard had evil designs on the
pretty blonde Lady, and the good Lupin was
her friend and protector. When the good
Lupin wished the blonde Lady to become the
friend of the Countess de Crozon, he caused
her to assume the name of Madame de Real,
which is a close resemblance to the name of a
certain diamond broker, a woman with a pale
complexion and golden hair. And the good
Lupin said to himself: If ever the wicked
Ganimard gets upon the track of the blonde
Lady, how useful it will be to me if he should
be diverted to the track of the honost dia
mond broker. A wise precaution that has
borne good fruit. A little note sent to the
newspaper read by the wicked Ganimard, a
perfume bottle intentionally forgotten by the
genuine blonde Lady at the Hotel Beaurivage,
the name and address of Madame Real writ-

88 ARSENE LUPIN

ten on the hotel register by the genuine
blonde Lady, and the trick is played. What
do you think of it, Ganimard? I wished to
tell you the true story of this affair, knowing
that you would be the first to laugh over it.
Really, it is quite amusing, and I have en
joyed it very much.

"Accept my best wishes, dear friend, and
give my kind regards to the worthy Mon. Du-
douis. " ARSENE LUPIN."

"He knows every thing, " muttered Gani
mard, but he did not see the humor of the
situation as Lupin had predicted. "He
knows some things I have never mentioned
to any one. How could he find out that I was
going to invite you here, chief? How could he
know that I had found the first perfume bot
tle? How could he find out those things ?"

He stamped his feet and tore his hair—
a prey to the most tragic despair. Mon. Du-
douis felt sorry for him, and said :

"Come, Ganimard, never mind; try to do
better next time."

And Mon. Dudouis left the room, accom
panied by Madame Seal.

*****

During the next ten minutes, Ganimard
read and re-read the letter of Arsene Lupin.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 89

Monsieur and Madame de Crozon, Monsieur
d'Hautrec and Monsieur Gerbois were hold
ing an animated discussion in a corner of the
room. At last, the count approached the de
tective, and said:

; ' My dear monsieur , after your investiga
tion, we are no nearer the truth than we were
before.7'

"Pardon me, but my investigation has es
tablished these facts: that the blonde Lady
is the mysterious heroine of these exploits,
and that Arsene Lupin directed them. ' '

" Those facts do not solve the mystery; in
fact, they render it more obscure. The blonde
Lady commits a murder in order to steal the
blue diamond, and yet she does not steal it.
Afterward she steals it and gets rid of it by
secretly giving it to another person. How do
you explain her strange conduct 1 ' '

' ' I cannot explain it. ' '

"Of course; but, perhaps, someone else
can."

"Who?"

The Count hesitated, so the Countess re
plied, frankly:

"There is only one man besides yourself
who is competent to enter the arena with
Arsene Lupin and overcome him. Have you

90 ARSENE LUPIN

any objection to our engaging the services of
Herlock Sholmes in this case!"

Ganimard was vexed at the question, but
stammered a reply:

"No . . . but ... I do not under
stand what—

"Let me explain. All this mystery annoys
me. I wish to have it cleared up. Monsieur
Gerbois and Monsieur d'Hautrec have the
same desire, and we have agreed to send for
the celebrated English detective. ' '

"You are right, madame," replied the de
tective, with a loyalty that did him credit,
"you are right. Old Ganimard is not able to
overcome Arsene Lupin. But will Herlock
Sholmes succeed? I hope so, as I have the
greatest admiration for him. But ... it
is improbable. ' '

"Do you mean to say that he will not suc
ceed! "

"That is my opinion. I can foresee the re
sult of a duel between Herlock Sholmes and
Arsene Lupin. The Englishman will be de
feated."

"But, in any event, can we count on your
assistance? "

"Quite so, madame. I shall be pleased to

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

render Monsieur Sholmes all possible assist

ance. '

' ' Do you know his address 1 ' '

"Yes; 219 Parker street."

44 That evening Monsieur and Madame de
Crozon withdrew the charge they had made
against Herr Bleichen, and a joint letter was
addressed to Herlock Sholmes.

CHAPTEE III.

HEKLOCK SHOLMES OPENS HOSTILITIES.

HAT does monsieur wish?"

' ' Anything, J ' replied Arsene Lupin,
like a man who never worries over
the details of a meal; "anything you like, but
no meat or alcohol. ' '

The waiter walked away, disdainfully.

"What! still a vegetarian?" I exclaimed.

"More so than ever," replied Lupin.

"Through taste, faith, or habit!"

"Hygiene."

"And do you never fall from grace?"

"Oh! yes . . . when I am dining out
. . . and wish to avoid being considered ec
centric. ' '

We were dining near the Northern Eail-
way station, in a little restaurant to which
Arsene Lupin had invited me. Frequently
he would send me a telegram asking me to
meet him in some obscure restaurant, where
we could enjoy a quiet dinner, well served,
and which was always made interesting to

92

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 93

me by his recital of some startling adventure
theretofore unknown to me.

On that particular evening he appeared to
be in a more lively mood than usual. He
laughed and joked with careless animation,
and with that delicate sarcasm that was ha
bitual with him — a light and spontaneous
sarcasm that was quite free from any tinge
of malice. It was a pleasure to find him in
that jovial mood, and I could not resist the
desire to tell him so.

' ' Ah ! yes, ' ' he exclaimed, * i there are days
in which I find life as bright and gay as a
spring morning; then life seems to be an in
finite treasure which I can never exhaust.
And yet God knows I lead a careless exist
ence ! ' '

"Too much so, perhaps/'

" Ah ! but I tell you, the treasure is infinite.
I can spend it with a lavish hand. I can cast
my youth and strength to the four winds of
Heaven, and it is replaced by a still younger
and greater force. Besides, my life is so
pleasant ! ... If I wished to do so, I might
become — what shall I say? . . . An orator,
a manufacturer, a politician. . . . But, I
assure you, I shall never have such a desire.
Arsene Lupin, I am; Arsene Lupin, I shall

94 ARSENE LUPIN

remain. I have made a vain search in his
tory to find a career comparable to mine; a
life better filled or more intense. . . . Na
poleon? Yes, perhaps. . . . But Napoleon,
toward the close of his career, when all
Europe was trying to crush him, asked him
self on the eve of each battle if it would not
be his last."

Was he serious! Or was he joking! He
became more animated as he proceeded :

"That is everything, do you understand,
the danger! The continuous feeling of dan
ger ! To breathe it as you breathe the air, to
scent it in every breath of wind, to detect it
in every unusual sound. . . . And, in the
midst of the tempest, to remain calm . . .
and not to stmuble ! Otherwise, you are lost.
There is only one sensation equal to it: that
of the chauffeur in an automobile race. But
that race lasts only a few hours; my race
continues until death ! ' '

4 < What fantasy ! " I exclaimed. ' ' And you
wish me to believe that you have no particu
lar motive for your adoption of that exciting
life?"

"Come," he said, with a smile, "you are a
clever psychologist. Work it out for your
self."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

95

He poured himself a glass of water, drank
it, and said:

"Did you read 'Le Temps' to-day?"

"No."

"Herlock Sholmes crossed the Channel this
afternoon, and arrived in Paris about six
o'clock."

4 ' The deuce ! What is he coming for ? ' '

"A little journey he has undertaken at the
request of the Count and Countess of Crozon,
Monsieur Gerhois, and the nephew of Baron
d'Hautrec. They met him at the Northern
Eailway station, took him to meet Ganimard,
and, at this moment, the six of them are hold
ing a consultation."

Despite a strong temptation to do so, I had
never ventured to question Arsene Lupin con
cerning any action of his private life, unless
he had first mentioned the subject to me. Up
to that moment his name had not been men
tioned, at least officially, in connection with
the blue diamond. Consequently, I consumed
my curiosity in patience. He continued :

"There is also in 'Le Temps' an interview
with my old friend Ganimard, according to
whom a certain blonde lady, who should be
my friend, must have murdered the Baron
d'Hautrec and tried to rob Madame de

96 AESENE LUPIN

Crozon of her famous ring. And — what do
you think? — he accuses me of being the in
stigator of those crimes/'

I could not suppress a slight shudder. Was
this true? Must I believe that his career of
theft, his mode of existence, the logical result
of such a life, had drawn that man into more
serious crimes, including murder? I looked
at him. He was so calm, and his eyes had
such a frank expression! I observed his
hands: they had been formed from a model
of exceeding delicacy, long and slender; inof
fensive, truly ; and the hands of an artist. . .

"Ganimard has pipe-dreams," I said.

"No, no!" protested Lupin. "Ganimard
has some cleverness ; and, at times, almost in
spiration. ' '

"Inspiration!"

"Yes. For instance, that interview is a
master-stroke. In the first place, he an
nounces the coming of his English rival in
order to put me on my guard, and make his
task more difficult. In the second place, he
indicates the exact point to which he has con
ducted the affair in order that Sholmes will
not get credit for the work already done by
Ganimard. That is good warfare."

"Whatever it may be, you have two ad-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

versaries to deal with, and such adversa
ries!"

"Oh! one of them doesn't count. "

"And the other!"

"Sholmes? Oh! I confess he is a worthy
foe; and that explains my present good hu
mor. In the first place, it is a question of
self-esteem; I am pleased to know that they
consider me a subject worthy the attention
of the celebrated English detective. In the
next place, just imagine the pleasure a man,
such as I, must experience in the thought of
a duel with Herlock Sholmes. But I shall be
obliged to strain every muscle ; he is a clever
fellow, and will contest every inch of the
ground."

"Then you consider him a strong op
ponent?"

"I do. As a detective, I believe, he has
never had an equal. But I have one advan
tage over him; he is making the attack and
I am simply defending myself. My role is
the easier one. Besides, I am familiar with
his method of warfare, and he does not know
mine. I am prepared to show him a few new
tricks that will give him something to think
about."

He tapped the table with his fingers as he

98 ARSENE LUPIN"

uttered the following sentences, with an air
of keen delight :

"Arsene Lupin against Herlock Sholmes.
. . . France against England. . . . Tra
falgar will be revenged at last. ... Ah!
the rascal ... he doesn't suspect that I
am prepared . . . and a Lupin warned—

He stopped suddenly, seized with a fit of
coughing, and hid his face in his napkin, as if
something had stuck in his throat.

"A bit of bread! " I inquired. " Drink
some water. ' '

"No, it isn't that," he replied, in a stifled
voice.

"Then, what is it!"

"The want of air."

"Do you wish a window opened?"

"No, I shall go out. Give me my hat and
overcoat, quick ! I must go. "

"What's the matter?"

' ' The two gentlemen who came in just now.
. . . Look at the taller one . . . now,
when we go out, keep to my left, so he will
not see me."

"The one who is sitting behind you?"

"Yes. I will explain it to you, outside."

"Who is it?"

"Herlock Sholmes."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 99

He made a desperate effort to control him
self, as if he were ashamed of his emotion,
replaced his napkin, drank a glass of water,
and, quite recovered, said to me, smiling:

"It is strange, hein, that I should be af
fected so easily, but that unexpected sight — "

"What have you to fear, since no one can
recognize you, on account of your many
transformations I Every time I see you it
seems to me your face is changed; it's not at
all familiar. I don't know why."

4 'But he would recognize me," said Lupin.
4 i He has seen me only once ; but, at that time,
he made a mental photograph of me — not of
my external appearance but of my very soul
—not what I appear to be but just what I am.
Do you understand! And then . . . and
then ... I did not expect to meet him
here. . . . Such a strange encounter! . . .
in this little restaurant . . . "

' ' Well, shall we go out!"

"No, not now," said Lupin.

* ' What are you going to do ? "

4 ' The better way is to act frankly ... to
have confidence in him — trust him ..."

"You will not speak to him?"

"Why not? It will be to my advantage to
do so, and find out what he knows, and, per-

100 ARSENE LUPIN

haps, what he thinks. At present I have the
feeling that his gaze is on my neck and
shoulders, and that he is trying to remember
where he has seen them before. ' '

He reflected a moment. I observed a ma
licious smile at the corner of his mouth ; then,
obedient, I think, to a whim of his impulsive
nature, and not to the necessities of the situ
ation, he arose, turned around, and, with a
bow and a joyous air, he said :

"By what lucky chance? Ah! I am de
lighted to see you. Permit me to introduce
a friend of mine."

For a moment the Englishman was discon
certed; then he made a movement as if he
would seize Arsene Lupin. The latter shook
his head, and said :

"That would not be fair; besides, the
movement would be an awkward one and
. . . quite useless."

The Englishman looked about him, as if in
search of assistance.

"No use," said Lupin. "Besides, are you
quite sure you can place your hand on me!
Come, now, show me that you are a real Eng
lishman and, therefore, a good sport. ' '

This advice seemed to commend itself to

VERSUS HERLOCK SIIOLMES 101

the detective, for lie partially rose and said,
very formally:

i ' Monsieur Wilson, my friend and assistant
-Monsieur Arsene Lupin. "

Wilson's amazement evoked a laugh. With
bulging eyes and gaping mouth, he looked
from one to the other, as if unable to compre
hend the situation. Herlock Sholmes laughed
and said :

"Wilson, you should conceal your aston
ishment at an incident which is one of the
most natural in the world. ' '

"Why do you not arrest him?" stammered
Wilson.

"Have you not observed, Wilson, that the
gentleman is between me and the door, and
only a few steps from the door. By the time
I could move my little finger he would be
outside."

"Don't let that make any difference," said
Lupin, who now walked around the table and
seated himself so that the Englishman was
between him and the door — thus placing him
self at the mercy of the foreigner.

Wilson looked at Sholmes to find out if he
had the right to admire this act of wanton
courage. The Englishman's face was im
penetrable ; but, a moment later, he called :

102 ARSENE LUPIN

" Waiter !"

When the waiter came he ordered soda,
beer and whisky. The treaty of peace was
signed — until further orders. In a few mo
ments the four men were conversing in an

apparently friendly manner.

*****

Herlock Sholmes is a man such as you
might meet every day in the business world.
He is about fifty years of age, and looks as
if he might have passed his life in an office,
adding up columns of dull figures or writing
out formal statements of business accounts.
There was nothing to distinguish him from
the average citizen of London, except the
appearance of his eyes, his terribly keen and
penetrating eyes.

But then he is Herlock Sholmes — which
means that he is a wonderful combination of
intuition, observation, clairvoyance and in
genuity. One could readily believe that na
ture had been pleased to take the two most
extraordinary detectives that the imagination
of man has hitherto conceived, the Dupin of
Edgar Allen Poe and the Lecoq of Emile
Gaboriau, and, out of that material, con
structed a new detective, more extraordinary
and supernatural than either of them. And
when a person reads the history of his ex-

VERSUS HEELOCK SHOLMES 103

ploits, which have made him famous through
out the entire world, he asks himself whether
Herlock Sholmes is not a mythical personage,
a fictitious hero born in the brain of a great
novelist — Conan Doyle, for instance.

When Arsene Lupin questioned him in re
gard to the length of his sojourn in France
he turned the conversation into its proper
channel by saying:

" That depends on you, monsieur. "

"Oh!" exclaimed Lupin, laughing, "if it
depends on me you can return to England to
night."

"That is a little too soon, but I expect to
return in the course of eight or nine days —
ten at the outside. ' '

"Are you in such a hurry!"

"I have many cases to attend to; such as
the robbery of the Anglo-Chinese Bank, the
abduction of Lady Eccleston. . . . But,
don't you think, Monsieur Lupin, that I can
finish my business in Paris within a week!"

"Certainly, if you confine your efforts to
the case of the blue diamond. It is, moreover,
the length of time that I require to make
preparations for my safety in case the solu
tion of that affair should give you certain
dangerous advantages over me. ' '

104 ARSENE LUPIN"

"And yet," said the Englishman, "I ex
pect to close the business in eight or ten
days."

' i And arrest me on the eleventh, perhaps ! ' '

' ' No, the tenth is my limit. ' '

Lupin shook his head thoughtfully, as he
said:

"That will be difficult— very difficult."

"Difficult, perhaps, but possible, therefore
certain "

"Absolutely certain/' said Wilson, as if he
had clearly worked out the long series of op
erations which would conduct his collaborator
to the desired result.

"Of course," said Herlock Sholmes, "I do
not hold all the trump cards, as these cases
are already several months old, and I lack
certain information and clues upon which I
am accustomed to base my investigations. ' '

"Such as spots of mud and cigarette
ashes," said Wilson, with an air of import
ance.

' i In addition to the remarkable conclusions
formed by Monsieur Ganimard, I have ob
tained all the articles written on the subject,
and have formed a few deductions of my
own. ' '

"Some ideas which were suggested to us

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

105

by analysis or hypothesis," added Wilson,
sententiously.

"I wish to enquire," said Arsene Lupin,
in that deferential tone which he employed
in speaking to Sholmes, " would I be indis
creet if I were to ask you what opinion you
have formed about the case!"

Really, it was a most exciting situation to
see those two men facing each other across
the table, engaged in an earnest discussion
as if they were obliged to solve some abstruse
problem or come to an agreement upon some
controverted fact. Wilson was in the sev
enth heaven of delight. Herlock Sholmes
filled his pipe slowly, lighted it, and said :

4 'This affair is much simpler than it ap
peared to be at first sight."

"Much simpler," said Wilson, as a faith
ful echo.

"I say .'this affair,' for, in my opinion,
there is only one," said Sholmes. "The death
of the Baron d'Hautrec, the story of the
ring, and, let us not forget, the mystery of
lottery ticket number 514, are only different
phases of what one might call the mystery of
the blonde Lady. Now, according to my
view, it is simply a question of discovering
the bond that unites those three episodes in

106 ABSENE LUPIN

the same story — the fact which proves the
unity of the three events. Ganimard, whose
judgment is rather superficial, finds that
unity in the faculty of disappearance; that
is, in the power of coming and going unseen
and unheard. That theory does not satisfy
me."

"Well, what is your idea?" asked Lupin.

i i In my opinion, ' ' said Sholmes, i i the char
acteristic feature of the three episodes is your
design and purpose of leading the affair into
a certain channel previously chosen by you.
It is, on your part, more than a plan ; it is a
necessity, an indispensable condition of suc
cess."

"Can you furnish any details of your
theory?"

' i Certainly. For example, from the begin
ning of your conflict with Monsieur Gerbois,
is it not evident that the apartment of Mon
sieur Detinan is the place selected by you,
the inevitable spot where all the parties must
meet? In your opinion, it was the only safe
place, and you arranged a rendezvous there,
publicly, one might say, for the blonde Lady
and Mademoiselle Gerbois."

"The professor's daughter," added Wil
son.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

"Now, let us consider the case of the blue
diamond. Did you try to appropriate it while
the Baron d'Hautrec possessed it! No. But
the baron takes his brother's house. Six
months later we have the intervention of An
toinette Brehat and the first attempt. The
diamond escapes you, and the sale is widely
advertised to take place at the Drouot auc
tion-rooms. Will it be a free and open sale!
Is the richest amateur sure to carry off the
jewel f No. Just as the banker Herschmann
is on the point of buying the ring, a lady
sends him a letter of warning, and it is the
Countess de Crozon, prepared and influenced
by the same lady, who becomes the purchaser
of the diamond. Will the ring disappear at
once ! No ; you lack the opportunity. There
fore, you must wait. At last the Countess
goes to her chateau. That is what you were
waiting for. The ring disappears. "

' * To reappear again in the tooth-powder of
Herr Bleichen, ' ' remarked Lupin.

" Oh ! such nonsense ! ' ' exclaimed Sholmes,
striking the table with his fist, "don't tell me
such a fairy tale. I am too old a fox to be
led away by a false scent."

"What do you mean!"

"What do I mean?" said Sholmes, then

108 AESENE LUPIN"

paused a moment as if lie wished to arrange
his effect. At last he said :

"The blue diamond that was found in the
tooth-powder was false. You kept the genu
ine stone. "

Arsene Lupin remained silent for a mo-s
ment ; then, with his eyes fixed on the English
man, he replied, calmly:

"You are impertinent, monsieur. "

"Impertinent, indeed !" repeated Wilson,
beaming with admiration.

"Yes," said Lupin, "and, yet, to do you
credit, you have thrown a strong light on a
very mysterious subject. Not a magistrate,
not a special reporter, who has been engaged
on this case, has come so near the truth. It
is a marvelous display of intuition and
logic."

"Oh! a person has simply to use his
brains," said Herlock Sholmes, flattered at
the homage of the expert criminal.

"And so few have any brains to use," re
plied Lupin. "And, now, that the field of
conjectures has been narrowed down, and the
rubbish cleared away

"Well, now, I have simply to discover why
the three episodes were enacted at 25 rue
Clapeyron, 134 avenue Henri-Martin, and

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

109

within the walls of the Chateau de Crozon and
my work will be finished. What remains will
be child's play. Don't you think so!"

"Yes, I think you are right."

' * In that case, Monsieur Lupin, am I wrong
in saying that my business will be finished
in ten days?"

"In ten days you will know the whole
truth," said Lupin.

"And you will be arrested."

"No."

"No!"

"In order that I may be arrested there
must occur such a series of improbable and
unexpected misfortunes that I cannot admit
the possibility of such an event."

"We have a saying in England that 'the
unexpected always happens.'

They looked at each other for a moment
calmly and fearlessly, without any display
of bravado or malice. They met as equals in
a contest of wit and skill. And this meeting
was the formal crossing of swords, prelimi
nary to the duel.

"Ah!" exclaimed Lupin, "at last I shall
have an adversary worthy of the name — one
whose defeat will be the proudest achieve
ment in my career."

110 ARSENE LUPIN

"Are you not afraid!" asked Wilson.

"Almost, Monsieur "Wilson," replied Lu
pin, rising from Ms chair, "and the proof is
that I am about to make a hasty retreat.
Then, we will say ten days, Monsieur
Sholmes!"

"Yes, ten days. This is Sunday. A week
from next Wednesday, at eight o'clock in the
evening, it will be all over. ' '

* ' And I shall be in prison ! ' '

"No doubt of it."

' ' Ha ! not a pleasant outlook for a man who
gets so much enjoyment out of life as I do.
No cares, a lively interest in the affairs of
the world, a justifiable contempt for the po
lice, and the consoling sympathy of numer
ous friends and admirers. And now, behold,
all that is about to be changed ! It is the re
verse side of the medal. After sunshine
comes the rain. It is no longer a laughing
matter. Adieu!"

"Hurry up !" said Wilson, full of solicitude
for a person in whom Herlock Sholmes had
inspired so much respect, "do not lose a min
ute."

"Not a minute, Monsieur Wilson; but I
wish to express my pleasure at having met
you, and to tell you how much I envy the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

111

master in having such a valuable assistant as
you seem to be."

Then, after they had courteously saluted
each other, like adversaries in a duel who en
tertain no feeling of malice but are obliged to
fight by force of circumstances, Lupin seized
me by the arm and drew me outside.

' < What do you think of it, dear boy ! The
strange events of this evening will form an
interesting chapter in the memoirs you are
now preparing for me."

He closed the door of the restaurant behind
us, and, after taking a few steps, he stopped
and said:

4 'Do you smoke!"

' ' No. Nor do you, it seems to me. ' '

"You are right, I don't."

He lighted a cigarette with a wax-match,
which he shook several times in an effort to
extinguish it. But he threw away the ciga
rette immediately, ran across the street, and
joined two men who emerged from the
shadows as if called by a signal. He con
versed with them for a few minutes on the
opposite sidewalk, and then returned to me.

"I beg your pardon, but I fear that cursed
Sholmes is going to give me trouble. But, I
assure you, he is not yet through with Arsene

112 ARSENE LUPIN

Lupin. He will find out what kind of fuel I
use to warm my blood. And now — au revoir !
The genial Wilson is right; there is not a
moment to lose."

He walked away rapidly.

Thus ended the events of that exciting eve
ning, or, at least, that part of them in which
I was a participant. Subsequently, during
the course of the evening, other stirring inci
dents occurred which have come to my knowl
edge through the courtesy of other members

of that unique dinner-party.

*****

At the very moment in which Lupin left
me, Herlock Sholmes rose from the table, and
looked at his watch.

"Twenty minutes to nine. At nine o'clock
I am to meet the Count and Countess at the
railway station. ' '

' ' Then, we must be off ! ' ' exclaimed Wilson,
between two drinks of whisky.

They left the restaurant.

"Wilson, don't look behind. We may be
followed, and, in that case, let us act as if we
did not care. Wilson, I want your opinion:
why was Lupin in that restaurant ?"

' ' To get something to eat, ' ' replied Wilson,
quickly.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 113

"Wilson, I must congratulate you on the
accuracy of your deduction. I couldn't have
done better myself. ' '

Wilson blushed with pleasure, and Sholmes
continued :

' ' To get something to eat. Very well, and,
after that, probably, to assure himself
whether I am going to the chateau de Crozon,
as announced by Ganimard in his interview.
I must go in order not to disappoint him.
But, in order to gain time on him, I shall not
go."

"Ah!" said Wilson, nonplused.

"You, my friend, will walk down this
street, take a carriage, two, three carriages.
Return later and get the valises that we left
at the station, and make for the Elysee-Palace
at a galop. "

"And when I reach the Elysee-Palace ? ' '

' i Engage a room, go to sleep, and await my
orders."

Quite proud of the important role assigned
to him, Wilson set out to perform his task.
Herlock Sholmes proceeded to the railway
station, bought a ticket, and repaired to the
Amiens' express in which the Count and
Countess de Crozon were already installed.
He bowed to them, lighted his pipe, and had

114 ARSENE LUPIN

a quiet smoke in the corridor. The train
started. Ten minutes later he took a seat
beside the Countess, and said to her :

' 'Have you the ring here, madame?"

"Yes."

i * Will you kindly let me see it ? "

He took it, and examined it closely.

"Just as I suspected: it is a manufactured
diamond. ' '

"A manufactured diamond?"

"Yes ; a new process which consists in sub
mitting diamond dust to a tremendous heat
until it melts and is then molded into a sin
gle stone."

i i But my diamond is genuine. ' '

"Yes, your diamond is; but this is not
yours. ' '

"Where is mine?"

"It is held by Arsene Lupin."

"And this stone?"

"Was substituted for yours, and slipped
into Herr Bleichen's tooth-powder, where it
was afterwards found."

"Then you think this is false?"

"Absolutely false."

The Countess was overwhelmed with sur
prise and grief, while her husband scrutinized

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

115

the diamond with an incredulous air. Finally
she stammered:

"Is it possible? And why did they not
merely steal it and be done with it? And
how did they steal it!"

"That is exactly what I am going to find
out."

"At the chateau de Crozon?"

"No. I shall leave the train at Creil and
return to Paris. It is there the game between
me and Arsene Lupin must be played. In
fact, the game has commenced already, and
Lupin thinks I am on my way to the cha
teau."

"But "

"What does it matter to you, madame?
The essential thing is your diamond, is it
not?"

"Yes."

"Well, don't worry. I have just under
taken a much more difficult task than that.
You have my promise that I will restore the
true diamond to you within ten days."

The train slackened its speed. He put the
false diamond in his pocket and opened the
door. The Count cried out:

"That is the wrong side of the train. You
are getting out on the tracks. ' '

116 ARSENE LUPIX

4 * That is my intention. If Lupin has any
one on my track, he will lose sight of me
now. Adieu. ' '

An employee protested in vain. After the
departure of the train, the Englishman sought
the station-master's office. Forty minutes
later he leaped into a train that landed him
in Paris shortly before midnight. He ran
across the platform, entered the lunch-room,
made his exit at another door, and jumped
into a cab.

' ' Driver — rue Clapeyron. ' '

Having reached the conclusion that he was
not followed, he stopped the carriage at the
end of the street, and proceeded to make a
careful examination of Monsieur Detinan's
house and the two adjoining houses. He
made measurements of certain distances and
entered the figures in his note-book.

i i Driver — avenue Henri-Martin. ' '

At the corner of the avenue and the rue de
la Pompe, he dismissed the carriage, walked
down the street to number 134, and performed
the same operations in front of the house of
the late Baron d'Hautrec and the two adjoin
ing houses, measuring the width of the re
spective fagades and calculating the depth

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 117

of the little gardens that stood in front of
them.

The avenue was deserted, and was very
dark under its four rows of trees, between
which, at considerable intervals, a few gas-
lamps struggled in vain to light the deep
shadows. One of them threw a dim light over
a portion of the house, and Sholmes perceived
the "To-let" sign posted on the gate, the
neglected walks which encircled the small
lawn, and the large bare windows of the va
cant house.

"I suppose," he said to himself, "the
house has been unoccupied since the death of
the baron. . . . Ah! if I could only get in
and view the scene of the murder ! ' '

No sooner did the idea occur to him than he
sought to put it in execution. But how could
he manage it? He could not climb over the
gate ; it was too high. So he took from his
pocket an electric lantern and a skeleton key
which he always carried. Then, to his great
surprise, he discovered that the gate was not
locked; in fact, it was open about three or
four inches. He entered the garden, and was
careful to leave the gate as he had found
it — partly open. But he had not taken many
steps from the gate when he stopped. He

118 ARSENE LUPIN

had seen a light pass one of the windows on
the second floor.

He saw the light pass a second window and
a third, but he saw nothing else, except a
silhouette outlined on the walls of the rooms.
The light descended to the first floor, and,
for a long time, wandered from room to room.

"Who the deuce is walking, at one o'clock
in the morning, through the house in which
the Baron d'Hautrec was killed? " Herlock
Sholmes asked himself, deeply interested.

There was only one way to find out, and
that was to enter the house himself. He did
not hesitate, but started for the door of the
house. However, at the moment when he
crossed the streak of gaslight that came from
the street-lamp, the man must have seen him,
for the light in the house was suddenly ex
tinguished and Herlock Sholmes did not see
it again. Softly, he tried the door. It was
open, also. Hearing no sound, he advanced
through the hallway, encountered the foot of
the stairs, and ascended to the first floor.
Here there was the same silence, the same
darkness.

He entered one of the rooms and ap
proached a window through which came a
feeble light from the outside. On looking

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

119

through the window he saw the man, who had
no doubt descended by another stairway and
escaped by another door. The man was
threading his way through the shrubbery
which bordered the wall that separated the
two gardens.

"The deuce !" exclaimed Sholmes, "he is
going to escape."

He hastened down the stairs and leaped
over the steps in his eagerness to cut off the
man's retreat. But he did not see anyone,
and, owing to the darkness, it was several
seconds before he was able to distinguish a
bulky form moving through the shrubbery.
This gave the Englishman food for reflection.
Why had the man not made his escape, which
he could have done so easily? Had he re
mained in order to watch the movements of
the intruder who had disturbed him in his
mysterious work?

"At all events," concluded Sholmes, "it is
not Lupin ; he would be more adroit. It may
be one of his men."

For several minutes Herlock Sholmes re
mained motionless, with his gaze fixed on the
adversary who, in his turn was watching the
detective. But as that adversary had become
passive, and as the Englishman was not one

120 ARSENE LUPIN

to consume his time in idle waiting, he exam
ined his revolver to see if it was in good
working order, remove his knife from its
sheath, and walked toward the enemy with
that cool effrontery and scorn of danger for
which he had become famous.

He heard a clicking sound; it was his ad
versary preparing his revolver. Herlock
Sholmes dashed boldly into the thicket, and
grappled with his foe. There was a sharp,
desperate struggle, in the course of which
Sholmes suspected that the man was trying
to draw a knife. But the Englishman, be
lieving his antagonist to be an accomplice
of Arsene Lupin and anxious to win the first
trick in the game with that redoubtable foe,
fought with unusual strength and determina
tion. He hurled his adversary to the ground,
held him there with the weight of his body,
and, gripping him by the throat with one
hand, he used his free hand to take out his
electric lantern, press the button, and throw
the light over the face of his prisoner.

"Wilson!" he exclaimed, in amazement.

"Herlock Sholmes!" stammered a weak,

stifled voice.

*****

For a long time they remained silent, as-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

121

tounded, foolish. The shriek of an automo
bile rent the air. A slight breeze stirred the
leaves. Suddenly, Herlock Sholmes seized
his friend by the shoulders and shook him
violently, as he cried:

i i What are you doing here ? Tell me . . .
What? . . . Did I tell you to hide in the
bushes and spy on me!"

"Spy on you!" muttered Wilson, "why, I
didn't know it was you."

' * But what are you doing here I You ought
to be in bed."

4 <I was in bed."

"You ought to be asleep."

"I was asleep."

"Well, what brought you here?" asked
Sholmes.

"Your letter."

"My letter? I don't understand."

"Yes, a messenger brought it to me at the
hotel."

1 ' From me ? Are you crazy ? ' '

" It is true — I swear it. ' '

"Where is the letter?"

Wilson handed him a sheet of paper, which
he read by the light of his lantern. It was as
follows :

"Wilson, come at once to avenue Henri-

122 AESENE LUPIN

Martin. The house is empty. Inspect the
whole place and make an exact plan. Then
return to hotel. — Herlock Sholmes."

"I was measuring the rooms," said Wil
son, "when I saw a shadow in the garden. I
had only one idea "

* * That was to seize the shadow. . . . The
idea was excellent. . . . But remember this,
Wilson, whenever you receive a letter from
me, be sure it is my handwriting and not a
forgery."

"Ah!" exclaimed Wilson, as the truth
dawned on him, "then the letter wasn't from
you?"

"No."

"Who sent it, then?"

"Arsene Lupin."

"Why? For what purpose?" asked Wil
son.

"I don't know, and that's what worries
me. I don't understand why he took the
trouble to disturb you. Of course, if he had
sent me on such a foolish errand I wouldn't
be surprised; but what was his object in dis
turbing you?"

' ' I must hurry back to the hotel. ' '

"So must I, Wilson."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

123

They arrived at the gate. Wilson, who was
ahead, took hold of it and pulled.

"Ah! you closed it!" he said.

"No, I left it partly open."

Sholmes tried the gate; then, alarmed, he
examined the lock. An oath escaped him :

"Good God! it is locked! locked with a
key!"

He shook the gate with all his strength;
then, realizing the futility of his efforts, he
dropped his arms, discouraged, and muttered,
in a jerky manner:

4 ' I can see it all now — it is Lupin. He fore
saw that I would leave the train at Creil, and
he prepared this neat little trap for me in
case I should commence my investigation this
evening. Moreover, he was kind enough to
send me a companion to share my captivity.
All done to make me lose a day, and, per
haps, also, to teach me to mind my own busi
ness."

"Do you mean to say we are prisoners!"

"Exactly. Herlock Sholmes and Wilson
are the prisoners of Arsene Lupin. It's a
bad beginning ; but he laughs best who laughs
last."

Wilson seized Sholmes' arm, and ex
claimed :

124 ARSENE LUPIN

' ' Look! . . . Look up there! ... A
light . . . "

A light shone through one of the windows
of the first floor. Both of them ran to the
house, and each ascended by the stairs he
had used on coming out a short time before,
and they met again at the entrance to the
lighted chamber. A small piece of a candle
was burning in the center of the room. Be
side it there was a basket containing a bot
tle, a roasted chicken, and a loaf of bread.

Sholmee was greatly amused, and laughed
heartily.

' * Wonderful ! we are invited to supper. It
is really an enchanted place, a genuine fairy
land. Come, Wilson, cheer up ! this is not a
funeral. It's all very funny."

"Are you quite sure it is so very funny?"
asked Wilson, in a lugubrious tone.

"Am I sure?" exclaimed Sholmes, with a
gayety that was too boisterous to be natural,
"why, to tell the truth, it's the funniest thing
I ever saw. It's a jolly good comedy! What
a master of sarcasm this Arsene Lupin is!
He makes a fool of you with the utmost grace
and delicacy. I wouldn't miss this feast for
all the money in the Bank of England. Come,
Wilson, you grieve me. You should display

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

that nobility of character which rises supe
rior to misfortune. I don't see that you have
any cause for complaint. Eeally, I don't."

After a time, by dint of good humor and
sarcasm, he managed to restore Wilson to his
normal mood, and make him swallow a morsel
of chicken and a glass of wine. But when
the candle went out and they prepared to
spend the night there, with the bare floor for
a mattress and the hard wall for a pillow, the
harsh and ridiculous side of the situation was
impressed upon them. That particular inci
dent will not form a pleasant page in the
memoirs of the famous detective.

Next morning Wilson awoke, stiff and cold.
A slight noise attracted his attention: Her-
lock Sholmes was kneeling on the floor, criti
cally examining some grains of sand and
studying some chalk-marks, now almost ef
faced, which formed certain figures and num
bers, which figures he entered in his note
book.

Accompanied by Wilson, who was deeply
interested in the work, he examined each
room, and found similar chalk-marks in two
other apartments. He noticed, also, two
circles on the oaken panels, an arrow on a
wainscot, and four figures on four steps of

126 ARSENE LUPIN

the stairs. At the end of an hour Wilson
said:

"The figures are correct, aren't they!"

"I don't know; but, at all events, they mean
something," replied Sholmes, who had for
gotten the discomforts of the night in the joy
created by his new discoveries.

"It is quite obvious," said Wilson, "they
represent the number of pieces in the floor. ' '

"Ah!"

"Yes. And the two circles indicate that
the panels are false, as you can readily as
certain, and the arrow points in the direction
in which the panels move."

Herlock Sholmes looked at Wilson, in as
tonishment.

"Ah! my dear friend, how do you know
all that! Your clairvoyance makes my poor
ability in that direction look quite insignifi
cant."

"Oh! it is very simple," said Wilson, in
flated with pride; "I examined those marks
last night, according to your instructions, or,
rather, according to the instructions of Ar-
sene Lupin, since he wrote the letter you sent
tome."

At that moment Wilson faced a greater
danger than he had during his struggle in the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 127

garden with Herlock Sholmes. The latter
now felt a furious desire to strangle him.
But, dominating his feelings, Sholmes made
a grimace which was intended for a smile,
and said:

"Quite so, Wilson, you have done well, and
your work shows commendable progress. But,
tell me, have you exercised your powers of
observation and analysis on any other points?
I might profit by your deductions. "

" Oh ! no, I went no farther. ' '

"That's a pity. Your debut was such a
promising one. But, since that is all, we may
as well go."

"Go ! but how can we get out?"

' ' The way all honest people go out : through
the gate."

"But it is locked."

"It will be opened."

"By whom?"

"Please call the two policemen who are
strolling down the avenue."

"But "

"But what?"

"It is very humiliating. What will be said
when it becomes known that Herlock Sholmes
and Wilson were the prisoners of Arsene
Lupin?"

128 ARSENE LUPIN

"Of course, I understand they will roar
with laughter," replied Herlock Sholmes, in
a dry voice and with frowning features, "but
we can't set up housekeeping in this place. "

"And you will not try to find another way
out?"

"No."

"But the man who brought us the basket
of provisions did not cross the garden, com
ing or going. There is some other way out.
Let us look for it, and not bother with the
police."

"Your argument is sound, but you forget
that all the detectives in Paris have been try
ing to find it for the last six months, and that
I searched the house from top to bottom
while you were asleep. Ah ! my dear Wilson,
we have not been accustomed to pursue such
game as Arsene Lupin. He leaves no trail

behind him."

*****

At eleven o'clock, Herlock Sholmes and
Wilson were liberated, and conducted to the
nearest police station, where the commissary,
after subjecting them to a severe examina
tion, released them with an affectation of
good-will that was quite exasperating.

"I am very sorry, messieurs, that this un-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 129

fortunate incident has occurred. You will
have a very poor opinion of French hospi
tality. Mon Dieu! what a night you must
have passed ! Ah ! that rascally Lupin is no
respecter of persons."

They took a carriage to their hotel. At the
office Wilson asked for the key of his room.

After some search the clerk replied, much
astonished :

"But, monsieur, you have given up the
room. ' '

' ' I gave it up ? When 1 ' '

"This morning, by the letter your friend
brought here."

"What friend!"

"The gentleman who brought your letter.
. . . Ah! your card is still attached to the
letter. Here they are."

Wilson looked at them. Certainly, it was
one of his cards, and the letter was in his
handwriting.

"Good Lord!" he muttered, "this is an
other of his tricks," and he added, aloud:
"Where is my luggage?"

"Your friend took it."

"Ah ! . . . and you gave it to him?"

"Certainly; on the strength of your letter
and card."

130 ARSEtfE LUPIN"

"Of course . . . of course. "

They left the hotel and walked, slowly and
thoughtfully, through the Champs-Ely sees.
The avenue was bright and cheerful beneath
a clear autumn sun; the air was mild and
pleasant.

At Bond-Point, Herlock Sholmes lighted his
pipe. Then Wilson spoke :

"I can't understand you, Sholrnes. You
are so calm and unruffled. They play with
you as a cat plays with a mouse, and yet you
do not say a word. ' '

Sholmes stopped, as he replied :

"Wilson, I was thinking of your card."

"Well!"

"The point is this: here is a man who, in
view of a possible struggle with us, procures
specimens of our handwriting, and who holds,
in his possession, one or more of your cards.
Now, have you considered how much precau
tion and skill those facts represent?"

"Well?"

"Well, Wilson, to overcome an enemy so
well prepared and so thoroughly equipped
requires the infinite shrewdness of ... of
a Herlock Sholmes. And yet, as you have
seen, Wilson, I have lost the first round."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 131

At six o 'clock the Echo de France published
the following article in its evening edition :

"This morning Mon. Thenard, commissary
of police in the sixteenth district, released
Herlock Sholmes and his friend Wilson, both
of whom had been locked in the house of the
late Baron d'Hautrec, where they spent a
very pleasant night — thanks to the thoughtful
care and attention of Arsene Lupin."

"In addition to their other troubles, these
gentlemen have been robbed of their valises,
and, in consequence thereof, they have en
tered a formal complaint against Arsene Lu
pin."

"Arsene Lupin, satisfied that he has given
them a mild reproof, hopes these gentlemen
will not force him to resort to more stringent

i .

Bah!" exclaimed Herlock Sholmes,
crushing the paper in his hands, ' ' that is only
child's play! And that is the only criticism
I have to make of Arsene Lupin : he plays to
the gallery. There is that much of the fakir
in him."

"Ah! Sholmes, you are a wonderful man!
You have such a command over your temper.
Nothing ever disturbs you."

132

ARSENE LUPIN

"No, nothing disturbs me," replied
Sholmes, in a voice that trembled from rage ;
"besides, what's the use of losing my tem
per! ... I am quite confident of the final
result ; I shall have the last word. ' '

CHAPTER IV.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS.

OWEVER well-tempered a man's
character may be — and Herlock
She-hues is one of those men over
whom ill-fortune has little or no hold — there
are circumstances wherein the most coura
geous combatant feels the necessity of mar
shaling his forces before risking the chances
of a battle.

"I shall take a vacation to-day, " said
Sholmes.

"And what shall I do?" asked Wilson.

"You, Wilson — let me see! You can buy
some underwear and linen to replenish our
wardrobe, while I take a rest."

"Very well, Sholmes, I will watch while
you sleep."

Wilson uttered these words with all the
importance of a sentinel on guard at the out
post, and therefore exposed to the greatest
danger. His chest was expanded ; his muscles
were tense. Assuming a shrewd look, he

133

134 ARSENE LUPIN

scrutinized, officially, the little room in which
they had fixed their abode.

"Very well, Wilson, you can watch. I shall
occupy myself in the preparation of a line of
attack more appropriate to the methods of
the enemy we are called upon to meet. Do
you see, Wilson, we have been deceived in
this fellow Lupin. My opinion is that we
must commence at the very beginning of this
affair."

"And even before that, if possible. But
have we sufficient time 1 ' '

"Nine days, dear boy. That is five too
many. ' '

The Englishman spent the entire afternoon
in smoking and sleeping. He did not enter
upon his new plan of attack until the follow
ing day. Then he said :

"Wilson, I am ready. Let us attack the
enemy. ' '

"Lead on, Macduff!" exclaimed Wilson,
full of martial ardor. "I wish to fight in the
front rank. Oh! have no fear. I shall do
credit to my King and country, for I am an
Englishman. ' '

In the first place, Sholmes had three long
and important interviews: With Monsieur
Detinan, whose rooms he examined with the

VERSUS HERLOCK SIIOLMES

greatest care and precision; with Suzanne
Gerbois, whom he questioned in regard to
the blonde Lady; and with Sister Auguste,
who had retired to the convent of the Visitan-
dines since the murder of Baron d'Hautrec.

At each of these interviews Wilson had
remained outside; and each time he asked:

"Satisfactory?"

"Quite so."

"I was sure we were on the right track."

They paid a visit to the two houses ad
joining that of the late Baron d'Hautrec in
the avenue Henri-Martin; then they visited
the rue Clapeyron, and, while he was exam
ining the front of number 25, Sholmes said :

"All these houses must be connected by
secret passages, but I can't find them."

For the first time in his life, Wilson
doubted the omnipotence of his famous asso
ciate. Why did he now talk so much and
accomplish so little?

"Why!" exclaimed Sholmes, in answer to
Wilson's secret thought, "because, with this
fellow Lupin, a person has to work in the
dark, and, instead of deducting the truth
from established facts, a man must extract
it from his own brain, and afterward learn
if it is supported by the facts in the case. ' '

136 ARSENE LUPIN

"But what about the secret passages ?"

"They must exist. But even though I
should discover them, and thus learn how
Arsene Lupin made his entrance to the law
yer 's house and how the blonde Lady escaped
from the house of Baron d'Hautrec after the
murder, what good would it do ! How would
it help me! Would it furnish me with a
weapon of attack!"

"Let us attack him just the same," ex
claimed Wilson, who had scarcely uttered
these words when he jumped back with a
cry of alarm. Something had fallen at their
feet; it was a bag filled with sand which
might have caused them serious injury if it
had struck them.

Sholmes looked up. Some men were work
ing on a scaffolding attached to the balcony
at the fifth floor of the house. He said :

"We were lucky; one step more, and that
heavy bag would have fallen on our heads.
I wonder if

Moved by a sudden impulse, he rushed into
the house, up the five flights of stairs, rang
the bell, pushed his way into the apartment
to the great surprise and alarm of the serv
ant who came to the door, and made his way

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 137

to the balcony in front of the house. But
there was no one there.

' * Where are the workmen who were here a
moment ago?" he asked the servant.

"They have just gone."

"Which way did they go!"

"By the servants' stairs."

Sholmes leaned out of the window. He
saw two men leaving the house, carrying
bicycles. They mounted them and quickly
disappeared around the corner.

' ' How long have they been working on this
scaffolding?"

"Those men? . . . only since this
morning. It's their first day."

Sholmes returned to the street, and joined
Wilson. Together they returned to the hotel,
and thus the second day ended in a mournful
silence.

On the following day their programme was
almost similar. They sat together on a bench
in the avenue Henri-Martin, much to Wilson's
disgust, who did not find it amusing to spend
long hours watching the house in which the
tragedy had occurred.

"What do you expect, Sholmes? That
Arsene Lupin will walk out of the house ? ' '

"No."

138 ARSENE LUPIN

"That the blonde Lady will make her
appearance! "

"No."

"What then?"

"I am looking for something to occur;
some slight incident that will furnish me with
a clue to work on."

"And if it does not occur!"

' i Then I must, myself, create the spark that
will set fire to the powder. ' '

A solitary incident — and that of a dis
agreeable nature — broke the monotony of the
forenoon.

A gentleman was riding along the avenue
when his horse suddenly turned aside in such
a manner that it ran against the bench on
which they were sitting, and struck Sholmes
a slight blow on the shoulder.

"Ha!" exclaimed Sholmes, "a little more
and I would have had a broken shoulder. ' '

The gentleman struggled with his horse.
The Englishman drew his revolver and
pointed it; but Wilson seized his arm, and
said:

"Don't be foolish! What are you going
to do! Kill the man!"

' ' Leave me alone, Wilson ! Let go ! "

VERSUS HKRLOCK SHOLMES

During the brief struggle between Sholmes
and Wilson the stranger rode away.

44 Now, you can shoot," said Wilson, tri
umphantly. when the horseman was at some
distance.

"Wilson, you're an idiot! Don't you un
derstand that the man is an accomplice of
Arsene Lupin!"

Sholmes was trembling from rage. Wilson
stammered pitifully :

"What! . . . that man ... an ac
complice? . . ."

"Yes, the same as the workmen who tried
to drop the bag of sand on us yesterday."

"It can't be possible!"

"Possible or not, there was only one way
to prove it."

"By killing the man!"

"No — by killing the horse. If you hadn't
grabbed my arm, I should have captured one
of Lupin's accomplices. Now, do you under
stand the folly of your act!"

Throughout the afternoon both men were
morose. They did not speak a word to each
other. At five o'clock they visited the rue
Clapeyron, but were careful to keep at a safe
distance from the houses. However, three
young men who were passing through the

140 ARSENE LUPIN

street, arm in arm, singing, ran against
Sholmes and Wilson and refused to let them
pass. Sholmes, who was in an ill humor, con
tested the right of way with them. After a
brief struggle, Sholmes resorted to his fists.
He struck one of the men a hard blow on the
chest, another a blow in the face, and thus
subdued two of his adversaries. Thereupon
the three of them took to their heels and
disappeared.

"Ah!" exclaimed Sholmes, "that does me
good. I needed a little exercise."

But Wilson was leaning against the wall.
Sholmes said:

"What's the matter, old chap! You're
quite pale."

Wilson pointed to his left arm, which hung
inert, and stammered:

"I don't know what it is. My arm pains
me."

"Very much! ... Is it serious?"

' ' Yes, I am afraid so. ' '

He tried to raise his arm, but it was help
less. Sholmes felt it, gently at first, then
in a rougher way, "to see how badly it was
hurt," he said. He concluded that Wilson
was really hurt, so he led him to a neighbor
ing pharmacy, where a closer examination

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

revealed the fact that the arm was broken
and that Wilson was a candidate for the hos
pital. In the meantime they bared his arm
and applied some remedies to ease his
suffering.

''Come, come, old chap, cheer up!" said
Sholmes, who was holding Wilson's arm, "in
five or six weeks you will be all right again.
But I will pay them back . . . the ras
cals ! Especially Lupin, for this is his work
. . . no doubt of that. I swear to you if
ever - "

He stopped suddenly, dropped the arm—
which caused Wilson such an access of pain
that he almost fainted — and, striking his fore
head, Sholmes said :

i i Wilson, I have an idea. You know, I have
one occasionally."

He stood for a moment, silent, with staring
eyes, and then muttered, in short, sharp
phrases :

"Yes, that's it ... that will explain
all ... right at my feet . . . and I
didn't see it ... ah, parbleu! I should
have thought of it before . . . Wilson,
I shall have good news for you. ' '

Abruptly leaving his old friend, Sholmes
ran into the street and went directly to the

142 AKSENE LUPIX

house known as number 25. On one of the
stones, to the right of the door, he read this
inscription: "Destange, architect, 1875."

There was a similar inscription on the
house numbered 23.

Of course, there was nothing unusual in
that. But what might be read on the houses
in the avenue Henri-Martin1?

A carriage was passing. He engaged it
and directed the driver to take him to No.
134 avenue Henri-Martin. He was roused to
a high pitch of excitement. He stood up in
the carriage and urged the horse to greater
speed. He offered extra pourboires to the
driver. Quicker! Quicker!

How great was his anxiety as they turned
from the rue de la Pompe! Had he caught
a glimpse of the truth at last?

On one of the stones of the late Baron's
house he read the words: "Destange,
architect, 1874." And a similar inscription

appeared on the two adjoining houses.

*****

The reaction was such that he settled down
in the seat of the carriage, trembling from
joy. At last, a tiny ray of light had pene
trated the dark shadows which encompassed
these mysterious crimes ! In the vast sombre

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

143

forest wherein a thousand pathways crossed
and re-crossed, he had discovered the first
clue to the track followed by the enemy !

He entered a branch postoffice and ob
tained telephonic connection with the chateau
de Crozon. The Countess answered the tele
phone call.

" Hello! ... Is that you, madame?"

4 'Monsieur Sholmes, isn't it? Everything
going all right?"

4 i Quite well, but I wish to ask you one
question. . . . Hello!"

"Yes, I hear you."

' i Tell me, when was the chateau de Crozon
built!"

i t It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt about
thirty years ago. ? '

"Who built it, and in what year?"

"There is an inscription on the front of
the house which reads: 'Lucien Destange,
architect, 1877.' "

"Thank you, madame, that is all. Good
bye."

He went away, murmuring: "Destange
. . . Lucien Destange . . . that name
has a familiar sound."

He noticed a public reading-room, entered,
consulted a dictionary of modern biography,

144 ARSENE LUPIN"

and copied the following information:
"Lucien Destange, born 1840, Grand-Prix de
Borne, officer of the Legion of Honor, author
of several valuable books on architecture,
etc. . . ."

Then he returned to the pharmacy and
found that Wilson had been taken to the hos
pital. There Sholmes found him with his
arm in splints, and shivering with fever.

"Victory! Victory !" cried Sholmes. "I
hold one end of the thread. ' '

6 ' Of what thread? "

"The one that leads to victory. I shall
now be walking on solid ground, where there
will be footprints, clues. . . ."

"Cigarette ashes?" asked Wilson, whose
curiosity had overcome his pain.

6 i And many other things ! Just think, Wil
son, I have found the mysterious link which
unites the different adventures in which the
blonde Lady played a part. Why did Lupin
select those three houses for the scenes of his
exploits!"

"Yes, why?"

"Because those three houses were built by
the same architect. That was an easy prob
lem, eh? Of course . . . but who would
have thought of it?"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 145

"No one but you."

"And who, except I, knows that the same
architect, by the use of analogous plans, has
rendered it possible for a person to execute
three distinct acts which, though miraculous
in appearance, are, in reality, quite simple
and easy ? ' '

' * That was a stroke of good luck. ' '

"And it was time, dear boy, as I was be
coming very impatient. You know, this is
our fourth day."

"Out of ten."

"Oh! after this "

Sholmes was excited, delighted, and gayer
than usual.

"And when I think that these rascals might
have attacked me in the street and broken
my arm just as they did yours! Isn't that
so, Wilson!"

Wilson simply shivered at the horrible
thought. Sholmes continued :

"We must profit by the lesson. I can see,
Wilson, that we were wrong to try and fight
Lupin in the open, and leave ourselves ex
posed to his attacks."

"I can see it, and feel it, too, in my broken
arm," said Wilson.

i ' You have one consolation, Wilson ; that is,

146 ARSENE LUPIN"

that I escaped. Now, I must be doubly cau
tious. In an open fight he will defeat me;
but if I can work in the dark, unseen by him,
I have the advantage, no matter how strong
his forces may be.'7

"Ganimard might be of some assistance/'

* ' Never ! On the day that I can truly say :
Arsene Lupin is there ; I show you the quarry,
and how to catch it ; I shall go and see Gani
mard at one of the two addresses that he
gave me — his residence in the rue Pergolese,
or at the Suisse tavern in the Place du
Chatelet. But, until that time, I shall work
alone. "

He approached the bed, placed his hand on
Wilson's shoulder — on the sore one, of course
— and said to him :

' ' Take care of yourself, old fellow. Hence
forth your role will be to keep two or three
of Arsene Lupin's men busy watching here in
vain for my return to enquire about your
health. It is a secret mission for you, eh!"

"Yes, and I shall do my best to fulfil it
conscientiously. Then you do not expect to
come here any more 1 ' '

"What for?" asked Sholmes.

"I don't know ... of course . . .
I am getting on as well as possible. But,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

Herlock, do me a last service: give me a
drink. "

"Adrinkf"

"Yes, I am dying of thirst; and with my
fever -- "

"To be sure — directly—

He made a pretense of getting some water,
perceived a package of tobacco, lighted his
pipe, and then, as if he had not heard his
friend's request, he went away, whilst Wil
son uttered a mute prayer for the inaccessible

water.

*****

' ' Monsieur Destange ! ' '

The servant eyed from head to foot the
person to whom he had opened the door of
the house — the magnificent house that stood
at the corner of the Place Malesherbes and
the rue Montchanin — and at the sight of the
man with gray hairs, badly shaved, dressed
in a shabby black coat, with a body as ill-
formed and ungracious as his face, he replied
with the disdain which he thought the occa
sion warranted:

"Monsieur Destange may or may not be
at home. That depends. Has monsieur a
card?"

Monsieur did not have a card, but he had

148 ARSENE LUPIN

a letter of introduction and, after the serv
ant had taken the letter to Mon. Destange, he
was conducted into the presence of that gen
tleman who was sitting in a large circular
room or rotunda which occupied one of the
wings of the house. It was a library, and
contained a profusion of books and architec
tural drawings. When the stranger entered,
the architect said to him :

"You are Monsieur Stickmann ? ' '

"Yes, monsieur."

"My secretary tells me that he is ill, and
has sent you to continue the general cata
logue of the books which he commenced
under my direction, and, more particularly,
the catalogue of German books. Are you
familiar with that kind of work 2"

"Yes, monsieur, quite so," he replied, with
a strong German accent.

Under those circumstances the bargain was
soon concluded, and Mon. Destange com
menced work with his new secretary.

Herlock Sholmes had gained access to the
house.

In order to escape the vigilance of Arsene
Lupin and gain admittance to the house occu
pied by Lucien Destange and his daughter
Clotilde, the famous detective had been com-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

pelled to resort to a number of stratagems,
and, under a variety of names, to ingratiate
himself into the good graces and confidence
of a number of persons — in short, to live,
during forty-eight hours, a most complicated
life. During that time he had acquired the
following information : Mon. Destange, hav
ing retired from active business on account
of his failing health, now lived amongst the
many books he had accumulated on the sub
ject of architecture. He derived infinite
pleasure in viewing and handling those dusty
old volumes.

His daughter Clotilde was considered ec
centric. She passed her time in another part
of the house, and never went out.

"Of course, " Sholmes said to himself, as
he wrote in a register the titles of the books
which Mon. Destange dictated to him, "all
that is vague and incomplete, but it is quite
a long step in advance. I shall surely solve
one of these absorbing problems: Is Mon.
Destange associated with Arsene Lupin0?
Does he continue to see him ! Are the papers
relating to the construction of the three
houses still in existence! Will those papers
not furnish me with the location of other
houses of similar construction which Arsene

150 ARSENE LUPIN

Lupin and bis associates will plunder in the
future?

Monsieur Destange, an accomplice of
Arsene Lupin ! That venerable man, an offi
cer of the Legion of Honor, working in
league with a burglar — such an idea was ab
surd! Besides, if we concede that such a
complicity exists, how could Mon. Destange,
thirty years ago, have possibly foreseen the
thefts of Arsene Lupin, who was then an
infant I

No matter! The Englishman was impla
cable. With his marvellous scent, and that
instinct which never fails him, he felt that he
was in the heart of some strange mystery.
Ever since he first entered the house, he had
been under the influence of that impression,
and yet he could not define the grounds on
which he based his suspicions.

Up to the morning of the second day he
had not made any significant discovery. At
two o'clock of that day he saw Clotilde
Destange for the first time; she came to the
library in search of a book. She was about
thirty years of age, a brunette, slow and
silent in her movements, with features im
bued with that expression of indifference
which is characteristic of people who live a

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

secluded life. She exchanged a few words
with her father, and then retired, without
even looking at Sholmes.

The afternoon dragged along monoto
nously. At five o'clock Mon. Destange an
nounced his intention to go out. Sholmes
was alone on the circular gallery that was
constructed about ten feet above the floor of
the rotunda. It was almost dark. He was
on the point of going out, when he heard a
slight sound and, at the same time, experi
enced the feeling that there was someone in
the room. Several minutes passed before
he saw or heard anything more. Then he
shuddered; a shadowy form emerged from
the gloom, quite close to him, upon the bal
cony. It seemed incredible. How long had
this mysterious visitor been there? Whence
did he come?

The strange man descended the steps and
went directly to a large oaken cupboard.
Sholmes was a keen observer of the man's
movements. He watched him searching
amongst the papers with which the cupboard
was filled. What was he looking for?

Then the door opened and Mile. Destange
entered, speaking to someone who was fol
lowing her :

152 ARSENE LUPIN

"So you have decided not to go out, father?
. . . Then I will make a light . . .
one second ... do not move. . . ."

The strange man closed the cupboard and
hid in the embrasure of a large window,
drawing the curtains together. Did Mile.
Destange not see him? Did she not hear
him? Calmly she turned on the electric
lights; she and her father sat down close to
each other. She opened a book she had
brought with her, and commenced to read.
After the lapse of a few minutes she said :

"Your secretary has gone."

"Yes, I don't see him."

"Do you like him as well as you did at
first?" she asked, as if she were not aware
of the illness of the real secretary and his
replacement by Stickmann.

"Oh! yes."

Monsieur Destange 's head bobbed from one
side to the other. He was asleep. The girl
resumed her reading. A moment later one
of the window curtains was pushed back, and
the strange man emerged and glided along
the wall toward the door, which obliged him
to pass behind Mon. Destange but in front of
Clotilde, and brought him into the light so

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

153

that Herlock Sholmes obtained a good view
of the man's face. It was Arsene Lupin.

The Englishman was delighted. His fore
cast was verified; he had penetrated to the
very heart of the mystery, and found Arsene
Lupin to be the moving spirit in it.

Clotilde had not yet displayed any knowl
edge of his presence, although it was quite
improbable that any movement of the in
truder had escaped her notice. Lupin had
almost reached the door and, in fact, his hand
was already seeking the door-knob, when his
coat brushed against a small table and
knocked something to the floor. Monsieur
Destange awoke with a start. Arsene Lupin
was already standing in front of him, hat in
hand, smiling.

"Maxime Bermond," exclaimed Mon.
Destange, joyfully. "My dear Maxime,
what lucky chance brings you here?"

"The wish to see you and Mademoiselle
Destange. ' '

"When did you return from your jour
ney?"

"Yesterday."

"You must stay to dinner."

"No, thank you, I am sorry, but I have an

154 ARSENE LUPIN

appointment to dine with some friends at a
restaurant. ' '

' i Come, to-morrow, then, Clotilde, you
must urge him to come to-morrow. Ah ! my
dear Maxime ... I thought of you
many times during your absence. "

"Beallyt"

"Yes, I went through all my old papers in
that cupboard, and found our last statement
of account/'

"What account 1"

"Relating to the avenue Henri-Martin.'*

"Ah! do you keep such papers! What
for?"

Then the three of them left the room, and
continued their conversation in a small par
lor which adjoined the library.

"Is it Lupin?" Sholmes asked himself, in
a sudden access of doubt. Certainly, from
all appearances, it was he; and yet it was
also someone else who resembled Arsene
Lupin in certain respects, and who still main
tained his own individuality, features, and
color of hair. Sholmes could hear Lupin's
voice in the adjoining room. He was relat
ing some stories at which Mon. Destange
laughed heartily, and which even brought a
smile to the lips of the melancholy Clotilde.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 155

And each of those smiles appeared to be the
reward which Arsene Lupin was seeking, and
which he was delighted to have secured. His
success caused him to redouble his efforts
and, insensibly, at the sound of that clear and
happy voice, Clotilde's face brightened and
lost that cold and listless expression which
usually pervaded it.

' ' They love each other," thought Sholmes,
* ' but what the deuce can there be in common
between Clotilde Destange and Maxime Ber~
rnondl Does she know that Maxime is none
other than Arsene Lupin!

Until seven o'clock Sholmes was an anxious
listener, seeking to profit by the conversa
tion. Then, with infinite precaution, he de
scended from the gallery, crept along the
side of the room to the door in such a manner
that the people in the adjoining room did not
see him.

When he reached the street Sholmes satis
fied himself that there was neither an auto
mobile nor a cab waiting there ; then he slowly
limped along the boulevard Malesherbes. He
turned into an adjacent street, donned the
overcoat which he had carried on his arm,
altered the shape of his hat, assumed an up
right carriage, and, thus transformed, re-

156 ARSENE LUPIN

turned to a place whence he could watch the
door of Mon. Destange's house.

In a few minutes Arsene Lupin came out,
and proceeded to walk toward the center of
Paris by way of the rues de Constantinople
and London. Herlock Sholrnes followed at a
distance of a hundred paces.

Exciting moments for the Englishman!
He sniffed the air eagerly, like a hound fol
lowing a fresh scent. It seemed to him a
delightful thing thus to follow his adver
sary. It was no longer Herlock Sholmes who
was being watched, but Arsene Lupin, the
invisible Arsene Lupin. He held him, so to
speak, within the grasp of his eye, by an im
perceptible bond that nothing could break.
And he was pleased to think that the quarry
belonged to him.

But he soon observed a suspicious circum
stance. In the intervening space between
him and Arsene Lupin he noticed several
people traveling in the same direction, par
ticularly two husky fellows in slouch hats
on the left side of the street, and two others
on the right wearing caps and smoking ciga
rettes. Of course, their presence in that vi
cinity may have been the result of chance,
but Sholmes was more astonished when he

VERSUS HEBLOCK SHOLMES

157

observed that the four men stopped when
Lupin entered a tobacco shop ; and still more
surprised when the four men started again
after Lupin emerged from the shop, each
keeping to his own side of the street.

"Curse it!7' muttered Sholmes; "he is
being followed.'7

He was annoyed at the idea that others
were on the trail of Arsene Lupin ; that some
one might deprive him, not of the glory — he
cared little for that — but of the immense
pleasure of capturing, single-handed, the
most formidable enemy he had ever met. And
he felt that he was not mistaken; the men
presented to Sholmes' experienced eye the
appearance and manner of those who, while
regulating their gait to that of another, wish
to present a careless and natural air.

"Is this some of Ganimard's work!" mut
tered Sholmes. i i Is he playing me false ! ' '

He felt inclined to speak to one of the men
with a view of acting in concert with him ; but
as they were now approaching the boulevard
the crowd was becoming denser, and he was
afraid he might lose sight of Lupin. So he
quickened his pace and turned into the boule
vard just in time to see Lupin ascending the
steps of the Hungarian restaurant at the cor-

158 ARSENE LUPIN

ner of the rue du Helder. The door of the
restaurant was open, so that Sholmes, while
sitting on a bench on the other side of the
boulevard, could see Lupin take a seat at a
table, luxuriously appointed and decorated
with flowers, at which three gentlemen and
two ladies of elegant appearance were al
ready seated and who extended to Lupin a
hearty greeting.

Sholmes now looked about for the four men
and perceived them amongst a crowd of
people who were listening to a gipsy orches
tra that was playing in a neighboring cafe. It
was a curious thing that they were paying no
attention to Arsene Lupin, but seemed to be
friendly with the people around them. One
of them took a cigarette from his pocket and
approached a gentleman who wore a frock
coat and silk hat. The gentleman offered the
other his cigar for a light, and Sholmes had
the impression that they talked to each other
much longer than the occasion demanded.
Finally the gentleman approached the Hun
garian restaurant, entered and looked around.
When he caught sight of Lupin he advanced
and spoke to him for a moment, then took a
seat at an adjoining table. Sholmes now
recognized this gentleman as the horseman

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 159

who had tried to run him down in the avenue
Henri-Martin.

Then Sholmes understood that these men
were not tracking Arsene Lupin ; they were a
part of his band. They were watching over
his safety. They were his bodyguard, his
satellites, his vigilant escort. Wherever
danger threatened Lupin, these confederates
were at hand to avert it, ready to defend him.
The four men were accomplices. The gentle
man in the frock coat was an accomplice.
These facts furnished the Englishman with
food for reflection. Would he ever succeed
in capturing that inaccessible individual!
What unlimited power was possessed by such
an organization, directed by such a chief !

He tore a leaf from his notebook, wrote a
few lines in pencil, which he placed in an en
velope, and said to a boy about fifteen years
of age who was sitting on the bench beside
him:

"Here, my boy; take a carriage and de
liver this letter to the cashier of the Suisse
tavern, Place du Chatelet. Be quick ! ' '

He gave him a five-franc piece. The boy
disappeared.

A half hour passed away. The crowd had
grown larger, and Sholraes perceived only at

160 ARSENE LUPIN

intervals the accomplices of Arsene Lupin.
Then someone brushed against him and whis
pered in his ear :

' ' Well! what is it, Monsieur Sholmes?"

"Ah! it is you, Ganimard? "

"Yes; I received your note at the tavern.
What's the matter ?"

"He is there."

' ' What do you mean ! ' '

1 1 There ... in the restaurant. Lean to
the right . . . Do you see him now?"

"No."

"He is pouring a glass of champagne for
the lady."

"That is not Lupin."

"Yes, it is."

"But I tell you . . . Ah ! yet, it may be.
It looks a great deal like him," said Gani-
mard, naively. "And the others — accom
plices?"

"No; the lady sitting beside him is Lady
Cliveden ; the other is the Duchess de Cleath.
The gentleman sitting opposite Lupin is the
Spanish Ambassador to London."

Ganimard took a step forward. Sholmes
retained him.

"Be prudent. You are alone."

"So is he."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

* i No, he has a number of men on the boule
vard mounting guard. And inside the restau
rant that gentleman—

i 'And I, when I take Arsene Lupin by the
collar and announce his name, I shall have
the entire room on my side and all the wait
ers."

' ' I should prefer to have a few policemen. ' '

"But, Monsieur Sholmes, we have no
choice. We must catch him when we can. ' '

He was right ; Sholmes knew it. It was bet
ter to take advantage of the opportunity and
make the attempt. Sholmes simply gave this
advice to Ganimard:

"Conceal your identity as long as possi
ble. "

Sholmes glided behind a newspaper kiosk,
whence he could still watch Lupin, who was
leaning toward Lady Cliveden, talking and
smiling.

Ganimard crossed the street, hands in his
pockets, as if he were going down the boule
vard, but when he reached the opposite side
walk he turned quickly and bounded up the
steps of the restaurant. There was a shrill
whistle. Ganimard ran against the head
waiter, who had suddenly planted himself in
the doorway and now pushed Ganimard back

162 ARSENE LUPIN

with a show of indignation, as if he were an
intruder whose presence would bring disgrace
upon the restaurant. Ganimard was sur
prised. At the same moment the gentleman
in the frock coat came out. He took the part
of the detective and entered into an exciting
argument with the waiter ; both of them hung
on to Ganimard, one pushing him in, the other
pushing him out in such a manner that, de
spite all his efforts and despite his furious
protestations, the unfortunate detective soon
found himself on the sidewalk.

The struggling men were surrounded by a
crowd. Two policemen, attracted by the
noise, tried to force their way through the
crowd, but encountered a mysterious resist
ance and could make no headway through the
opposing backs and pressing shoulders of the
mob.

But suddenly, as if by magic, the crowd
parted and the passage to the restaurant was
clear. The head waiter, recognizing his mis
take, was profuse in his apologies ; the gentle
man in the frock coat ceased his efforts on be
half of the detective, the crowd dispersed, the
policemen passed on, and Ganimard hastened
to the table at which the six guests were sit
ting. But now there were only five! He

VEESUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 163

looked around. . . . The only exit was the
door.

''The person who was sitting here!" he
cried to the five astonished guests. " Where
is hef

* ' Monsieur Destro 1 ' '

" No ; Arsene Lupin ! ' '

A waiter approached and said :

i 'The gentleman went upstairs."

Ganimard rushed up in the hope of finding
him. The upper floor of the restaurant con
tained private dining-rooms and had a pri
vate stairway leading to the boulevard.

44 No use looking for him now," muttered

Ganimard. t * He is far away by this time. ' '

*****

He was not far away — two hundred yards
at most — in the Madeleine-Bastille omnibus,
which was rolling along very peacefully with
its three horses across the Place de 1 'Opera
toward the Boulevard des Capucines. Two
sturdy fellows were talking together on the
platform. On the roof of the omnibus near
the stairs an old fellow was sleeping; it was
Herlock Sholmes.

With bobbing head, rocked by the move
ment of the vehicle, the Englishman said to
himself :

164 ARSENE LUPIN

"If Wilson could see me now, how proud
he would be of his collaborator ! . . . Bah !
... It was easy to foresee that the game
was lost, as soon as the man whistled ; noth
ing could be done but watch the exits and see
that our man did not escape. Eeally, Lupin
makes life exciting and interesting. ' J

At the terminal point Herlock Sholmes, by
leaning over, saw Arsene Lupin leaving the
omnibus, and as he passed in front of the men
who formed his bodyguard Sholmes heard
himsay:"Al'Etoile."

"A PEtoile, exactly, a rendezvous. I shall
be there," thought Sholmes. "I will follow
the two men. ? '

Lupin took an automobile; but the men
walked the entire distance, followed by
Sholmes. They stopped at a narrow house,
No. 40 rue Chalgrin, and rang the bell.
Sholmes took his position in the shadow of
a doorway, whence he could watch the house
in question. A man opened one of the win
dows of the ground floor and closed the shut
ters. But the shutters did not reach to the
top of the window. The impost was clear.

At the end of ten minutes a gentleman rang
at the same door and a few minutes later
another man came. A short time afterward

VERSUS HERLOCK SIIOLMES 165

an automobile stopped in front of the house,
bringing two passengers : Arsene Lupin and a
lady concealed beneath a large cloak and a
thick veil.

"The blonde Lady, no doubt, " said
Sholmes to himself, as the automobile drove
away.

Herlock Sholmes now approached the
house, climbed to the window-ledge and, by
standing on tiptoe, he was able to see through
the window above the shutters. What did he
see?

Arsene Lupin, leaning against the mantel,
was speaking with considerable animation.
The others were grouped around him, listen
ing to him attentively. Amongst them
Sholmes easily recognized the gentleman in
the frock coat and he thought one of the
other men resembled the head-waiter of the
restaurant. As to the blonde Lady, she was
seated in an armchair with her back to the
window.

"They are holding a consultation,"
thought Sholmes. "They are worried over
the incident at the restaurant and are hold
ing a council of war. Ah! what a master
stroke it would be to capture all of them at
one fell stroke ! ' '

166 ARSENE LUPIN"

One of them, having moved toward the
door, Sholmes leaped to the ground and con
cealed himself in the shadow. The gentleman
in the frock coat and the head- waiter left the
house. A moment later a light appeared at
the windows of the first floor, but the shut
ters were closed immediately and the upper
part of the house was dark as well as the
lower.

' 'Lupin and the woman are on the ground
floor ; the two confederates live on the upper
floor, " said Sholmes.

Sholmes remained there the greater part of
the night, fearing that if he went away Arsene
Lupin might leave during his absence. At
four o 'clock, seeing two policemen at the end
of the street, he approached them, explained
the situation and left them to watch the house.
He went to Ganimard's residence in the rue
Pergolese and wakened him.

' i I have him yet, ' ' said Sholmes.

"Arsene Lupin?"

"Yes."

"If you haven't got any better hold on
him than you had a while ago, I might as well
go back to bed. But we may as well go to
the station-house."

They went to the police station in the rue

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 167

Mesnil and from there to the residence of the
commissary, Mon. Decointre. Then, ac
companied by half a dozen policemen, they
went to the rue Chalgrin.

"Anything new?" asked Sholmes, address
ing the two policemen.

"Nothing."

It was just breaking day when, after tak
ing necessary measures to prevent escape, the
commissary rang the bell and commenced to
question the concierge. The woman was
greatly frightened at this early morning in
vasion, and she trembled as she replied that
there were no tenants on the ground floor.

"What! not a tenant!" exclaimed Gani-
mard.

"No; but on the first floor there are two
men named Leroux. They have furnished the
apartment on the ground floor for some coun
try relations."

1 ' A gentleman and lady. ' '

"Yes."

"Who came here last night."

"Perhaps . . . but I don't know . . .
I was asleep. But I don't think so, for the
key is here. They did not ask for it. ' '

With that key the commissary opened the
door of the ground-floor apartment. It com-

168 ARSENE LUPIN

prised only two rooms and they were empty.

* ' Impossible ! ' ' exclaimed Sholmes. ' ' I saw
both of them in this room. ' '

"I don't doubt your word," said the com
missary; "but they are not here now."

"Let us go to the first floor. They must
be there."

"The first floor is occupied by two men
named Leroux. ' '

"We will examine the Messieurs Leroux."

They all ascended the stairs and the com
missary rang. At the second ring a man
opened the door; he was in his shirt-sleeves.
Sholmes recognized him as one of Lupin's
bodyguard. The man assumed a furious air :

' ' What do you mean by making such a row
at this hour of the morning . . . waking
people up . . ."

But he stopped suddenly, astounded.

* i God forgive me ! . . . Really, gentle
men, I didn't notice who it was. Why, it is
Monsieur Decointre! . . . and you, Mon
sieur Ganimard. What can I do for you?"

Ganimard burst into an uncontrollable fit
of laughter, which caused him to bend double
and turn black in the face.

"Ah! it is you, Leroux," he stammered.
"Oh! this is too funny! Leroux, an ac-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 169

complice of Arsene Lupin ! Oh, I shall die !
and your brother, Leroux, where is he?"

"Edmond!" called the man. "It is Gani-
mard, who has come to visit us."

Another man appeared and at sight of him
Ganimard's mirth redoubled.

" Oh ! oh ! we had no idea of this ! Ah ! my
friends, you are in a bad fix now. Who would
have ever suspected it?"

Turning to Sholmes, Ganiniard introduced
the man :

' i Victor Leroux, a detective from our office,
one of the best men in the iron brigade . . .
Edmond Leroux, chief clerk in the anthropo-
metric service."

CHAPTER V.

AN ABDUCTION.

|EELOCK SHOLMES said nothing. To
protest? To accuse the two men I
That would be useless. In the absence
of evidence which he did not possess and had
no time to seek, no one would believe him.
Moreover, he was stifled with rage, but would
not display his feelings before the triumphant
Ganimard. So he bowed respectfully to the
brothers Leroux, guardians of society, and re
tired.

In the vestibule he turned toward a low
door which looked like the entrance to a cel
lar, and picked up a small red stone; it was
a garnet. When he reached the street he
turned and read on the front of the house this
inscription: "Lueien Destange, architect,
1877."

The adjoining house, No. 42, bore the same
inscription.

"Always the double passage — numbers 40
and 42 have a secret means of eommunica-

170

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 171

tion. Why didn't I think of that? I should
have remained with the two policemen. ' '

He met the policemen near the corner and
said to them:

' ' Two people came out of house No. 42 dur
ing my absence, didn ?t they 1 ' '

' * Yes ; a gentleman and lady. ' '

Ganimard approached. Sholmes took his
arm, and as they walked down the street he
said:

i i Monsieur Ganimard, you have had a good
]augh and will no doubt forgive me for the
trouble I have caused you."

"Oh! there's no harm done; but it was a
good joke. ' '

"I admit that; but the best jokes have only
a short life, and this one can't last much
longer. ' '

"I hope not."

' * This is now the seventh day, and I can re
main only three days more. Then I must re
turn to London."

"Oh!"

"I wish to ask you to be in readiness, as I
may call on you at any hour on Tuesday or
Wednesday night."

' ' For an expedition of the same kind as we
had tonight?"

172

ARSENE LUPIN

"Yes, monsieur, the very same."

"With what result?"

"The capture of Arsene Lupin," replied
Sholmes.

"Do you think so?"

' i I swear it, on my honor, monsieur. ' '

Sholmes bade Ganimard good-bye and went
to the nearest hotel for a few hours' sleep;
after which, refreshed and with renewed con
fidence in himself, he returned to the rue
Chalgrin, slipped two louis into the hand of
the concierge, assured himself that the
brothers Leroux had gone out, learned that
the house belonged to a Monsieur Harmin-
geat, and, provided with a candle, descended
to the cellar through the low door near which
he had found the garnet. At the bottom of
the stairs he found another exactly like it.

"I am not mistaken," he thought; "this is
the means of communication. Let me see if
my skeleton-key will open the cellar reserved
for the tenant of the ground floor. Yes; it
will. Now, I will examine those cases of wine
. . . oh ! oh ! here are some places where the
dust has been cleared away . . . and some
footprints on the ground . . ."

A slight noise caused him to listen atten
tively. Quickly he pushed the door shut, blew

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 173

out bis candle and hid behind a pile of empty
wine cases. After a few seconds he noticed
that a portion of the wall swung on a pivot,
the light of a lantern was thrown into the cel
lar, an arm appeared, then a man entered.

He was bent over, as if he were searching
for something. He felt in the dust with his
fingers and several times he threw something
into a cardboard box that he carried in his
left hand. Afterward he obliterated the traces
of his footsteps, as well as the footprints left
by Lupin and the blonde lady, and he was
about to leave the cellar by the same way as
he had entered, when he uttered a harsh cry
and fell to the ground. Sholmes had leaped
upon him. It was the work of a moment, and
in the simplest manner in the world the man
found himself stretched on the ground, bound
and handcuffed. The Englishman leaned over
him and said :

' ' Have you anything to say 1 ... To tell
what you know!"

The man replied by such an ironical smile
that Sholmes realized the futility of question
ing him. So he contented himself by explor
ing the pockets of his captive, but he found
only a bunch of keys, a handkerchief and the
small cardboard box which contained a dozen

174 ARSENE LUPIN

garnets similar to those which Sholmes had
found.

Then what was he to do with the man!
Wait until his friends came to his help and
deliver all of them to the police f What good
would that do? What advantage would that
give him over Lupin!

He hesitated; but an examination of the
box decided the question. The box bore this
name and address: "Leonard, jeweler, rue
delaPaix."

He resolved to abandon the man to his fate.
He locked the cellar and left the house. At a
branch postoffice he sent a telegram to Mon
sieur Destange, saying that he could not
come that day. Then he went to see the jew
eler and, handing him the garnets, said :

"Madame sent me with these stones. She
wishes to have them reset."

Sholmes had struck the right key. The jew
eler replied :

' ' Certainly ; the lady telephoned to me. She
said she would be here today. ' '

Sholmes established himself on the side
walk to wait for the lady, but it was five
o 'clock when he saw a heavily- veiled lady ap
proach and enter the store. Through the win-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 175

dow he saw her place on the counter a piece
of antique jewelry set with garnets.

She went away almost immediately, walk
ing quickly and passed through streets that
were unknown to the Englishman. As it was
now almost dark, he walked close behind her
and followed her into a five-story house of
double flats and, therefore, occupied by
numerous tenants. At the second floor she
stopped and entered. Two minutes later the
Englishman commenced to try the keys on
the bunch he had taken from the man in the
rue Chalgrin. The fourth key fitted the lock.

Notwithstanding the darkness of the rooms,
he perceived that they were absolutely empty,
as if unoccupied, and the various doors were
standing open so that he could see all the
apartments. At the end of a corridor he per
ceived a ray of light and, by approaching on
tiptoe and looking through the glass door, he
saw the veiled lady who had removed her hat
and dress and was now wearing a velvet
dressing-gown. The discarded garments were
lying on the only chair in the room and a
lighted lamp stood on the mantel.

Then he saw her approach the fireplace and
press what appeared to be the button of an
electric bell. Immediately the panel to the

176 ARSENE LUPIN

right of the fireplace moved and slowly glided
behind the adjoining panel, thus disclosing
an opening large enough for a person to pass
through. The lady disappeared through this
opening, taking the lamp with her.

The operation was a very simple one.
Sholmes adopted it and followed the lady. He
found himself in total darkness and im
mediately he felt his face brushed by some
soft articles. He lighted a match and found
that he was in a very small room completely
filled with cloaks and dresses suspended on
hangers. He picked his way through until he
reached a door that was draped with a por
tiere. He peeped through and, behold, the
blonde lady was there, under his eyes, and
almost within reach of his hand.

She extinguished the lamp and turned on
the electric lights. Then for the first time
Herlock Sholmes obtained a good look at her
face. He was amazed. The woman, whom
he had overtaken after so much trouble and
after so many tricks and manoeuvres, was

none other than Clotilde Destange.

*****

Clotilde Destange, the assassin of the
Baron d'Hautrec and the thief who stole the
blue diamond! Clotilde Destange, the nays-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 177

terious friend of Arsene Lupin! And the
blonde lady !

"Yes, I am only a stupid ass," thought
Herlock Sholmes at that moment. Because
Lupin's friend was a blonde and Clotilde is a
brunette, I never dreamed that they were the
same person. But how could the blonde lady
remain a blonde after the murder of the baron
and the theft of the diamond? "

Sholmes could see a portion of the room ; it
was a boudoir, furnished with the most de
lightful luxury and exquisite taste, and
adorned with beautiful tapestries and costly
ornaments. A mahogany couch, upholstered
in silk, was located on the side of the room
opposite the door at which Sholmes was
standing. Clotilde was sitting on this couch,
motionless, her face covered by her hands.
Then he perceived that she was weeping.
Great tears rolled down her pale cheeks and
fell, drop by drop, on the velvet corsage. The
tears came thick and fast, as if their source
were inexhaustible.

A door silently opened behind her and
Arsene Lupin entered. He looked at her for
a long time without making his presence
known ; then he approached her, knelt at her
feet, pressed her head to his breast, folded

178 AKSEISTE LUPIN

her in Ms arms, and Ms actions indicated an
infinite measure of love and sympathy. For
a time not a word was uttered, but her tears
became less abundant.

' ' I was so anxious to make you happy, ' ' he
murmured.

"I am happy. "

"No; you are crying . . . Your tears
break my heart, Clotilde. ' '

The caressing and sympathetic tone of his
voice soothed her, and she listened to him
with an eager desire for hope and happiness.
Her features were softened by a smile, and
yet how sad a smile ! He continued to speak
in a tone of tender entreaty :

"You should not be unhappy, Clotilde ; you
have no cause to be."

She displayed her delicate white hands and
said, solemnly :

"Yes, Maxime ; so long as I see those hands
I shall be sad. ' '

"Why?"

"They are stained with blood."

1 ' Hush ! Do not think of that ! ' ' exclaimed
Lupin. "The dead is past and gone. Do not
resurrect it."

And he kissed the long, delicate hand, while
she regarded him with a brighter smile as if

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 179

each kiss effaced a portion of that dreadful
memory.

"You must love me, Maxime; you must—
because no woman will ever love you as I do.
For your sake, I have done many things, not
at your order or request, but in obedience to
your secret desires. I have done things at
which my will and conscience revolted, but
there was some unknown power that I could
not resist. What I did I did involuntarily,
mechanically, because it helped you, because
you wished it ... and I am ready to do it
again to-morrow . . . and always."

"Ah, Clotilde," he said, bitterly, "why did
I draw you into my adventurous life1? I
should have remained the Maxime Bermond
that you loved five years ago, and not have
let you know the . . . other man that I
am."

She replied in a low voice :

"I love the other man, also, and I have
nothing to regret. ' '

"Yes, you regret your past life — the free
and happy life you once enjoyed."

' ' I have no regrets when you are here, ' ' she
said, passionately. "All faults and crimes
disappear when I see you. When you are
away I may suffer, and weep, and be horrified

180 ARSENE LUPI1ST

at what I have done ; but when you come it is
all forgotten. Your love wipes it all away.
And I am happy again. . . . But you must
love me!"

"I do not love you on compulsion, Clotilde.
I love you simply because ... I love you. ' '

4 i Are you sure of it ? ' '

"I am just as sure of my own love as I am
of yours. Only my life is a very active and
exciting one, and I cannot spend as much time
with you as I would like — just now."

"What is it? Some new danger? Tell
me!"

" Oh ! nothing serious. Only . . ."

"Only what?" she asked.

"Well, he is on our track."

1 < Who ? Herlock Sholmes 1 ' '

"Yes; it was he who dragged Ganimard
into that affair at the Hungarian restaurant.
It was he who instructed the two policemen
to watch the house in the rue Chalgrin. I
have proof of it. Ganimard searched the
house this morning and Sholmes was with
him. Besides "

"Besides? What?"

"Well, there is another thing. One of our
men is missing."

"Who?"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

' ' Jeanniot. ' '

' ' The concierge ? ' '

"Yes."

"Why, I sent him to the rue Chalgrin this
morning to pick up the garnets that fell out
of my brooch."

"There is no doubt, then, that Sholmes
caught him."

"No; the garnets were delivered to the
jeweler in the rue de la Paix."

"Then, what has become of him?"

"Oh! Maxime, I am afraid."

"There is nothing to be afraid of, but I
confess the situation is very serious. What
does he know! Where does he hide himself?
His isolation is his strong card. I cannot
reach him. ' '

i i What are you going to do ? "

"Act with extreme prudence, Clotilde.
Some time ago I decided to change my resi
dence to a safer place, and Sholmes' appear
ance on the scene has prompted me to do so
at once. When a man like that is on your
track, you must be prepared for the worst.
Well, I am making my preparations. Day
after to-morrow, Wednesday, I shall move. At
noon it will be finished. At two o 'clock I shall
leave the place, after removing the last trace

182 AESENE LUPIN

of our residence there, which will be no small
matter. Until then—

"Well!"

' ' Until then we must not see each other and
no one must see you, Clotilde. Do not go out.
I have no fear for myself, but I have for
you."

i 'That Englishman cannot possibly reach
me."

"I am not so sure of that. He is a danger
ous man. Yesterday I came here to search
the cupboard that contains all of Monsieur
Destange's old papers and records. There is
danger there. There is danger everywhere.
I feel that he is watching us — that he is draw
ing his net around us closer and closer. It is
one of those intuitions which never deceive
me."

' 'In that case, Maxime, go, and think no
more of my tears. I shall be brave, and wait
patiently until the danger is past. Adieu,
Maxime. ' '

They held one another for some time in a
last fond embrace. And it was she that gently
pushed him outside. Sholmes could hear the
sound of their voices in the distance.

Emboldened by the necessities of the situa
tion and the urgent need of bringing his in-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 183

vestigation to a speedy termination, Sholmes
proceeded to make an examination of the
house in which he now found himself. He
passed through Clotilde 's boudoir into a cor
ridor, at the end of which there was a stair
way leading to the lower floor ; he was about
to descend this stairway when he heard voices
below, which caused him to change his route.
He followed the corridor, which was a circu
lar one, and discovered another stairway,
which he descended and found himself amidst
surroundings that bore a familiar appear
ance. He passed through a door that stood
partly open and entered a large circular
room. It was Monsieur Destange's library.
"Ah! splendid!" he exclaimed. "Now I
understand everything. The boudoir of
Mademoiselle Clotilde — the blonde Lady-
communicates with a room in the adjoining
house, and that house does not front on the
Place Malesherbes, but upon an adjacent
street, the rue Montchanin, if I remember the
name correctly. . . . And I now understand
how Clotilde Destange can meet her lover
and at the same time create the impression
that she never leaves the house ; and I under
stand also how Arsene Lupin was enabled to
make his mysterious entrance to the gallery

184 ARSENE LUPIN

last night. Ah! there must be another con
nection between the library and the adjoining
room. One more house full of ways that are
dark! And no doubt Lucien Destange was
the architect, as usual! ... I should take
advantage of this opportunity to examine the
contents of the cupboard and perhaps learn
the location of other houses with secret pas
sages constructed by Monsieur Destange."

Sholmes ascended to the gallery and con
cealed himself behind some draperies, where
he remained until late in the evening. At
last a servant came and turned off the electric
lights. An hour later the Englishman, by the
light of his lantern, made his way to the cup
board. As he had surmised, it contained the
architect's old papers, plans, specifications
and books of account. It also contained a
series of registers, arranged according to
date, and Sholmes, having selected those of
the most recent dates, searched in the indexes
for the name " Harmingeat. ' ' He found it
in one of the registers with a reference to
page 63. Turning to that page, he read :
"Harmingeat, 40 rue Chalgrin."
This was followed by a detailed account of
the work done in and about the installation
of a furnace in the house. And in the margin

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

of the book someone had written these words :
1 < See account M. B."

"Ah! I thought so!" said Sholmes; "the
account M. B. is the one I want. I shall learn
from it the actual residence of Monsieur
Lupin. ' '

It was morning before he found that im
portant account. It comprised sixteen pages,
one of which was a copy of the page on which
was described the work done for Mon. Har-
mingeat of the rue Chalgrin. Another page
described the work performed for Mon. Vati-
nel as owner of the house at No. 25 rue
Clapeyron. Another page was reserved for
the Baron d'Hautrec, 134 avenue Henri-Mar
tin; another was devoted to the chateau de
Crozon, and the eleven other pages to various
owners of houses in Paris.

Sholmes made a list of those eleven names
and addresses ; after which he returned the
books to their proper places, opened a win
dow, jumped out onto the deserted street and
closed the shutters behind him.

When he reached his room at the hotel he
lighted his pipe with all the solemnity with
which he was wont to characterize that act,
and amidst clouds of smoke he studied the de
ductions that might be drawn from the ac-

186 ARSENE LUPIN

count of M. B., or rather, from the account of
Maxime Bermond alias Arsene Lupin.

At eight o 'clock he sent the following mes
sage to Ganimard :

"I expect to pass through the rue Pergolese
this forenoon and will inform you of a per
son whose arrest is of the highest importance.
In any event, be at home tonight and tomor
row until noon and have at least thirty men
at your service/'

Then he engaged an automobile at the stand
on the boulevard, choosing one whose chauf
feur looked good-natured but dull-witted, and
instructed him to drive to the Place Male-
sherbes, where he stopped him about one hun
dred feet from Monsieur Destange's house.

"My boy, close your carriage," he said to
the chauffeur; "turn up the collar of your
coat, for the wind is cold, and wait patiently.
At the end of an hour and a half, crank up
your machine. When I return we will go to
the rue Pergolese. ' '

As he was ascending the steps leading to
the door a doubt entered his mind. Was it
not a mistake on his part to be spending his
time on the affairs of the blonde Lady, while
Arsene Lupin was preparing to move ? Would
he not be better engaged in trying to find the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 187

abode of his adversary amongst the eleven
houses on his list?

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "when the blonde
Lady becomes my prisoner, I shall be master
of the situation."

And he rang the bell.

*****

Monsieur Destange was already in the
library. They had been working only a few
minutes, when Clotilde entered, bade her
father good morning, entered the adjoining
parlor and sat down to write. From his place
Sholmes could see her leaning over the table
and from time to time absorbed in deep medi
tation. After a short time he picked up a
book and said to Monsieur Destange :

"Here is a book that Mademoiselle Des
tange asked me to bring to her when I
found it."

He went into the little parlor, stood before
Clotilde in such a manner that her father
could not see her, and said :

"I am Monsieur Stickmann, your father's
new secretary. ' '

"All!" said Clotilde, without moving, "my
father has changed his secretary! I didn't
know it."

188 ARSENE LUPIN

"Yes, mademoiselle, and I desire to speak
with you."

' ' Kindly take a seat, monsieur ; I have fin
ished. "

She added a few words to her letter, signed
it, enclosed it in the envelope, sealed it,
pushed her writing material away, rang the
telephone, got in communication with her
dressmaker, asked the latter to hasten the
completion of a traveling dress, as she re
quired it at once, and then, turning to
Sholmes, she said:

"I am at your service, monsieur. But do
you wish to speak before my father ? Would
not that be better!"

"No, mademoiselle; and I beg of you, do
not raise your voice. It is better that Mon
sieur Destange should not hear us. ' '

"For whose sake is it better?"

' i Yours, mademoiselle. ' '

"I cannot agree to hold any conversation
with you that my father may not hear. ' '

"But you must agree to this. It is im
perative. ' J

Both of them arose, eye to eye. She said :

' i Speak, monsieur. ' '

Still standing, he commenced :

"You will be so good as to pardon me if I

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 189

am mistaken on certain points of secondary
importance. I will guarantee, however, the
general accuracy of my statements. "

"Can we not dispense with these prelim
inaries, monsieur? Or are they necessary!"

Sholmes felt the young woman was on her
guard, so he replied :

' ' Very well ; I will come to the point. Five
years ago your father made the acquaintance
of a certain young man called Maxime Ber-
mond, who was introduced as a contractor or
an architect, I am not sure which it was ; but
it was one or the other. Monsieur Destange
took a liking to the young man, and as the
state of his health compelled him to retire
from active business, he entrusted to Mon
sieur Bermond the execution of certain orders
he had received from some of his old custom
ers and which seemed to come within the
scope of Monsieur Bermond 's ability."

Herlock Sholmes stopped. It seemed to
him that the girl's pallor had increased. Yet
there was not the slightest tremor in Lar
voice when she said :

"I know nothing about the circumstances to
which you refer, monsieur, and I do not see
in what way they can interest me. ' '

"In this way, mademoiselle: You know, as

190 ARSENE LUPIN

well as I, that Maxime Bermond is also known
by the name of Arsene Lupin. ' '

She laughed, and said :

"Nonsense! Arsene Lupin? Maxime Ber
mond is Arsene Lupin! Oh ! no ! It isn't pos
sible!"

"I have the honor to inform you of that
fact, and since you refuse to understand my
meaning, I will add that Arsene Lupin has
found in this house a friend — more than a
friend — and accomplice, blindly and passion
ately devoted to him. ' '

Without emotion, or at least with so little
emotion that Sholmes was astonished at her
self-control, she declared:

"I do not understand your object, mon
sieur, and I do not care to; but I command
you to say no more and leave this house."

"I have no intention of forcing my pres
ence on you," replied Sholmes, with equal
sang-froid, "but I shall not leave this house
alone."

"And who will accompany you, monsieur!"

"You will."
"If"

"Yes, mademoiselle, we will leave this
house together, and you will follow me with
out one word of protest. ' '

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

The strange feature of the foregoing in
terview was the absolute coolness of the two
adversaries. It bore no resemblance to an
implacable duel between two powerful wills;
but, judging solely from their attitude and
the tone of their voices, an onlooker would
have supposed their conversation to be noth
ing more serious than a courteous argument
over some impersonal subject.

Clotilde resumed her seat without deigning
to reply to the last remark of Herlock
Sholmes, except by a shrug of her shoulders.
Sholmes looked at his watch and said :

"It is half-past ten. We will leave here
in five minutes. "

"Perhaps/'

"If not, I shall go to Monsieur Destange,
and tell him - "

"What?"

4 ' The truth. I will tell him of the vicious
life of Maxime Bermond, and I will tell him
of the double life of his accomplice."

"Of his accomplice!"

"Yes, of the woman known as the blonde
Lady, of the woman who was blonde."

"What proofs will you give him?"

"I will take him to the rue Chalgrin, and
show him the secret passage made by Arsene

192

ARSENE LUPIN

Lupin's workmen, — while doing the work of
which he had the control — between the houses
numbered 40 and 42; the passage which you
and he used two nights ago."

"Well!"

"I will then take Monsieur Destange to
the house of Monsieur Detinan; we will de
scend the servant's stairway which was used
by you and Arsene Lupin when you escaped
from Ganimard, and we will search together
the means of communication with the adjoin
ing house, which fronts on the Boulevard
des Batignolles, and not upon the rue
Clapeyron."

"Well!"'

1 'I will take Monsieur Destange to the
chateau de Crozon, and it will be easy for
him, who knows the nature of the work per
formed by Arsene Lupin in the restoration
of the chateau, to discover the secret pas
sages constructed there by his workmen. It
will thus be established that those passages
allowed the blonde Lady to make a nocturnal
visit to the Countess * room and take the blue
diamond from the mantel; and, two weeks
later, by similar means, to enter the room
of H«rr Bleichen and conceal the blue dia
mond in his tooth-powder — a strange action,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 193

I confess; a woman's revenge, perhaps; but
I don't know, and I don't care."

"Well!"

"After that," said Herlock Sholmes, in a
more serious tone, "I will take Monsieur
Destange to 134 avenue Henri-Martin, and
we will learn how the Baron d'Hautrec "

"No, no, keep quiet," stammered the girl,
struck with a sudden terror, "I forbid you!
. . . you dare to say that it was I ...
you accuse me? . . ."

"I accuse you of having killed the Baron
d'Hautrec."

"No, no, it is a lie."

"You killed the Baron d'Hautrec, madem
oiselle. You entered his service under the
name of Antoinette Brehat, for the purpose
of stealing the blue diamond and you killed
him."

"Keep quiet, monsieur," she implored
him. "Since you know so much, you must
know that I did not murder the baron."

"I did not say that you murdered him,
mademoiselle. Baron d'Hautrec was subject
to fits of insanity that only Sister Auguste
could control. She told me so herself. In
her absence, he must have attacked you, and
in the course of the struggle you struck him

194 ARSENE LUPIN

in order to save your own life. Frightened
at your awful situation, you rang the bell,
and fled without even taking the blue diamond
from the finger of your victim. A few min
utes later you returned with one of Arsene
Lupin's accomplices, who was a servant in
the adjoining house, you placed the baron
on the bed, you put the room in order, but
you were afraid to take the blue diamond.
Now, I have told you what happened on that
night. I repeat, you did not murder the
baron, and yet it was your hand that struck
the blow." "

She had crossed them over her forehead—
those long delicate white hands — and kept
them thus for a long time. At last, loosening
her fingers, she said, in a voice rent by
anguish :

"And do you intend to tell all that to my
father?"

"Yes; and I will tell him that I have se
cured as witnesses: Mademoiselle Gerbois,
who will recognize the blonde Lady; Sister
Auguste, who will recognize Antoinette Bre-
hat; and the Countess de Crozon, who will
recognize Madame de Real. That is what I
shall tell him."

"You will not dare," she said, recovering

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 195

her self-possession in the face of an imme
diate peril.

He arose, and made a step toward the li
brary. Clotilde stopped him:

"One moment, monsieur."

She paused, reflected a moment, and then,
perfect mistress of herself, said :

"You are Herlock Sholmesf"

"Yes."

"AVhat do you want of me?"

"What do I want! I am fighting a duel
with Arsene Lupin, and I must win. The
contest is now drawing to a climax, and I
have an idea that a hostage as precious as
you will give me an important advantage
over my adversary. Therefore, you will fol
low me, mademoiselle; I will entrust you to
one of my friends. As soon as the duel is
ended, you will be set at liberty."

"Is that all!"

4 ' That is all. I do not belong to the police
service of this country, and, consequently, I
do not consider that I am under any obliga
tion ... to cause your arrest."

She appeared to have come to a decision
. . . yet she required a momentary res
pite. She closed her eyes, the better to con
centrate her thoughts. Sholmes looked at

AKSENE LUPIN

her in surprise ; she was now so tranquil and,
apparently, indifferent to the dangers which
threatened her. Sholmes thought: Does
she believe that she is in danger! Probably
not — since Lupin protects her. She has con
fidence in him. She believes that Lupin is
omnipotent, and infallible.

"Mademoiselle," he said, "I told you that
we would leave here in five minutes. That
time has almost expired. "

"Will you permit me to go to my room,
monsieur, to get some necessary articles 1 ' '

"Certainly, mademoiselle; and I will wait
for you in the rue Montchanin. Jeanniot, the
concierge, is a friend of mine. ' '

"Ah! you know . . ." she said, vis
ibly alarmed.

' ' I know many things. ' '

"Very well. I will ring for the maid."

The maid brought her hat and jacket.
Then Sholmes said:

"You must give Monsieur Destange some
reason for our departure, and, if possible,
let your excuse serve for an absence of sev
eral days."

"That shall not be necessary. I shall be
back very soon.".

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 197

They exchanged defiant glances and an
ironic smile.

"What faith you have in him!" said
Sholmes.

" Absolute. "

i ' He does everything well, doesn 't he 1 He
succeeds in everything he undertakes. And
whatever he does receives your approval and
cooperation."

"I love him," she said, with a touch of
passion in her voice.

44 And you think that he will save you!"

She shrugged her shoulders, and, approach
ing her father, she said :

"I am going to deprive you of Monsieur
Stickmann. We are going to the National
Library. ' '

"You will return for luncheon?"

' i Perhaps ... no, I think not . . .
but don 't be uneasy. ' '

Then she said to Sholmes, in a firm voice :

"I am at your service, monsieur."

"Absolutely?"

"Quite so."

"I warn you that if you attempt to escape,
I shall call the police and have you arrested.
Do not forget that the blonde Lady is on
parole."

ARSENE LUPIN

* ' 1 give you my word of honor that I shall
not attempt to escape. ' '

"I believe you. Now, let us go.'7

They left the house together, as he had
predicted.

The automobile was standing where
Sholmes had left it. As they approached it,
Sholmes could hear the rumbling of the mo
tor. He opened the door, asked Clotilde to
enter, and took a seat beside her. The ma
chine started at once, gained the exterior
boulevards, the avenue Hoche and the avenue
de la Grande-Armee. Sholmes was consid
ering his plans. He thought :

"Ganimard is at home. I will leave the
girl in his care. Shall I tell him who she is?
No, he would take her to prison at once, and
that would spoil everything. When I am
alone, I can consult my list of addresses
taken from the * account M. B.,' and run
them down. To-night, or to-morrow morning
at the latest, I shall go to Ganimard, as I
agreed, and deliver into his hands Arsene
Lupin and all his band. ' '

He rubbed his hand, gleefully, at the
thought that his duel with Lupin was draw
ing to a close, and he could not see any se
rious obstacle in the way of his success. And,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

yielding to an irrepressible desire to give
vent to his feelings — an unusual desire on his
part — he exclaimed :

"Excuse me, mademoiselle, if I am unable
to conceal my satisfaction and delight. The
battle has been a difficult one, and my success
is, therefore, more enjoyable."

"A legitimate success, monsieur, of which
you have a just right to be proud. "

"Thank you. But where are we going?
The chauffeur must have misunderstood my
directions. ' '

At that moment they were leaving Paris by
the gate de Neuilly. That was strange, as the
rue Pergolese is not outside the fortifications.
Sholmes lowered the glass, and said :

"Chauffeur, you have made a mistake.
. . . Eue Pergolese!"

The man made no reply. Sholmes re
peated, in a louder voice :

"I told you to go to the rue Pergolese."

Still the man did not reply.

"Ah! but you are deaf, my friend. Or is
he doing it on purpose? We are very much
out of our way. . / . Eue Pergolese !
. . , Turn back at once ! . . * Eue
Pergolese ! " -

The chauffeur made no sign of having

200 ABSENE LUPIN"

heard the order. The Englishman fretted
with impatience. He looked at Clotilde; a
mysterious smile played upon her lips.

"Why do you laugh!" he said. "It is an
awkward mistake, but it won't help you."

1 1 Of course not, ' ' she replied.

Then an idea occurred to him. He rose
and made a careful scrutiny of the chauffeur.
His shoulders were not so broad ; his bearing
was not so stiff and mechanical. A cold per
spiration covered his forehead and his hands
clenched with sudden fear, as his mind was
seized with the conviction that the chauffeur
was Arsene Lupin.

"Well, Monsieur Sholmes, what do you
think of our little ride?"

"Delightful, monsieur, really delightful,"
replied Sholmes.

Never in his life had he experienced so
much difficulty in uttering a few simple
words without a tremor, or without betray
ing his feelings in his voice. But quickly,
by a sort of reaction, a flood of hatred and
rage burst its bounds, overcame his self-
control, and, brusquely drawing his revolver,
he pointed it at Mademoiselle Destange.

"Lupin, stop, this minute, this second, or I
fire at mademoiselle."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 201

"I advise you to aim at the cheek if you
wish to hit the temple, ' ' replied Lupin, with
out turning his head.

"Maxime, don't go so fast," said Clotilde,
"the pavement is slippery and I am very
timid. "

She was smiling; her eyes were fixed on
the pavement, over which the carriage was
traveling at enormous speed.

"Let him stop! Let him stop!" said
Sholmes to her, wild with rage, "I warn you
that I am desperate."

The barrel of the revolver brushed the
waving locks of her hair. She replied,
calmly :

"Maxime is so imprudent. He is going so
fast, I am really afraid of some accident."

Sholmes returned the weapon to his pocket
and seized the handle of the door, as if to
alight, despite the absurdity of such an act.
Clotilde said to him :

"Be careful, monsieur, there is an auto
mobile behind us."

He leaned over. There was an automo
bile close behind ; a large machine of formid
able aspect with its sharp prow and blood-
red body, and holding four men clad in fur
coats.

202 ARSENE LUPIN

"Ah! I am well guarded," thought
Sholmes. "I may as well be patient."

He folded his arms across his chest with
that proud air of submission so frequently
assumed by heroes when fate has turned
against them. And while they crossed the
river Seine and rushed through Suresnes,
Rueil and Chatou, motionless and resigned,
controlling his actions and his passions, he
tried to explain to his own satisfaction by
what miracle Arsene Lupin had substituted
himself for the chauffeur. It was quite im
probable that the honest-looking fellow he
had selected on the boulevard that morning
was an accomplice placed there in advance.
And yet Arsene Lupin had received a warn
ing in some way, and it must have been after
he, Sholmes, had approached Clotilde in the
house, because no one could have suspected
his project prior to that time. Since then,
Sholmes had not allowed Clotilde out of his
sight.

Then an idea struck him: the telephone
communication desired by Clotilde and her
conversation with the dressmaker. Now, it
was all quite clear to him. Even before he
had spoken to her, simply upon his request
to speak to her as the new secretary of Mon-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 203

sieur Destange, she had scented the danger,
surmised the name and purpose of the visitor,
and, calmly, naturally, as if she were per
forming a commonplace action of her every
day life, she had called Arsene Lupin to her
assistance by some preconcerted signal.

How Arsene Lupin had come and caused
himself to be substituted for the chauffeur
were matters of trifling importance. That
which affected Sholmes, even to the point of
appeasing his fury, was the recollection of
that incident whereby an ordinary woman,
a sweetheart it is true, mastering her nerves,
controlling her features, and subjugating the
expression of her eyes, had completely de
ceived the astute detective Herlock Sholmes.
How difficult to overcome an adversary who
is aided by such confederates, and who, by
the mere force of his authority, inspires in a
woman so much courage and strength !

They crossed the Seine and climbed the
hill at Saint-Germain ; but, some five hundred
metres beyond that town, the automobile
slackened its speed. The other automobile
advanced, and the two stopped, side by side.
There was no one else in the neighborhood.

"Monsieur Sholmes," said Lupin, "kindly

204

AESENE LUPIX

exchange to the other machine. Ours is really
a very slow one.'*

" Indeed 1" said Sholmes, calmly, convinced
that he had no choice.

"Also, permit me to loan you a fur coat,
as we will travel quite fast and the air is cool.
And accept a couple of sandwiches, as we
cannot tell when we will dine. ' '

The four men alighted from the other au
tomobile. One of them approached, and, as
he raised his goggles, Sholmes recognized in
him the gentleman in the frock coat that he
had seen at the Hungarian restaurant. Lupin
said to him:

' i You will return this machine to the chauf
feur from whom I hired it. He is waiting in
the first wine-shop to the right as you go up
the rue Legendre. You will give him the bal
ance of the thousand francs I promised him.
. . . Ah ! yes, kindly give your goggles to
Monsieur Sholmes. ' '

He talked to Mile. Destange for a moment,
then took his place at the wheel and started,
with Sholmes at his side and one of his men
behind him. Lupin had not exaggerated
when he said "we will travel quite fast. "
From the beginning he set a breakneck pace.
The horizon rushed to meet them, as if at-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 205

traded by some mysterious force, and dis
appeared instantly as though swallowed up
in an abyss, into which many other things,
such as trees, houses, fields and forests, were
hurled with the tumultuous fury and haste
of a torrent as it approached the cataract.

Sholmes and Lupin did not exchange a
word. Above their heads the leaves of the
poplars made a great noise like the waves of
the sea, rhythmically arranged by the regular
spacing of the trees. And the towns swept
by like spectres: Manteo, Vernon, Gaillon.
From one hill to the other, from Bon-Secours
to Canteleu, Eouen. its suburbs, its harbor,
its miles of wharves, Eouen seemed like the
straggling street of a country village. And
this was Duclair, Caudebec, the country of
Caux which they skimmed over in their ter
rific flight, and Lillebonne, and Quillebeuf.
Then, suddenly, they found themselves on
the banks of the Seine, at the extremity of a
little wharf, beside which lay a staunch sea
going yacht that emitted great volumes of
black smoke from its funnel.

The automobile stopped. In two hours
they had traveled over forty leagues.

A man, wearing a blue uniform and a gold-

206

ARSENE LUPIN

laced cap, came forward and saluted.
Lupin said to him:

"All ready, captain? Did you receive iny
telegram!"

"Yes, I got it."

"Is The Swallow ready! "

"Yes, monsieur."

"Come, Monsieur Sholnies."

The Englishman looked around, saw a
group of people on the terrace in front of a
cafe, hesitated a moment, then, realizing that
before he could secure any assistance he
would be seized, carried aboard and placed in
the bottom of the hold, he crossed the gang
plank and followed Lupin into the captain's
cabin. It was quite a large room, scrupu
lously clean, and presented a cheerful ap
pearance with its varnished woodwork and
polished brass. Lupin closed the door and
addressed Sholmes abruptly, and almost
rudely, as he said:

"Well, what do you know?"

"Everything."

4 * Every thing ? Come, be precise. ' '

His voice contained no longer that polite,
if ironical, tone, which he had affected when
speaking to the Englishman. Now, his voice
had the imperious tone of a master accus-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 207

tomed to command and accustomed to be
obeyed — even by a Herlock Sholmes. They
measured each other by their looks, enemies
now — open and implacable foes. Lupin
spoke again, but in a milder tone :

' * I have grown weary of your pursuit, and
do not intend to waste any more time in
avoiding the traps you lay for me. I warn
you that my treatment of you will depend on
your reply. Now, what do you know!"

"Everything, monsieur."

Arsene Lupin controlled his temper and
said, in a jerky manner :

t ' 1 will tell you what you know. You know
that, under the name of Maxime Bermond, I
have . . . improved fifteen houses that were
originally constructed by Monsieur Des-
tange."

"Yes."

4 'Of those fifteen houses, you have seen
four."

"Yes."

"And you have a list of the other eleven."

"Yes."

"You made that list at Monsieur Des-
tange's house on that night, no doubt."

"Yes."

c * And you have an idea that, amongst those

ARSENE LUPIN

eleven houses, there is one that I have kept
for the use of myself and my friends, and you
have intrusted to Ganimard the task of find
ing my retreat."

"No."

t < What does that signify f ' '

"It signifies that I choose to act alone, and
do not want his help."

4 ' Then I have nothing to fear, since you are
in my hands."

"You have nothing to fear as long as I re
main in your hands."

"You mean that you will not remain?"

"Yes."

Arsene Lupin approached the Englishman
and, placing his hand on the latter 's shoulder,
said:

' ' Listen, monsieur ; I am not in a humor to
argue with you, and, unfortunately for you,
you are not in a position to choose. So let us.
finish our business."

"Very well."

"You are going to give me your word of
honor that you will not try to escape from
this boat until you arrive in English waters."

"I give you my word of honor that I shall
escape if I have an opportunity," replied the
indomitable Sholmes.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 209

i t But, sapristi ! you know quite well that at
a word from me you would soon be rendered
helpless. All these men will obey me blindly.
At a sign from me they would place you in
irons "

' i Irons can be broken. ' '

' ' And throw you overboard ten miles from
shore. ' '

"I can swim."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Lupin,
with a laugh. "Excuse me, master . . .
and let us finish. You will agree that I must
take the measures necessary to protect my
self and my friends."

6 i Certainly ; but they will be useless. ' '

"And yet you do not wish me to take
them."

"It is your duty."

"Very well, then."

Lupin opened the door and called the cap
tain and two sailors. The latter seized the
Englishman, bound him hand and foot, and
tied him to the captain's bunk.

' ' That will do, ' ' said Lupin. < ' It was only
on account of your obstinacy and the unusual
gravity of the situation, that I ventured to
offer you this indignity."

210

ARSENE LUPIN

The sailors retired. Lupin said to the cap
tain : ,

"Let one of the crew remain here to look
after Monsieur Sholmes, and you can give
him as much of your own company as possi
ble. Treat him with all due respect and con
sideration. He is not a prisoner, but a guest.
What time have you, captain! "

"Five minutes after two."

Lupin consulted his watch, then looked at
the clock that was attached to the wall of the
cabin.

' ' Five minutes past two is right. How long
will it take you to reach Southampton?"

"Nine hours, easy going."

i i Make it eleven. You must not land there
until after the departure of the midnight boat,
which reaches Havre at eight o'clock in the
morning. Do you understand, captain! Let
me repeat : As it would be very dangerous for
all of us to permit Monsieur to return to
France by that boat, you must not reach
Southampton before one o'clock in the morn
ing."

"I understand."

"Au revoir, master; next year, in this
world or in the next. " >

"Until to-morrow," replied Sholmes.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

A few minutes later Sholmes heard the
automobile going away, and at the same time
the steam puffed violently in the depths of
The Swallow. The boat had started for Eng
land. About three o'clock the vessel left the
mouth of the river and plunged into the open
sea. At that moment Sholmes was lying on

the captain's bunk, sound asleep.

#.###»

Next morning — it being the tenth and last
day of the duel between Sholmes and Lupin—
the Echo de France published this interesting
bit of news :

"Yesterday a judgment of ejectment was
entered in the case of Arsene Lupin against
Herlock Sholmes, the English detective.
Although signed at noon, the judgment was
executed the same day. At one o'clock this
morning Sholmes was landed at Southamp
ton. "

CHAPTER VI.

SECOND ARREST OF ARSENE LUPIN.

INGE eight o'clock a dozen moving-
vans had encumbered the rue Crevaux
between the avenue du Bois-de-Bou-
logne and the avenue Bugeaud. Mon. Felix
Davey was leaving the apartment in which he
lived on the fourth floor of No. 8; and Mon.
Dubreuil, who had united into a single apart
ment the fifth floor of the same house and the
fifth floor of the two adjoining houses, was
moving on the same day — a mere coincidence,
since the gentlemen were unknown to each
other — the vast collection of furniture regard
ing which so many foreign agents visited him
every day.

A circumstance which had been noticed by
some of the neighbors, but was not spoken of
until later, was this : None of the twelve vans
bore the name and address of the owner, and
none of the men accompanying them visited
the neighboring wine shops. They worked so
diligently that the furniture was all out by
eleven o'clock. Nothing remained but those
212

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 213

scraps of papers and rags that are always left
behind in the corners of the empty rooms.

Mon. Felix Davey, an elegant young man,
dressed in the latest fashion, carried in his
hand a walking-stick, the weight of which in
dicated that its owner possessed extraor
dinary biceps — Mon. Felix Davey walked
calmly away and took a seat on a bench in
the avenue du Bois-de-Boulogne facing the
rue Pergolese. Close to him a woman, dressed
in a neat but inexpensive costume, was read
ing a newspaper, whilst a chilcl was playing
with a shovel in a heap of sand.

After a few minutes Felix Davey spoke to
the woman, without turning his head :

"Ganimard?"

"Went out at nine o'clock this morning."

"Where?"

"To police headquarters."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

* ' No telegram during the night f ' '

"No."

"Do they suspect you in the house?"

"No; I do some little things for Madame
Ganimard, and she tells me everything her
husband does. I have been with her all morn
ing."

214 ARSENE LUPIN

' i Very well. Until further orders come here
every day at eleven o'clock/'

He rose and walked away in the direction
of the Dauphine gate, stopping at the Chinese
pavilion, where he partook of a frugal repast
consisting of two eggs, with some fruit and
vegetables. Then he returned to the rue
Crevaux and said to the concierge :

"I will just glance through the rooms and
then give you the keys. ' '

He finished his inspection of the room that
he had used as a library; then he seized the
end of a gas-pipe, which hung down the side
of the chimney. The pipe was bent and a hole
made in the elbow. To this hole he fitted a
small instrument in the form of an ear-trum
pet and blew into it. A slight whistling sound
came by way of reply. Placing the trumpet
to his mouth, he said:

1 i Anyone around, Dubreuil ? ' '

"No."

' ' May I come up ? "

"Tea."

He returned the pipe to its place, saying to
himself :

' ' How progressive we are ! Our century
abounds with little inventions which render
life really charming and picturesque. And

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 215

so amusing ! . . . especially when a person
knows how to enjoy life as I do. ' '

He turned one of the marble mouldings of
the mantel, and the entire half of the mantel
moved, and the mirror above it glided in in
visible grooves, disclosing an opening and the
lower steps of a stairs built in the very body
of the chimney ; all very clean and complete—
the stairs were constructed of polished metal
and the walls of white tiles. He ascended the
steps, and at the fifth floor there was the same
opening in the chimney. Mon. Dubreuil was
waiting for him.

"Have you finished in your rooms!"

"Yes."

* ' Everything cleared out ! ' '

"Yes."

"And the people!"

"Only the three men on guard."

1 ' Very well ; come on. ' '

They ascended to the upper floor by the
same means, one after the other, and there
found three men, one of whom was looking
through the window.

"Any thing new!"

i ' Nothing, governor. ' '

"All quiet in the street V

"Yes."

216 ARSENE LUPIN

"In ten minutes I will be ready to leave.
You will go also. But in the meantime if you
see the least suspicious movement in the
street, warn me. ' '

' ' I have my finger on the alarm-bell all the
time."

i ' Dubreuil, did you tell the moving men not
to touch the wire of that bell ? ' '

"Certainly; it is working all right."

' i That is all I want to know. ' '

The two gentlemen then descended to the
apartment of Felix Davey and the latter,
after adjusting the marble mantel, exclaimed,
joyfully:

* i Dubreuil, I should like to see the man who
is able to discover all the ingenious devices,
warning bells, net-works of electric wires and
acoustic tubes, invisible passages, moving
floors and hidden stairways. A real fairy
land!"

"What fame for Arsene Lupin!"

"Fame I could well dispense with. It's a
pity to be compelled to leave a place so well
equipped, and commence all over again, Dub
reuil . . . and on a new model, of course,
for it would never do to duplicate this. Curse
Herlock Sholmes ! ' '

"Has he returned to Paris!"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 217

"How could he? There has been only one
boat come from Southampton and it left there
at midnight ; only one train from Havre, leav
ing there at eight o'clock this morning and
due in Paris at eleven fifteen. As he could not
catch the midnight boat at Southampton—
and the instructions to the captain on that
point were explicit — he cannot reach France
until this evening via Newhaven and Dieppe. ' '

' ' Do you think he will come back 1 ' '

"Yes; he never gives up. He will return
to Paris ; but it will be too late. We will be
far away."

"And Mademoiselle Destange?"

i i I am to see her in an hour. ' '

"At her house!"

4 i Oh ! no ; she will not return there for sev
eral days. But you, Dubreuil, you must hur
ry. The loading of our goods will take a long
time and you should be there to look after
them."

"Are you sure that we are not being
watched?"

"By whom? I am not afraid of anyone
but Sholmes."

Dubreuil retired. Felix Davey made a last
tour of the apartment, picked up two or three
torn letters, then, noticing a piece of chalk, he

218 ARSENE LUPIN

took it and, on the dark paper of the drawing-
room, drew a large frame and wrote within it
the following :

"Arsene Lupin, gentleman-burglar, lived
here for five years at the beginning of the
twentieth century/'

This little pleasantry seemed to please him
very much. He looked at it for a moment,
whistling a lively air, then said to himself :

"Now that I have placed myself in touch
with the historians of future generations, I
can go. You must hurry, Herlock Sholmes, as
I shall leave my present abode in three min
utes, and your defeat will be an accomplished
fact . . . Two minutes more ! you are keep
ing me waiting, Monsieur Sholmes. . . . One
minute more! Are you not coming? Well,
then, I proclaim your downfall and my
apotheosis. And now I make my escape.
Farewell, kingdom of Arsene Lupin ! I shall
never see you again. Farewell to the fifty-
five rooms of the six apartments over which
I reigned! Farewell, my own royal bed
chamber ! ' '

His outburst of joy was interrupted by the
sharp ringing of a bell, which stopped twice,
started again and then ceased. It was the
alarm bell.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 219

What was wrong? What unforeseen
danger? Ganimard! No; that wasn't possi
ble!

He was on the point of returning to his
library and making his escape. But, first, he
went to the window. There was no one in the
street. W^as the enemy already in the house?
He listened and thought he could discern cer
tain confused sounds. He hesitated no longer.
He ran to his library, and as he crossed the
threshold he heard the noise of a key being
inserted in the lock of the vestibule door.

"The deuce!" he murmured; "I have no
time to lose. The house may be surrounded.
The servants' stairway — impossible! For
tunately, there is the chimney."

He pushed the moulding; it did not move.
He made a greater effort — still it refused to
move. At the same time he had the impres
sion that the door below opened and that he
could hear footsteps.

"Good God!" he cried; "I am lost if this
cursed mechanism-
He pushed with all his strength. Nothing
moved — nothing! By some incredible acci
dent, by some evil stroke of fortune, the mech
anism, which had worked only a few moments
ago, would not work now.

220 ARSENE LUPIN

He was furious. The block of marble re
mained immovable. He uttered frightful im
precations on the senseless stone. Was his
escape to be prevented by that stupid ob
stacle ? He struck the marble wildly, madly ;
he hammered it, he cursed it.

"Ah! what's the matter, Monsieur Lupin!
You seem to be displeased about something. "

Lupin turned around. Herlock Sholmes

stood before him!

*****

Herlock Sholmes! . . . Lupin gazed at
him with squinting eyes as if his sight were
defective and misleading. Herlock Sholmes
in Paris! Herlock Sholmes, whom he had
shipped to England only the day before as a
dangerous person, now stood before him free
and victorious ! . . . Ah ! such a thing was
nothing less than a miracle ; it was contrary
to all natural laws ; it was the culmination of
all that is illogical and abnormal . . . Her
lock Sholmes here — before his face !

And when the Englishman spoke his words
were tinged with that keen sarcasm and mock
ing politeness with which his adversary had
so often lashed him. He said :

"Monsieur Lupin, in the first place I have
the honor to inform you that at this time and

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

place I blot from my memory forever all
thoughts of the miserable night that you
forced rne to endure in the house of Baron.
d'Hautrec, of the injury done to my friend
Wilson, of my abduction in the automobile,
and of the voyage I took yesterday under
your orders, bound to a very uncomfortable
couch. But the joy of this moment effaces all
those bitter memories. I forgive everything.
I forget everything — I wipe out the debt. I
am paid — and royally paid. ' '

Lupin made no reply. So the Englishman
continued :

" Don't you think so yourself?"

He appeared to insist as if demanding an
acquiescence, as a sort of receipt in regard to
the part.

After a moment's reflection, during which
the Englishman felt that he was scrutinized
to the very depth of his soul, Lupin declared :

* ' I presume, monsieur, that your conduct is
based upon serious motives?"

"Very serious."

' < The fact that you have escaped from my
captain and his crew is only a secondary in
cident of our struggle. But the fact that you
are here before me alone — understand, alone
— face to face with Arsene Lupin, leads me to

222

ARSENE LUPIN

think that your revenge is as complete as pos
sible/'

"As complete as possible."

"This house?"

"Surrounded."

"The two adjoining houses!"

' ' Surrounded. ' '

' i The apartment above this ? ' '

"The three apartments on the fifth floor
that were formerly occupied by Monsieur
Dubreuil are surrounded. ' '

"So that "

"So that you are captured, Monsieur
Lupin — absolutely captured."

The feelings that Sholmes had experienced
during his trip in the automobile were now
suffered by Lupin, the same concentrated
fury, the same revolt, and also, let us admit,
th'v £: .! :..e loyalty of submission to force of
circumstances. Equally brave in victory or
defeat.

"Our accounts are squared, monsieur,"
said Lupin, frankly.

The Englishman was pleased with that con
fession. After a short silence Lupin, now
quite self-possessed, said smiling:

"And I am not sorry ! It becomes monoton
ous to win all the time. Yesterday I had only

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 223

to stretch out my hand to finish you forever.
Today I belong to you. The game is yours. ' '

Lupin laughed heartily and then continued :

"At last the gallery will be entertained!
Lupin in prison! How will he get out! In
prison! . . . What an adventure! . . .
Ah ! Sholmes, life is just one damn thing after
another ! ' '

He pressed his closed hands to his temples
as if to suppress the tumultuous joy that
surged within him, and his actions indicated
that he was moved by an uncontrollable
mirth. At last, when he had recovered his
self-possession, he approached the detective
and said :

"And now what are you waiting for?"

' ' What am I waiting f or ! "

' ; Yes ; Ganimard is here with his men— why
don't they come in!"

"I asked him not to."

"And he consented!"

"I accepted his services on condition that
he would be guided by me. Besides, he thinks
that Felix Davey is only an accomplice of
Arsene Lupin."

' ' Then I will repeat my question in another
form. Why did you come in alone ! ' '

"Because I wished to speak to you alone."

224

ARSENE LUPIN

"Ah! ah! you have something to say to
me."

That idea seemed to please Lupin im
mensely. There are certain circumstances in
which words are preferable to deeds,

"Monsieur Sholmes, I am sorry I cannot
offer you an easy chair. How would you like
that broken box 1 Or perhaps you would pre
fer the window ledge? I am sure a glass of
beer would be welcome . . . light or dark ?
. . . But sit down, please. ' '

"Thank you; we can talk as well standing
up."

"Very well — proceed."

"I will be brief. The object of my sojourn
in France was not to accomplish your arrest.
If I have been led to pursue you, it was be
cause I saw no other way to achieve my real
object. ' '

"Which was!"

' ' To recover the blue diamond. ' '

"The blue diamond!"

"Certainly; since the one found in Herr
Bleichen's tooth-powder was only an imita
tion."

"Quite right; the genuine diamond was
taken by the blonde Lady. I made an exact
duplicate of it and then, as I had designs on

VERSUS IIERLOCK SHOLMES 225

other jewels belonging to the Countess and
as the Consul Herr Bleichen was already
under suspicion, the aforesaid blonde Lady,
in order to avert suspicion, slipped the false
stone into the aforesaid Consul's luggage/'

"While you kept the genuine diamond? "

"Of course. "

"That diamond— I want it."

"I am very sorry, but it is impossible. "

"I have promised it to the Countess de
Crozon. I must have it."

"How will you get it, since it is in my
possession !"

"That is precisely the reason — because it
is in your possession. "

"Oh! I am to give it to you!"

"Yes."

"Voluntarily!"

"I will buy it."

"Ah!" exclaimed Lupin, in an access of
mirth, "you are certainly an Englishman.
You treat this as a matter of business. ' '

"It is a matter of business."

"Well! what is your off erf"

"The liberty of Mademoiselle Destange."

"Her liberty? ... I didn't know she
was under arrest."

"I will give Monsieur Ganimard the nee-

226 ARSENE LUPIN"

essary information. When deprived of your
protection, she can readily be taken."

Lupin laughed again, and said :

4 'My dear monsieur, you are offering me
something you do not possess. Mademoiselle
Destange is in a place of safety, and has
nothing to fear. You must make me another
offer."

The Englishman hesitated, visibly embar
rassed and vexed. Then, placing his hand on
the shoulder of his adversary, he said :

"And if I should propose to you "

"My liberty?"

"No . . . but I can leave the room to
consult with Ganimard. ' '

"And leave me alone!"

"Yes."

"Ah! mon dieu, what good would that be?
The cursed mechanism will not work," said
Lupin, at the same time savagely pushing
the moulding of the mantel. He stifled a cry
of surprise ; this time fortune favored him —
the block of marble moved. It was his salva
tion ; his hope of escape. In that event, why
submit to the conditions imposed by Sholmes 1
He paced up and down the room, as if he
were considering his reply. Then, in his

VERSUS HEELOCK SHOLMES 227

turn, he placed his hand on the shoulder of
his adversary, and said :

"All things considered. Monsieur Sholmes,
I prefer to do my own business in my own
way."

"But "

"No, I don't require anyone's assistance. "

"When Ganimard gets his hand on you, it
will be all over. You can't escape from
them."

"Who knows?"

"Come, that is foolish. Every door and
window is guarded."

"Except one."

"Which?"

"The one I will choose."

"Mere words! Your arrest is as good as
made."

"Oh! no— not at all."

"Well?"

"I shall keep the blue diamond."

Sholmes looked at his watch, and said :

"It is now ten minutes to three. At three
o 'clock I shall call Ganimard. ' '

"Well, then, we have ten minutes to chat.
And to satisfy my curiosity, Monsieur
Sholmes, I should like to know how you pro-

228

ARSENE LUPIN

cured my address and my name of Felix
Davey?"

Although his adversary's easy manner
caused Sholmes some anxiety, he was willing
to give Lupin the desired information since
it reflected credit on his professional astute
ness ; so he replied :

i 'Your address! I got it from the blonde
Lady."

"Clo tilde I"

" Herself. Do you remember, yesterday
morning, when I wished to take her away in
the automobile, she telephoned to her dress
maker. ' '

"Well!"

"Well, I understood, later, that you were
the dressmaker. And last night, on the boat,
by exercising my memory — and my memory
is something I have good reason to be proud
of — I was able to recollect the last two fig
ures of your telephone number — 73. Then,
as I possessed a list of the houses you had
'improved,' it was an easy matter, on my
arrival in Paris at eleven o'clock this morn
ing, to search in the telephone directory and
find there the name and address of Felix
Davey. Having, obtained that information,
I asked the aid of Monsieur Ganirnard."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 229

. .

; Admirable! I congratulate you. But
how did you manage to catch the eight o 'clock
train at Havre! How did you escape from
The Swallow?"

"I did not escape."

"But-

"You ordered the captain not to reach
Southampton before one o'clock. He landed
me there at midnight. I was able to catch
the twelve o'clock boat for Havre."

4 'Did the captain betray me! I can't be
lieve it."

"No, he did not betray you."

"Well, what then!"

"It was his watch."

"His watch!"

"Yes, I put it ahead one hour."

"How!"

"In the usual way, by turning the hands.
We were sitting side by side, talking, and I
was telling him some funny stories. . . .
Why ! he never saw me do it. ' '

"Bravo! a very clever trick. I shall not
forget it. But the clock that was hanging
on the wall of the cabin!"

"Ah! the clock was a more difficult matter,
as my feet were tied, but the sailor, who
guarded me during the captain's absence,

ARSENE LUPIN

was kind enough to turn the hands for me."

4 ' He I Nonsense ! He wouldn 't do it. ' '

"Oh! but he didn't know the importance
of his act. I told him I must catch the first
train for London, at any price, and . . .
he allowed himself to be persuaded—

' ' By means of —

"By means of a slight gift, which the ex
cellent fellow, loyal and true to his master,
intends to send to you. ' '

"What was it!"

"A mere trifle."

"But what?"

"The blue diamond."

"The blue diamond!"

"Yes, the false stone that you substituted
for the Countess' diamond. She gave it to
me."

There was a sudden explosion of violent
laughter. Lupin laughed until the tears
started in his eyes.

' ' Mon dieu, but it is funny ! My false dia
mond palmed off on my innocent sailor ! And
the captain's watch! And the hands of the
clock!"

Sholmes felt that the duel between him and
Lupin was keener than ever. His marvellous
instinct warned him that, behind his adver-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 231

sary's display of mirth, there was a shrewd
intellect debating the ways and means to
escape. Gradually Lupin approached the
Englishman, who recoiled, and, uncon
sciously, slipped his hand into his watch-
pocket.

4 'It is three o'clock, Monsieur Lupin. "

" Three o'clock, already! What a pity!
We were enjoying our chat so much. ' '

"I am waiting for your answer."

' ' My answer ? Mon dieu ! but you are par
ticular ! . . . And so this is the last move
in our little game — and the stake is my
liberty!"

"Or the blue diamond."

"Very well. It's your play. What are
you going to do ! "

"I play the king," said Sholmes, as he fired
his revolver.

"And I the ace," replied Lupin, as lie
struck at Sholmes with his fist.

Sholrnes had fired into the air, as a signal
to Ganimard, whose assistance he required.
But Lupin's fist had caught Sholmes in the
stomach, and caused him to double up with
pain. Lupin rushed to the fireplace and set
the marble slab in motion. ... Too late !
The door opened.

ARSENE LUPIN

"Surrender, Lupin, or I fire!"

Ganimard, doubtless stationed closer than
Lupin had thought, Ganimard was there,
with his revolver turned on Lupin. And be
hind Ganimard there were twenty men,
strong and ruthless fellows, who would beat
him like a dog at the least sign of resistance.

"Hands down! I surrender !" said Lupin,
calmly; and he folded his arms across his
breast.

Everyone was amazed. In the room, di
vested of its furniture and hangings, Arsene
Lupin's words sounded like an echo. . . .
"I surrender !" . . . It seemed incredible.
No one would have been astonished if he had
suddenly vanished through a trap, or if a
section of the wall had rolled away and
allowed him to escape. But he surrendered !

Ganimard advanced, nervously, and with
all the gravity that the importance of the oc
casion demanded, he placed his hand on the
shoulder of his adversary, and had the in
finite pleasure of saying:

"I arrest you, Arsene Lupin. "

< < Brrr ! ' ' said Lupin, ' ' you make me shiver,
my dear Ganimard. What a lugubrious face !
One would imagine you were speaking over

VERSUS TIERLOCK SHOLMES 233

the grave of a friend. For Heaven's sake,
don't assume such a funereal air."

"I arrest you."

11 Don't let that worry you! In the name
of the law, of which he is a well-deserving
pillar, Ganimard, the celebrated Parisian
detective, arrests the wicked Arsene Lupin.
An historic event, of which you will appre
ciate the true importance. . . . And it is
the second time that it has happened. Bravo,
Ganimard, you are sure of advancement in
your chosen profession!"

And he held out his wrists for the hand
cuffs. Ganimard adjusted them in a most
solemn manner. The numerous policemen,
despite their customary presumption and the
bitterness of their feelings toward Lupin,
conducted themselves with becoming mod^
esty, astonished at being permitted to gaze
upon that mysterious and intangible creature.

' ' My poor Lupin, ' ' sighed our hero, ' l what
would your aristocratic friends say if they
should see you in this humiliating position!"

He pulled his wrists apart with all his
strength. The veins in his forehead ex
panded. The links of the chain cut into his
flesh. The chain fell off— broken.

234 ARSENE LUPIN

"Another, comrades, that one was use
less/ '

They placed two on him this time.

"Quite right, " he said. "You cannot be
too careful."

Then, counting the detectives and police
men, he said:

i i How many are you, my friends ? Twenty-
five"? Thirty? That's too many. I can't do
anything. Ah! if there had been only
fifteen!"

There was something fascinating about
Lupin; it was the fascination of the great
actor who plays his role with spirit and un
derstanding, combined with assurance and
ease. Sholmes regarded him as one might
regard a beautiful painting with a due ap
preciation of all its perfection in coloring and
technique. And he really thought that it was
an equal struggle between those thirty men
on one side, armed as they were with all the
strength and majesty of the law, and, on the
other side, that solitary individual, unarmed
and handcuffed. Yes, the two sides were
well-matched.

"Well, master," said Lupin to the Eng
lishman, "this is your work. Thanks to you,
Lupin is going to rot on the damp straw of

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLME8

235

a dungeon. Confess that your conscience
pricks you a little, and that your soul is filled
with remorse."

In spite of himself, Sholmes shrugged his
shoulders, as if to say: "It's your own
fault."

' ' Never ! never ! ' ' exclaimed Lupin. ' i Give
you the blue diamond! Oh! no, it has cost
me too much trouble. I intend to keep it.
On my occasion of my first visit to you in
London — which will probably be next month
-I will tell you my reasons. But will you
be in London next month! Or do you prefer
Vienna? Or Saint Petersburg!"

Then Lupin received a surprise. A bell
commenced to ring. It was not the alarm-
bell, but the bell of the telephone which was
located between the two windows of the room
and had not yet been removed.

The telephone! Ah! Who could it be!
Who was about to fall into this unfortunate
trap! Arsene Lupin exhibited an access of
rage against the unlucky instrument as if he
would like to break it into a thousand pieces
and thus stifle the mysterious voice that was
calling for him. But it was Ganimard who
took down the receiver, and said :

"Hello! Hello! . . . number

236 ARSENE LUPIN

648.73 . . . yes, this is it."

Then Sholmes stepped up, and, with an air
of authority, pushed Ganimard aside, took
the receiver, and covered the transmitter with
his handkerchief in order to obscure the tone
of his voice. At that moment he glanced
toward Lupin, and the look which they ex
changed indicated that the same idea had
occurred to each of them, and that they fore
saw the ultimate result of that theory : it was
the blonde Lady who was telephoning. She
wished to telephone to Felix Davey, or rather
to Maxime Bermond, and it was to Sholmes
she was about to speak. The Englishman
said:

" Hello . . . Hello!"

Then, after a silence, he said :

4 ' Yes, it is I, Maxime. ' '

The drama had commenced and was pro
gressing with tragic precision. Lupin, the
irrepressible and nonchalant Lupin, did not
attempt to conceal his anxiety, and he
strained every nerve in a desire to hear or,
at least, to divine the purport of the conver
sation. And Sholmes continued, in reply to
the mysterious voice:

" Hello! . . . Hello! . . . Yes, every
thing has been moved, and I am just ready

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 237

to leave here and meet you as we agreed.
. . . Where? . . . Where you are
now. . . . Don't believe that he is here
yet! . . ."

Sholmes stopped, seeking for words. It
was clear that he was trying to question the
girl without betraying himself, and that he
was ignorant of her whereabouts. Moreover,
Ganimard's presence seemed to embarrass
him. ... Ah! if some miracle would
only interrupt that cursed conversation!
Lupin prayed for it with all his strength,
with all the intensity of his incited nerves!
After a momentary pause, Sholmes con
tinued :

" Hello! . . . Hello! ... Do you
hear me! ... I can't hear you very well.
. . . Can scarcely make out what you say.
. . . Are you listening! Well, I think you
had better return home. ... No danger
now. . . . But he is in England ! I have
received a telegram from Southampton an
nouncing his arrival."

The sarcasm of those words! Sholmes
uttered them with an inexpressible comfort.
And he added :

"Very well, don't lose any time. I will
meet you there."

238 ARSENE LUPIN

He hung up the receiver.

"Monsieur Ganimard, can you furnish me
with three men?"

"For the blonde Lady, eh?"

"Yes."

' * You know who she is, and where she is ? "

"Yes."

"Good! That settles Monsieur Lupin.
. . . Folenf ant, take two men, and go with
Monsieur Sholmes."

The Englishman departed, accompanied by
the three men.

The game was ended. The blonde Lady
was, also, about to fall into the hands of the
Englishman. Thanks to his commendable
persistence and to a combination of fortuitous
circumstances, the battle had resulted in a
victory for the detective, and in irreparable
disaster for Lupin.

"Monsieur Sholmes!"

The Englishman stopped.

"Monsieur Lupin!"

Lupin was clearly shattered by this final
blow. His forehead was marked by deep
wrinkles. He was sullen and dejected. How
ever, he pulled himself together, and, not
withstanding his defeat, he exclaimed, in a
cheerful tone :

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 239

"You will concede that fate has been
against me. A few minutes ago, it prevented
my escape through that chimney, and deliv
ered me into your hands. Now, by means of
the telephone, it presents you with the blonde
Lady. I submit to its decrees."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am ready to re-open our
negotiation."

Sholmes took Ganimard aside and asked,
in a manner that did not permit a reply, the
authority to exchange a few words with the
prisoner. 'Then he approached Lupin, and
said, in a sharp, nervous tone :

"What do you want!"

"Mademoiselle Destange's liberty."

"You know the price."

"Yes."

"And you accept!"

"Y^es; I accept your terms."

"Ah!" said the Englishman, in surprise,
"but . . . you refused . . . for your
self "

"Yes, I can look out for myself, Monsieur
Sholmes, but now the question concerns a
young woman . . . and a woman I love.
In France, understand, we have very decided

240 ARSENE LUPIN

ideas about such things. And Lupin has the
same feelings as other people. ' '

He spoke with simplicity and candor.
Sholmes replied by an almost imperceptible
inclination of his head, and murmured :

"Very well, the blue diamond."

"Take my cane, there, at the end of the
mantel. Press on the head of the cane with
one hand, and, with the other, turn the iron
ferrule at the bottom. "

Holmes took the cane and followed the di
rections. As he did so, the head of the cane
divided and disclosed a cavity which con
tained a small ball of wax which, in turn,
enclosed a diamond. He examined it. It
was the blue diamond.

"Monsieur Lupin, Mademoiselle Destange
is free."

"Is her future safety assured? Has she
nothing to fear from you ! ' '

"Neither from me, nor anyone else."

' ' How can you manage it ? "

"Quite easily. I have forgotten her name
and address."

"Thank you. And au revoir — for I
will see you again, sometime, Monsieur
Sholmes?"

"I have no doubt of it."

VERSUS IIERLOCK SHOLMES 241

Then followed an animated conversation
between Sholmes and Ganimard, which was
abruptly terminated by the Englishman, who
said :

"I am very sorry, Monsieur Ganimard,
that we cannot agree on that point, but I
have no time to waste trying to convince you.
I leave for England within an hour."

"But . . . the blonde Lady? "

"I do not know such a person. "

"And yet, a moment ago—

"You must take the affair as it stands. I
have delivered Arsene Lupin into your hands.
Here is the blue diamond, which you will
have the pleasure of returning to the
Countess de Crozon. What more do you
want!"

"The blonde Lady. "

"Find her."

Sholmes pulled his cap down over his fore
head and walked rapidly away, like a man
who is accustomed to go as soon as his busi
ness is finished.

"Bon voyage, monsieur," cried Lupin,
"and, believe me, I shall never forget the
friendly way in which our little business af
fairs have been arranged. My regards to
Monsieur Wilson. ' '

242 ARSEN'E LUPIN"

Not receiving any reply, Lupin added,
sneeringly :

"That is what is called 'taking British
leave.' Ah! their insular dignity lacks the
flower of courtesy by which we are dis
tinguished. Consider for a moment, Gani
mard, what a charming exit a Frenchman
would have made under similar circum
stances! With what exquisite courtesy he
would have masked his triumph ! . . . But,
God bless me, Ganimard, what are you doing?
Making a search! Come, what's the use?
There is nothing left — not even a scrap of
paper. I assure you my archives are in a safe
place. "

"I am not so sure of that," replied Gani
mard. "I must search everything."

Lupin submitted to the operation. Held by
two detectives and surrounded by the others,
he patiently endured the proceedings for
twenty minutes, then he said :

1 ' Hurry up, Ganimard, and finish ! ' '

' * You are in a hurry. ' '

"Of course I am. An important appoint
ment. ' '

"At the police station?"

"No; in the city."

"Ah! at what time?"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLME8 243

' ' Two o'clock/'

4 4 It is three o 'clock now. ' '

4 ' Just so ; I will be late. And punctuality
is one of my virtues."

' ' Well, give me five minutes. ' '

i 4 Not a second more, ' ' said Lupin.

"I am doing my best to expedite "

' 40h! don't talk so much. . . . Still search
ing that cupboard? It is empty."

* * Here are some letters. ' '

' ' Old invoices, I presume ! ' '

"No; a packet tied with a ribbon."

"A red ribbon! Oh! Ganimard, for God's
sake, don't untie it !"

i i From a woman ? ' '

"Yea,"

"A woman of the world!"

4 'The best in the world."

"Her name!"

i ' Madame Ganimard."

"Very funny! very funny!" exclaimed the
detective.

At that moment the men, who had been
sent to search the other rooms, returned and
announced their failure to find anything.
Lupin laughed and said: •

"Parbleu! Did you expect to find my vis
iting list, or evidence of my business relations

ARSENE LUPIN

with the Emperor of Germany? But I can
tell you what you should investigate, Gani-
mard: All the little mysteries of this apart
ment. For instance, that gas-pipe is a speak
ing tube. That chimney contains a stairway.
That wall is hollow. And the marvellous sys
tem of bells ! Ah ! Ganimard, just press that
button !"

Ganimard obeyed.

"Did you hear anything!" asked Lupin.

"No.57

"Neither did I. And yet you notified my
aeronaut to prepare the dirigible balloon
which will soon carry us into the clouds.

"Come!" said Ganimard, who had com
pleted his search; "we've had enough non
sense — let's be off."

He started away, followed by his men.
Lupin did not move. His guardians pushed
him in vain.

"Well," said Ganimard, "do you refuse
to go!"

"Not at all. But it depends."

"On what?"

' ' Where you want to take me. ' '

"To the station-house, of course."

"Then I refuse to go. I have no business
there."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 245

"Are you crazy I"

4 'Did I not tell you that I had an important
appointment ? ' '

"Lupin!"

"Why, Ganimard, I have an appointment
with the blonde Lady, and do you suppose I
would be so discourteous as to cause her a
moment's anxiety! That would be very un-
gentlemanly. ' '

"Listen, Lupin," said the detective, who
was becoming annoyed by this persiflage ; " I
have been very patient with you, but I will
endure no more. Follow me."

"Impossible; I have an appointment and I
shall keep it. ' '

' ' For the last time — follow me ! ' '

"Im-pos-sible!"

At a sign from Ganimard two men seized
Lupin by the arms ; but they released him at
once, uttering cries of pain. Lupin had
thrust two long needles into them. The other
men now rushed at Lupin with cries of rage
and hatred, eager to avenge their comrades
and to avenge themselves for the many af
fronts he had heaped upon them; and now
they struck and beat him to their heart's de
sire. A violent blow on the temple felled
Lupin to the floor.

246 ARSENE LUPIN

"If you hurt him you will answer to me,"
growled Ganimard, in a rage.

He leaned over Lupin to ascertain his con
dition. Then, learning that he was breathing
freely, Ganimard ordered his men to carry
the prisoner by the head and feet, while he
himself supported the body.

"Go gently, now! . . . Don't jolt him.
Ah ! the brutes would have killed him. . . .
Well, Lupin, how goes it ! ' '

' i None too well, Ganimard . . . you let
them knock me out. ' '

"It was your own fault; you were so ob
stinate," replied Ganimard. "But I hope
they didn't hurt you."

They had left the apartment and were now
on the landing. Lupin groaned and stam
mered :

' ' Ganimard . . . the elevator . . . they
are breaking my bones."

"A good idea, an excellent idea," replied
Ganimard. "Besides, the stairway is too nar
row."

He summoned the elevator. They placed
Lupin on the seat with the greatest care.
Ganimard took his place beside him and said
to his men :

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

6 1 Go down the stairs and wait for me below.
Understand !"

Ganimard closed the door of the elevator.
Suddenly the elevator shot upward like a bal
loon released from its cable. Lupin burst into
a fit of sardonic laughter.

4 * Good God!" cried Ganimard, as he made
a frantic search in the dark for the button of
descent. Having found it, he cried :

"The fifth floor! Watch the door of the
fifth floor."

His assistants clambered up the stairs, two
and three steps at a time. But this strange
circumstance happened : The elevator seemed
to break through the ceiling of the last floor,
disappeared from the sight of Ganimard 's as
sistants, suddenly made its appearance on the
upper floor — the servants' floor — and stop
ped. Three men were there waiting for it.
They opened the door. Two of them seized
Ganimard, who, astonished at the sudden at
tack, scarcely made any defence. The other
man carried off Lupin.

* 1 1 warned you, Ganimard . . . about the
dirigible balloon. Another time, don't be so
tender-hearted. And, moreover, remember
that Arsene Lupin doesn't allow himself to be

248 ARSENE LUPIN

struck and knocked down without sufficient
reason. Adieu. ' '

The door of the elevator was already closed
on Ganimard, and the machine began to de
scend ; and it all happened so quickly that the
old detective reached the ground floor as soon
as his assistants. Without exchanging a word
they crossed the court and ascended the
servants' stairway, which was the only way to
reach the servants' floor through which the
escape had been made.

A long corridor with several turns and bor
dered with little numbered rooms led to a
door that was not locked. On the other side
of this door and, therefore, in another house
there was another corridor with similar turns
and similar rooms, and at the end of it a
servants' stairway. Ganimard descended it,
crossed a court and a vestibule and found
himself in the rue Picot. Then he understood
the situation : the two houses, built the entire
depth of the lots, touched at the rear, while
the fronts of the houses faced upon two
streets that ran parallel to each other at a dis
tance of more than sixty metres apart.

He found the concierge and, showing his
card, enquired : m

i 'Did four men pass here just now?"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 249

* ' Yes ; the two servants from the fourth and
fifth floors, with two friends. "

' i Who lives on the fourth and fifth floors I ' '

1 ' Two men named Fauvel and their cousins,
whose name is Provost. They moved to-day,
leaving the two servants, who went away just
now. ' '

"Ah!" thought Ganimard; "what a grand
opportunity we have missed ! The entire band
lived in these houses."

And he sank down on a chair in despair.

*****

Forty minutes later two gentlemen were
driven up to the station of the Northern Rail
way and hurried to the Calais express, fol
lowed by a porter who carried their valises.
One of them had his arm in a sling, and the
pallor of his face denoted some illness. The
other man was in a jovial mood.

"We must hurry, Wilson, or we will miss
the train. . . . Ah ! Wilson, I shall never
forget these ten days."

"Neither will I."

"Ah! it was a great struggle!"

"Superb!"

"A few repulses, here and there "

" Of no consequence. ' '

"And, at last, victory all along the line.

250 AKSENE LUPIN

Lupin arrested! The blue diamond recov
ered!"

' ' My arm broken ! ' '

"What does a broken arm count for in such
a victory as that?"

"Especially when it is my arm."

"Ah! yes, don't you remember, Wilson,
that it was at the very time you were in the
pharmacy, suffering like a hero, that I dis
covered the clue to the whole mystery?"

"How lucky!"

The doors of the carriages were being
closed.

i i All aboard. Hurry up, gentlemen ! ' '

The porter climbed into an empty compart
ment and placed their valises in the rack,
whilst Sholmes assisted the unfortunate Wil
son.

"What's the matter, Wilson? You're not
done up, are you? Come, pull your nerves
together. ' '

"My nerves are all right."

"Well, what is it, then?"

"I have only one hand."

"What of it?" exclaimed Sholmes, cheer
fully. l < You are not the only one who has had
a broken arm. Cheer up ! "

VERSUS HEELOCK SIIOLMES 251

Sholmes handed the porter a piece of fifty
centimes.

"Thank you, Monsieur Sholmes," said the
porter.

The Englishman looked at him; it was
Arsene Lupin.

"You! . . . you!" he stammered, abso
lutely astounded.

And Wilson brandished his sound arm in
the manner of a man who demonstrates a fact
as he said :

"You! you! but you were arrested!
Sholmes told me so. When he left you Gani-
mard and thirty men had you in charge."

Lupin folded his arms and said, with an air
of indignation :

"Did you suppose I would let you go away
without bidding you adieu? After the very
friendly relations that have always existed
between us ! That would be discourteous and
ungrateful on my part. ' '

The train whistled. Lupin continued :

"I beg your pardon, but have you every
thing you need! Tobacco and matches .
yes . . . and the evening papers ? You will
find in them an account of my arrest — your
last exploit, Monsieur Sholmes. And now, au
revoir. Am delighted to have made your ac-

252 AKSENE LUPIN

quaintance. And if ever I can be of any serv
ice to you, I shall be only too happy. . . . '

He leaped to the platform and closed the
door.

"Adieu," he repeated, waving his handker
chief. ' ' Adieu. ... I shall write to you. . . .
You will write also, eh? And your arm broken,
Wilson. ... I am truly sorry. ... I shall
expect to hear from both of you. A postal
card, now and then, Simply address : Lupin,
Paris. That is sufficient. . . . Adieu. . . . See
you soon. ' '

CHAPTER VII.

THE JEWISH LAMP.

EELOCK SHOLMES and Wilson
were sitting in front of the fireplace,
in comfortable armchairs, with the
feet extended toward the grateful warmth of
a glowing coke fire.

Sholmes' pipe, a short brier with a silver
band, had gone out. He knocked out the
ashes, filled it, lighted it, pulled the skirts of
his dressing-gown over his knees, and drew
from his pipe great pufYs of smoke, which
ascended toward the ceiling in scores of
shadow rings.

Wilson gazed at him, as a dog lying curled
up on a rug before the fire might look at his
master, with great round eyes which have no
hope other than to obey the least gesture of
his owner. Was the master going to break
the silence! Would he reveal to Wilson the
subject of his reverie and admit his satellite
into the charmed realm of his thoughts!

When Sholmes had maintained his silent

253

254 ARSENE LUPIN

attitude for some time, Wilson ventured to
speak :

''Everything seems quiet now. Not the
shadow of a ease to occupy our leisure
moments. ' '

Sholmes did not reply, but the rings of
smoke emitted by Sholmes were better
formed, and Wilson observed that his com
panion drew considerable pleasure from that
trifling fact — an indication that the great
man was not absorbed in any serious medi
tation. W7ilson, discouraged, arose and went
to the window.

The lonely street extended between the
gloomy fagades of grimy houses, unusually
gloomy this morning by reason of a heavy
downfali of rain. A cab passed; then an
other. Wilson made an entry of their num
bers in his memorandum-book. One never
knows !

<4Ah!M he exclaimed, "the postman."

The man entered, shown in by the servant.

"Two registered letters, sir ... if you
will sign, please?"

Sholmes signed the receipts, accompanied
the man to the door, and was opening one of
the letters as he returned.

VERSUS HEELOCK SHOLMES 253

"It seems to please you," remarked Wil
son, after a moment's silence.

4 'This letter contains a very interesting
proposition. You are anxious for a case —
here's one. Bead

Wilson read:

1 i Monsieur,

"I desire the benefit of your services and
experience. I have been the victim of a serious
theft, and the investigation has as yet been
unsuccessful. I am sending to you by this
mail a number of newspapers which will in
form you of the affair, and if you will under
take the case, I will place my house at your
disposal and ask you to fill in the enclosed
check, signed by me, for whatever sum you
require for your expenses.

''Kindly reply by telegraph, and much
oblige,

"Your humble servant,
"Baron Victor d'Imblevalle,

"18 rue Murillo, Paris."

"Ah!" exclaimed Sholmes, "that sounds
good . . .'a little trip to Paris . . .
and why not, Wilson? Since my famous duel
with Arsene Lupin, I have not had an excuse
to go there. I should be pleased to visit the

256 ARSENE LUPIN"

capital of the world under less strenuous con
ditions."

He tore the check into four pieces and,
while Wilson, whose arm had not yet regained
its former strength, uttered bitter words
against Paris and the Parisians, Sholmes
opened the second envelope. Immediately, he
made a gesture of annoyance, and a wrinkle
appeared on his forehead during the reading
of the letter ; then, crushing the paper into a
ball, he threw it, angrily, on the floor.

"Well! What's the matter 1" asked Wil
son, anxiously.

He picked up the ball of paper, unfolded it,
and read, with increasing amazement :

' ' My Dear Monsieur :

1 i You know full well the admiration I have
for you and the interest I take in your re
nown. Well, believe me, when I warn you to
have nothing whatever to do with the case on
which you have just now been called to Paris.
Your intervention will cause much harm;
your efforts will produce a most lamentable
result ; and you will be obliged to make a pub
lic confession of your defeat.

"Having a sincere desire to spare you such
humiliation, I implore you, in the name of

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

the friendship that unites us, to remain peace
fully reposing at your own fireside.

' ' My best wishes to Monsieur Wilson, and,
for yourself, the sincere regards of your de
voted ARSENE LUPIN. "

"Arsene Lupin!'7 repeated Wilson, as
tounded.

Sholmes struck the table with his fist, and
exclaimed :

"Ah! he is pestering me already, the fool!
He laughs at me as if I were a schoolboy ! The
public confession of my defeat! Didn't I
force him to disgorge the blue diamond?"

"I tell you — he's afraid," suggested Wil
son.

"Nonsense! Arsene Lupin is not afraid,
and this taunting letter proves it."

"But how did he know that the Baron
d'Imblevalle had written to you?"

"What do I know about it? You do ask
some stupid questions, my boy."

"I thought . . . I supposed—

"What? That I am a clairvoyant? Or a
sorcerer?"

"No, but I have seen you do some marvel
lous things."

' ' No person can perform marvellous things.
I no more than you. I reflect, I deduct, I con-

258 ARSENE LUPIN

elude — that is all ; but I do not divine. Only
fools divine."

Wilson assumed the attitude of a whipped
cur, and resolved not to make a fool of him
self by trying to divine why Sholmes paced
the room with quick, nervous strides. But
when Sholmes rang for the servant and or
dered his valise, Wilson thought that he was
in possession of a material fact which gave
him the right to retiect, deduct and conclude
that his associate was about to take a journey.
The same mental operation permitted him to
assert, with almost mathematical exactness:

"Sholmes, you are going to Paris.'*

"Possibly."

"And Lupin's affront impels you to go,
rather than the desire to assist the Baron
d'Imblevalle."

"Possibly."

' ' Sholmes, I shall go with you. ' '
" Ah ; ah ! my old friend, ' ' exclaimed Sholmes,
interrupting his walking, "you are not afraid
that your right arm will meet the same fate
as your left?"

"What can happen to me? You will be
there."

"That's the way to talk, Wilson. We will
show that clever Frenchman that he made a

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

mistake when he threw his glove in our faces.
Be quick, Wilson, we must catch the first
train/'

* ' Without waiting for the papers the baron
has sent you ! ' '

" What good are they?"

' ' I will send a telegram. ' '

"No; if you do that, Arsene Lupin will
know of my arrival. I wish to avoid that.
This time, Wilson, we must fight under

cover. ' '

*****

That afternoon, the two friends embarked
at Dover. The passage was a delightful one.
In the train from Calais to Paris, Sholmes
had three hours sound sleep, while Wilson
guarded the door of the compartment.

Sholmes awoke in good spirits. He was
delighted at the idea of another duel with
Arsene Lupin, and he rubbed his hands with
the satisfied air of a man who looks forward
to a pleasant vacation.

"At last!" exclaimed Wilson, "we are
getting to work again."

And he rubbed his hands with the same
satisfied air.

At the station, Sholmes took the wraps and,
followed by Wilson, who carried the valises,

260 ARSENE LUPIN

he gave up his tickets and started off briskly.

"Fine weather, Wilson . . . Blue sky
and sunshine ! Paris is giving us a royal re
ception. ' '

' ' Yes, but what a crowd ! ' '

' ' So much the better, Wilson, we will pass
unnoticed. No one will recognize us in such
a crowd."

' ' Is this Monsieur Sholmes ? ' '

He stopped, somewhat puzzled. Who the
deuce could thus address him by his name? A
woman stood beside him ; a young girl whose
simple dress outlined her slender form and
whose pretty face had a sad and anxious ex
pression. She repeated her enquiry :

"You are Monsieur Sholmes?"

As he still remained silent, as much from
confusion as from a habit of prudence, the
girl asked a third time:

"Have I the honor of addressing Monsieur
Sholmes?"

"What do you want?" he replied, testily,
considering the incident a suspicious one.

' ' You must listen to me, Monsieur Sholmes,
as it is a serious matter. I know that you are
going to the rue Murillo."

"Wliatdoyousay?"

"I know . I know rue Mu-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 261

rillo . . . number 18. Well, you must not
go ... no, you must not. I assure you
that you will regret it. Do not think that I
have any interest in the matter. I do it be
cause it is right . . . because my con
science tells me to do it."

Sholmes tried to get away, but she per
sisted :

"Oh! I beg of you, don't neglect my ad
vice. . . . Ah ! if I only knew how to con
vince you ! Look at me ! Look into my eyes !
They are sincere . * . they speak the
truth."

She gazed at Sholmes, fearlessly but inno
cently, with those beautiful eyes, serious and
clear, in which her very soul seemed to be re
flected.

Wilson nodded his head, as he said :

"Mademoiselle looks honest."

"Yes," she implored, "and you must have
confidence

"I have confidence in you, mademoiselle,"
replied Wilson.

"Oh, how happy you make me! And so
has your friend? I feel it ... I am sure
of it ! What happiness ! Everything will be
all right now ! . . . What a good idea of
mi&e! . . . Ah! yes, there is a train for

262 AKSENE LUPIN

Calais in twenty minutes. You will take it.
. . . Quick, follow me ... you must
come this way . . . there is just time."

She tried to drag' them along. Sholnaes
seized her arm, and in as gentle a voice as
he could assume, said to her :

" Excuse me, mademoiselle, if I cannot
yield to your wishes, but I never abandon a
task that I have once undertaken."

' ' I beseech you ... I implore you. . . .
Ah if you could only understand ! * '

Sholmes passed outside and walked away at
a quick pace. Wilson said to the girl :

1 ' Have no fear ... he will be in at the
finish. He never failed yet."

And he ran to overtake Sholmes.

HERLOCK SHOLMES— ARSENE LUPIN.

These words, in great black letters, met
their gaze as soon as they left the railway
station. A number of sandwich-men were pa
rading through the street, one behind the
other, carrying heavy canes with iron ferrules
with which they struck the pavement in har
mony, and, on their backs, they carried large
posters, on which one could read the follow
ing notice :

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

THE MATCH BETWEEN HERLOCK SHOLMES
AND ARSENE LUPIN. AERIVAL OF THE ENGLISH
CHAMPION. THE GREAT DETECTIVE ATTACKS
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUE MURILLO. BEAD THE
DETAILS IN THE ' i ECHO DE FRANCE. ' y

Wilson shook his head, and said :

4 ' Look at that, Sholmes, and we thought we
were traveling incognito ! I shouldn't be sur
prised to find the republican guard waiting
for us at the rue Murillo to give us an official
reception with toasts and champagne. "

" Wilson, when you get funny, you get
beastly funny," growled Sholmes.

Then he approached one of the sandwich-
men with the obvious intention of seizing him
in his powerful grip and crushing him, to
gether with his infernal sign-board. There
was quite a crowd gathered about the men,
reading the notices, and joking and laughing.

Repressing a furious access of rage,
Sholmes said to the man :

4 'When did they hire you?"

* * This morning. ' '

•'How long have you been parading?"

" About an hour."

"But the boards were ready before that?"

264 ARSENE LUFlN

"Oh, yes, they were ready when we went
to the agency this morning. ' '

So then it appears that Arsene Lupin had
foreseen that he, Sholmes, would accept the
challenge. More than that, the letter written
by Lupin showed that he was eager for the
fray and that he was prepared to measure
swords once more with his formidable rival.
Why! What motive could Arsene Lupin have
in renewing the struggle ?

Sholmes hesitated for a moment. Lupin
must be very confident of his success to show
so much insolence in advance; and was not
he, Sholmes, falling into a trap by rushing
into the battle at the first call for help!

However, he called a carriage.

i i Come, Wilson ! . . . Driver, 18 rue Mu-
rillo!" he exclaimed, with an outburst of his
accustomed energy. With distended veins and
clenched fists, as if he were about to engage in

a boxing bout, he jumped into the carriage.

*****

The rue Murillo is bordered with magnifi
cent private residences, the rear of which
overlook the Pare Monceau. One of the most
pretentious of these houses is number 18,
owned and occupied by the Baron d'lmble-
valle and furnished in a luxurious manner

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 265

consistent with the owner's taste and wealth.
There was a courtyard in front of the house,
and, in the rear, a garden well filled with trees
whose branches mingle with those of the park.

After ringing the bell, the two Englishmen
were admitted, crossed the courtyard, and
were received at the door by a footman who
showed them into a small parlor facing the
garden in the rear of the house. They sat
down and, glancing about, made a rapid in
spection of the many valuable objects with
which the room was filled.

"Everything very choice, " murmured Wil
son, "and in the best of taste. It is a safe
deduction to make that those who had the
leisure to collect these articles must now be
at least fifty years of age."

The door opened, and the Baron d'lrnble-
valle entered, followed by his wif e. Contrary
to the deduction made by Wilson, they were
both quite young, of elegant appearance, and
vivacious in speech and action. They were
profuse in their expressions of gratitude.

"So kind of you to come! Sorry to have
caused you so much trouble ! The theft now
seems of little consequence, since it has pro
cured us this pleasure."

"How charming these French people are!"

266

ARSENE LUPIN

thought Wilson, evolving one of his common
place deductions.

"But time is money, " exclaimed the baron,
' ' especially your time, Monsieur Sholmes. So
I will come to the point. Now, what do you
think of the affair? Do you think you can
succeed in it V '

"Before I can answer that I must know
what it is about. ' '

' ' I thought you knew. ' '

" No ; so I must ask you for full particulars,
even to the smallest detail. First, what is
the nature of the case?"

"A theft."

' < When did it take place ? ' '

"Last Saturday," replied the baron, "or,
at least, some time during Saturday night or
Sunday morning."

"That was six days ago. Now, you can
tell me all about it."

"In the first place, monsieur, I must tell
you that my wife and I, conforming to the
manner of life that our position demands, go
out very little. The education of our chil
dren, a few receptions, and the care and deco
ration of our house — such constitutes our
life; and nearly all our evenings are spent
in this little room, which is my wife's boudoir,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 267

and in which we have gathered a few artistic
objects. Last Saturday night, about eleven
o'clock, I turned off the electric lights, and
my wife and I retired, as usual, to our room."

" Where is your room?"

"It adjoins this. That is the door. Next
morning, that is to say, Sunday morning, I
arose quite early. As Suzanne, my wife, was
still asleep, I passed into the boudoir as
quietly as possible so as not to wake her.
What was my astonishment when I found
that window open — as we had left it closed
the evening before ! ' '

" A servant "

"No one enters here in the morning until
we ring. Besides, I always take the precau
tion to bolt the second door which communi
cates with the ante-chamber. Therefore, the
window must have been opened from the out
side. Besides, I have some evidence of that :
the second pane of glass from the right —
close to the fastening — had been cut."

"And what does that window overlook?"

' * As you can see for yourself, it opens on a
little balcony, surrounded by a stone railing.
Here, we are on the first floor, and you can
see the garden behind the house and the iron
fence which separates it from the Pare Mon-

268 ARSENE LUPIN

ceau. It is quite certain that the thief came
through the park, climbed the fence by the
aid of a ladder, and thus reached the terrace
below the window.'7

' ' That is quite certain, you say ? ' '

"Well, in the soft earth on either side of
the fence, they found the two holes made by
the bottom of the ladder, and two similar
holes can be seen below the window. And
the stone railing of the balcony shows two
scratches which were doubtless made by the
contact of the ladder/'

"Is the Pare Monceau closed at night?"

"No; but if it were, there is a house in
course of erection at number 14, and a per
son could enter that way."

Herlock Sholmes reflected for a few min
utes, and then said:

"Let us come down to the theft. It must
have been committed in this room!"

"Yes; there was here, between that
twelfth century Virgin and that tabernacle
of chased silver, a small Jewish lamp. It has
disappeared."

"And is that all?"

"That is all."

Ah! . . . And what is a Jewish lamp 1"
One of those copper lamps used by the

t i

VERSUS HERLOCK SIIOLMES

ancient Jews, consisting of a standard which
supported a bowl containing the oil, and from
this bowl projected several burners intended
for the wicks. "

"Upon the whole, an object of small
value."

"No great value, of course. But this one
contained a secret hiding-place in which we
were accustomed to place a magnificent jewel,
a chimera in gold, set with rubies and emer
alds, which was of great value."

' ' Why did you hide it there ? ' '

"Oh!' I can't give any reason, monsieur,
unless it was an odd fancy to utilize a hiding-
place of that kind."

' i Did anyone know it 1 "

"No."

"No one — except the thief," said Sholmes.
"Otherwise he would not have taken the
trouble to steal the lamp."

"Of course. But how could he know it,
as it was only by accident that the secret
mechanism of the lamp was revealed to us."

"A similar accident has revealed it to some
one else ... a servant ... or an ac
quaintance. But let us proceed: I suppose
the police have been notified?"

' * Yes. The examining magistrate has com-

270 ARSENE LUPIN

pleted his investigation. The reporter-detec
tives attached to the leading newspapers have
also made their investigations. But, as I
wrote to you, it seems to me the mystery will
never be solved. "

Sholmes arose, went to the window, exam
ined the casement, the balcony, the terrace,
studied the scratches on the stone railing with
his magnifying-glass, and then requested
Mon. d'Imblevalle to show him the garden.

Outside, Sholmes sat down in a rattan chair
and gazed at the roof the house in a dreamy
way. Then he walked over to the two little
wooden boxes with which they had covered
the holes made in the ground by the bottom
of the ladder with a view of preserving them
intact. He raised the boxes, kneeled on the
ground, scrutinized the holes and made some
measurements. After making a similar ex
amination of the holes near the fence, he and
the baron returned to the boudoir where
Madame d'Imblevalle was waiting for them.
After a short silence Sholmes said :

"At the very outset of your story, baron,
I was surprised at the very simple methods
employed by the thief. To raise a ladder,
cut a window-pane, select a valuable article,
and walk out again — no, that is not the way

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

271

such things are done. All that is too plain,
too simple."

' < Well, what do you think ! ' '

"That the Jewish lamp was stolen under
the direction of Arsene Lupin. "

"Arsene Lupin!" exclaimed the baron.

"Yes, but he did not do it himself, as no
one came from the outside. Perhaps a serv
ant descended from the upper floor by means
of a waterspout that I noticed when I was in
the garden."

"What makes you think so!"

"Arsene Lupin would not leave this room
empty-handed. ' '

' ' Empty-handed ! But he had the lamp. ' '

"But that would not have prevented his
taking that snuff-box, set with diamonds, or
that opal necklace. When he leaves anything,
it is because he can't carry it away."

"But the marks of the ladder outside?"

"A false scent. Placed there simply to
avert suspicion."

"And the scratches on the balustrade?"

' ' A farce ! They were made with a piece of
sandpaper. See, here are scraps of the pa
per that I picked up in the garden."

"And what about the marks made by the
bottom of the ladder?"

272 AESENE LUPIN

< ' Counterfeit ! Examine the two rectangu
lar holes below the window, and the two holes
near the fence. They are of a similar form,
but I find that the two holes near the house
are closer to each other than the two holes
near the fence. What does that fact sug
gest ? To me, it suggested that the four holes
were made by a piece of wood prepared for
the purpose."

44 The better proof would be the piece of
wood itself."

"Here it is," said Sholmes, "I found it in
the garden, under the box of a laurel tree. ' '

The baron bowed to Sholmes in recogni
tion of his skill. Only forty minutes had
elapsed since the Englishman had entered the
house, and he had already exploded all the
theories theretofore formed, and which had
been based on what appeared to be obvious
and undeniable facts. But what now ap
peared to be the real facts of the case rested
upon a more solid foundation, to-wit, the as
tute reasoning of a Herlock Sholmes.

"The accusation which you make against
one of our household is a very serious mat
ter," said the baroness. "Our servants have
been with us a long time and none of them
would betray our trust."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

"If none of tliem lias betrayed you, how
can you explain the fact that I received this
letter on the same day and by the same mail
as the letter you wrote to me?"

He handed to the baroness the letter that
he had received from Arsene Lupin. She ex
claimed, in amazement :

* i Arsene Lupin ! How could he know ? ' '

' ' Did you tell anyone that you had written
tome?"

"No one," replied the baron. "The idea
occurred to us the other evening at the din
ner-table."

"Before the servants?"

' ' No, only our two children. Oh ! no ...
Sophie and Henriette had left the table,
hadn't they, Suzanne?"

Madame d'Imblevalle, after a moment's
reflection, replied :

"Yes, they had gone to Mademoiselle."

"Mademoiselle?" queried Sholmes.

"The governess, Mademoiselle Alice De-
mun. ' '

"Does she take her meals with you?"

"No. Her meals are served in her room."

Wilson had an idea. He said :

"The letter written to my friend Herlock
Sholmes was posted?"

274 ARSENE LUPIN

"Of course."

' ' Who posted it!7'

"Dominique, who has been my valet for
twenty years," replied the baron. "Any
search in that direction would be a waste of
time."

* l One never wastes his time when engaged
in a search, ' ' said Wilson, sententiously.

This preliminary investigation now ended,
and Sholmes asked permission to retire.

At dinner, an hour later, he saw Sophie
and Henriette, the two children of the family,
one was six and the other eight years of age.
There was very little conversation at the
table. Sholmes responded to the friendly
advances of his hosts in such a curt manner
that they were soon reduced to silence. When
the coffee was served, Sholmes swallowed the
contents of his cup, and rose to take his
leave.

At that moment, a servant entered with a
telephone message addressed to Sholmes. He
opened it, and read :

"You have my enthusiastic admiration.
The results attained by you in so short a time
are simply marvellous. I am dismayed.

6 1 AKSENE LUPIN. ' '

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 275

Sholmes made a gesture of indignation and
handed the message to the baron, saying:

"What do you think now, monsieur? Are
the walls of your house furnished with eyes
and ears?"

"I don't understand it," said the baron, in
amazement.

"Nor do I; but I do understand that Lupin
has knowledge of everything that occurs in
this house. He knows every movement, every
word. There is no doubt of it. But how does
he get his information! That is the first
mystery I have to solve, and when I know

that I will know everything."

*****

That night, Wilson retired with the clear
conscience of a man who has performed his
whole duty and thus acquired an undoubted
right to sleep and repose. So he fell asleep
very quickly, and was soon enjoying the most
delightful dreams in which he pursued Lupin
and captured him single-handed ; and the sen
sation was so vivid and exciting that it woke
him from his sleep. Someone was standing
at his bedside. He seized his revolver, and
cried :

"Don't move, Lupin, or I'll fire."

i ' The deuce ! Wilson, what do you mean ? ' '

276 ARSENE LUPIN

"Oh! it is you, Sholmes. Do you want
me!"

"I want to show you something. Get up."

Sholmes led him to the window, and said :

"Look! ... on the other side of the
fence ..."

"In the park?"

"Yes. What do you see?"

"I don't see anything."

"Yes, you do see something."

"Ah! of course, a shadow . . . two of
them."

"Yes, close to the fence. See, they are
moving. Come, quick!"

Quickly they descended the stairs, and
reached a room which opened into the gar
den. Through the glass door they could see
the two shadowy forms in the same place.

"It is very strange," said Sholmes, "but
it seems to me I can hear a noise inside the
house."

"Inside the house? Impossible! Every
body is asleep. ' '

"Well, listen "

At that moment a low whistle came from
the other side of the fence, and they per
ceived a dim light which appeared to comre
from the house.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 277

* * The baron must have turned on the light
in his room. It is just above us."

"That must have been the noise you
heard," said Wilson. "Perhaps they are
watching the fence also."

Then there was a second whistle, softer
than before.

"I don't understand it; I don't under
stand," said Sholmes, irritably.

' ' No more do I, " confessed Wilson.

Sholmes turned the key, drew the bolt, and
quietly opened the door. A third whistle,
louder than before, and modulated to another
form. And the noise above their heads be
came more pronounced. Sholmes said :

"It seems to be on the balcony outside the
boudoir window."

He put his head through the half -opened
door, but immediately recoiled, with a stifled
oath. Then Wilson looked. Quite close to
them there was a ladder, the upper end of
which was resting on the balcony.

"The deuce!" said Sholmes, "there is
someone in the boudoir. That is what we
heard. Quick, let us remove the ladder."

But at that instant a man slid down the
ladder and ran toward the spot where his
accomplices were waiting for him outside the

278 ARSENE LUPIN

fence. He carried the ladder with him.
Sholmes and Wilson pursued the man and
overtook him just as he was placing the lad
der against the fence. From the other side
of the fence two shots were fired.

"Wounded!" cried Sholmes.

"No," replied Wilson.

Wilson seized the man by the body and
tried to hold him, but the man turned and
plunged a knife into Wilson's breast. He
uttered a groan, staggered and fell.

i * Damnation ! ' ' muttered Sholmes, * ' if they
have killed him I will kill them."

He laid Wilson on the grass and rushed
toward the ladder. Too late — the man had
climbed the fence and, accompanied by his
confederates, had fled through the bushes.

"Wilson, Wilson, it is not serious, hein!
Merely a scratch. ' '

The house door opened, and Monsieur
d'lmblevalle appeared, followed by the serv
ants, carrying candles.

"What's the matter!" asked the baron.
"Is Monsieur Wilson wounded?"

"Oh! it's nothing — a mere scratch," re
peated Sholmes, trying to deceive himself.

The blood was, flowing profusely, and Wil
son's face was livid. Twenty minutes later

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 279

the doctor ascertained that the point of the
knife had penetrated to within an inch and a
half of the heart.

i i An inch and a half of the heart ! Wilson
always was lucky I" said Sholmes, in an
envious tone.

i ' Lucky . . . lucky . . . " muttered the
doctor.

i A Of course ! Why, with his robust consti
tution he will soon be out again. ' '

' ' Six weeks in bed and two months of con
valescence. "

"Not more?"

"No, unless complications set in."

" Oh ! the devil ! what does he want compli
cations for?"

Fully reassured, Sholmes joined the baron
in the boudoir. This time the mysterious
visitor had not exercised the same restraint.
Ruthlessly, he had laid his vicious hand upon
the diamond snuff-box, upon the opal neck
lace, and, in a general way, upon everything
that could find a place in the greedy pockets
of an enterprising burglar.

The window was still open ; one of the win
dow-panes had been neatly cut; and, in the
morning, a summary investigation showed

280 ARSE:N-E LUPIN

that the ladder belonged to the house then
in course of construction.

"Now, you can see," said Mon. d'lmble-
valle, with a touch of irony, "it is an exact
repetition of the affair of the Jewish lamp."

"Yes, if we accept the first theory adopted
by the police."

"Haven't you adopted it yet? Doesn't
this second theft shatter your theory in re
gard to the first!"

"It only confirms it, monsieur."

"That is incredible! You have positive
evidence that last night's theft was com
mitted by an outsider, and yet you adhere
to your theory that the Jewish lamp was
stolen by someone in the house."

"Yes, I am sure of it."

' 1 How do you explain it 1 "

"I do not explain anything, monsieur; I
have established two facts which do not ap
pear to have any relation to each other, and
yet I am seeking the missing li'^k that con
nects them."

His conviction seemed to be so earnest and
positive that the baron submitted to it, and
said:

"Very well, we will notify the police

"Not at all!" exclaimed the Englishman,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 281

quickly, "not at all ! I intend to ask for their
assistance when I need it — but not before."
' i But the attack on your friend I ' '
" That's of no consequence. He is only
wounded. Secure the license of the doctor. I
shall be responsible for the legal side of the

affair."

*****

The next two days proved uneventful. Yet
Sholmes was investigating the case with a
minute care, and with a sense of wounded
pride resulting from that audacious theft,
committed under his nose, in spite of his pres
ence and beyond his power to prevent it. He
made a thorough investigation of the house
and garden, interviewed the servants, and
paid lengthy visits to the kitchen and stables.
And, although his efforts were fruitless, he
did not despair.

ill will succeed," he thought, "and the so
lution must be sought within the walls of this
house. This affair is quite different from
that of the blonde Lady, where I had to work
in the dark, on unknown ground. This time
I am on the battlefield itself. The enemy is
not the elusive and invisible Lupin, but the
accomplice, in flesh and blood, who lives and
moves within the confines of this house. Let

282 ARSENE LUPIX

ine secure the slightest cine and the game is
mine ! J '

That clue was furnished to him by accident.

On the afternoon of the third day, when he
entered a room located above the boudoir,
which served as a study for the children, he
found Henriette, the younger of the two sis
ters. She was looking for her scissors.

4 i You know, ' ' she said to Sholmes, i 1 1 make
papers like that you received the other eve-

5 ?

nmg.

"The other evening !"

"Yes, just as dinner was over, you received
a paper with marks on it ... you know, a
telegram. . . . Well, I make them, too."

She left the room. To anyone else these
words would seem to be nothing more than
the insignificant remark of a child, and
Sholmes himself listened to them with a dis
tracted air and continued his investigation.
But, suddenly, he ran after the child, and
overtook her at the head of the stairs. He
said to her :

"So you paste stamps and marks on pa
pers?"

Henriette, very proudly, replied :

"Yes, I cut them out and paste them on."

"Who taught you that little game?"

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 283

' * Mademoiselle . . . my governess ... I
have seen her do it often. She takes words
out of the newspapers and pastes them—

•'What does she make out of them?"

"Telegrams and letters that she sends
away. ' '

Herlock Sholmes returned to the study,
greatly puzzled hy the information and seek
ing to draw from it a logical deduction. There
was a pile of newspapers on the mantel. He
opened them and found that many words
and, in some places, entire lines had been
cut out. But, after reading a few of the
word's which preceded or followed, he de
cided that the missing words had heen cut
out at random — probably by the child. It
was possible that one of the newspapers had
been cut by mademoiselle ; but how could he
assure himself that such was the case f

Mechanically, Sholmes turned over the
school-books on the table ; then others which
were lying on the shelf of a bookcase. Sud-
deny he uttered a cry of joy. In a corner of
the bookcase, under a pile of old exercise
books, he found a child's alphabet-book, in
which the letters were ornamented with pic
tures, and on one of the pages of that book
he discovered a place where a word had been

284 ARSENE LUPIN

removed. He examined it. It was a list of
the days of the week. Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, etc. The word t * Saturday ' ' was
missing. Now, the theft of the Jewish lamp
had occurred on a Saturday night.

Sholmes experienced that slight fluttering
of the heart which always announced to him,
in the clearest manner, that he had discov
ered the road which leads to victory. That
ray of truth, that feeling of certainty, never
deceived him.

With nervous fingers he hastened to exam
ine the balance of the book. Very soon he
made another discovery. It was a page com
posed of capital letters, followed by a line of
figures. Nine of those letters and three of
those figures had been carefully cut out.
Sholmes made a list of the missing letters
and figures in his memorandum book, in
alphabetical and numerical order, and ob
tained the following result :

CDEHNOPEZ— 237.

' * Well ! at first sight, it is a rather formida
ble puzzle/' he murmured, "but, by transpos
ing the letters and using all of them, is it pos
sible to form one, two or three complete
words f"

Sholmes tried it, in vain.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 285

Only one solution seemed possible ; it con
stantly appeared before him, no matter which
way he tried to juggle the letters, until, at
length, he was satisfied it was the true solu
tion, since it harmonized with the logic of the
facts and the general circumstances of the
case.

As that page of the book did not contain
any duplicate letters it was probable, in fact
quite certain, that the words he could form
from those letters would be incomplete, and
that the original words had been completed
with letters taken from other pages. Under
those conditions he obtained the following so
lution, errors and omissions excepted :
REPOND Z— CH— 237.

The first word was quite clear: repondez
[reply], a letter E is missing because it oc
curs twice in the word, and the book furnished
only one letter of each kind.

As to the second incomplete word, no doubt
it formed, with the aid of the number 237, an
address to which the reply was to be sent.
They appointed Saturday as the time, and re
quested a reply to be sent to the address CH.
237.

Or, perhaps, CH. 237 was an address for a
letter to be sent to the "general delivery " of

286 ARSENE LUPIN

some postoffice, or, again, they might form a
part of some incomplete word. Sholmes
searched the book once more, but did not dis
cover that any other letters had been re
moved. Therefore, until further orders, he
decided to adhere to the foregoing interpreta
tion.

Henriette returned and observed what he
was doing.

"Amusing, isn't it I"

"Yes, very amusing," he replied. "But,
have you any other papers! . . . Or, rather,
words already cut out that I can paste?"

i ' Papers ? ... No ... And Mademoseille
wouldn't like it."

"Mademoiselle?"

"Yes, she has scolded me already."

"Why?"

' ' Because I have told you some things . . .
and she says that a person should never tell
things about those they love."

"You are quite right."

Henriette was delighted to receive his ap
probation, in fact so highly pleased that she
took from a little silk bag that was pinned to
her dress some scraps of cloth, three buttons,
two cubes of sugar and, lastly, a piece of pa
per which she handed to Sholmes.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 287

"See, I give it to you just the same."

It was the number of a cab — 8,279.

4 ' Where did this number come from I ' '

"It fell out of her pocketbook."

"When?"

4 ' Sunday, at mass, when she was taking out
some sous for the collection."

"Exactly! And now I shall tell you how
to keep from being scolded again. Do not tell
Mademoiselle that you saw me."

Sholmes then went to Mon. d'Imblevalle
and questioned him in regard to Mademoi
selle, The baron replied, indignantly :

"Alice Demun ! How can you imagine such
a thing! It is utterly impossible !"

"How long has she been in your service?"

"Only a year, but there is no one in the
house in whom I have greater confidence. ' '

"Why have I not seen her yet?"

"She has been away for a few days."

"But she is here now."

"Yes ; since her return she has been watch
ing at the bedside of your friend. She has all
the qualities of a nurse . . . gentle . . .
thoughtful . . . Monsieur Wilson seems
much pleased ..."

"Ah!" said Sholmes, who had completely

288 ARSENE LUPIN

neglected to inquire about his friend. After
a moment's reflection he asked :

"Did she go out on Sunday morning?"

"The day after the theft?"

"Yes." "

The baron called his wife and asked her.
She replied :

"Mademoiselle went to the eleven o'clock
mass with the children, as usual."

"But before that?"

"Before that? No. . . . Let me see!
... I was so upset by the theft . . . but
I remember now that, on the evening before,
she asked permission to go out on Sunday
morning ... to see a cousin who was pass
ing through Paris, I think. But, surely, you
don't suspect her?"

"Of course not . . . but I would like to
see her."

He went to Wilson's room. A woman
dressed in a gray cloth dress, as in the hos
pitals, was bending over the invalid, giving
him a drink. When she turned her face
Sholmes recognized her as the young girl who
had accosted him at the railway station.

Alice Demun smiled sweetly ; her great seri
ous, innocent eyes showed no sign of em
barrassment. The Englishman tried to speak,

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 289

muttered a few syllables, and stopped. Then
she resumed her work, acting quite naturally
under Sholmes' astonished gaze, moved the
bottles, unrolled and rolled cotton bandages,
and again regarded Sholmes with her charm
ing smile of pure innocence.

He turned on his heels, descended the
stairs, noticed Mon. d'Imblevalle's automo
bile in the courtyard, jumped into it, and
went to Levallois, to the office of the cab com
pany whose address was printed on the paper
he had received from Henriette. The man
who had driven carriage number 8,279 on
Sunday morning not being there, Sholmes dis
missed the automobile and waited for the
man's return. He told Sholmes that he had
picked up a woman in the vicinity of the Pare
Monceau, a young woman dressed in black,
wearing a heavy veil, and, apparently, quite
nervous.

"Did she have a package?"

"Yes, quite a long package."

' ' Where did you take her 1 ' '

"Avenue des Ternes, corner of the Place
Saint-Ferdinand. She remained there about
ten minutes, and then returned to the Pare
Monceau."

290 ARSENE LUPIN"

i i Could you recognize the house in the ave
nue des Ternes?"

' ' Parhleu ! Shall I take you there I ' '

"Presently. First take me to 36 quai des
Orfevres."

At the police office he saw Detective Gani-
mard.

"Monsieur Ganimard, are you at liberty !"

"If it has anything to do with Lupin —
no!"

"It has something to do with Lupin. "

"Then I do not go."

' l What ! you surrender ' '

' 1 1 bow to the inevitable. I am tired of the
unequal struggle, in which we are sure to be
defeated. Lupin is stronger than I am —
stronger than the two of us; therefore, we
must surrender."

' i I will not surrender. ' '

"He will make you, as he has all others."

"And you would be pleased to see it — eh,
Ganimard!"

"At all events, it is true," said Ganimard,
frankly. "And since you are determined to
pursue the game, I will go with you. ' '

Together they entered the carriage and
were driven to the avenue des Ternes. Upon
their order the carriage stopped on the other

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 291

side of the street, at some distance from the
house, in front of a little cafe, on the terrace
of which the two men took seats amongst the
shrubbery. It was commencing to grow dark.

"Waiter," said Sholmes, "some writing
material. ' '

He wrote a note, recalled the waiter and
gave him the letter with instructions to de-
liver it to the concierge of the house which
he pointed out.

In a few minutes the concierge stood be
fore them. Sholmes asked him if, on the Sun
day morning, he had seen a young woman
dressed in black.

"In black! Yes, about nine o'clock. She
went to the second floor."

* ' Have you seen her often 1 ' '

"No, but for some time — well, during the
last few weeks, I have seen her almost every
day."

"And since Sunday!"

"Only once . . . until to-day."

* ' What ! Did she come to-day ? ' '

"She is here now."

"Here now?"

"Yes, she came about ten minutes ago. Her
carriage is standing in the Place Saint-Ferdi
nand, as usual. I met her at the door. ' '

292 ARSENE LUPIN

"Who is the occupant of the second floor ?"

4 ' There are two : a modiste, Mademoiselle
Langeais, and a gentleman who rented two
furnished rooms a month ago under the name
of Bresson."

"Why do you say: 'under the name'?"

"Because I have an idea that it is an as
sumed name. My wife takes care of his
rooms, and . . . well, there are not two
shirts there with the same initials/'

"Is he there much of the time!"

"No ; he is nearly always out. He has not
been here for three days. ' '

6 ' Was he here on Saturday night ? ' '

"Saturday night? . . . Let me think.
. . . Yes, Saturday night, he came in and
stayed all night."

"What sort of a man is he?"

"Well, I can scarcely answer that. He is
so changeable. He is, by turns, big, little, fat,
thin . . . dark and light. I do not always
recognize him. ' '

Ganimard and Sholmes exchanged looks.

"That is he, all right," said Ganimard.

" Ah ! " said the concierge, ' * there is the girl
now. ' '

Mademoiselle had just emerged from the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 293

house and was walking toward her carriage
in the Place Saint-Ferdinand.

" And there is Monsieur Bresson."
"Monsieur Bresson? Which is he?"
"The man with the parcel under his arm."
* ' But he is not looking after the girl. She
is going to her carriage alone."

"Yes, I have never seen them together."
The two detectives had arisen. By the light
of the street-lamps they recognized the form
of Arsene Lupin, who had started off in a di
rection opposite to that taken by the girl.

"Which will you follow?" asked Gani-
mard.

"I will follow him, of course. He's the big
gest game."

"Then I will follow the girl," proposed
Ganimard.

"No, no," said Sholmes, quickly, who did
not wish to disclose the girl's identity to
Ganimard, "I know where to find her. Come
with me."

They followed Lupin at a safe distance, tak
ing care to conceal themselves as well as pos
sible amongst the moving throng and behind
the newspaper kiosks. They found the pur
suit an easy one, as he walked steadily for
ward without turning to the right or left, but

294 ARSENE LUPIN

with a slight limp in the right leg, so slight
as to require the keen eye of a professional
observer to detect it. Ganimard observed it,
and said :

4 1 He is pretending to be lame. Ah! if we
could only collect two or three policemen and
pounce on our man ! We run a chance to lose
him."

But they did not meet any policemen before
they reached the Porte des Ternes, and, hav
ing passed the fortifications, there was no
prospect of receiving any assistance.

"We had better separate," said Sholmes,
' ' as there are so few people on the street. ' '

They were now on the Boulevard Victor-
Hugo. They walked one on each side of the
street, and kept well in the shadow of the
trees. They continued thus for twenty min
utes, when Lupin turned to the left and fol
lowed the Seine. Very soon they saw him de
scend to the edge of the river. He remained
there only a few seconds, but they could not
observe his movements. Then Lupin retraced
his steps. His pursuers concealed themselves
in the shadow of a gateway. Lupin passed in
front of them. His parcel had disappeared.
And as he walked away another man emerged

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

from the shelter of a house and glided
amongst the trees.

"He seems to be following him also," said
Sholmes, in a low voice.

The pursuit continued, but was now embar
rassed by the presence of the third man. Lu
pin returned the same way, passed through
the Porte des Ternes, and re-entered the
house in the avenue des Ternes.

The concierge was closing the house for the
night when Ganimard presented himself.

"Did you see him!"

"Yes," replied the concierge, "I was put
ting out the gas on the landing when he closed
and bolted his door."

6 ' Is there any person with him 1 ' '

"No; he has no servant. He never eats
here."

"Is there a servants' stairway?"

"No."

Ganimard said to Sholmes:

"I had better stand at the door of his room
while you go for the commissary of police in
the rue Demours."

"And if he should escape during that
time?" said Sholmes.

"While I am here! He can't escape."

296 ARSENE LUPIN

"One to one, with Lupin, is not an even
chance for you. ' '

"Well, I can't force the door. I have no
right to do that, especially at night. ' '

Sholmes shrugged his shoulders and said :

"When you arrest Lupin no one will ques
tion the methods by which you made the ar
rest. However, let us go up and ring, and see
what happens then."

They ascended to the second floor. There
was a double door at the left of the landing.
Ganimard rang the bell. No reply. He rang
again. Still no reply.

"Let us go in," said Sholmes.

"All right, come on," replied Ganimard.

Yet, they stood still> irresolute. Like peo
ple who hesitate when they ought to accom
plish a decisive action they feared to move,
and it seemed to them impossible that Ar-
sene Lupin was there, so close to them, on
the other side of that fragile door that could
be broken down by one blow of the fist. But
they knew Lupin too well to suppose that he
would allow himself to be trapped in that
stupid manner. No, no — a thousand times, no
—Lupin was no longer there. Through the
adjoining houses, -over the roofs, by some con
veniently prepared exit, he must have already

VERSUS IIEBLOCK SHOLMES 297

made his escape, and, once more, it would only
be Lupin's shadow that they would seize.

They shuddered as a slight noise, coming
from the other side of the door, reached their
ears. Then they had the impression, amount
ing almost to a certainty, that he was there,
separated from them by that frail wooden
door, and that he was listening to them, that
he could hear them.

What was to be done I The situation was a
serious one. In spite of their vast experience
as detectives, they were so nervous and ex
cited that they thought they could hear the
beating of their own hearts. Ganimard ques
tioned Sholmes by a look. Then he struck the
door a violent blow with his fist. Immediately
they heard the sound of footsteps, concerning
which there was no attempt at concealment.

Ganimard shook the door. Then he and
Sholmes, uniting their efforts, rushed at the
door, and burst it open with their shoulders.
Then they stood still, in surprise. A shot
had been fired in the adjoining room. An
other shot, and the sound of a falling body.

When they entered they saw the man lying
on the floor with his face toward the marble
mantel. His revolver had fallen from his
hand. Ganimard stooped and turned the

298 ARSENE LUPIN

man's head. The face was covered with
blood, which was flowing from two wounds,
one in the cheek, the other in the temple.

"You can't recognize him for blood."

"No matter!" said Sholmes. "It is not
Lupin."

"How do you know! You haven't even
looked at him."

"Do you think that Arsene Lupin is the
kind of a man that would kill himself!" asked
Sholmes, with a sneer.

"But we thought we recognized him out
side."

"We thought so, because the wish was
father to the thought. That man has us be
witched."

"Then it must be one of his accomplices."

"The accomplices of Arsene Lupin do not
kill themselves."

"Well, then, who is it?"

They searched the corpse. In one pocket
Herlock Sholmes found an empty pocketbook ;
in another Ganimard found several louis.
There were no marks of identification on any
part of his clothing. In a trunk and two va
lises they found nothing but wearing apparel.
On the mantel there was a pile of newspapers.
Ganimard opened them. All of them con-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 299

tained articles referring to the theft of the
Jewish lamp.

An hour later, when Ganimard and
Sholmes left the house, they had acquired no
further knowledge of the strange individual
who had been driven to suicide by their un
timely visit.

Who was he! Why had he killed himself?
What was his connection with the affair of
the Jewish lamp? Who had followed him on
his return from the river? The situation in
volved many complex questions — many mys
teries—

*****

Herlock Sholmes went to bed in a very bad
humor. Early next morning he received the
following telephonic message :

"Arsene Lupin has the honor to inform
you of his tragic death in the person of Mon
sieur Bresson, and requests the honor of your
presence at the funeral service and burial,
which will be held at the public expense on
Thursday, 25 June,"

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SHIPWKECK.

HAT'S what I don't like, Wilson,"
said Herlock Sholmes, after he had
read Arsene Lupin's message; "that
is what exasperates me in this affair — to feel
that the cunning, mocking eye of that fellow
follows me everywhere. He sees everything ;
he knows everything; he reads my inmost
thoughts ; he even foresees my slightest move
ment. Ah! he is possessed of a marvellous
intuition, far surpassing that of the most in
stinctive woman, yes, surpassing even that of
Herlock Sholmes himself. Nothing escapes
him. I resemble an actor whose every step
and movement are directed by a stage-man
ager ; who says this and does that in obedience
to a superior will. That is my position. Do
you understand, Wilson?"

Certainly Wilson would have understood
if his faculties had not been deadened by the
profound slumber of a man whose tempera
ture varies between one hundred and one hun
dred and three degrees. But whether he

300

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 301

heard or not was a matter of no consequence
to Herlock Sholmes, who continued :

" 1 have to concentrate all my energy and
bring all my resources into action in order to
make the slightest progress. And, for
tunately for me, those petty annoyances are
like so many pricks from a needle and serve
only to stimulate me. As soon as the heat
of the wound is appeased and the shock to
my vanity has subsided I say to myself:
'Amuse yourself, my dear fellow, but remem
ber that he who laughs last laughs best.
Sooner or later you will betray yourself.' For
you know, Wilson, it was Lupin himself, who,
by his first dispatch and the observation that
it suggested to little Henriette, disclosed to
oae the secret of his correspondence with Alice
Demun. Have you forgotten that circum
stance, dear boy!"

But Wilson was asleep ; and Sholmes, pac
ing to and fro, resumed his speech :

"And, now, things are not in a bad shape;
a little obscure, perhaps, but the light is
creeping in. In the first place, I must learn
all about Monsieur Bresson. Ganimard and
I will visit the bank of the river, at the spot
where Bresson threw away the package, and
the particular role of that gentleman will be

302 ARSENE LUPIN

known to me. After that the game will be
played between me and Alice Demun. Bather
a light-weight opponent, hein, Wilson! And
do you not think that I will soon know the
phrase represented by the letters clipped
from the alphabet-book, and what the isolated
letter s— the * ' C ' ' and the ' l H ' '—mean I That
is all I want to know, Wilson."

Mademoiselle entered at that moment, and,
observing Sholmes gesticulating, she said, in
her sweetest manner :

i i Monsieur Sholmes, I must scold you if you
waken my patient. It isn't nice of you to dis
turb him. The doctor has ordered absolute
rest."

He looked at her in silence, astonished, as
on their first meeting, at her wonderful self-
possession.

"Why do you look at me so, Monsieur
Sholmes? . . . You seem to be trying to
read my thoughts. ... No! ... Then
what is it?"

She questioned him with the most innocent
expression on her pretty face and in her frank
blue eyes. A smile played upon her lips ; and
she displayed so much unaffected candor that
the Englishman almost lost his temper. He
approached her and said, in a low voice :

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 303

"Bresson killed himself last night.'7

She affected not to understand him ; so he
repeated :

"Bresson killed himself yesterday. . . . '

She did not show the slightest emotion ; she
acted as if the matter did not concern or in
terest her in any way.

"You have been informed/* said Sholmes,
displaying his annoyance. "Otherwise, the
news would have caused you to start, at least.
Ah! you are stronger than I expected. But
what 's the use of your trying to conceal any
thing from me?"

He picked up the alphabet-book, which he
had placed on a convenient table, and, open
ing it at the mutilated page, said :

"Will you tell me the order in which the
missing letters should be arranged in order
to express the exact wording of the message
you sent to Bresson four days before the theft
of the Jewish lamp ! ' '

"The order? . . . Bresson! . . . the theft
of the Jewish lamp ? ' '

She repeated the words slowly, as if trying
to grasp their meaning. He continued :

"Yes. Here are the letters employed . . .
on this bit of paper. . . . What did you say
to Bresson ?"

304 ARSENE LUPIN

"The letters employed . . . what did I
say.

Suddenly she burst into laughter :

"Ah! that is it! I understand! I am an
accomplice in the crime ! There is a Monsieur
Bresson who stole the Jewish lamp and who
has now committed suicide. And I am the
friend of that gentleman. Oh ! how absurd
you are!"

"Whom did you go to see last night on the
second floor of a house in the avenue des
Ternes?"

"Who? My modiste, Mademoiselle Lan-
geais. Do you suppose that my modiste and
my friend Monsieur Bresson are the same
person ?"

Despite all he knew, Sholmes was now in
doubt. A person can feign terror, joy,
anxiety, in fact all emotions; but a person
cannot feign absolute indifference or light,
careless laughter. Yet he continued to ques
tion her :

"Why did you accost me the other evening
at the Northern Railway station? And why
did you entreat me to leave Paris immedi
ately without investigating this theft?"

"Ah! you are too inquisitive, Monsieur
Sholmes," she replied, still laughing in the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 305

most natural manner. ' i To punish you I will
tell you nothing, and, besides, you must watch
the patient while I go to the pharmacy on an
urgent message. Au revoir."

She left the room.

"I am beaten . . . by a girl," muttered
Sholmes. l ' Not only did I get nothing out of
her but I exposed my hand and put her on
her guard. ' '

And he recalled the affair of the blue dia
mond and his first interview with Clotilde
Destange. Had not the blonde Lady met his
question with the same unruffled serenity, and
was he not once more face to face with one of
those creatures who, under the protection and
influence of Arsene Lupin, maintain the ut
most coolness in the face of a terrible danger?

4 < Sholmes . . . Sholmes . . . "

It was Wilson who called him. Sholmes
approached the bed, and, leaning over, said :

"What's the matter, Wilson! Does your
wound pain you?"

Wilson's lips moved, but he could not
speak. At last, with a great effort, he stam
mered :

"No . . . Sholmes ... it is not she
. . . that is impossible—

"Come, Wilson, what do you know about

306 ARSENE LUPIN

it ! I tell you that it is she ! It is only when
I meet one of Lupin's creatures, prepared
and instructed by him, that I lose my head
and make a fool of myself. ... I bet you
that within an hour Lupin will know all about
our interview. Within an hour 1 What am I
saying! . . . Why, he may know already.
The visit to the pharmacy . . . urgent mes
sage. All nonsense ! . . . She has gone to
telephone to Lupin."

Sholmes left the house hurriedly, went
down the avenue de Messine, and was just in
time to see Mademoiselle enter a pharmacy.
Ten minutes later she emerged from the shop
carrying some small packages and a bottle
wrapped in white paper. But she had not
proceeded far, when she was accosted by a
man who, with hat in hand and an obsequious
air, appeared to be asking for charity. She
stopped, gave him something, and proceeded
on her way.

"She spoke to him," said the Englishman
to himself.

If not a certainty, it was at least an in
tuition, and quite sufficient to cause him to
change his tactics. Leaving the girl to pur
sue her own course, he followed the suspected
mendicant, who walked slowly to the avenue

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 307

des Ternes and lingered for a long time
around the house in which Bresson had lived,
sometimes raising his eyes to the windows
of the second floor and watching the people
who entered the house.

At the end of an hour he climbed to the top
of a tramcar going in the direction of Neuilly.
Sholmes followed and took a seat behind the
man, and beside a gentleman who was con
cealed behind the pages of a newspaper. At
the fortifications the gentleman lowered the
paper, and Shomies recognized Ganimard,
who thereupon whispered, as he pointed to
the man in front :

4 'It is the man who followed Bresson last
night. He has been watching the house for
an hour. ' '

''Anything new in regard to Bresson V9
asked Sholmes.

"Yes, a letter came to his address this
morning. ' '

"This morning? Then it was posted yes
terday before the sender could know of Bres
son's death."

"Exactly. It is now in the possession of
the examining magistrate. But I read it. It
says : He will not accept any compromise. He
wants everything — the first thing as icell as

308 ARSEtfE LUPIN

those of the second affair. Otherwise he will
proceed."

' i There is no signature, ' ' added Ganimard.
f ' It seems to me those few lines won't help us
much. ' '

"I don't agree with you, Monsieur Gani
mard. To me those few lines are very inter
esting. ' '

' ' Why so! I can't see it."

i i For reasons that are personal to me, ' ' re
plied Sholmes, with the indifference that he
frequently displayed toward his colleague.

The tramcar stopped at the rue de Chateau,
which was the terminus. The man descended
and walked away quietly. Sholmes followed
at so short a distance that Ganimard pro
tested, saying:

"If he should turn around he will suspect
us."

44 He will not turn around."

"How do you know?"

"He is an accomplice of Arsene Lupin, and
the fact that he walks in that manner, with
his hands in his pockets, proves, in the first
place, that he knows he is being followed
and, in the second place, that he is not
afraid."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 309

"But I think we are keeping too close to
him.11

"Not too close to prevent his slipping
through our fingers. He is too sure of him
self. "

"Ah! Look there! In front of that cafe
there are two of the bicycle police. If I sum
mon them to our assistance, how can the man
slip through our fingers V

"Well, our friend doesn't seem to be wor
ried about it. In fact, he is asking for their
assistance himself. "

"Mon Dieu!" exclaimed Ganimard, "he
has a nerve."

The man approached the two policemen
just as they were mounting their bicycles.
After a few words with them he leaped on a
third bicycle, which was leaning against the
wall of the cafe, and rode away at a fast pace,
accompanied by the two policemen.

"Hein! one, two, three and away !" growled
Sholmes. ' ' And through whose agency, Mon
sieur Ganimard? Two of your colleagues.
. . . Ah! but Arsene Lupin has a wonder
ful organization! Bicycle policemen in his
service! ... I told you our man was too
calm, too sure of himself."

"Well, then," said Ganimard, quite vexed,

310 ARSLNE LUPIN

"what are we to do now? It is easy enough
to laugh ! Anyone can do that. ' '

' * Come, come, don't lose your temper ! We
will get our revenge. But, in the meantime,
we need reinforcements."

' ' Folenf ant is waiting for me at the end of
the avenue de Neuilly. ' '

"Well, go and get him and join me later.
I will follow our fugitive."

Sholmes followed the bicycle tracks, which
were plainly visible in the dust of the road
as two of the machines were furnished with
striated tires. Very soon he ascertained that
the tracks were leading him to the edge of the
Seine, and that the three men had turned in
the direction taken by Bresson on the pre
ceding evening. Thus he arrived at the gate
way where he and Ganimard had concealed
themselves, and, a little farther on, he dis
covered a mingling of the bicycle tracks which
showed that the men had halted at that spot'.
Directly opposite there was a little point of
land which projected into the river and, at
the extremity thereof, an old boat was
moored.

It was there that Bresson had thrown away
the package, or, rather, had dropped it.
Sholmes descended the bank and saw that

VERSUS HERLOCZ SHOLMES 311

the declivity was not steep and the water
quite shallow, so it would be quite easy to
recover the package, provided the three men
had not forestalled him.

' ' No, that can 't be, ' ' he thought, ' * they have
not had time. A quarter of an hour at the
most. And yet, why did they come this
way?"

A fisherman was seated on the old boat.
Sholmes asked him :

"Did you see three men on bicycles a few
minutes ago?"

The fisherman made a negative gesture.
But Sholines insisted :

"Three men who stopped on the road just
on top of the bank?"

The fisherman rested his pole under his
arm, took a memorandum book from his
pocket, wrote on one of the pages, tore it out,
and handed it to Sholmes. The Englishman
gave a start of surprise. In the middle of the
paper which he held in his hand he saw the
series of letters cut from the alphabet-book :
CDEHNOPEZEO— 237.

The man resumed his fishing, sheltered
from the sun by a large straw hat, with his
coat and vest lying beside him. He was in-

312 ABSENE LUPIN

tently watching the cork attached to his line
as it floated on the surface of the water.

There was a moment of silence — solemn
and terrible.

"Is it he?" conjectured Sholmes, with an
anxiety that was almost pitiful. Then the
truth burst upon him :

" It is he! It is he! No one else could re
main there so calmly, without the slightest
display of anxiety, without the least fear of
what might happen. And who else would
know the story of those mysterious letters?
Alice had warned him by means of her mes
senger. "

Suddenly the Englishman felt that his hand
—that his own hand had involuntarily seized
the handle of his revolver, and that his eyes
were fixed on the man's back, a little below
the neck. One movement, and the drama
would be finished; the life of the strange
adventurer would come to a miserable end.

The fisherman did not stir.

Sholmes nervously toyed with his revolver,
and experienced a wild desire to fire it and
end everything ; but the horror of such an act
was repugnant to his nature. Death would
be certain and would end all.

"Ah!" he thought, "let him get up and de-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 313

fend himself. If lie doesn't, so much the
worse for him. One second more . . . and
I fire. ..."

But a sound of footsteps behind him caused
him to turn his head. It was Ganimard com
ing with some assistants.

Then, quickly changing his plans, Sholmes
leaped into the boat, which was broken from
its moorings by his sudden action ; he pounced
upon the man and seized him around the body.
They rolled to the bottom of the boat to
gether.

"Well, now!" exclaimed Lupin, struggling
to free himself, "what does this mean? When
one of us has conquered the other, what good
will it do? You will not know what to do
with me, nor I with you. We will remain
here like two idiots."

The two oars slipped into the water. The
boat drifted into the stream.

< ' Good Lord, what a fuss you make ! A man
of your age ought to know better ! You act
like a child."

Lupin succeeded in freeing himself from
the grasp of the detective, who, thoroughly
exasperated and ready to kill, put his hand
in his pocket. He uttered an oath: Lupin
had taken his revolver. Then he knelt down

314 ARSEXE LUPIN

and tried to capture one of the lost oars in
order to regain the shore, while Lupin was
trying to capture the other oar in order to
drive the boat down the river.

"It's gone! I can't reach it," said Lupin.
"But it's of no consequence. If you get your
oar I can prevent your using it. And you
could do the same to me. But, you see, that
is the way in this world, we act without any
purpose or reason, as our efforts are in vain
since Fate decides everything. Now, don't
you see, Fate is on the side of his friend Lu
pin. The game is mine! The current favors
me!"

The boat was slowly drifting down the
river.

"Look out!" cried Lupin, quickly.

Someone on the bank was pointing a re
volver. Lupin stooped, a shot was fired; it
struck the water beyond the boat. Lupin
burst into laughter.

' ' God bless me ! It 's my friend Ganimard !
But it was very wrong of you to do that,
Ganimard. You have no right to shoot ex
cept in self-defense. Does poor Lupin worry
you so much that you forget yourself! . . .
Now, be good, and don't shoot again! . . .
If you do you will hit our English friend."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

He stood behind Sholmes, facing Ganimard,
and said :

* * Now, Ganimard, I am ready ! Aim for his
heart! . . . Higher! . . . A little to the left.
. . . Ah ! you missed that time . . . deuced
bad shot. . . . Try again. . . . Your hand
shakes, Ganimard. . . . Now, once more . . .
one, two, three, fire ! . . . Missed ! . . . Par-
bleu! the authorities furnish you with toy-
pistols."

Lupin drew a long revolver and fired with
out taking aim. Ganimard put his hand to his
hat : the bullet had passed through it.

4 '"What do you think of that, Ganimard?
Ah! that's a real revolver! A genuine Eng
lish bulldog. It belongs to my friend, Her-
iock Sholmes."

And, with a laugh, he threw the revolver to
the shore, where it landed at Ganimard 's feet.

Sholmes could not withhold a smile of ad
miration. What a torrent of youthful spirits !
And how he seemed to enjoy himself ! It ap
peared as if the sensation of peril caused him
a physical pleasure; and this extraordinary
man had no other purpose in life than to seek
for dangers simply for the amusement it af
forded him in avoiding them.

Many people had now gathered on the

316 ARSENE LUPIN

banks of the river, and Ganimard and his men
followed the boat as it slowly floated down
the stream. Lupin's capture was a mathe
matical certainty.

4 ' Confess, old fellow, ' ' said Lupin, turning
to the Englishman, "that you would not ex
change your present position for all the gold
in the Transvaal! You are now in the first
row of the orchestra chairs ! But, in the fifst
place, we must have the prologue . . . after
which we can leap, at one bound, to the fifth
act of the drama, which will represent the
capture or escape of Arsene Lupin. There
fore, I am going to ask you a plain question,
to which I request a plain answer — a simple
yes or no. Will you renounce this affair? At
present I can repair the damage you have
done ; later it will be beyond my power. Is it
a bargain?"

"No."

Lupin's face showed his disappointment
and annoyance. He continued:

"I insist. More for your sake than my
own, I insist, because I am certain you will
be the first to regret your intervention. For
the last time, yes or no ? "

"No."

Lupin stooped down, removed one of the

VERSUS HERLOCK SIIOLMES

boards in the bottom of the boat, and, for
some minutes, was engaged in a work the na
ture of which Sholmes could not discern.
Then he arose, seated himself beside the Eng
lishman, and said:

"I believe, monsieur, that we came to the
river to-day for the same purpose : to recover
the object which Bresson threw away. For
my part I had invited a few friends to join
me here, and I was on the point of making an
examination of the bed of the river when my
friends announced your approach. I confess
that the news did not surprise me, as I have
been notified every hour concerning the prog
ress of your investigation. That was an easy
matter. Whenever anything occurred in the
rue Murillo that might interest me, simply a
ring on the telephone and I was informed."

He stopped. The board that he had dis
placed in the bottom of the boat was rising
and water was working into the boat all
around it.

"The deuce! I didn't know how to fix it.
I was afraid this old boat would leak. You
are not afraid, monsieur!"

Sholmes shrugged his shoulders. Lupin
continued :

"You will understand then, in those cir-

318 ARSENE LUPIN

cumstances, and knowing in advance that you
would be more eager to seek a battle than I
would be to avoid it, I assure you I was not
entirely displeased to enter into a contest of
which the issue is quite certain, since I hold
all the trump cards in my hand. And I de
sired that our meeting should be given the
widest publicity in order that your defeat
may be universally known, so that another
Countess de Crozon or another Baron d'lm
blevalle may not be tempted to solicit your
aid against me. Besides, my dear mon
sieur "

He stopped again and, using his half-
closed hands as a lorgnette, he scanned the
banks of the river.

* ' Mon Dieu ! they have chartered a superb
boat, a real war-vessel, and see how they are
rowing. In five minutes they will be along
side, and I am lost. Monsieur Sholmes, a
word of advice ; you seize me, bind me and de
liver me to the officers of the law. Does that
programme please you? . . . Unless, in the
meantime, we are shipwrecked, in which event
we can do nothing but prepare our wills.
What do you think? "

They exchanged looks. Sholmes now un
derstood Lupin's scheme: he had scuttled the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 319

boat. And the water was rising. It had
reached the soles of their boots. Then it
covered their feet; but they did not move.
It was half-way to their knees. The Eng
lishman took out his tobacco, rolled a ciga
rette, and lighted it. Lupin continued to
talk:

41 But do not regarcl that offer as a confes
sion of my weakness. I surrender to you in a
battle in which I can achieve a victory in or
der to avoid a struggle upon a field not of my
own choosing. In so doing I recognize the
fact that Sholmes is the only enemy I fear,
and announce my anxiety that Sholmes will
not be diverted from my track. I take this
opportunity to tell you these things since
Fate has accorded me the honor of a conver
sation with you. I have only one regret ; it is
that our conversation should have occurred
while we are taking a foot-bath ... a situ
ation that is lacking in dignity, I must con
fess. . . . What did I say? Afoot-bath? It
is worse than that.'7

The water had reached the board on which
they were sitting, and the boat was gradually
sinking.

Sholmes, smoking his cigarette, appeared
to be calmly admiring the scenery. For noth-

320 ARSENE

ing in the world, while face to face with that
man who, while threatened by dangers, sur-
rounded by a crowd, followed by a posse of
police, maintained his equanimity and good
humor, for nothing in the world would he,
Sholmes, display the slightest sign of
nervousness.

Each of them looked as if he might say:
Should a person be disturbed by such trifles?
Are not people drowned in a river every day ?
Is it such an unusual event as to deserve
special attention! One chatted, whilst the
other dreamed; both concealing their
wounded pride beneath a mask of indiffer
ence.

One minute more and the boat will sink.
Lupin continued his chatter :

"The important thing to know is whether
we will sink before or after the arrival of
the champions of the law. That is the main
question. As to our shipwreck, that is a fore
gone conclusion. Now, monsieur, the hour
has come in which we must make our wills.
I give, devise and bequeath all my property
to Herlock Sholmes, a citizen of England, for
his own use and benefit. But, mon Dieu, how
quickly tho champions of the law are ap
proaching! Ah! the brave fellows! It is a

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 321

pleasure to watch them. Observe the pre
cision of the oars! Ah! is it you, Brigadier
Folenf ant ? Bravo ! The idea of a war- ves
sel is an excellent one. I commend you to
your superiors, Brigadier Folenfant. . . .
Do you wish a medal ! You shall have it. And
your comrade Dieuzy, where is he 1 . . . Ah !
yes, I think I see him on the left bank of the
river at the head of a hundred natives. So
that, if I escape shipwreck, I shall be captured
on the left by Dieuzy and his natives, or, on
the right, by Ganimard and the populace of
Neuilly. An embarrassing dilemma ! ' '

The boat entered an eddy ; it swung around
and Sholmes caught hold of the oarlocks. Lu
pin said to him :

11 Monsieur, you should remove your coat.
You will find it easier to swim without a coat.
No? You refuse? Then I shall put on my
own. ' '

He donned his coat, buttoned it closely, the
same as Sholmes, and said :

' i What a discourteous man you are! And
what a pity that you should be so stubborn in
this affair, in which, of course, you display
your strength, but, oh! so vainly! Really,
you mar your genius—

"Monsieur Lupin," interrupted Sholmes,

322 ARSENE LUPIN

emerging from his silence, "you talk too
much, and you frequently err through exces;
of confidence and through your frivolity. ' '

* ' That is a severe reproach. ' '

"Thus, without knowing it, you furnished
me, only a moment ago, with the information
I required."

"What! you required some information
and you didn't tell me? "

"I had no occasion to ask you for it — you
volunteered it. Within three hours I can de
liver the key of the mystery to Monsieur
d'Imblevalle. That is the only reply "

He did not finish the sentence. The boat
suddenly sank, taking both of the men down
with it. It emerged immediately, with its keel
in the air. Shouts were heard on either bank,
succeeded by an anxious moment of silence.
Then the shouts were renewed: one of the
shipwrecked party had come to the surface.

It was Herlock Sholmes. He was an excel
lent swimmer, and struck out, with powerful
strokes, for Folenf ant's boat.

"Courage, Monsieur Sholmes," shouted
Folenfant; "we are here. Keep it up . . .
we will get you ... a little more, Monsieur
Sholmes . . . Catch the rope. ' '

The Englishman seized the rope they had

VERSUS HEELOCK SHOLMES

thrown to him. But, while they were hauling
him into the boat, he heard a voice behind
him, saying :

44 The key of the mystery, monsieur, yes,
you shall have it. I am astonished that you
haven't got it already. What then? What
good will it do you? By that time you will
have lost the battle. . . ."

Now comfortably installed astride the keel
of the boat, Lupin continued his speech with
solemn gestures, as if he hoped to convince
his adversary.

"You must understand, my dear Sholmes,
there is nothing to be done, absolutely noth
ing. You find yourself in the deplorable posi
tion of a gentleman—

"Surrender, Lupin!" shouted Folenfant.

"You are an ill-bred fellow, Folenfant, to
interrupt me in the middle of a sentence. I
was saying

' ' Surrender, Lupin ! ' '

"Oh! parbleu! Brigadier Folenfant, a man
surrenders only when he is in danger. Surely,
you do not pretend to say that I am in any
danger."

"For the last time, Lupin, I call on you to
surrender."

"Brigadier Folenfant, you have no inten-

324 ARSENE LUPIN

tion of killing me ; you may wish to wound
me since you are afraid I may escape. But
if by chance the wound prove mortal! Just
think of your remorse! It would embitter
your old age."

The shot was fired.

Lupin staggered, clutched at the keel of
the boat for a moment, then let go and dis
appeared.

*****

It was exactly three o'clock when the fore
going events transpired. Precisely at six
o'clock, as he had foretold, Herlock Sholmes,
dressed in trousers that were too short and
a coat that was too small, which he had bor
rowed from an innkeeper at Neuilly, wearing
a cap and a flannel shirt, entered the boudoir
in the Eue Murillo, after having sent word to
Monsieur and Madame d 'Imblevalle that he
desired an interview.

They found him walking up and down the
room. And he looked so ludicrous in his
strange costume that they could scarcely sup
press their mirth. "With pensive air and
stooped shoulders, he walked like an automa
ton from the window to the door and from
the door to the window, taking each time the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 325

same number of steps, and turning each time
in the same manner.

He stopped, picked up a small ornament,
examined it mechanically, and resumed his
walk. At last, planting himself before them,
he asked:

"Is Mademoiselle here?"

"Yes, she is in the garden with the chil
dren. ' '

"I wish Mademoiselle to be present at this
interview. ' '

"Is it necessary

"Have a little patience, monsieur. From
the facts I am going to present to you, you
will see the necessity for her presence here."

' ' Very well. Suzanne, will you call her 1 ' '

Madame d'Imblevalle arose, went out, and
returned almost immediately, accompanied by
Alice Demun. Mademoiselle, who was a trifle
paler than usual, remained standing, leaning
against a table, and without even asking why
she had been called. Sholmes did not look
at her, but, suddenly turning toward Mon
sieur d'Imblevalle, he said, in a tone which
did not admit of a reply :

"After several days' investigation, mon
sieur, I must repeat what I told you when I

326 ARSENE LUPIN

first came here : the Jewish lamp was stolen
by some one living in the house."

"The name of the guilty party?"

"I know it."

"Your proof?"

"I have sufficient to establish that fact."

"But we require more than that. We de
sire the restoration of the stolen goods."

"The Jewish lamp? It is in my posses
sion."

1 ' The opal necklace I The snuff-box ? > '

"The opal necklace, the snuff-box, and all
the goods stolen on the second occasion are
in my possession."

Sholmes delighted in these dramatic dia
logues, and it pleased him to announce his
victories in that curt manner. The baron and
his wife were amazed, and looked at Sholmes
with a silent curiosity, which was the highest
praise.

He related to them, very minutely, what he
had done during those three days. He told
of his discovery of the alphabet book, wrote
upon a sheet of paper the sentence formed by
the missing letters, then related the journey
of Bresson to the bank of the river and the
suicide of the adventurer, and, finally, his
struggle with Lupin, the shipwreck, and the

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 327

disappearance of Lupin. When he had fin
ished, the baron said, in a low voice :

"Now, you have told us everything except
the name of the guilty party. Whom do you
accuse! "

"I accuse the person who cut the letters
from the alphabet book, and communicated
with Arsene Lupin by means of those let
ters."

"How do you know that such correspond
ence was carried on with Arsene Lupin ? ' '

"My information comes from Lupin him
self."

He produced a piece of paper that was wet
and crumpled. It was the page which Lupin
had torn from his memorandum-book, and
upon which he had written the phrase.

"And you will notice," said Sholmes, with
satisfaction, "that he was not obliged to give
me that sheet of paper, and, in that way,
disclose his identity. Simple childishness on
his part, and yet it gave me exactly the infor
mation I desired."

' « What was it 1 " asked the baron. " I don 't
understand."

Sholrnes took a pencil and made a fresh
copy of the letters and figures.

< ' CDEHNOPRZEO— 237. ' '

328 ARSENE LUPIN

6 i Well ? ' ' said the baron ; " it is the formula
you showed me yourself. ' '

"No. If you had turned and returned that
formula in every way, as I have done, you
would have seen at first glance that this for
mula is not like the first one."

"In what respect do they differ?"

' i This one has two more letters — an E and
anO."

"Really; I hadn't noticed that."

"Join those two letters to the C and the
H which remained after forming the word
'respondez/ and you will agree with me that
the only possible word is ECHO."

"What does that mean!"

"It refers to the Echo de France, Lupin's
newspaper, his official organ, the one in which
he publishes his communications. Reply in
the Echo de France, in the personal advertise
ments, under number 237. That is the key
to the mystery, and Arsene Lupin was kind
enough to furnish it to me. I went to the
newspaper office."

' ' What did you find there f ' '

"I found the entire story of the relations
between Arsene Lupin and his accomplice. ' '

Sholmes produced seven newspapers which

VERSUS ITERLOCK SHOLMES 329

he opened at the fourth page and pointed to
the following lines :

1. Ars. Lup. Lady implores protection.
540.

2. 540. Awaiting particulars. A. L.

3. A. L. Under dornin. enemy. Lost.

4. 540. Write address. Will make investi
gation.

5. A. L. Murillo.

6. 540. Park three o'clock. Violets.

7. 237. Understand. Sat. Will be Sun.
morn. park.

"And you call that the whole story!" ex
claimed the baron.

"Yes, and if you will listen to me for a few
minutes, I think I can convince you. In the
first place, a lady who signs herself 540 im
plores the protection of Arsene Lupin, who
replies by asking for particulars. The lady
replies that she is under the domination of an
enemy — who is Bresson, no doubt — and that
she is lost if some one does not come to her
assistance. Lupin is suspicious and does not
yet venture to appoint an interview with the
unknown woman, demands the address and
proposes to make an investigation. The lady
hesitates for four days — look at the dates —
finally, under stress of circumstances and in-

330 ARSENE LUPIN

fluenced by Bresson's threats, she gives the
name of the street — Murillo. Next day, Ar-
sene Lupin announces that he will be in the
Park Monceau at three o'clock, and asks his
unknown correspondent to wear a bouquet of
violets as a means of identification. Then
there is a lapse of eight days in the corre
spondence. Arsene Lupin and the lady do
not require to correspond through the news
paper now, as they see each other or write
directly. The scheme is arranged in this
way: in order to satisfy Bresson's demands,
the lady is to carry off the Jewish lamp. The
date is not yet fixed. The lady who, as a mat
ter of prudence, corresponds by means of let
ters cut out of a book, decides on Saturday
and adds : Reply Echo 237. Lupin replies that
it is understood and that he will be in the park
on Sunday morning. Sunday morning, the
theft takes place."

"Beally, that is an excellent chain of cir
cumstantial evidence and every link is com
plete," said the baron.

"The theft has taken place," continued
Sholmes. "The lady goes out on Sunday
morning, tells Lupin what she has done, and
carries the Jewish lamp to Bresson. Every
thing occurs then exactly as Lupin had fore-

VERSUS IIERLOCK SHOLMES 331

seen. The officers of the law, deceived by an
open window, four holes in the ground and
two scratches on the balcony railing, immedi
ately advance the theory that the theft was
committed by a burglar. The lady is safe."

"Yes, I confess the theory was a logical
one," said the baron. "But the second
theft "

"The second theft was provoked by the
first. The newspapers having related how
the Jewish lamp had disappeared, some one
conceived the idea of repeating the crime and
carrying away what had been left. This time,
it was not a simulated theft, but a real one, a
genuine burglary, with ladders and other
paraphernalia—

"Lupin, of course—

"No. Lupin does not act so stupidly. He
doesn't fire at people for trifling reasons."

"Then, who was it?"

"Bresson, no doubt, and unknown to the
lady whom he had menaced. It was Bresson
who entered here ; it was Bresson that I pur
sued; it was Bresson who wounded poor
Wilson."

t i Are you sure of it ? "

"Absolutely. One of Bresson's accomplices
wrote to him yesterday, before his suicide, a

ARSENE LUPIN

letter which proves that negotiations were
pending between this accomplice and Lupin
for the restitution of all the articles stolen
from your house. Lupin demanded every
thing, 'the first thing (that is, the Jewish
lamp) as well as those of the second affair.'
Moreover, he was watching Bresson. When
the latter returned from the river last night,
one of Lupin's men followed him as well

as we.r

"What was Bresson doing at the river?"
"Having been warned of the progress of
my investigations —
"Warned! by whom*"
"By the same lady, who justly feared that
the discovery of the Jewish lamp would lead
to the discovery of her own adventure. There
upon, Bresson, having been warned, made
into a package all the things that could com
promise him and threw them into a place
where he thought he could get them again
when the danger was past. It was after his
return, tracked by Ganimard and myself, hav
ing, no doubt, other sins on his conscience,
that he lost his head and killed himself."
"But what did the package contain ?"
"The Jewish lamp and your other orna
ments."

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 333

"Then, they are not in your possession?'7
"Immediately after Lupin's disappear
ance, I profited by the bath he had forced
upon me, went to the spot selected by Bres
son, where I found the stolen articles wrapped
in some soiled linen. They are there, on the
table."

Without a word, the baron cut the cord,
tore open the wet linen, picked out the lamp,
turned a screw in the foot, then divided the
bowl of the lamp which opened in two equal
parts and there he found the golden chimera,
set with rubies and emeralds.

It was intact.

*****

There was in that scene, so natural in ap
pearance and which consisted of a simple
exposition of facts, something which rendered
it frightfully tragic— it was the formal, di
rect, irrefutable accusation that Sholmes
launched in each of his words against Mad
emoiselle. And it was also the impressive
silence of Alice Demun.

During that long, cruel accumulation of ac
cusing circumstances heaped one upon an
other, not a muscle of her face had moved,
not a trace of revolt or fear had marred the
serenity of her limpid eyes. What were her

334 AKSENE LUPIN"

thoughts. And, especially, what was she
going to say at the solemn moment when it
would become necessary for her to speak and
defend herself in order to break the chain of
evidence that Herlock Sholmes had so clev
erly woven around her !

That moment had come, but the girl was
silent.

' ' Speak ! Speak ! ' > cried Mon. d 'Imblevalle.

She did not speak. So he insisted :

"One word will clear you. One word of
denial, and I will believe you."

That word, she would not utter.

The baron paced to and fro in his excite
ment ; then, addressing Sholmes, he said :

"No, monsieur, I cannot believe it, I do not
believe it. There are impossible crimes ! and
this is opposed to all I know and to all that I
have seen during the past year. No, I cannot
believe it."

He placed his hand on the Englishman's
shoulder, and said :

' i But you yourself, monsieur, are you abso
lutely certain that you are right ? ' '

Sholmes hesitated, like a man on whom a
sudden demand is made and cannot frame an
immediate reply. Then he smiled, and said :

' ' Only the person whom I accuse, by reason

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 335

of her situation in your house, could know
that the Jewish lamp contained that magnifi
cent jewel."

' ' I cannot believe it, ' ' repeated the baron.

"Ask her."

It was, really, the very thing he would not
have done, blinded by the confidence the girl
had inspired in him. But he could no longer
refrain from doing it. He approached her
and, looking into her eyes, said :

"Was it you, mademoiselle? Was it you
who took the jewel? Was it you who corre
sponded with Arsene Lupin and committed
the theft?"

4 i It was I, monsieur, ' ' she replied.

She did not drop her head. Her face dis
played no sign of shame or fear.

"Is it possible?" murmured Mon. d'lmble-
valle. ' ' I would never have believed it. ...
You are the last person in the world that I
would have suspected. How did you do it?"

"I did it exactly as Monsieur Sholmes has
told it. On Saturday night I came to the
boudoir, took the lamp, and, in the morning I
carried it . . . to that man."

"No," said the baron; "what you pretend
to have done is impossible."

' ' Impossible — why ? ' '

336 ARSENE LUPIN

"Because, in the morning I found the door
of the boudoir bolted. ' '

She blushed, and looked at Sholmes as if
seeking his counsel. Sholmes was astonished
at her embarrassment. Had she nothing to
say? Did the confessions, which had corrobo
rated the report that he, Sholmes, had made
concerning the theft of the Jewish lamp,
merely serve to mask a lie? Was she mis
leading them by a false confession?

The baron continued :

"That door was locked. I found the door
exactly as I had left it the night before. If
you entered by that door, as you pretend,
some one must have opened it from the inte
rior — that is to say, from the boudoir or from
our chamber. Now, there was no one inside
these two rooms . . . there was no one ex
cept my wife and myself. ' '

Sholmes bowed his head and covered his
face with his hands in order to conceal his
emotion. A sudden light had entered his
mind, that startled him and made him exceed
ingly uncomfortable. Everything was re
vealed to him, like the sudden lifting of a fog
from the morning landscape. He was an
noyed as well as ashamed, because his deduc-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 337

tions were fallacious and his entire theory
was wrong.

Alice Demun was innocent !

Alice Demun was innocent. That proposi
tion explained the embarrassment he had
experienced from the beginning in directing
the terrible accusation against that young
girl. Now, he saw the truth; he knew it.
After a few seconds, he raised his head, and
looked at Madame d'Imblevalle as naturally
as he could. She was pale — with that unusual
pallor which invades us in the relentless mo
ments of our lives. Her hands, which she en
deavored to conceal, were trembling as if
stricken with palsy.

"One minute more," thought Sholmes,
"and she will betray herself."

He placed himself between her and her
husband in the desire to avert the awful dan
ger which, through his faulty now threatened
that man and woman. But, at sight of the
baron, he was shocked to the very centre of
his soul. The same dreadful idea had entered
the mind of Monsieur d'Imblevalle. The same
thought was at work in the brain of the hus
band. He understood, also! He saw the
truth!

ARSENE LUPIN

In desperation, Alice Demun hurled herself
against the implacable truth, saying :

"You are right, monsieur. I made a mis
take. I did not enter by this door. I came
through the garden and the vestibule . . .
by aid of a ladder "

It was a supreme effort of true devotion.
But a useless effort! The words rang false.
The voice did not carry conviction, and the
poor girl no longer displayed those clear,
fearless eyes and that natural air of inno
cence which had served her so well. Now,
she bowed her head — vanquished.

The silence became painful. Madame d'lm-
blevalle was waiting for her husband's next
move, overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.
The baron appeared to be struggling against
the dreadful suspicion, as if he would not
submit to the overthrow of his happiness.
Finally, he said to his wife :

"Speak! Explain !"

"I have nothing to tell you/' she replied,
in a very low voice, and with features drawn
by anguish.

"So, then . . . Mademoiselle . . ."

"Mademoiselle saved me . . . through
devotion . . . through affection . . . and
accused herself. . ' '

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 339

' ' Saved you from what I From whom ? ' '

4 ' From that man. "

"Bresson?"

"Yes; it was I whom he held in fear by
threats. . . . I met him at one of my friends'
.... and I was foolish enough to listen to
him. Oh ! there was nothing that you cannot
pardon. But I wrote him two letters . , .
letters which you will see. ... I had to buy
them back . . . you know how. ... Oh!
have pity on me! ... I have suffered so
much!"

"You! You! Suzanne !"

He raised his clenched fists, ready to strike
her, ready to kill her. But he dropped his
arms, and murmured :

"You, Suzanne . . . You! . . . Is it pos
sible?"

By short detached sentences, she related
the heartrending story, her dreadful awaken
ing to the infamy of the man, her remorse,
her fear, and she also told of Alice's devo
tion ; how the young girl divined the sorrow
of her mistress, wormed a confession out of
her, wrote to Lupin, and devised the scheme
of the theft in order to save her from Bresson.

"You, Suzanne, you," repeated Monsieur
d'Imblevalle, bowed with grief and shame.

ABSENE LUPIN

. . . " How could you?"

*****

On the same evening, the steamer ' i City of
London," which plies between Calais and
Dover, was gliding slowly over the smooth
sea. The night was dark; the wind was
fainter than a zephyr. The majority of the
passengers had retired to their cabins; but
a few, more intrepid, were promenading on
the deck or sleeping in large rocking-chairs,
wrapped in their travelling-rugs. One could
see, here and there, the light of a cigar, and
one could hear, mingled with the soft murmur
of the breeze, the faint sound of voices which
were carefully subdued to harmonize with the
deep silence of the night.

One of the passengers, who had been pacing
to and fro upon the deck, stopped before a
woman who was lying on a bench, scrutinized
her, and, when she moved a little, he said :

"I thought you were asleep, Mademoiselle
Alice."

"No, Monsieur Sholmes, I am not sleepy.
I was thinking. ' '

"Of what? If 1 may be so bold as to
inquire ? ' '

"I was thinking of Madame d'lmblevalle.

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 341

She must be very unhappy. Her life is
ruined. ' '

"Oh! no, no," he replied quickly. "Her
mistake was not a serious one. Monsieur
d'Imblevalle will forgive and forget it. Why,
even before we left, his manner toward her
had softened."

"Perhaps . . . but he will remember it for
a long time . . . and she will suffer a great
deal."

"You love her?"

"Very much. It was my love for her that
gave me strength to smile when I was trem
bling from fear, that gave me courage to look
in your face when I desired to hide from your
sight."

"And you are sorry to leave her?"

"Yes, very sorry. I have no relatives, no
friends — but her."

"You will have friends," said the English
man, who was affected by her sorrow. "I
have promised that. I have relatives . * -
and some influence. I assure you that you
will have no cause to regret coming to Eng
land."

' ' That may be, monsieur, but Madame d'lm-
blevalle will not be there."

Herlock Sholmes resumed his promenade

342 ARSENE LUPIN

upon the deck. After a few minutes, he took
a seat near his travelling companion, filled his
pipe, and struck four matches in a vain effort
to light it. Then, as he had no more matches,
he arose and said to a gentleman who was
sitting near him :

"May I trouble you for a match? "

The gentleman opened a box of matches
and struck one. The flame lighted up his
face. Sholmes recognized him — it was Ar-
sene Lupin.

If the Englishman had not given an almost
imperceptible movement of surprise, Lupin
would have supposed that his presence on
board had been known to Sholmes, so well
did he control his feelings and so natural was
the easy manner in which he extended his
hand to his adversary.

"How's the good health, Monsieur Lupin?"

"Bravo!" exclaimed Lupin, who could not
repress a cry of admiration at the English
man's sang-froid.

' ' Bravo 1 and why ? ' '

"Why? Because I appear before you like
a ghost, only a few hours after you saw me
drowned in the Seine; and through pride
— a quality that is essentially English — you
evince not the slightest surprise. You greet

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 343

nie as a matter of course. Ah! I repeat:
Bravo! Admirable!"

" There is nothing remarkable about it.
From the manner in which you fell from the
boat, I knew very well that you fell volun
tarily, and that the bullet had not touched
you."

44 And you went away without knowing
what had become of me?"

"What had become of you? Why, I knew
that. There were at least five hundred people
on the two banks of the river within a space
of half-a-mile. If you escaped death, your
capture was certain."

i ' And yet I am here. ' '

* * Monsieur Lupin, there are two men in the
world at whom I am never astonished : in the
first place, myself — and then, Arsene Lupin."

The treaty of peace was concluded.

If Sholmes had not been successful in his
contests with Arsene Lupin; if Lupin re
mained the only enemy whose capture he
must never hope to accomplish; if, in the
course of their struggles, he had not always
displayed a superiority, the Englishman had,
none the less, by means of his extraordinary
intuition and tenacity, succeeded in recover
ing the Jewish lamp as well as the blue dia-

344 ARSENE LUPIN

mond. This time, perhaps, the finish had not
been so brilliant, especially from the stand
point of the public spectators, since Sholmes
was obliged to maintain a discreet silence in
regard to the circumstances in which the Jew
ish lamp had been recovered, and to announce
that he did not know the name of the thief.
But as man to man, Arsene Lupin against
Herlock Sholmes, detective against burglar,
there was neither victor nor vanquished.
Each of them had won corresponding vic
tories.

Therefore they could now converse as cour
teous adversaries who had lain down their
arms and held each other in high regard.

At Sholmes' request, Arsene Lupin related
the strange story of his escape.

"If I may dignify it by calling it an es
cape," he said. "It was so simple! My
friends were watching for me, as I had asked
them to meet me there to recover the Jewish
lamp. So, after remaining a good half -hour
under the overturned boat, I took advantage
of an occasion when Folenfant and his men
were searching for my dead body along the
bank of the river, to climb on top of the boat.
Then my friends simply picked me up as
they passed by in their motor-boat, and we

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 345

sailed away under the staring eyes of an
astonished multitude, including Ganimard
and Folenfant."

"Very good," exclaimed Sholmes, "very
neatly played. And now you have some busi
ness in England 1"

"Yes, some accounts to square up. ...
But I forgot . . . what about Monsieur
d'Imblevalle!"

"He knows everything. "

"All! my dear Sholmes, what did I tell
you? The wrong is now irreparable. Would
it not have been better to have allowed me to
carry out the affair in my own way? In a
day or two more, I should have recovered the
stolen goods from Bresson, restored them to
Monsieur d'Imblevalle, and those two honest
citizens would have lived together in peace
and happiness ever after. Instead of that—

"Instead of that," said Sholmes, sneering-
ly, "I have mixed the cards and sown the
seeds of discord in the bosom of a family that
was under your protection."

"Mon Dieu! of course, I was protecting
them. Must a person steal, cheat and wrong
all the time?"

"Then you do good, also?"

"When I have the time. Besides, I find it

346 ARSBNE LUPIN

amusing. Now, for instance, in our last ad
venture, I found it extremely diverting that I
should be the good genius seeking to help and
save unfortunate mortals, while you were the
evil genius who dispensed only despair and
tears. ' '

* ' Tears ! Tears ! ' ' protested Sholmes.

* ' Certainly ! The d 'Imblevalle household is
demolished, and Alice Demun weeps/'

"She could not remain any longer. Gani-
niard would have discovered her some day,
and, through her, reached Madame d'lmble-
valle."

"Quite right, monsieur; but whose fault
is it?"

Two men passed by. Sholmes said to
Lupin, in a friendly tone :

"Do you know those gentlemen?"

"I thought I recognized one of them as the
captain of the steamer. ? '

"And the other?"

"I don't know."

"It is Austin Gilett, who occupies in Lon
don a position similar to that of Monsieur
Dudouis in Paris."

" Ah ! how fortunate ! Will you be so kind
as to introduce me? Monsieur Dudouis is
one of my best friends, and I shall be de-

VEBSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES

lighted to say as much of Monsieur Austin
Gilett"

The two gentlemen passed again.

"And if I should take you at your word,
Monsieur Lupin?" said Sholmes, rising, and
seizing Lupin's wrist with a hand of iron.

"Why do you grasp me so tightly, mon
sieur f I am quite willing to follow you. ' '

In fact, he allowed himself to be dragged
along without the least resistance. The two
gentlemen were disappearing from sight.
Sholmes quickened his pace. His finger-nails
even sank into Lupin's flesh.

"Come! Come!" he exclaimed, with a sort
of feverish haste, in harmony with his action.
' * Come ! quicker than that. * '

But he stopped suddenly. Alice Demun
was following them.

4 * What are you doing, Mademoiselle ? You
need not come. You must not come ! ' '

It was Lupin who replied :

"You will notice, monsieur, that she is not
coming of her own free will. I am holding
her wrist in the same tight grasp that you
have on mine."

"Why?"

"Because I wish to present her also. Her
part in the affair of the Jewish lamp is much

348 ARSENE LUPIN

more important than mine. Accomplice of
Arsene Lupin, accomplice of Bresson, she has
a right to tell her adventure with the Baron
ess d'lmblevalle — which will deeply interest
Monsieur Gilett as an officer of the law. And
by introducing her also, you will have carried
your gracious intervention to the very limit,
my dear Sholmes."

The Englishman released his hold on his
prisoner's wrist. Lupin liberated Madem
oiselle.

They stood looking at each other for a
few seconds, silently and motionless. Then
Sholmes returned to the bench and sat down,
followed by Lupin and the girl.

After a long silence, Lupin said :

" You see, monsieur, whatever we may do,
we will never be on the same side. You are
on one side of the fence ; I am on the other.
We can exchange greetings, shake hands, con
verse a moment, but the fence is always there.
You will remain Herlock Sholmes, detective,
and I, Arsene Lupin, gentleman-burglar. And
Herlock Sholmes will ever obey, more or less
spontaneously, with more or less propriety,
his instinct as a detective, which is to pursue
the burglar and run him down, if possible.
And Arsene Lupin, in obedience to his bur-

VERSUS HERLOCK SHOLMES 349

glarious instinct, will always be occupied in
avoiding the reach of the detective, and mak
ing sport of the detective, if he can do it.
And, this time, he can do it. Ha-ha-ha ! ' '

He burst into a loud laugh, cunning, cruel
and odious.-

Then, suddenly becoming serious, he ad
dressed Alice Demun :

"You may be sure, mademoiselle, even
when reduced to the last extremity, I shall
not betray you. Arsene Lupin never betrays
anyone — especially those whom he loves and
admires. And, may I be permitted to say, I
love and admire the brave, dear woman you
have proved yourself to be."

He took from his pocket a visiting card,
tore it in two, gave one-half of it to the girl,
as he said, in a voice shaken with emotion:

"If Monsieur Sholmes' plans for you do
not succeed, mademoiselle, go to Lady Strong-
borough — you can easily find her address—
and give her that half of the card, and, at
the same time, say to her: Faithful friend.
Lady Strongborough will show you the true
devotion of a sister."

"Thank you," said the girl; "I shall see
her to-morrow."

"And now, Monsieur Sholmes," exclaimed

350 ARSENE LUPIN

Lupin, with the satisfied air of a gentleman
who has fulfilled his duty, "I will say good
night. We will not land for an hour yet, so I
will get that much rest. ' '

He lay down on the bench, with his hands
beneath his head.

In a short time the high cliffs of the Eng
lish coast loomed up in the increasing light of
a new-born day. The passengers emerged
from the cabins and crowded the deck, eager
ly gazing on the approaching shore. Austin
Gilette passed by, accompanied by two men
whom Sholmes recognized as sleuths from
Scotland Yard.

Lupin was asleep, on his bench.

THE END.

The further startling, wonderful and
thrilling adventures of " Arsene Lupin"
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Lupin GentlemarirBurglar"

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