the crystal stopper-第16节

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entless　hatred。　　He　lost　his　head　and　shot　himself。〃

〃How　absurd！〃　Lupin　could　not　help　saying。　　〃How　absurd！　　Daubrecq　possesses　a　list　of　twenty…seven　names。　　To　give　up　any　one　of　those　names　he　is　obliged；　if　he　would　have　his　accusation　believed；　to　publish　the　list　itself　…　that　is　to　say；　to　part　with　the　document；　or　at　least　a　photograph　of　it。　　Well；　in　so　doing；　he　creates　a　scandal；　it　is　true；　but　he　deprives　himself；　at　the　same　time；　of　all　further　means　of　levying　blackmail。〃

〃Yes　and　no；〃　she　said。

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃Through　Daubrecq　himself。　　The　villain　came　to　see　me　and　cynically　told　me　of　his　interview　with　my　husband　and　the　words　that　had　passed　between　them。　　Well；　there　is　more　than　that　list；　more　than　that　famous　bit　of　paper　on　which　the　secretary　put　down　the　names　and　the　amounts　paid　and　to　which；　you　will　remember；　the　chairman　of　the　company；　before　dying；　affixed　his　signature　in　letters　of　blood。　　There　is　more　than　that。　　There　are　certain　less　positive　proofs；　which　the　people　　interested　do　not　know　of：　the　correspondence　between　the　chairman　and　the　secretary；　between　the　chairman　and　his　counsel；　and　so　on。　　Of　course；　the　list　scribbled　on　the　bit　of　paper　is　the　only　evidence　that　counts；　it　is　the　one　incontestable　proof　which　it　would　be　no　good　copying　or　even　photographing；　for　its　genuineness　can　be　tested　most　absolutely。　　But；　all　the　same；　the　other　proofs　are　dangerous。　　They　have　already　been　enough　to　do　away　with　two　deputies。　　And　Daubrecq　is　marvelously　clever　at　turning　this　fact　to　account。　　He　selects　his　victim；　frightens　him　out　of　his　senses；　points　out　to　him　the　inevitable　scandal；　and　the　victim　pays　the　required　sum。　　Or　else　he　kills　himself；　as　my　husband　did。　　Do　you　understand　now？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Lupin。

And；　in　the　silence　that　followed；　he　drew　a　mental　picture　of　Daubrecq's　life。　　He　saw　him　the　owner　of　that　list；　using　his　power；　gradually　emerging　from　the　shadow；　lavishly　squandering　the　money　which　he　extorted　from　his　victims；　securing　his　election　as　a　district…councillor　and　deputy；　holding　sway　by　dint　of　threats　and　terror；　unpunished；　invuinerable；　unattackable；　feared　by　the　government；　which　would　rather　submit　to　his　orders　than　declare　war　upon　him；　respected　by　the　judicial　authorities：so　powerful；in　a　word；　that　Prasville　had　been　appointed　secretary…general　of　police；　over　the　heads　of　all　who　had　prior　claims；　for　the　sole　reason　that　he　hated　Daubrecq　with　a　personal　hatred。〃

〃And　you　saw　him　again？〃　he　asked。

〃I　saw　him　again。　　I　had　to。　　My　husband　was　dead；　but　his　honour　remained　untouched。　　Nobody　suspected　the　truth。　　In　order　at　least　to　defend　the　name　which　he　left　me；　I　accepted　my　first　interview　with　Daubrecq。〃

〃Your　first；　yes；　for　there　have　been　others。〃

〃Many　others；〃　she　said；　in　a　strained　voice；　〃yes；　many　others。。。　at　the　theatre。。。　or　in　the　evening；　at　Enghien　。。。　or　else　in　Paris；　at　night　。。。　for　I　was　ashamed　to　meet　that　man　and　I　did　not　want　people　to　know　it。。。　　But　it　was　necessary。。。　　A　duty　more　imperative　than　any　other　commanded　it：　the　duty　of　avenging　my　husband。。。　〃

She　bent　over　Lupin　and；　eagerly：

〃Yes；　revenge　has　been　the　motive　of　my　conduct　and　the　sole　preoccupation　of　my　life。　　To　avenge　my　husband；　to　avenge　my　ruined　son；　to　avenge　myself　for　all　the　harm　that　he　has　done　me：　I　had　no　other　dream；　no　other　object　in　life。　　That　is　what　I　wanted：　to　see　that　man　crushed；　reduced　to　poverty；　to　tears　…　as　though　he　still　knew　how　to　cry！　…　sobbing　in　the　throes　of　despair。。。

〃You　wanted　his　death；〃　said　Lupin；　remembering　the　scene　between　them　in　Daubrecq's　study。

〃No；　not　his　death。　　I　have　often　thought　of　it；　I　have　even　raised　my　arm　to　strike　him　　but　what　would　have　been　the　good？　　He　must　have　taken　his　precautions。　　The　paper　would　remain。　　And　then　there　is　no　revenge　in　killing　a　man。。。　　My　hatred　went　further　than　that。。。　　It　demanded　his　ruin；　his　downfall；　and；　to　achieve　that；　there　was　but　one　way：　to　cut　his　claws。　　Daubrecq；　deprived　of　the　document　that　gives　him　his　immense　power；　ceases　to　exist。　　It　means　immediate　bankruptcy　and　disaster。。。　under　the　most　wretched　conditions。　　That　is　what　I　have　sought。〃

〃But　Daubrecq　must　have　been　aware　of　your　intentions？〃

〃Certainly。　　And；　I　assure　you；　those　were　strange　meetings　of　ours：　I　watching　him　closely；　trying　to　guess　his　secret　behind　his　actions　and　his　words；　and　he。。。　he。。。　〃

〃And　he；〃　said　Lupin；　finishing　Clarisse's　thought；　〃lying　in　wait　for　the　prey　which　he　desires。。。　for　the　woman　whom　he　has　never　ceased　to　love。。。　whom　he　loves　。。。　and　whom　he　covets　with　all　his　might　and　with　all　his　furious　passion。。。　〃

She　lowered　her　head　and　said；　simply：

〃Yes。〃

A　strange　duel　indeed　was　that　which　brought　face　to　face　those　two　beings　separated　by　so　many　implacable　things！　　How　unbridled　must　Daubrecq's　passion　be　for　him　to　risk　that　perpetual　threat　of　death　and　to　introduce　to　the　privacy　of　his　house　this　woman　whose　life　he　had　shattered！　　But　also　how　absolutely　safe　he　must　feel　himself！

〃And　your　search　ended。。。　how？〃　asked　Lupin。

〃My　search；〃　she　replied；　〃long　remained　without　fruit。　　You　know　the　methods　of　investigation　which　you　have　followed　and　which　the　police　have　followed　on　their　side。　　Well；　I　myself　employed　them；　years　before　either　of　you　did；　and　in　vain。　　I　was　beginning　to　despair。　Then；　one　day；　when　I　had　gone　to　see　Daubrecq　in　his　villa　at　Enghien；　I　picked　up　under　his　writing…table　a　letter　which　he　had　begun　to　write；　crumpled　up　and　thrown　into　the　waste…paper…basket。　　It　consisted　of　a　few　lines　in　bad　English；　and　I　was　able　to　read　this：　'Empty　the　crystal　within；　so　as　to　leave　a　void　which　it　is　impossible　to　suspect。'　Perhaps　I　should　not　have　attached　to　this　sentence　all　the　importance　which　it　deserved；　if　Daubrecq；　who　was　out　in　the　garden；　had　not　come　running　in　and　begun　to　turn　out　the　waste…paper…basket；　with　an　eagerness　which　was　very　significant。　　He　gave　me　a　suspicious　look：　'There　was　a　letter　there；'　he　said。　　I　pretended　not　to　understand。　　He　did　not　insist；　but　his　agitation　did　not　escape　me；　and　I　continued　my　quest　in　this　direction。　　A　month　later；　I　discovered；　among　the　ashes　in　the　drawing…room　fireplace；　the　torn　half　of　an　English　invoice。　　I　gathered　that　a　Stourbridge　glass…blower；　of　the　name　of　John　Howard；　had　supplied　Daubrecq　with　a　crystal　bottle　made　after　a　model。　　The　word　'crystal'　struck　me　at　once。　　I　went　to　Stourbridge；　got　round　the　foreman　of　the　glass…works　and　learnt　that　the　stopper　of　this　bottle　had　been　hollowed　out　inside；　in　accordance　with　the　instruction　in　the　order；　so　as　to　leave　a　cavity；　the　existence　of　which　would　escape　observation。〃

Lupin　nodded　his　head：

〃The　thing　tallies　beyond　a　doubt。　　Nevertheless；　it　did　not　seem　to　me；　that；　even　under　the　gilt　layer。。。　　　　　　And　then　the　hiding…place　would　be　very　tiny！〃

〃Tiny；　but　large　enough；〃　she　said。　　〃On　my　return　from　England；　I　went　to　the　police…office　to　see　Prasville；　whose　friendship　for　me　had　remained　unchanged。　　I　did　not　hesitate　to　tell　him；　first；　the　reasons　which　had　driven　my　husband　to　suicide　and；　secondly；　the　object　of　revenge　which　I　was　pursuing。　　When　I　informed　him　of　my　discoveries；　he　jumped　for　joy；　and　I　felt　that　his　hatred　for　Daubrecq　was　as　strong　as　ever。　　I　learnt　from　him　that　the　list　was　written　on　a　slip　of　exceedingly　thin　foreign…post…paper；　which；　when　rolled　up　into　a　sort　of　pellet；　would　easily　fit　into　an　exceedingly　limited　space。　　Neither　he　nor　I　had　the　least　hesitation。　　We　knew　the　hiding…place。　　We　agreed　to　act　independently　of　each　other；　while　continuing　to　correspond　in　secret。　　I　put　him　in　touch　with　C1emence；　the　portress　in　the　Square　Lamartine；　who　was　entirely　devoted　to　me。。。　〃

〃But　less　so　to　Prasville；〃　said　Lupin；　〃for　I　can　prove　that　she　betrays　him。〃

〃Now　perhaps；　but　not　at　the　start；　and　the　police　searches　were　numerous。　　It　was　at　that　time；　ten　months　ago；　that　Gilbert　came　into　my　life　again。　　A　mother　never　loses　her　love　for　her　son；　whatever　he　may　do；　whatever　he　may　have　done。　　And　then　Gilbert　has　such　a　way　with　him。。。　well；　you　know　him。　　He　cried；　kissed　my　little　Jacques；　his　brother　and　I　forgave　him。〃

She　stopped　and；　weary…voiced；　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　floor；　continued：

〃Would　to　Heaven　that　I　had　not　forgiven　him！　　Ah；　if　that　hour　could　but　return；　how　readily　I　should　find　the　horrible　courage　to　turn　him　away！　　My　poor　child。。。　it　was　I　who　ruined　him！。。。　　And；　pensively；　〃I　should　have　had　that　or　any　sort　of　courage；　if　he　had　been　as　I　pictured　him　to　myself　and　as　he　himself　told　me　that　he　had　long　been：　bearing　the　marks　of　vice　and　dissipation；　coarse；　deteriorated。

But；　though　he　was　utterly　changed　in　appearance；　so　much　so　that　I　could　hardly　recognize　him；　there　was；　from　the　point　of　view　of　…　how　shall　I　put　it？　…　from　the　moral　point　of　view；　an　undoubted　improvement。　You　had　helped　him；　lifted　him；　and；　though　his　mode　of　life　was　hateful　to　me；　nevertheless　he　retained　a　certain　self…respect。。。　a　sort　of　underlying　decency　that　showed　itself　on　the　surface　once　more。。。　He　was　g