the crystal stopper-第30节

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He　felt　a　terrible　numbness　creep　over　his　whole　being。　　His　temples　buzzed。

Suddenly；　shouts　below。　　Then　a　shot。　　Then　another；　followed　by　a　triumphant　chuckle。　　And　a　woman's　wail　and　moans。　　And；　soon　after；　two　more　shots。

Lupin　thought　of　Clarisse；　wounded；　dead　perhaps；　of　Danbrecq；　fleeing　victoriously　of　d'Albufex；　of　the　crystal　stopper；　which　one　or　other　of　the　two　adversaries　would　recover　unresisted。　　Then　a　sudden　vision　showed　him　the　Sire　de　Tancarville　falling　with　the　woman　he　loved。　Then　he　murmured；　time　after　time：

〃Clarisse。。。　Clarisse。。。　Gilbert。。。　　　　　A　great　silence　overcame　him；　an　infinite　peace　entered　into　him；　and；　without　the　least　revolt；　he　received　the　impression　that　his　exhausted　body；　with　nothing　now　to　hold　it　back；　was　rolling　to　the　very　edge　of　the　rock；　toward　the　abyss。


CHAPTER　IX

IN　THE　DARK


An　hotel　bedroom　at　Amiens。

Lupin　was　recovering　a　little　consciousness　for　the　first　time。　Clarisse　and　the　Masher　were　seated　by　his　bedside。

Both　were　talking；　and　Lupin　listened　to　them；　without　opening　his　eyes。　He　learned　that　they　had　feared　for　his　life；　but　that　all　danger　was　now　removed。　　Next；　in　the　course　of　the　conversation；　he　caught　certain　words　that　revealed　to　him　what　had　happened　in　the　tragic　night　at　Mortepierre：　Daubrecq's　descent；　the　dismay　of　the　accomplices；　when　they　saw　that　it　was　not　the　governor；　then　the　short　struggle：　Clarisse　flinging　herself　on　Daubrecq　and　receiving　a　wound　in　the　shoulder；　Daubrecq　leaping　to　the　bank；　the　Growler　firing　two　revolver…shots　and　darting　off　in　pursuit　of　him；　the　Masher　clambering　up　the　ladder　and　finding　the　governor　in　a　swoon：　

〃True　as　I　live；〃　said　the　Masher；　〃I　can't　make　out　even　now　how　he　did　not　roll　over。　　There　was　a　sort　of　hollow　at　that　place；　but　it　was　a　sloping　hollow；　and；　half　dead　as　he　was；　he　must　have　hung　on　with　his　ten　fingers。　　Crikey；　it　was　time　I　came！〃

Lupin　listened；　listened　in　despair。　　He　collected　his　strength　to　grasp　and　understand　the　words。　　But　suddenly　a　terrible　sentence　was　uttered：　Clarisse；　weeping；　spoke　of　the　eighteen　days　that　had　elapsed；　eighteen　more　days　lost　to　Gilbert's　safety。

Eighteen　days！　　The　figure　terrified　Lupin。　　He　felt　that　all　was　over；　that　he　would　never　be　able　to　recover　his　strength　and　resume　the　struggle　and　that　Gilbert　and　Vaucheray　were　doomed。。。　　　His　brain　slipped　away　from　him。　　The　fever　returned　and　the　delirium。

And　more　days　came　and　went。　　It　was　perhaps　the　time　of　his　life　of　which　Lupin　speaks　with　the　greatest　horror。　　He　retained　just　enough　consciousness　and　had　sufficiently　lucid　moments　to　realize　the　position　exactly。　　But　he　was　not　able　to　coordinate　his　ideas；　to　follow　a　line　of　argument　nor　to　instruct　or　forbid　his　friends　to　adopt　this　or　that　line　of　conduct。

Often；　when　he　emerged　from　his　torpor；　he　found　his　hand　in　Clarisse's　and；　in　that　half…slumbering　condition　in　which　a　fever　keeps　you；　he　would　address　strange　words　to　her；　words　of　love　and　passion；　imploring　her　and　thanking　her　and　blessing　her　for　all　the　light　and　joy　which　she　had　brought　into　his　darkness。

Then；　growing　calmer　and　not　fully　understanding　what　he　had　said；　he　tried　to　jest：

〃I　have　been　delirious；　have　I　not？　　What　a　heap　of　nonsense　I　must　have　talked！〃

But　Lupin　felt　by　Clarisse's　silence　that　he　could　safely　talk　as　much　nonsense　as　ever　his　fever　suggested　to　him。　　She　did　not　hear。　　The　care　and　attention　which　she　lavished　on　the　patient；　her　devotion；　her　vigilance；　her　alarm　at　the　least　relapse：　all　this　was　meant　not　for　him；　but　for　the　possible　saviour　of　Gilbert。　　She　anxiously　watched　the　progress　of　his　convalescence。　　How　soon　would　he　be　fit　to　resume　the　campaign？　　Was　it　not　madness　to　linger　by　his　side；　when　every　day　carried　away　a　little　hope？

Lupin　never　ceased　repeating　to　himself；　with　the　inward　belief　that；　by　so　doing；　he　could　influence　the　course　of　his　illness：

〃I　will　get　well。。。　I　will　get　well。。。　〃

And　he　lay　for　days　on　end　without　moving；　so　as　not　to　disturb　the　dressing　of　his　wound　nor　increase　the　excitement　of　his　nerves　in　the　smallest　degree。

He　also　strove　not　to　think　of　Daubrecq。　　But　the　image　of　his　dire　adversary　haunted　him；　and　he　reconstituted　the　various　phases　of　the　escape；　the　descent　of　the　cliff。。。。　　One　day；　struck　by　a　terrible　memory；　he　exclaimed：

〃The　list！　　The　list　of　the　Twenty…seven！　　Daubrecq　must　have　it　by　now。。。　or　else　d'Albufex。　　It　was　on　the　table！〃

Clarisse　reassured　him：

〃No　one　can　have　taken　it；〃　she　declared。　　〃The　Growler　was　in　Paris　that　same　day；　with　a　note　from　me　for　Prasville；　entreating　him　to　redouble　his　watch　in　the　Square　Lamartine；　so　that　no　one　should　enter；　especially　d'Albufex。。。　〃

〃But　Daubrecq？〃

〃He　is　wounded。　　He　cannot　have　gone　home。〃

〃Ah；　well；〃　he　said；　〃that's　all　right！。。。　　But　you　too　were　wounded。。。　〃

〃A　mere　scratch　on　the　shoulder。〃

Lupin　was　easier　in　his　mind　after　these　revelations。　　Nevertheless；　he　was　pursued　by　stubborn　notions　which　he　was　unable　either　to　drive　from　his　brain　or　to　put　into　words。　　Above　all；　he　thought　incessantly　of　that　name　of　〃Marie〃　which　Daubrecq's　sufferings　had　drawn　from　him。　What　did　the　name　refer　to？　　Was　it　the　title　of　one　of　the　books　on　the　shelves；　or　a　part　of　the　title？　　Would　the　book　in　question　supply　the　key　to　the　mystery？　　Or　was　it　the　combination　word　of　a　safe？　　Was　it　a　series　of　letters　written　somewhere：　on　a　wall；　on　a　paper；　on　a　wooden　panel；　on　the　mount　of　a　drawing；　on　an　invoice？

These　questions；　to　which　he　was　unable　to　find　a　reply；　obsessed　and　exhausted　him。

One　morning　Arsene　Lupin　woke　feeling　a　great　deal　better。　　The　wound　was　closed；　the　temperature　almost　normal。　　The　doctor；　a　personal　friend；　who　came　every　day　from　Paris；　promised　that　he　might　get　up　two　days　later。　　And；　on　that　day；　in　the　absence　of　his　accomplices　and　of　Mme。　Mergy；　all　three　of　whom　had　left　two　days　before；　in　quest　of　information；　he　had　himself　moved　to　the　open　window。

He　felt　life　return　to　him　with　the　sunlight；　with　the　balmy　air　that　announced　the　approach　of　spring。　　He　recovered　the　concatenation　of　his　ideas；　and　facts　once　more　took　their　place　in　his　brain　in　their　logical　sequence　and　in　accordance　with　their　relations　one　to　the　other。

In　the　evening　he　received　a　telegram　from　Clarisse　to　say　that　things　were　going　badiy　and　that　she；　the　Growler　and　the　Masher　were　all　staying　in　Paris。　　He　was　much　disturbed　by　this　wire　and　had　a　less　quiet　night。　　What　could　the　news　be　that　had　given　rise　to　Clarisse's　telegram？

But；　the　next　day；　she　arrived　in　his　room　looking　very　pale；　her　eyes　red　with　weeping；　and；　utterly　worn　out；　dropped　into　a　chair：

〃The　appeal　has　been　rejected；〃　she　stammered。

He　mastered　his　emotion　and　asked；　in　a　voice　of　surprise：

〃Were　you　relying　on　that？〃

〃No；　no；〃　she　said；　〃but；　all　the　same。。。　one　hopes　in　spite　of　one's　self。〃

〃Was　it　rejected　yesterday？〃

〃A　week　ago。　　The　Masher　kept　it　from　me；　and　I　have　not　dared　to　read　the　papers　lately。〃

〃There　is　always　the　commutation　of　sentence；〃　he　suggested。

〃The　commutation？　　Do　you　imagine　that　they　will　commute　the　sentence　of　Arsene　Lupin's　accomplices？〃

She　ejaculated　the　words　with　a　violence　and　a　bitterness　which　he　pretended　not　to　notice；　and　he　said：

〃Vaucheray　perhaps　not。。。　But　they　will　take　pity　on　Gilbert；　on　his　youth。。。　〃

〃They　will　do　nothing　of　the　sort。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃I　have　seen　his　counsel。〃

〃You　have　seen　his　counsel！　　And　you　told　him。。。　〃

〃I　told　him　that　I　was　Gilbert's　mother　and　I　asked　him　whether；　by　proclaiming　my　son's　identity；　we　could　not　influence　the　result。。。　or　at　least　delay　it。〃

〃You　would　do　that？〃　he　whispered。　　〃You　would　admit。。。　〃

〃Gilbert's　life　comes　before　everything。　　What　do　I　care　about　my　name！　What　do　I　care　about　my　husband's　name！〃

〃And　your　littie　Jacques？〃　he　objected。　　〃Have　you　the　right　to　ruin　Jacques；　to　make　him　the　brother　of　a　man　condemned　to　death？〃

She　hung　her　head。　　And　he　resumed：

〃What　did　the　counsel　say？〃

〃He　said　that　an　act　of　that　sort　would　not　help　Gilbert　in　the　remotest　degree。　　And；　in　spite　of　all　his　protests；　I　could　see　that；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　had　no　illusions　left　and　that　the　pardoning　commission　are　bound　to　find　in　favour　of　the　execution。〃

〃The　commission；　I　grant　you；　but　what　of　the　president　of　the　Republic？〃

〃The　president　always　goes　by　the　advice　of　the　commission。〃

〃He　will　not　do　so　this　time。〃

〃And　why　not？〃

〃Because　we　shall　bring　influence　to　bear　upon　him。〃

〃How？〃

〃By　the　conditional　surrender　of　the　list　of　the　Twenty…seven！〃

〃Have　you　it？〃

〃No；　but　I　shall　have　it。〃

His　certainty　had　not　wavered。　　He　made　the　statement　with　equal　calmness　and　faith　in　the　infinite　power　of　his　will。

She　had　lost　some　part　of　her　confidence　in　him　and　she　shrugged　her　shoulders　lightly：　　　　　　　　　〃If　d'Albufex　has　not　purloined　the　list；　one　man　lone　can　exercise　any　influence；　one　man　alone：　Daubrecq。〃

She　spoke　these　words　in　a　low　and　absent　voice　that　made　him　shudder。　Was　she　still　th