the crystal stopper-第37节

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Clarisse　and　Lupin　reached　the　station　by　half…past　two。

〃If　only　there's　room！〃　said　Clarisse；　who　was　alarmed　at　the　least　thing。

〃Room？　　Why；　our　berths　are　booked！〃

〃By　whom？〃

〃By　Jacob。。。　by　Daubrecq。〃

〃How？〃

〃Why；　at　the　office　of　the　hotel　they　gave　me　a　letter　which　had　come　for　Daubrecq　by　express。　　It　was　the　two　berths　which　Jacob　had　sent　him。　　Also；　I　have　his　deputy's　pass。　　So　we　shall　travel　under　the　name　of　M。　and　Mme。　Daubrecq　and　we　shall　receive　all　the　attention　due　to　our　rank　and　station。　　You　see；　my　dear　madam；　that　everything's　arranged。〃

The　journey；　this　time；　seemed　short　to　Lupin。　　Clarisse　told　him　what　she　had　done　during　the　past　few　days。　　He　himself　explained　the　miracle　of　his　sudden　appearance　in　Daubrecq's　bedroom　at　the　moment　when　his　adversary　belleved　him　in　Italy：

〃A　miracle；　no；〃　he　said。　　〃But　still　a　remarkable　phenomenon　took　place　in　me　when　I　left　San　Remo；　a　sort　of　mysterious　intuition　which　prompted　me　first　to　try　and　jump　out　of　the　train　…　and　the　Masher　prevented　me　…　and　next　to　rush　to　the　window；　let　down　the　glass　and　follow　the　porter　of　the　Ambassadeurs…Palace；　who　had　given　me　your　message；　with　my　eyes。　　Well；　at　that　very　minute；　the　porter　aforesaid　was　rubbing　his　hands　with　an　air　of　such　satisfaction　that；　for　no　other　reason；　suddenly；　I　understood　everything：　I　had　been　diddled；　taken　in　by　Daubrecq；　as　you　yourself　were。　　Heaps　of　llttle　details　flashed　across　my　mind。　　My　adversary's　scheme　became　clear　to　me　from　start　to　finish。　　Another　minute。。。　and　the　disaster　would　have　been　beyond　remedy。　　I　had；　I　confess；　a　few　moments　of　real　despair；　at　the　thought　that　I　should　not　be　able　to　repair　all　the　mistakes　that　had　been　made。　　It　depended　simply　on　the　time…table　of　the　trains；　which　would　either　allow　me　or　would　not　allow　me　to　find　Daubrecq's　emissary　on　the　railway…platform　at　San　Remo。　　This　time；　at　last；　chance　favoured　me。　　We　had　hardly　alighted　at　the　first　station　when　a　train　passed；　for　France。　　When　we　arrived　at　San　Remo；　the　man　was　there。　I　had　guessed　right。　　He　no　longer　wore　his　hotel…porter's　cap　and　frock…coat；　but　a　jacket　and　bowler。　　He　stepped　into　a　second…class　compartment。　　From　that　moment；　victory　was　assured。〃

〃But。。。　how　。。。　？〃　asked　Clarisse；　who；　in　spite　of　the　thoughts　that　obsessed　her；　was　interested　in　Lupin's　story。

〃How　did　I　find　you？　　Lord；　simply　by　not　losing　sight　of　Master　Jacob；　while　leaving　him　free　to　move　about　as　he　pleased；　knowing　that　he　was　bound　to　account　for　his　actions　to　Daubrecq。　　In　point　of　fact；　this　morning；　after　spending　the　night　in　a　small　hotel　at　Nice；　he　met　Daubrecq　on　the　Promenade　des　Anglais。　　They　talked　for　some　time。　　I　followed　them。　　Daubrecq　went　back　to　the　hotel；　planted　Jacob　in　one　of　the　passages　on　the　ground…floor；　opposite　the　telephone…office；　and　went　up　in　the　lift。　　Ten　minutes　later　I　knew　the　number　of　his　room　and　knew　that　a　lady　had　been　occupying　the　next　room；　No。　130；　since　the　day　before。　　'I　believe　we've　done　it；'　I　said　to　the　Growler　and　the　Masher。　　I　tapped　lightly　at　your　door。　　No　answer。　　And　the　door　was　locked。〃

〃Well？〃　asked　Clarisse。

〃Well；　we　opened　it。　　Do　you　think　there's　only　one　key　in　the　world　that　will　work　a　lock？　　So　I　walked　in。　　Nobody　in　your　room。　　But　the　partition…door　was　ajar。　　I　slipped　through　it。　　Thenceforth；　a　mere　hanging　separated　me　from　you；　from　Daubrecq　and　from　the　packet　of　tobacco　which　I　saw　on　the　chimney…slab。〃

〃Then　you　knew　the　hiding…place？〃　〃A　look　round　Daubrecq's　study　in　Paris　showed　me　that　that　packet　of　tobacco　had　disappeared。　　Besides。。。　〃

〃What？〃

〃I　knew；　from　certain　confessions　wrung　from　Daubrecq　in　the　Lovers'　Tower；　that　the　word　Marie　held　the　key　to　the　riddle。　　Since　then　I　had　certainly　thought　of　this　word；　but　with　the　preconceived　notion　that　it　was　spelt　M　A　R　I　E。　　Well；　it　was　really　the　first　two　syllables　of　another　word；　which　I　guessed；　so　to　speak；　only　at　the　moment　when　I　was　struck　by　the　absence　of　the　packet　of　tobacco。〃

〃What　word　do　you　mean？〃

〃Maryland；　Maryland　tobacco；　the　only　tobacco　that　Daubrecq　smokes。〃

And　Lupin　began　to　laugh：

〃Wasn't　it　silly？　　And；　at　the　same　…time；　wasn't　it　clever　of　Daubrecq？　We　looked　everywhere；　we　ransacked　everything。　　Didn't　I　unscrew　the　brass　sockets　of　the　electric　lights　to　see　if　they　contained　a　crystal　stopper？　　But　how　could　I　have　thought；　how　could　any　one；　however　great　his　perspicadty；　have　thought　of　tearing　off　the　paper　band　of　a　packet　of　Maryland；　a　band　put　on；　gummed；　sealed；　stamped　and　dated　by　the　State；　under　the　control　of　the　Inland　Revenue　Office？　　Only　think！　　The　State　the　accomplice　of　such　an　act　of　infamy！　　The　Inland　R…r…r…revenue　Awfice　lending　itself　to　such　a　trick！　　No；　a　thousand　times　no！　The　Regie*　is　not　perfect。　　It　makes　matches　that　won't　light　and　cigarettes　filled　with　hay。　　But　there's　all　the　difference　in　the　world　between　recognizing　that　fact　and　believing　the　Inland　Revenue　to　be　in　league　with　Daubrecq　with　the　object　of　hiding　the　list　of　the　Twenty…seven　from　the　legitimate　curiosity　of　the　government　and　the　enterprising　efforts　of　Arsene　Lupin！　　Observe　that　all　Daubrecq　had　to　do；　in　order　to　introduce　the　crystal　stopper；　was　to　bear　upon　the　band　a　little；　loosen　it；　draw　it　back；　unfold　the　yellow　paper；　remove　the　tobacco　and　fasten　it　up　again。　　Observe　also　that　all　we　had　to　do；　in　Paris；　was　to　take　the　packet　in　our　hands　and　examine　it；　in　order　to　discover　the　hiding…place。　　No　matter！　　The　packet　itself；　the　plug　of　Maryland　made　up　and　passed　by　the　State　and　by　the　Inland　Revenue　Office；　was　a　sacred；　intangible　thing；　a　thing　above　suspicion！　　And　nobody　opened　it。　　That　was　how　that　demon　of　a　Daubrecq　allowed　that　untouched　packet　of　tobacco　to　lie　about　for　months　on　his　table；　among　his　pipes　and　among　other　unopened　packets　of　tobacco。　　And　no　power　on　earth　could　have　given　any　one　even　the　vaguest　notion　of　looking　into　that　harmless　little　cube。　　I　would　have　you　observe；　besides。。。　〃　Lupin　went　on　pursuing　his　remarks　relative　to　the　packet　of　Maryland　and　the　crystal　stopper。　　His　adversary's　ingenuity　and　shrewdness　interested　him　all　the　more　inasmuch　as　Lupin　had　ended　by　getting　the　better　of　him。　　But　to　Clarisse　these　topics　mattered　much　less　than　did　her　anxiety　as　to　the　acts　which　must　be　performed　to　save　her　son；　and　she　sat　wrapped　in　her　own　thoughts　and　hardiy　listened　to　him。　_______________________________________________________________________　*The　department　of　the　French　excise　which　holds　the　monopoly　for　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　tobacco；　cigars；　cigarettes　and　matches　…　Translator's　Note。　________________________________________________________________________

〃Are　you　sure；〃　she　kept　on　repeating；　〃that　you　will　succeed？〃

〃Absolutely　sure。〃

〃But　Prasville　is　not　in　Paris。〃

〃If　he's　not　there；　he's　at　the　Havre。　　I　saw　it　in　the　paper　yesterday。　In　any　case；　a　telegram　will　bring　him　to　Paris　at　once。〃

〃And　do　you　think　that　he　has　enough　influence？〃

〃To　obtain　the　pardon　of　Vaucheray　and　Gilbert　personally。　　No。　　If　he　had；　we　should　have　set　him　to　work　before　now。　　But　he　is　intelligent　enough　to　understand　the　value　of　what　we　are　bringing　him　and　to　act　without　a　moment's　delay。〃

〃But；　to　be　accurate；　are　you　not　deceived　as　to　that　value？〃

〃Was　Daubrecq　deceived？　　Was　Daubrecq　not　in　a　better　position　than　any　of　us　to　know　the　full　power　of　that　paper？　　Did　he　not　have　twenty　proofs　of　it；　each　more　convincing　than　the　last？　　Think　of　all　that　he　was　able　to　do；　for　the　sole　reason　that　people　knew　him　to　possess　the　list。　　They　knew　it；　and　that　was　all。　　He　did　not　use　the　list；　but　he　had　it。　　And；　having　it；　he　killed　your　husband。　　He　built　up　his　fortune　on　the　ruin　and　the　disgrace　of　the　Twenty…seven。　　Only　last　week；　one　of　the　gamest　of　the　lot；　d'Albufex；　cut　his　throat　in　a　prison。　　No；　take　it　from　me；　as　the　price　of　handing　over　that　llst；　we　could　ask　for　anything　we　pleased。　　And　we　are　asking　for　what？　　Almost　nothing　。。。　less　than　nothing。。。　the　pardon　of　a　child　of　twenty。　　In　other　words；　they　will　take　us　for　idiots。　　What！　　We　have　in　our　hands。。　〃

He　stopped。　　Clarisse；　exhausted　by　so　much　excitement；　sat　fast　asleep　in　front　of　him。

They　reached　Paris　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning。

Lupin　found　two　telegrams　awaiting　him　at　his　flat　in　the　Place　de　Clichy。

One　was　from　the　Masher；　dispatched　from　Avignon　on　the　previous　day　and　stating　that　all　was　going　well　and　that　they　hoped　to　keep　their　appointment　punctually　that　evening。　　The　other　was　from　Prasville；　dated　from　the　HAvre　and　addressed　to　Clarisse：

　　　　　　　　〃Impossible　return　to…morrow　Monday　morning。　　Come　to　my　office　　　　　　　　　five　o'clock。　　Reckon　on　you　absolutely。〃

〃Five　o'clock！〃　said　Clarisse。　　〃How　late！〃

〃It's　a　first…rate　hour；〃　declared　Lupin。

〃Still；　if。。。　〃

〃If　the　execution　is　to　take　place　to…morrow　morning：　is　that　what　you　mean　to　say？。。。　Don't　be　afraid　to　speak　out；　for　the　execution　will　not　take　place。〃

〃The　newspapers。。。　〃

〃You　haven't　read　the　newspapers　and　you　are　not　to　read　them。　　Nothing　tha