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第43节

the crystal stopper-第43节

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CHAPTER XIII

THE LAST BATTLE


When Prasville returned to his office he saw M。 Nicole sitting on a bench in the waiting…room; with his bent back; his ailing air; his gingham umbrella; his rusty hat and his single glove:

〃It's he all right;〃 said Prasville; who had feared for a moment that Lupin might have sent another M。 Nicole to see him。  〃And the fact that he has come in person proves that he does not suspect that I have seen through him。〃  And; for the third time; he said; 〃All the same; what a nerve!〃

He shut the door of his office and called his secretary:

〃M。 Lartigue; I am having a rather dangerous person shown in here。  The chances are that he will have to leave my office with the bracelets on。 As soon as he is in my room; make all the necessary arrangements: send for a dozen inspectors and have them posted in the waiting…room and in your office。  And take this as a definite instruction: the moment I ring; you are all to come in; revolvers in hand; and surround the fellow。  Do you quite understand?〃

〃Yes; monsieur le secretaire…general。〃

〃Above all; no hesitation。  A sudden entrance; in a body; revolvers in hand。  Send M。 Nicole in; please。〃

As soon as he was alone; Prasville covered the push of an electric bell on his desk with some papers and placed two revolvers of respectable dimensions behind a rampart of books。

〃And now;〃 he said to himself; 〃to sit tight。  If he has the list; let's collar it。  If he hasn't; let's collar him。  And; if possible; let's collar both。  Lupin and the list of the Twenty…seven; on the same day; especially after the scandal of this morning; would be a scoop in a thousand。〃

There was a knock at the door。

〃Come in!〃 said Prasville。

And; rising from his seat:

〃Come in; M。 Nicole; come in。

M。 Nicole crept timidly into the room; sat down on the extreme edge of the chair to which Prasville pointed and said:

〃I have come。。。to resume。。。 our conversation of yesterday。。。 Please excuse the delay; monsieur。〃

〃One second;〃 said Prasville。  〃Will you allow me?〃

He stepped briskly to the outer room and; seeing his secretary:

〃I was forgetting; M。 Lartigue。  Have the staircases and passages searched 。。。 in case of accomplices。〃

He returned; settled himself comfortably; as though for a long and interesting conversation; and began:

〃You were saying; M。 Nicole?〃

〃I was saying; monsieur le secreaire…general; that I must apologize for keeping you waiting yesterday evening。  I was detained by different matters。  First of all; Mme。 Mergy。 。。。 〃

〃Yes; you had to see Mme。 Mergy home。〃

〃Just so; and to look after her。  You can understand the poor thing's despair。。。 Her son Gilbert so near death。。。 And such a death!。。。 At that time we could only hope for a miracle。。。 an impossible miracle。  I myself was resigned to the inevitable。。。 You know as well as I do; when fate shows itself implacable; one ends by despairing。〃

〃But I thought;〃 observed Prasville; 〃that your intention; on leaving me; was to drag Daubrecq's secret from him at all costs。〃

〃Certainly。 But Daubrecq was not in Paris。〃

〃Oh?〃

〃No。  He was on his way to Paris in a motor…car。〃

〃Have you a motor…car; M。 Nicole?〃

〃Yes; when I need it: an out…of…date concern; an old tin kettle of  sorts。  Well; he was on his way to Paris in a motor…car; or rather on  the roof of a motor…car; inside a trunk in which I packed him。  But; unfortunately; the motor was unable to reach Paris until after the execution。  Thereupon。。。 〃

Prasville stared at M。 Nicole with an air of stupefaction。  If he had retained the least doubt of the individual's real identity; this manner of dealing with Daubrecq would have removed it。  By Jingo!  To pack a man in a trunk and pitch him on the top of a motorcar!。。。 No one but Lupin would indulge in such a freak; no one but Lupin would confess it with that ingenuous coolness!

〃Thereupon;〃 echoed Prasville; 〃you decided what?〃

〃I cast about for another method。〃

〃What method?〃

〃Why; surely; monsieur le secretaire…genera1; you know as well as I do!〃

〃How do you mean?〃

〃Why; weren't you at the execution?〃

〃I was。〃

〃In that case; you saw both Vaucheray and the executioner bit; one  mortally; the other with a slight wound。  And you can't fail to see。。。 〃

〃Oh;〃 exclaimed Prasville; dumbfounded; 〃you confess it?  It was you who fired the shots; this morning?〃

〃Come; monsieur le secretaire…general; think!  What choice had I?  The list of the Twenty…seven which you examined was a forgery。  Daubrecq; who possessed the genuine one; would not arrive until a few hours after the execution。  There was therefore but one way for me to save Gilbert and obtain his pardon; and that was to delay the execution by a few hours。〃

〃Obviously。〃

〃Well; of course。  By killing that infamous brute; that hardened criminal; Vaucheray; and wounding the executioner; I spread disorder and panic; I made Gilbert's execution physically and morally impossible; and I thus gained the few hours which were indispensable for my purpose。〃

〃Obviously;〃 repeated Prasville。

〃Well; of course;〃 repeated Lupin; 〃it gives us all …  the government; the president and myself … time to reflect and to see the question in a clearer light。  What do you think of it; monsieur le secretaire…general?〃

Prasville thought a number of things; especially that this Nicole was giving proof; to use a vulgar phrase; of the most infernal cheek; of a cheek so great that Prasville felt inclined to ask himself if he was really right in identifying Nico1e with Lupin and Lupin with Nicole。

〃I think; M。 Nicole; that a man has to be a jolly good shot to kill a person whom he wants to kill; at a distance of a hundred yards; and to wound another person whom he only wants to wound。〃

〃I have had some little practice;〃 said M。 Nicole; with  modest air。

〃And I also think that your plan can only be the fruit of a long preparation。〃

〃Not at all I That's where you're wrong!  It was absolutely spontaneous! If my servant; or rather the servant of the friend who lent me his flat in the Place de Clichy; had not shaken me out of my sleep; to tell me that he had once served as a shopman in that little house on the Boulevard Arago; that it did not hold many tenants and that there might be something to be done there; our poor Gilbert would have had his head cut off by now。。。 and Mme。 Mergy would most likely be dead。〃

〃Oh; you think so?〃

〃I am sure of it。  And that was why I jumped at that faithful retainer's suggestion。  Only; you interfered with my plans; monsieur le secretaire…general。〃

〃I did?〃

〃Yes。  You must needs go and take the three…cornered precaution of posting twelve men at the door of my house。  I had to climb five flights of back stairs and go out through the servants' corridor and the next house。  Such useless fatigue!〃

I am very sorry; M。 Nicole。  Another time。。。 〃

〃It was the same thing at eight o'clock this morning; when I was waiting for the motor which was bringing Daubrecq to me in his trunk: I had to march up and down the Place de Clichy; so as to prevent the car from stopping outside the door of my place and your men from interfering in my private affairs。  Otherwise; once again; Gilbert and Clarisse Mergy would have been lost。〃

〃But;〃 said Prasville; 〃those painful events; it seems to me。 are only delayed for a day; two days; three days at most。  To avert them for good and all we should want。。。 〃

〃The real list; I suppose?〃

〃Exactly。 And I daresay you haven't got it。〃

〃Yes; I have。〃

〃The genuine list?〃

〃The genuine; the undoubtedly genuine list。〃

〃With the cross of Lorraine?〃

〃With the cross of Lorraine。〃

Prasville was silent。  He was labouring under violent emotion; now that the duel was commencing with that adversary of whose terrifying superiority he was well aware; and he shuddered at the idea that Arsene Lupin; the formidable Arsene Lupin; was there; in front of him; calm and placid; pursuing his aims with as much coolness as though he had all the weapons in his hands and were face to face with a disarmed enemy。

Not yet daring to deliver a frontal attack; feeling almost intimidated; Prasville said:

〃So Daubrecq gave it up to you?〃

〃Daubrecq gives nothing up。  I took it。〃

〃By main force; therefore?〃

〃Oh; dear; no!〃 said M。 Nicole; laughing。  〃Of course; I was ready to go to all lengths; and; when that worthy Daubrecq was dug out of the basket in which he had been travelling express; with an occasional dose of chloroform to keep his strength up; I had prepared things so that the fun might begin at once。  Oh; no useless tortures。。。 no vain sufferings! No。。。 Death; simply。。。 You press the point of a long needle on the chest; where the heart is; and insert it gradually; softly and gently。  That's all but the point would have been driven by Mme。 Mergy。  You understand: a mother is pitiless; a mother whose son is about to die!。。。 'Speak; Daubrecq; or I'll go deeper。 。。。 You won't speak? 。。。 Then I'll push another quarter of an inch。。。 and another still。'  And the patient's heart stops beating; the heart that feels the needle coming。。。 And another quarter of an inch 。。。 and one more。。。 I swear before Heaven that the villain wo

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