the crystal stopper-第47节

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h　mentioning。　　Good…bye；　Daubrecq。　　And；　if　you　should　want　a　louis　or　two；　to　buy　yourself　a　new　decanter…stopper；　drop　me　a　line。　Good…bye；　Daubrecq。〃

He　walked　away。

He　had　not　gone　fifty　steps　when　he　heard　the　sound　of　a　shot。

He　turned　round。

Daubrecq　had　blown　his　brains　out。

〃De　profundist〃　murmured　Lupin；　taking　off　his　hat。　

Two　months　later；　Gilbert；　whose　sentence　had　been　commuted　to　one　of　penal　servitude　for　life；　made　his　escape　from　the　Ile　de　Re；　on　the　day　before　that　on　which　he　was　to　have　been　transported　to　New　Caledonia。

It　was　a　strange　escape。　　Its　least　details　remained　difficult　to　understand；　and；　like　the　two　shots　on　the　Boulevard　Arago；　it　greatly　enhanced　Arsene　Lupin's　prestige。

〃Taken　all　round；〃　said　Lupin　to　me；　one　day；　after　telling　me　the　different　episodes　of　the　story；　〃taken　all　around；　no　enterprise　has　ever　given　me　more　trouble　or　cost　me　greater　exertions　than　that　confounded　adventure　which；　if　you　don't　mind；　we　will　call；　The　Crystal　Stopper；　or；　Never　Say　Die。　　In　twelve　hours；　between　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　six　o'clock　in　the　evening；　I　made　up　for　six　months　of　bad　luck；　blunders；　gropings　in　the　dark　and　reverses。　　I　certainly　count　those　twelve　hours　among　the　finest　and　the　most　glorious　of　my　life。〃

〃And　Gilbert？〃　I　asked。　　〃What　became　of　him？〃　

〃He　is　farming　his　own　land；　way　down　in　Algeria；　under　his　real　name；　his　only　name　of　Antoine　Mergy。　　He　is　married　to　an　Englishwoman；　and　they　have　a　son　whom　he　insisted　on　calling　Arsene。　　I　often　receive　a　bright；　chatty；　warm…hearted　letter　from　him。〃

〃And　Mme。　Mergy？〃

〃She　and　her　little　Jacques　are　living　with　them。〃

〃Did　you　see　her　again？〃

〃I　did　not。〃

〃Really！〃

Lupin　hesitated　for　a　few　moments　and　then　said　with　a　smile：

〃My　dear　fellow；　I　will　let　you　into　a　secret　that　will　make　me　seem　ridiculous　in　your　eyes。　　But　you　know　that　I　have　always　been　as　sentimental　as　a　schoolboy　and　as　silly　as　a　goose。　　Well；　on　the　evening　when　I　went　back　to　Clarisse　Mergy　and　told　her　the　news　of　the　day　…　part　of　which；　for　that　matter；　she　already　knew　…　I　felt　two　　things　very　thoroughly。　　One　was　that　I　entertained　for　her　a　much　deeper　feeling　than　I　thought；　the　other　that　she；　on　the　contrary；　entertained　for　me　a　feeling　which　was　not　without　contempt；　not　without　a　rankling　grudge　nor　even　a　certain　aversion。〃

〃Nonsense！　　Why？〃

〃Why？　　Because　Clarisse　Mergy　is　an　exceedingly　honest　woman　and　because　I　am。。。　just　Arsene　Lupin。〃

〃Oh！〃

〃Dear　me；　yes；　an　attractive　bandit；　a　romantic　and　chivalrous　cracksman；　anything　you　please。　　For　all　that；　in　the　eyes　of　a　really　honest　woman；　with　an　upright　nature　and　a　well…balanced　mind；　I　am　only　only　the　merest　riff…raff。〃

I　saw　that　the　wound　was　sharper　than　he　was　willing　to　admit；　and　I　said：

〃So　you　really　loved　her？〃　

〃I　even　believe；〃　he　said；　in　a　jesting　tone；　〃that　I　asked　her　to　marry　me。　　After　all；　I　had　saved　her　son；　had　I　not？。。。　So。。。　I　thought。　What　a　rebuff！。。。　It　produced　a　coolness　between　us。。。　Since　then。。。　〃

〃You　have　forgotten　her？〃

〃Oh；　certainly！　　But　it　required　the　consolations　of　one　Italian；　two　Americans；　three　Russians；　a　German　grand…duchess　and　a　Chinawoman　to　do　it！〃

〃And；　after　that。。。　？〃

〃After　that；　so　as　to　place　an　insuperable　barrier　between　myself　and　her；　I　got　married。〃

〃Nonsense！　　You　got　married；　you；　Arsene　Lupin？〃

〃Married；　wedded；　spliced；　in　the　most　lawful　fashion。　　One　of　the　greatest　names　in　France。　　An　only　daughter。　　A　colossal　fortune。。。　What！　You　don't　know　the　story？　　Well；　it's　worth　hearing。〃

And；　straightway；　Lupin；　who　was　in　a　confidential　vein；　began　to　tell　me　the　story　of　his　marriage　to　Angelique　de　Sarzeau…Vendome；　Princesse　de　Bourbon…Conde；　to…day　Sister　Marie…Auguste；　a　humble　nun　in　the　Visitation　Convent。。。　*　________________________________________________________________________

*See　The　Confessions　of　Arsene　Lupin　By　Maurice　Leblanc　Translated　by　　Alexander　Teixeira　de　Mattos　________________________________________________________________________

But；　after　the　first　few　words；　he　stopped；　as　though　his　narrative　had　suddenly　ceased　to　interest　him；　and　he　remained　pensive。

〃What's　the　matter；　Lupin？〃

〃The　matter？　Nothing。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　。。。　There。。。　now　you're　smiling。。。　Is　it　Daubrecq's　secret　receptacle；　his　glass　eye；　that's　making　you　laugh？〃

〃Not　at　all。〃

〃What　then？〃

〃Nothing；　I　tell　you　。　。　only　a　memory。〃

〃A　pleasant　memory？〃

〃Yes！。。。　Yes；　a　delightful　memory　even。　　It　was　at　night；　off　the　Ile　de　Re；　on　the　fishingsmack　in　which　Clarisse　and　I　were　taking　Gilbert　away。　。。。　We　were　alone；　the　two　of　us；　m　the　stern　of　the　boat。。。　And　I　remember　。。。　I　talked。。。　I　spoke　words　and　more　words。。。　I　said　all　that　I　had　on　my　heart。。。　And　then。。。then　came　silence；　a　perturbing　and　disarming　silence。　　　　　'

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　I　swear　to　you　that　the　woman　whom　I　took　in　my　arms　that　night　and　kissed　on　the　lips　　…　　oh；　not　for　long：　a　few　seconds　only；　but　no　matter！　…　I　swear　before　heaven　that　she　was　something　more　than　a　　grateful　mother；　something　more　than　a　friend　yielding　to　a　moment　of　susceptibility；　that　she　was　a　woman　also；　a　woman　quivering　with　emotion　。。。　〃　　And　he　continued；　with　a　bitter　laugh；　〃Who　ran　away　next　day；　never　to　see　me　again。〃

He　was　silent　once　more。　　Then　he　whispered：

〃Clarisse。。。　Clarisse。。。　On　the　day　when　I　am　tired　and　disappointed　and　weary　of　life；　I　will　come　to　you　down　there；　in　your　little　Arab　house　。。。　in　that　little　white　house；　Clarisse；　where　you　are　waiting　for　me。。。





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