the crystal stopper-第7节

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〃Whom　did　she　ask　for？〃

〃M。　Michel　Beaumont；〃　replied　the　servant。

〃Queer。　　And　why　has　she　called？〃

〃All　she　said　was　that　it　was　about　the　Enghien　business。。。　So　I　thought　that。。。　〃

〃What！　　The　Enghien　business！　　Then　she　knows　that　I　am　mixed　up　in　that　business。。。　She　knows　that；　by　applying　here。。。　〃

〃I　could　not　get　anything　out　of　her；　but　I　thought；　all　the　same；　that　I　had　better　let　her　in。〃

〃Quite　right。　Where　is　she？〃

〃In　the　drawing…room。　　I've　put　on　the　lights。〃

Lupin　walked　briskly　across　the　hall　and　opened　the　door　of　the　drawing…room：

〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　he　said；　to　his　man。　　〃There's　no　one　here。〃

〃No　one　here？〃　said　Achille；　running　up。

And　the　room；　in　fact；　was　empty。

〃Well；　on　my　word；　this　takes　the　cake！〃　cried　the　servant。　　〃It　wasn't　twenty　minutes　ago　that　I　came　and　had　a　look；　to　make　sure。　　She　was　sitting　over　there。　　And　there's　nothing　wrong　with　my　eyesight；　you　know。〃

〃Look　here；　look　here；〃　said　Lupin；　irritably。　　〃Where　were　you　while　the　woman　was　waiting？〃

〃In　the　hail；　governor！　　I　never　left　the　hail　for　a　second！　　I　should　have　seen　her　go　out；　blow　it！〃

〃Still；　she's　not　here　now。。。　〃

〃So　I　see；〃　moaned　the　man；　quite　flabbergasted。

〃She　must　have　got　tired　of　waiting　and　gone　away。　　But；　dash　it　all；　I　should　like　to　know　how　she　got　out！〃

〃How　she　got　out？〃　said　Lupin。　　〃It　doesn't　take　a　wizard　to　tell　that。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃She　got　　out　through　the　window。　　Look；　it's　still　ajar　We　are　on　the　ground…floor。。。　The　street　is　almost　always　deserted；　in　the　evenings。　There's　no　doubt　about　it。〃

He　had　looked　around　him　and　satisfied　himself　that　nothing　had　been　taken　away　or　moved。　　The　room；　for　that　matter；　contained　no　knicknack　of　any　value；　no　important　paper　that　might　have　explained　the　woman's　visit；　followed　by　her　sudden　disappearance。　　And　yet　why　that　inexplicable　flight？

〃Has　any　one　telephoned？〃　he　asked。

〃No。〃

〃Any　letters？〃

〃Yes；　one　letter　by　the　last　post。〃

〃Where　is　it？〃

〃I　put　it　on　your　mantel…piece；　governor；　as　usual。〃

Lupin's　bedroom　was　next　to　the　drawing…room；　but　Lupin　had　permanently　bolted　the　door　between　the　two。　　He；　therefore；　had　to　go　through　the　hall　again。

Lupin　switched　on　the　electric　light　and；　the　next　moment；　said：

〃I　don't　see　it。。。　〃

〃Yes。。。　I　put　it　next　to　the　flower…bowl。〃

〃There's　nothing　here　at　all。〃

〃You　must　be　looking　in　the　wrong　place；　governor。〃

But　Achille　moved　the　bowl；　lifted　the　clock；　bent　down　to　the　grate；　in　vain：　the　letter　was　not　there。

〃Oh　blast　it；　blast　it！〃　he　muttered。　　〃She's　done　it。。。　she's　taken　it。。。　　And　then；　when　she　had　the　letter；　she　cleared　out。。。　Oh；　the　slut！。。。　〃

Lupin　said：

〃You're　mad！　　There's　no　way　through　between　the　two　rooms。〃

〃Then　who　did　take　it；　governor？〃

They　were　both　of　them　silent。　　Lupin　strove　to　control　his　anger　and　collect　his　ideas。　　He　asked：

〃Did　you　look　at　the　envelope？〃

〃Yes。〃

　〃Anything　particular　about　it？〃

　〃〃Yes；　it　looked　as　if　it　had　been　written　in　a　hurry；　or　scribbled；　rather。〃

〃How　was　the　address　worded？。。。　Do　you　remember？〃　asked　Lupin；　in　a　voice　strained　with　anxiety。

〃Yes；　I　remembered　it；　because　it　struck　me　as　funny。。。　〃

〃But　speak；　will　you？　　Speak！〃

〃It　said；　'Monsieur　de　Beaumont；　Michel。'〃

Lupin　took　his　servant　by　the　shoulders　and　shook　him：

〃It　said　'de'　Beaumont？　　Are　you　sure？　　And　'Michel'　after　'Beaumont'？〃

〃Quite　certain。〃

〃Ah！〃　muttered　Lupin；　with　a　choking　throat。　　〃It　was　a　letter　from　Gilbert！〃

He　stood　motionless；　a　little　pale；　with　drawn　features。　　There　was　no　doubt　about　it：　the　letter　was　from　Gilbert。　　It　was　the　form　of　address　which；　by　Lupin's　orders；　Gilbert　had　used　for　years　in　corresponding　with　him。　　Gilbert　had　at　last　…　after　long　waiting　and　by　clint　of　endless　artifices　…　found　a　means　of　getting　a　letter　posted　from　his　prison　and　had　hastily　written　to　him。　　And　now　the　letter　was　intercepted！　　What　did　it　say？　　What　instructions　had　the　unhappy　prisoner　given？　　What　help　was　he　praying　for？　　What　stratagem　did　he　suggest？

Lupin　looked　round　the　room；　which；　contrary　to　the　drawing…room；　contained　important　papers。　　But　none　of　the　locks　had　been　forced；　and　he　was　compelled　to　admit　that　the　woman　had　no　other　object　than　to　get　hold　of　Gilbert's　letter。

Constraining　himself　to　keep　his　temper；　he　asked：

〃Did　the　letter　come　while　the　woman　was　here？〃

〃At　the　same　time。　　The　porter　rang　at　the　same　moment。〃

〃Could　she　see　the　envelope？〃

〃Yes。〃

The　conclusion　was　evident。　　It　remained　to　discover　how　the　visitor　had　been　able　to　effect　her　theft。　　By　slipping　from　one　window　to　the　other；　outside　the　fiat？　　Impossible：　Lupin　found　the　window　of　his　room　shut。　By　opening　the　communicating　door？　　Impossible：　　Lupin　found　it　locked　and　barred　with　its　two　inner　bolts。

Nevertheless；　a　person　cannot　pass　through　a　wall　by　a　mere　operation　of　will。　　To　go　in　or　out　of　a　room　requires　a　passage；　and；　as　the　act　was　accomplished　in　the　space　of　a　few　minutes；　it　was　necessary；　in　the　ircumstances；　that　the　passage　should　be　previously　in　existence；　that　it　should　already　have　been　contrived　in　the　wall　and；　of　course；　known　to　the　woman。　　This　hypothesis　simplified　the　search　by　concentrating　it　upon　the　door；　for　the　wall　was　quite　bare；　without　a　cupboard；　chimney…piece　or　hangings　of　any　kind；　and　unable　to　conceal　the　least　outlet。

Lupin　went　back　to　the　drawing…room　and　prepared　to　make　a　study　of　the　door。　　But　he　at　once　gave　a　start。　　He　perceived；　at　the　first　glance；　that　the　left　lower　panel　of　the　six　small　panels　contained　within　the　cross…bars　of　the　door　no　longer　occupied　its　normal　position　and　that　the　light　did　not　fall　straight　upon　it。　　On　leaning　forward；　he　saw　two　little　tin　tacks　sticking　out　on　either　side　and　holding　the　panel　in　place；　similar　to　a　wooden　board　behind　a　picture…frame。　　He　had　only　to　shift　these。　　The　panel　at　once　came　out。

Achille　gave　a　cry　of　amazement。　　But　Lupin　objected：

〃Well？　　And　what　then？　　We　are　no　better　off　than　before。　　Here　is　an　empty　oblong；　eight　or　nine　inches　wide　by　sixteen　inches　high。　　You're　not　going　to　pretend　that　a　woman　can　slip　through　an　opening　which　would　not　admit　the　thinnest　child　of　ten　years　old！〃

〃No；　but　she　can　have　put　her　arm　through　and　drawn　the　bolts。〃

〃The　bottom　bolt；　yes；〃　said　Lupin。　　〃But　the　top　bolt；　no：　the　distance　is　far　too　great。　　Try　for　yourself　and　see。〃

Achille　tried　and　had　to　give　up　the　attempt：　

〃Lupin　did　not　reply。　　He　stood　thinking　for　a　long　time。　　Then；　suddenly；　he　said：

〃Give　me　my　hat。。。　my　coat。。。　〃

He　hurried　off；　urged　by　an　imperative　idea。　　And；　the　moment　he　reached　the　street；　he　sprang　into　a　taxi：

〃Rue　Matignon；　quick！。。。　〃

As　soon　as　they　came　to　the　house　where　he　had　been　robbed　of　the　crystal　stopper；　he　jumped　out　of　the　cab；　opened　his　private　entrance；　went　upstairs；　ran　to　the　drawing…room；　turned　on　the　light　and　crouched　at　the　foot　of　the　door　leading　to　his　bedroom。

He　had　guessed　right。　　One　of　the　little　panels　was　loosened　in　the　same　manner。

And；　just　as　in　his　other　flat　in　the　Rue　Chateaubriand；　the　opening　was　large　enough　to　admit　a　man's　arm　and　shoulder；　but　not　to　allow　him　to　draw　the　upper　bolt。

〃Hang！〃　he　shouted；　unable　any　longer　to　master　the　rage　that　had　been　seething　within　him　for　the　last　two　hours。　　〃Blast！　　Shall　I　never　have　finished　with　this　confounded　business？〃

In　fact；　an　incredible　ill…luck　seemed　to　dog　his　footsteps；　compelling　him　to　grope　about　at　random；　without　permitting　him　to　use　the　elements　of　success　which　his　own　persistency　or　the　very　force　of　things　placed　within　his　grasp。　　Gilbert　gave　him　the　crystal　stopper。　　Gilbert　sent　him　a　letter。　　And　both　had　disappeared　at　that　very　moment。

And　it　was　not；　as　he　had　until　then　believed；　a　series　of　fortuitous　and　independent　drcumstances。　　No；　it　was　manifestly　the　effect　of　an　adverse　will　pursuing　a　definite　object　with　prodigious　ability　and　incredible　boldness；　attacking　him；　Lupin；　in　the　recesses　of　his　safest　retreats　and　baffling　him　with　blows　so　severe　and　so　unexpected　that　he　did　not　even　know　against　whom　he　had　to　defend　himself。　　Never；　in　the　course　of　his　adventures；　had　he　encountered　such　obstacles　as　now。

And；　little　by　little；　deep　down　within　himself；　there　grew　a　haunting　dread　of　the　future。　　A　date　loomed　before　his　eyes；　the　terrible　date　which　he　unconsciously　assigned　to　the　law　to　perform　its　work　of　vengeance；　the　date　upon　which；　in　the　light　of　a　wan　April　morning；　two　men　would　mount　the　scaffold；　two　men　who　had　stood　by　him；　two　comrades　whom　he　had　been　unable　to　save　from　paying　the　awful　penalty。。。



CHAPTER　III

THE　HOME　LIFE　OF　ALEXIS　DAUBRECQ


When　Daubrecq　the　deputy　came　in　from　lunch　on　the　day　after　the　police　had　searched　his　house　he　was　stopped　by　C1emence；　his　portress；　who　told　him　that　she　had　found　a　cook　who　could　be　thoroughly　relied　on。

The　cook　arrived　a　few　minutes　later　and　produced　first…rate　characters；　signed　by　people　with　whom　it　was　easy　to　take　up　her　references。　　She　was　a　very　a