The Arsene Lupin MEGAPACK ®. Морис Леблан

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СКАЧАТЬ is precisely the reason—because it is in your possession.”

      “Oh! I am to give it to you?”

      “Yes.”

      “Voluntarily?”

      “I will buy it.”

      “Ah!” exclaimed Lupin, in an access of mirth, “you are certainly an Englishman. You treat this as a matter of business.”

      “It is a matter of business.”

      “Well! what is your offer?”

      “The liberty of Mademoiselle Destange.”

      “Her liberty?… I didn’t know she was under arrest.”

      “I will give Monsieur Ganimard the necessary information. When deprived of your protection, she can readily be taken.”

      Lupin laughed again, and said:

      “My dear monsieur, you are offering me something you do not possess. Mademoiselle Destange is in a place of safety, and has nothing to fear. You must make me another offer.”

      The Englishman hesitated, visibly embarrassed and vexed. Then, placing his hand on the shoulder of his adversary, he said:

      “And if I should propose to you-”

      “My liberty?”

      “No…but I can leave the room to consult with Ganimard.”

      “And leave me alone!”

      “Yes.”

      “Ah! mon dieu, what good would that be? The cursed mechanism will not work,” said Lupin, at the same time savagely pushing the moulding of the mantel. He stifled a cry of surprise; this time fortune favored him—the block of marble moved. It was his salvation; his hope of escape. In that event, why submit to the conditions imposed by Holmes? He paced up and down the room, as if he were considering his reply. Then, in his turn, he placed his hand on the shoulder of his adversary, and said:

      “All things considered, Monsieur Holmes, I prefer to do my own business in my own way.”

      “But—”

      “No, I don’t require anyone’s assistance.”

      “When Ganimard gets his hand on you, it will be all over. You can’t escape from them.”

      “Who knows?”

      “Come, that is foolish. Every door and window is guarded.”

      “Except one.”

      “Which?”

      “The one I will choose.”

      “Mere words! Your arrest is as good as made.”

      “Oh! no—not at all.”

      “Well?”

      “I shall keep the blue diamond.”

      Holmes looked at his watch, and said:

      “It is now ten minutes to three. At three o’clock I shall call Ganimard.”

      “Well, then, we have ten minutes to chat. And to satisfy my curiosity, Monsieur Holmes, I should like to know how you procured my address and my name of Felix Davey?”

      Although his adversary’s easy manner caused Holmes some anxiety, he was willing to give Lupin the desired information since it reflected credit on his professional astuteness; so he replied:

      “Your address? I got it from the blonde Lady.”

      “Clotilde!”

      “Herself. Do you remember, yesterday morning, when I wished to take her away in the automobile, she telephoned to her dressmaker.”

      “Well?”

      “Well, I understood, later, that you were the dressmaker. And last night, on the boat, by exercising my memory—and my memory is something I have good reason to be proud of—I was able to recollect the last two figures of your telephone number—73. Then, as I possessed a list of the houses you had ‘improved,’ it was an easy matter, on my arrival in Paris at eleven o’clock this morning, to search in the telephone directory and find there the name and address of Felix Davey. Having obtained that information, I asked the aid of Monsieur Ganimard.”

      “Admirable! I congratulate you. But bow did you manage to catch the eight o’clock train at Havre! How did you escape from The Swallow?”

      “I did not escape.”

      “But—”

      “You ordered the captain not to reach Southampton before one o’clock. He landed me there at midnight. I was able to catch the twelve o’clock boat for Havre.”

      “Did the captain betray me? I can’t believe it.”

      “No, he did not betray you.”

      “Well, what then?”

      “It was his watch.”

      “His watch?”

      “Yes, I put it ahead one hour.”

      “How?”

      “In the usual way, by turning the hands. We were sitting side by side, talking, and I was telling him some funny stories.… Why! he never saw me do it.”

      “Bravo! a very clever trick. I shall not forget it. But the clock that was hanging on the wall of the cabin?”

      “Ah! the clock was a more difficult matter, as my feet were tied, but the sailor, who guarded me during the captain’s absence, was kind enough to turn the hands for me.”

      “He? Nonsense! He wouldn’t do it.”

      “Oh! but he didn’t know the importance of his act. I told him I must catch the first train for London, at any price, and…he allowed himself to be persuaded—”

      “By means of—”

      “By means of a slight gift, which the excellent fellow, loyal and true to his master, intends to send to you.”

      “What was it!”

      “A mere trifle.”

      “But what?”

      “The blue diamond.”

      “The blue diamond!”

      “Yes, the false stone that you substituted for the Countess’ diamond. She gave it to me.”

      There was a sudden explosion of violent laughter. Lupin laughed until the tears started in his eyes.

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