CHAPTER III.
HERLOCK SHOLMES OPENS HOSTILITIES.
"What does monsieur wish?"
"Anything," replied Arsene Lupin, like a man who never worries over thedetails of a meal; "anything you like, but no meat or alcohol."
The waiter walked away, disdainfully.
"What! still a vegetarian?" I exclaimed.
"More so than ever," replied Lupin.
"Through taste, faith, or habit?"
"Hygiene."
"And do you never fall from grace?"
"Oh! yes ... when I am dining out ... and wish to avoid being consideredeccentric."
We were dining near the Northern Railway station, in a little restaurantto which Arsene Lupin had invited me. Frequently he would send me atelegram asking me to meet him in some obscure restaurant, where wecould enjoy a quiet dinner, well served, and which was always madeinteresting to me by his recital of some startling adventuretheretofore unknown to me.
On that particular evening he appeared to be in a more lively mood thanusual. He laughed and joked with careless animation, and with thatdelicate sarcasm that was habitual with him--a light and spontaneoussarcasm that was quite free from any tinge of malice. It was a pleasureto find him in that jovial mood, and I could not resist the desire totell him so.
"Ah! yes," he exclaimed, "there are days in which I find life as brightand gay as a spring morning; then life seems to be an infinite treasurewhich I can never exhaust. And yet God knows I lead a carelessexistence!"
"Too much so, perhaps."
"Ah! but I tell you, the treasure is infinite. I can spend it with alavish hand. I can cast my youth and strength to the four winds ofHeaven, and it is replaced by a still younger and greater force.Besides, my life is so pleasant!... If I wished to do so, I mightbecome--what shall I say?... An orator, a manufacturer, a politician....But, I assure you, I shall never have such a desire. Arsene Lupin, I am;Arsene Lupin, I shall remain. I have made a vain search in history tofind a career comparable to mine; a life better filled or moreintense.... Napoleon? Yes, perhaps.... But Napoleon, toward the close ofhis career, when all Europe was trying to crush him, asked himself onthe eve of each battle if it would not be his last."
Was he serious? Or was he joking? He became more animated as heproceeded:
"That is everything, do you understand, the danger! The continuousfeeling of danger! To breathe it as you breathe the air, to scent it inevery breath of wind, to detect it in every unusual sound.... And, inthe midst of the tempest, to remain calm ... and not to stumble!Otherwise, you are lost. There is only one sensation equal to it: thatof the chauffeur in an automobile race. But that race lasts only a fewhours; my race continues until death!"
"What fantasy!" I exclaimed. "And you wish me to believe that you haveno particular motive for your adoption of that exciting life?"
"Come," he said, with a smile, "you are a clever psychologist. Work itout for yourself."
He poured himself a glass of water, drank it, and said:
"Did you read _'Le Temps'_ to-day?"
"No."
"Herlock Sholmes crossed the Channel this afternoon, and arrived inParis about six o'clock."
"The deuce! What is he coming for?"
"A little journey he has undertaken at the request of the Count andCountess of Crozon, Monsieur Gerbois, and the nephew of Baron d'Hautrec.They met him at the Northern Railway station, took him to meet Ganimard,and, at this moment, the six of them are holding a consultation."
Despite a strong temptation to do so, I had never ventured to questionArsene Lupin concerning any action of his private life, unless he hadfirst mentioned the subject to me. Up to that moment his name had notbeen mentioned, at least officially, in connection with the bluediamond. Consequently, I consumed my curiosity in patience. Hecontinued:
"There is also in _'Le Temps'_ an interview with my old friend Ganimard,according to whom a certain blonde lady, who should be my friend, musthave murdered the Baron d'Hautrec and tried to rob Madame de Crozon ofher famous ring. And--what do you think?--he accuses me of being theinstigator of those crimes."
I could not suppress a slight shudder. Was this true? Must I believethat his career of theft, his mode of existence, the logical result ofsuch a life, had drawn that man into more serious crimes, includingmurder? I looked at him. He was so calm, and his eyes had such a frankexpression! I observed his hands: they had been formed from a model ofexceeding delicacy, long and slender; inoffensive, truly; and the handsof an artist....
"Ganimard has pipe-dreams," I said.
"No, no!" protested Lupin. "Ganimard has some cleverness; and, at times,almost inspiration."
"Inspiration!"
"Yes. For instance, that interview is a master-stroke. In the firstplace, he announces the coming of his English rival in order to put meon my guard, and make his task more difficult. In the second place, heindicates the exact point to which he has conducted the affair in orderthat Sholmes will not get credit for the work already done by Ganimard.That is good warfare."
"Whatever it may be, you have two adversaries to deal with, and suchadversaries!"
"Oh! one of them doesn't count."
"And the other?"
"Sholmes? Oh! I confess he is a worthy foe; and that explains my presentgood humor. In the first place, it is a question of self-esteem; I ampleased to know that they consider me a subject worthy the attention ofthe celebrated English detective. In the next place, just imagine thepleasure a man, such as I, must experience in the thought of a duel withHerlock Sholmes. But I shall be obliged to strain every muscle; he is aclever fellow, and will contest every inch of the ground."
"Then you consider him a strong opponent?"
"I do. As a detective, I believe, he has never had an equal. But I haveone advantage over him; he is making the attack and I am simplydefending myself. My role is the easier one. Besides, I am familiar withhis method of warfare, and he does not know mine. I am prepared to showhim a few new tricks that will give him something to think about."
He tapped the table with his fingers as he uttered the followingsentences, with an air of keen delight:
"Arsene Lupin against Herlock Sholmes.... France against England....Trafalgar will be revenged at last.... Ah! the rascal ... he doesn'tsuspect that I am prepared ... and a Lupin warned--"
He stopped suddenly, seized with a fit of coughing, and hid his face inhis napkin, as if something had stuck in his throat.
"A bit of bread?" I inquired. "Drink some water."
"No, it isn't that," he replied, in a stifled voice.
"Then, what is it?"
"The want of air."
"Do you wish a window opened?"
"No, I shall go out. Give me my hat and overcoat, quick! I must go."
"What's the matter?"
"The two gentlemen who came in just now.... Look at the taller one ...now, when we go out, keep to my left, so he will not see me."
"The one who is sitting behind you?"
"Yes. I will explain it to you, outside."
"Who is it?"
"Herlock Sholmes."
He made a desperate effort to control himself, as if he were ashamed ofhis emotion, replaced his napkin, drank a glass of water, and, quiterecovered, said to me, smiling:
"It is strange, hein, that I should be affected so easily, but thatunexpected sight--"
"What have you to fear, since no one can recognize you, on account ofyour many transformations? Every time I see you it seems to me your faceis changed; it's not at all familiar. I don't know why."
"But _he_ would recognize me," said Lupin. "He has seen me only once;but, at that time, he made a mental photograph of me--not of my externalappearance but of my very soul--not what I appear to be but just what Iam. Do you understand? And then ... and then.... I did not expect tomeet him here.... Such a strange encounter!... in this littlerestaurant...."
"Well, shall we go out?"
"No, not now," said Lupin.
"What are you going
to do?"
"The better way is to act frankly ... to have confidence in him--trusthim...."
"You will not speak to him?"
"Why not! It will be to my advantage to do so, and find out what heknows, and, perhaps, what he thinks. At present I have the feeling thathis gaze is on my neck and shoulders, and that he is trying to rememberwhere he has seen them before."
He reflected a moment. I observed a malicious smile at the corner of hismouth; then, obedient, I think, to a whim of his impulsive nature, andnot to the necessities of the situation, he arose, turned around, and,with a bow and a joyous air, he said:
"By what lucky chance? Ah! I am delighted to see you. Permit me tointroduce a friend of mine."
For a moment the Englishman was disconcerted; then he made a movement asif he would seize Arsene Lupin. The latter shook his head, and said:
"That would not be fair; besides, the movement would be an awkward oneand ... quite useless."
The Englishman looked about him, as if in search of assistance.
"No use," said Lupin. "Besides, are you quite sure you can place yourhand on me? Come, now, show me that you are a real Englishman and,therefore, a good sport."
This advice seemed to commend itself to the detective, for he partiallyrose and said, very formally:
"Monsieur Wilson, my friend and assistant--Monsieur Arsene Lupin."
Wilson's amazement evoked a laugh. With bulging eyes and gaping mouth,he looked from one to the other, as if unable to comprehend thesituation. Herlock Sholmes laughed and said:
"Wilson, you should conceal your astonishment at an incident which isone of the most natural in the world."
"Why do you not arrest him?" stammered Wilson.
"Have you not observed, Wilson, that the gentleman is between me and thedoor, and only a few steps from the door. By the time I could move mylittle finger he would be outside."
"Don't let that make any difference," said Lupin, who now walked aroundthe table and seated himself so that the Englishman was between him andthe door--thus placing himself at the mercy of the foreigner.
Wilson looked at Sholmes to find out if he had the right to admire thisact of wanton courage. The Englishman's face was impenetrable; but, amoment later, he called:
"Waiter!"
When the waiter came he ordered soda, beer and whisky. The treaty ofpeace was signed--until further orders. In a few moments the four menwere conversing in an apparently friendly manner.
* * * * *
Herlock Sholmes is a man such as you might meet every day in thebusiness world. He is about fifty years of age, and looks as if he mighthave passed his life in an office, adding up columns of dull figures orwriting out formal statements of business accounts. There was nothing todistinguish him from the average citizen of London, except theappearance of his eyes, his terribly keen and penetrating eyes.
But then he is Herlock Sholmes--which means that he is a wonderfulcombination of intuition, observation, clairvoyance and ingenuity. Onecould readily believe that nature had been pleased to take the two mostextraordinary detectives that the imagination of man has hithertoconceived, the Dupin of Edgar Allen Poe and the Lecoq of Emile Gaboriau,and, out of that material, constructed a new detective, moreextraordinary and supernatural than either of them. And when a personreads the history of his exploits, which have made him famousthroughout the entire world, he asks himself whether Herlock Sholmes isnot a mythical personage, a fictitious hero born in the brain of a greatnovelist--Conan Doyle, for instance.
When Arsene Lupin questioned him in regard to the length of his sojournin France he turned the conversation into its proper channel by saying:
"That depends on you, monsieur."
"Oh!" exclaimed Lupin, laughing, "if it depends on me you can return toEngland to-night."
"That is a little too soon, but I expect to return in the course ofeight or nine days--ten at the outside."
"Are you in such a hurry?"
"I have many cases to attend to; such as the robbery of theAnglo-Chinese Bank, the abduction of Lady Eccleston.... But, don't youthink, Monsieur Lupin, that I can finish my business in Paris within aweek?"
"Certainly, if you confine your efforts to the case of the blue diamond.It is, moreover, the length of time that I require to make preparationsfor my safety in case the solution of that affair should give youcertain dangerous advantages over me."
"And yet," said the Englishman, "I expect to close the business in eightor ten days."
"And arrest me on the eleventh, perhaps?"
"No, the tenth is my limit."
Lupin shook his head thoughtfully, as he said:
"That will be difficult--very difficult."
"Difficult, perhaps, but possible, therefore certain--"
"Absolutely certain," said Wilson, as if he had clearly worked out thelong series of operations which would conduct his collaborator to thedesired result.
"Of course," said Herlock Sholmes, "I do not hold all the trump cards,as these cases are already several months old, and I lack certaininformation and clues upon which I am accustomed to base myinvestigations."
"Such as spots of mud and cigarette ashes," said Wilson, with an air ofimportance.
"In addition to the remarkable conclusions formed by Monsieur Ganimard,I have obtained all the articles written on the subject, and have formeda few deductions of my own."
"Some ideas which were suggested to us by analysis or hypothesis,"added Wilson, sententiously.
"I wish to enquire," said Arsene Lupin, in that deferential tone whichhe employed in speaking to Sholmes, "would I be indiscreet if I were toask you what opinion you have formed about the case?"
Really, it was a most exciting situation to see those two men facingeach other across the table, engaged in an earnest discussion as if theywere obliged to solve some abstruse problem or come to an agreement uponsome controverted fact. Wilson was in the seventh heaven of delight.Herlock Sholmes filled his pipe slowly, lighted it, and said:
"This affair is much simpler than it appeared to be at first sight."
"Much simpler," said Wilson, as a faithful echo.
"I say 'this affair,' for, in my opinion, there is only one," saidSholmes. "The death of the Baron d'Hautrec, the story of the ring, and,let us not forget, the mystery of lottery ticket number 514, are onlydifferent phases of what one might call the mystery of the blonde Lady.Now, according to my view, it is simply a question of discovering thebond that unites those three episodes in the same story--the fact whichproves the unity of the three events. Ganimard, whose judgment is rathersuperficial, finds that unity in the faculty of disappearance; that is,in the power of coming and going unseen and unheard. That theory doesnot satisfy me."
"Well, what is your idea?" asked Lupin.
"In my opinion," said Sholmes, "the characteristic feature of the threeepisodes is your design and purpose of leading the affair into a certainchannel previously chosen by you. It is, on your part, more than a plan;it is a necessity, an indispensable condition of success."
"Can you furnish any details of your theory?"
"Certainly. For example, from the beginning of your conflict withMonsieur Gerbois, is it not evident that the apartment of MonsieurDetinan is the place selected by you, the inevitable spot where all theparties must meet? In your opinion, it was the only safe place, and youarranged a rendezvous there, publicly, one might say, for the blondeLady and Mademoiselle Gerbois."
"The professor's daughter," added Wilson. "Now, let us consider thecase of the blue diamond. Did you try to appropriate it while the Barond'Hautrec possessed it! No. But the baron takes his brother's house. Sixmonths later we have the intervention of Antoinette Brehat and the firstattempt. The diamond escapes you, and the sale is widely advertised totake place at the Drouot auction-rooms. Will it be a free and open sale?Is the richest amateur sure to carry off the jewel! No. Just as thebanker Herschmann is on the point of buying the ring, a lady sends him aletter of warn
ing, and it is the Countess de Crozon, prepared andinfluenced by the same lady, who becomes the purchaser of the diamond.Will the ring disappear at once? No; you lack the opportunity.Therefore, you must wait. At last the Countess goes to her chateau. Thatis what you were waiting for. The ring disappears."
"To reappear again in the tooth-powder of Herr Bleichen," remarkedLupin.
"Oh! such nonsense!" exclaimed Sholmes, striking the table with hisfist, "don't tell me such a fairy tale. I am too old a fox to be ledaway by a false scent."
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" said Sholmes, then paused a moment as if he wished toarrange his effect. At last he said:
"The blue diamond that was found in the tooth-powder was false. You keptthe genuine stone."
Arsene Lupin remained silent for a moment; then, with his eyes fixed onthe Englishman, he replied, calmly:
"You are impertinent, monsieur."
"Impertinent, indeed!" repeated Wilson, beaming with admiration.
"Yes," said Lupin, "and, yet, to do you credit, you have thrown a stronglight on a very mysterious subject. Not a magistrate, not a specialreporter, who has been engaged on this case, has come so near the truth.It is a marvellous display of intuition and logic."
"Oh! a person has simply to use his brains," said Herlock Sholmes,nattered at the homage of the expert criminal.
"And so few have any brains to use," replied Lupin. "And, now, that thefield of conjectures has been narrowed down, and the rubbish clearedaway----"
"Well, now, I have simply to discover why the three episodes wereenacted at 25 rue Clapeyron, 134 avenue Henri-Martin, and within thewalls of the Chateau de Crozon and my work will be finished. Whatremains will be child's play. Don't you think so?"
"Yes, I think you are right."
"In that case, Monsieur Lupin, am I wrong in saying that my businesswill be finished in ten days?"
"In ten days you will know the whole truth," said Lupin.
"And you will be arrested."
"No."
"No?"
"In order that I may be arrested there must occur such a series ofimprobable and unexpected misfortunes that I cannot admit thepossibility of such an event."
"We have a saying in England that 'the unexpected always happens.'"
They looked at each other for a moment calmly and fearlessly, withoutany display of bravado or malice. They met as equals in a contest of witand skill. And this meeting was the formal crossing of swords,preliminary to the duel.
"Ah!" exclaimed Lupin, "at last I shall have an adversary worthy of thename--one whose defeat will be the proudest achievement in my career."
"Are you not afraid!" asked Wilson.
"Almost, Monsieur Wilson," replied Lupin, rising from his chair, "andthe proof is that I am about to make a hasty retreat. Then, we will sayten days, Monsieur Sholmes?"
"Yes, ten days. This is Sunday. A week from next Wednesday, at eighto'clock in the evening, it will be all over."
"And I shall be in prison?"
"No doubt of it."
"Ha! not a pleasant outlook for a man who gets so much enjoyment out oflife as I do. No cares, a lively interest in the affairs of the world, ajustifiable contempt for the police, and the consoling sympathy ofnumerous friends and admirers. And now, behold, all that is about to bechanged! It is the reverse side of the medal. After sunshine comes therain. It is no longer a laughing matter. Adieu!"
"Hurry up!" said Wilson, full of solicitude for a person in whom HerlockSholmes had inspired so much respect, "do not lose a minute."
"Not a minute, Monsieur Wilson; but I wish to express my pleasure athaving met you, and to tell you how much I envy the master in havingsuch a valuable assistant as you seem to be."
Then, after they had courteously saluted each other, like adversaries ina duel who entertain no feeling of malice but are obliged to fight byforce of circumstances, Lupin seized me by the arm and drew me outside.
"What do you think of it, dear boy? The strange events of this eveningwill form an interesting chapter in the memoirs you are now preparingfor me."
He closed the door of the restaurant behind us, and, after taking a fewsteps, he stopped and said:
"Do you smoke?"
"No. Nor do you, it seems to me."
"You are right, I don't."
He lighted a cigarette with a wax-match, which he shook several times inan effort to extinguish it. But he threw away the cigarette immediately,ran across the street, and joined two men who emerged from the shadowsas if called by a signal. He conversed with them for a few minutes onthe opposite sidewalk, and then returned to me.
"I beg your pardon, but I fear that cursed Sholmes is going to give metrouble. But, I assure you, he is not yet through with Arsene Lupin. Hewill find out what kind of fuel I use to warm my blood. And now--aurevoir! The genial Wilson is right; there is not a moment to lose."
He walked away rapidly.
Thus ended the events of that exciting evening, or, at least, that partof them in which I was a participant. Subsequently, during the course ofthe evening, other stirring incidents occurred which have come to myknowledge through the courtesy of other members of that uniquedinner-party.
* * * * *
At the very moment in which Lupin left me, Herlock Sholmes rose from thetable, and looked at his watch.
"Twenty minutes to nine. At nine o'clock I am to meet the Count andCountess at the railway station."
"Then, we must be off!" exclaimed Wilson, between two drinks of whisky.
They left the restaurant.
"Wilson, don't look behind. We may be followed, and, in that case, letus act as if we did not care. Wilson, I want your opinion: why was Lupinin that restaurant?"
"To get something to eat," replied Wilson, quickly.
"Wilson, I must congratulate you on the accuracy of your deduction. Icouldn't have done better myself."
Wilson blushed with pleasure, and Sholmes continued:
"To get something to eat. Very well, and, after that, probably, toassure himself whether I am going to the Chateau de Crozon, as announcedby Ganimard in his interview. I must go in order not to disappoint him.But, in order to gain time on him, I shall not go."
"Ah!" said Wilson, nonplused.
"You, my friend, will walk down this street, take a carriage, two, threecarriages. Return later and get the valises that we left at the station,and make for the Elysee-Palace at a galop."
"And when I reach the Elysee-Palace?"
"Engage a room, go to sleep, and await my orders."
Quite proud of the important role assigned to him, Wilson set out toperform his task. Herlock Sholmes proceeded to the railway station,bought a ticket, and repaired to the Amiens' express in which the Countand Countess de Crozon were already installed. He bowed to them, lightedhis pipe, and had a quiet smoke in the corridor. The train started. Tenminutes later he took a seat beside the Countess, and said to her:
"Have you the ring here, madame?"
"Yes."
"Will you kindly let me see it?"
He took it, and examined it closely.
"Just as I suspected: it is a manufactured diamond."
"A manufactured diamond?"
"Yes; a new process which consists in submitting diamond dust to atremendous heat until it melts and is then molded into a single stone."
"But my diamond is genuine."
"Yes, _your_ diamond is; but this is not yours."
"Where is mine?"
"It is held by Arsene Lupin."
"And this stone?"
"Was substituted for yours, and slipped into Herr Bleichen'stooth-powder, where it was afterwards found."
"Then you think this is false?"
"Absolutely false."
The Countess was overwhelmed with surprise and grief, while her husbandscrutinized the diamond with an incredulous air. Finally she stammered:
"Is it possible? And why did they not merely steal it and be done
withit? And how did they steal it?"
"That is exactly what I am going to find out."
"At the Chateau de Crozon?"
"No. I shall leave the train at Creil and return to Paris. It is therethe game between me and Arsene Lupin must be played. In fact, the gamehas commenced already, and Lupin thinks I am on my way to the chateau."
"But--"
"What does it matter to you, madame? The essential thing is yourdiamond, is it not?"
"Yes."
"Well, don't worry. I have just undertaken a much more difficult taskthan that. You have my promise that I will restore the true diamond toyou within ten days."
The train slackened its speed. He put the false diamond in his pocketand opened the door. The Count cried out:
"That is the wrong side of the train. You are getting out on thetracks."
"That is my intention. If Lupin has anyone on my track, he will losesight of me now. Adieu."
An employee protested in vain. After the departure of the train, theEnglishman sought the station-master's office. Forty minutes later heleaped into a train that landed him in Paris shortly before midnight. Heran across the platform, entered the lunch-room, made his exit atanother door, and jumped into a cab.
"Driver--rue Clapeyron."
Having reached the conclusion that he was not followed, he stopped thecarriage at the end of the street, and proceeded to make a carefulexamination of Monsieur Detinan's house and the two adjoining houses. Hemade measurements of certain distances and entered the figures in hisnotebook.
"Driver--avenue Henri-Martin."
At the corner of the avenue and the rue de la Pompe, he dismissed thecarriage, walked down the street to number 134, and performed the sameoperations in front of the house of the late Baron d'Hautrec and the twoadjoining houses, measuring the width of the respective facades andcalculating the depth of the little gardens that stood in front ofthem.
The avenue was deserted, and was very dark under its four rows of trees,between which, at considerable intervals, a few gas-lamps struggled invain to light the deep shadows. One of them threw a dim light over aportion of the house, and Sholmes perceived the "To-let" sign posted onthe gate, the neglected walks which encircled the small lawn, and thelarge bare windows of the vacant house.
"I suppose," he said to himself, "the house has been unoccupied sincethe death of the baron.... Ah! if I could only get in and view the sceneof the murder!"
No sooner did the idea occur to him than he sought to put it inexecution. But how could he manage it? He could not climb over the gate;it was too high. So he took from his pocket an electric lantern and askeleton key which he always carried. Then, to his great surprise, hediscovered that the gate was not locked; in fact, it was open aboutthree or four inches. He entered the garden, and was careful to leavethe gate as he had found it--partly open. But he had not taken manysteps from the gate when he stopped. He had seen a light pass one ofthe windows on the second floor.
He saw the light pass a second window and a third, but he saw nothingelse, except a silhouette outlined on the walls of the rooms. The lightdescended to the first floor, and, for a long time, wandered from roomto room.
"Who the deuce is walking, at one o'clock in the morning, through thehouse in which the Baron d'Hautrec was killed?" Herlock Sholmes askedhimself, deeply interested.
There was only one way to find out, and that was to enter the househimself. He did not hesitate, but started for the door of the house.However, at the moment when he crossed the streak of gaslight that camefrom the street-lamp, the man must have seen him, for the light in thehouse was suddenly extinguished and Herlock Sholmes did not see itagain. Softly, he tried the door. It was open, also. Hearing no sound,he advanced through the hallway, encountered the foot of the stairs, andascended to the first floor. Here there was the same silence, the samedarkness.
He entered, one of the rooms and approached a window through which camea feeble light from the outside. On looking through the window he sawthe man, who had no doubt descended by another stairway and escaped byanother door. The man was threading his way through the shrubbery whichbordered the wall that separated the two gardens.
"The deuce!" exclaimed Sholmes, "he is going to escape."
He hastened down the stairs and leaped over the steps in his eagernessto cut off the man's retreat. But he did not see anyone, and, owing tothe darkness, it was several seconds before he was able to distinguish abulky form moving through the shrubbery. This gave the Englishman foodfor reflection. Why had the man not made his escape, which he could havedone so easily! Had he remained in order to watch the movements of theintruder who had disturbed him in his mysterious work!
"At all events," concluded Sholmes, "it is not Lupin; he would be moreadroit. It may be one of his men."
For several minutes Herlock Sholmes remained motionless, with his gazefixed on the adversary who, in his turn was watching the detective. Butas that adversary had become passive, and as the Englishman was not oneto consume his time in idle waiting, he examined his revolver to see ifit was in good working order, remove his knife from its sheath, andwalked toward the enemy with that cool effrontery and scorn of dangerfor which he had become famous.
He heard a clicking sound; it was his adversary preparing his revolver.Herlock Sholmes dashed boldly into the thicket, and grappled with hisfoe. There was a sharp, desperate struggle, in the course of whichSholmes suspected that the man was trying to draw a knife. But theEnglishman, believing his antagonist to be an accomplice of Arsene Lupinand anxious to win the first trick in the game with that redoubtablefoe, fought with unusual strength and determination. He hurled hisadversary to the ground, held him there with the weight of his body,and, gripping him by the throat with one hand, he used his free hand totake out his electric lantern, press the button, and throw the lightover the face of his prisoner.
"Wilson!" he exclaimed, in amazement.
"Herlock Sholmes!" stammered a weak, stifled voice.
* * * * *
For a long time they remained silent, astounded, foolish. The shriek ofan automobile rent the air. A slight breeze stirred the leaves.Suddenly, Herlock Sholmes seized his friend by the shoulders and shookhim violently, as he cried:
"What are you doing here? Tell me.... What?... Did I tell you to hide inthe bushes and spy on me!"
"Spy on you!" muttered Wilson, "why, I didn't know it was you."
"But what are you doing here? You ought to be in bed."
"I was in bed."
"You ought to be asleep."
"I was asleep."
"Well, what brought you here?" asked Sholmes.
"Your letter."
"My letter? I don't understand."
"Yes, a messenger brought it to me at the hotel."
"From me? Are you crazy?"
"It is true--I swear it."
"Where is the letter?"
Wilson handed him a sheet of paper, which he read by the light of hislantern. It was as follows:
"Wilson, come at once to avenue Henri-Martin. The house is empty.Inspect the whole place and make an exact plan. Then return tohotel.--Herlock Sholmes."
"I was measuring the rooms," said Wilson, "when I saw a shadow in thegarden. I had only one idea----"
"That was to seize the shadow.... The idea was excellent.... Butremember this, Wilson, whenever you receive a letter from me, be sure itis my handwriting and not a forgery."
"Ah!" exclaimed Wilson, as the truth dawned on him, "then the letterwasn't from you?"
"No."
"Who sent it, then?"
"Arsene Lupin."
"Why? For what purpose?" asked Wilson.
"I don't know, and that's what worries me. I don't understand why hetook the trouble to disturb you. Of course, if he had sent me on such afoolish errand I wouldn't be surprised; but what was his object indisturbing you?"
"I must hurry back to the hotel."
"So must I, Wilson."
They arrive
d at the gate. Wilson, who was ahead, took hold of it andpulled.
"Ah! you closed it?" he said.
"No, I left it partly open."
Sholmes tried the gate; then, alarmed, he examined the lock. An oathescaped him:
"Good God! it is locked! locked with a key!"
He shook the gate with all his strength; then, realizing the futility ofhis efforts, he dropped his arms, discouraged, and muttered, in a jerkymanner:
"I can see it all now--it is Lupin. He fore-saw that I would leave thetrain at Creil, and he prepared this neat little trap for me in case Ishould commence my investigation this evening. Moreover, he was kindenough to send me a companion to share my captivity. All done to make melose a day, and, perhaps, also, to teach me to mind my own business."
"Do you mean to say we are prisoners?"
"Exactly. Herlock Sholmes and Wilson are the prisoners of Arsene Lupin.It's a bad beginning; but he laughs best who laughs last."
Wilson seized Sholmes' arm, and exclaimed:
"Look!... Look up there!... A light...."
A light shone through one of the windows of the first floor. Both ofthem ran to the house, and each ascended by the stairs he had used oncoming out a short time before, and they met again at the entrance tothe lighted chamber. A small piece of a candle was burning in the centerof the room. Beside it there was a basket containing a bottle, a roastedchicken, and a loaf of bread.
Sholmes was greatly amused, and laughed heartily.
"Wonderful! we are invited to supper. It is really an enchanted place, agenuine fairy-land. Come, Wilson, cheer up! this is not a funeral. It'sall very funny."
"Are you quite sure it is so very funny?" asked Wilson, in a lugubrioustone.
"Am I sure?" exclaimed Sholmes, with a gaiety that was too boisterous tobe natural, "why, to tell the truth, it's the funniest thing I ever saw.It's a jolly good comedy! What a master of sarcasm this Arsene Lupin is!He makes a fool of you with the utmost grace and delicacy. I wouldn'tmiss this feast for all the money in the Bank of England. Come, Wilson,you grieve me. You should display that nobility of character whichrises superior to misfortune. I don't see that you have any cause forcomplaint, really, I don't."
After a time, by dint of good humor and sarcasm, he managed to restoreWilson to his normal mood, and make him swallow a morsel of chicken anda glass of wine. But when the candle went out and they prepared to spendthe night there, with the bare floor for a mattress and the hard wallfor a pillow, the harsh and ridiculous side of the situation wasimpressed upon them. That particular incident will not form a pleasantpage in the memoirs of the famous detective.
Next morning Wilson awoke, stiff and cold. A slight noise attracted hisattention: Herlock Sholmes was kneeling on the floor, criticallyexamining some grains of sand and studying some chalk-marks, now almosteffaced, which formed certain figures and numbers, which figures heentered in his notebook.
Accompanied by Wilson, who was deeply interested in the work, heexamined each room, and found similar chalk-marks in two otherapartments. He noticed, also, two circles on the oaken panels, an arrowon a wainscot, and four figures on four steps of the stairs. At the endof an hour Wilson said:
"The figures are correct, aren't they!"
"I don't know; but, at all events, they mean something," repliedSholmes, who had forgotten the discomforts of the night in the joycreated by his new discoveries.
"It is quite obvious," said Wilson, "they represent the number of piecesin the floor."
"Ah!"
"Yes. And the two circles indicate that the panels are false, as you canreadily ascertain, and the arrow points in the direction in which thepanels move."
Herlock Sholmes looked at Wilson, in astonishment.
"Ah! my dear friend, how do you know all that? Your clairvoyance makesmy poor ability in that direction look quite insignificant."
"Oh! it is very simple," said Wilson, inflated with pride; "I examinedthose marks last night, according to your instructions, or, rather,according to the instructions of Arsene Lupin, since he wrote the letteryou sent to me."
At that moment Wilson faced a greater danger than he had during hisstruggle in the garden with Herlock Sholmes. The latter now felt afurious desire to strangle him. But, dominating his feelings, Sholmesmade a grimace which was intended for a smile, and said:
"Quite so, Wilson, you have done well, and your work shows commendableprogress. But, tell me, have you exercised your powers of observationand analysis on any other points? I might profit by your deductions."
"Oh! no, I went no farther."
"That's a pity. Your debut was such a promising one. But, since that isall, we may as well go."
"Go! but how can we get out?"
"The way all honest people go out: through the gate."
"But it is locked."
"It will be opened."
"By whom?"
"Please call the two policemen who are strolling down the avenue."
"But----"
"But what?"
"It is very humiliating. What will be said when it becomes known thatHerlock Sholmes and Wilson were the prisoners of Arsene Lupin?"
"Of course, I understand they will roar with laughter," replied HerlockSholmes, in a dry voice and with frowning features, "but we can't set uphousekeeping in this place."
"And you will not try to find another way out?"
"No."
"But the man who brought us the basket of provisions did not cross thegarden, coming or going. There is some other way out. Let us look forit, and not bother with the police."
"Your argument is sound, but you forget that all the detectives in Parishave been trying to find it for the last six months, and that I searchedthe house from top to bottom while you were asleep. Ah! my dear Wilson,we have not been accustomed to pursue such game as Arsene Lupin. Heleaves no trail behind him."
* * * * *
At eleven o'clock, Herlock Sholmes and Wilson were liberated, andconducted to the nearest police station, where the commissary, aftersubjecting them to a severe examination, released them with anaffectation of good-will that was quite exasperating.
"I am very sorry, messieurs, that this unfortunate incident hasoccurred. You will have a very poor opinion of French hospitality. MonDieu! what a night you must have passed! Ah! that rascally Lupin is norespecter of persons."
They took a carriage to their hotel. At the office Wilson asked for thekey of his room.
After some search the clerk replied, much astonished:
"But, monsieur, you have given up the room."
"I gave it up? When?"
"This morning, by the letter your friend brought here."
"What friend?"
"The gentleman who brought your letter.... Ah! your card is stillattached to the letter. Here they are."
Wilson looked at them. Certainly, it was one of his cards, and theletter was in his handwriting.
"Good Lord!" he muttered, "this is another of his tricks," and he added,aloud: "Where is my luggage?"
"Your friend took it."
"Ah!... and you gave it to him?"
"Certainly; on the strength of your letter and card."
"Of course ... of course."
They left the hotel and walked, slowly and thoughtfully, through theChamps-Elysees. The avenue was bright and cheerful beneath a clearautumn sun; the air was mild and pleasant.
At Rond-Point, Herlock Sholmes lighted his pipe. Then Wilson spoke:
"I can't understand you, Sholmes. You are so calm and unruffled. Theyplay with you as a cat plays with a mouse, and yet you do not say aword."
Sholmes stopped, as he replied:
"Wilson, I was thinking of your card."
"Well!"
"The point is this: here is a man who, in view of a possible strugglewith us, procures specimens of our handwriting, and who holds, in hispossession, one or more of your cards. Now, have you considered how muchprecaution and skill those facts represent?"
>
"Well!"
"Well, Wilson, to overcome an enemy so well prepared and so thoroughlyequipped requires the infinite shrewdness of ... of a Herlock Sholmes.And yet, as you have seen, Wilson, I have lost the first round."
* * * * *
At six o 'clock the _Echo de France_ published the following article inits evening edition:
"This morning Mon. Thenard, commissary of police in the sixteenthdistrict, released Herlock Sholmes and his friend Wilson, both of whomhad been locked in the house of the late Baron d'Hautrec, where theyspent a very pleasant night--thanks to the thoughtful care and attentionof Arsene Lupin."
"In addition to their other troubles, these gentlemen have been robbedof their valises, and, in consequence thereof, they have entered aformal complaint against Arsene Lupin."
"Arsene Lupin, satisfied that he has given them a mild reproof, hopesthese gentlemen will not force him to resort to more stringentmeasures."
"Bah!" exclaimed Herlock Sholmes, crushing the paper in his hands, "thatis only child's play! And that is the only criticism I have to make ofArsene Lupin: he plays to the gallery. There is that much of the fakirin him."
"Ah! Sholmes, you are a wonderful man! You have such a command over yourtemper. Nothing ever disturbs you."
"No, nothing disturbs me," replied Sholmes, in a voice that trembledfrom rage; "besides, what's the use of losing my temper?... I am quiteconfident of the final result; I shall have the last word."
Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes Page 3