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07 - Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc · Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes

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Speaker 1: Chapter seven, The Jewish Lamp. Hurlock, Scholmes and Wilson were
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Speaker 1: sitting in front of the fireplace in comfortable arm chairs,
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Speaker 1: with the feet extended toward the grateful warmth of a
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Speaker 1: glowing coke fire. Shulms's pipe, a short brier with a
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Speaker 1: silver band, had gone out. He knocked out the ashes,
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Speaker 1: filled it, lighted it, pulled the skirts of his dressing
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Speaker 1: gown over his knees, and drew from his pipe great
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Speaker 1: puffs of smoke, which ascended toward the ceiling in scores
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Speaker 1: of shadow rings. Wilson gazed at him, as a dog
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Speaker 1: lying curled up on a rug before the fire, might
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Speaker 1: look at his master with great round eyes which have
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Speaker 1: no hope other than to obey the least gesture of
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Speaker 1: his owner. Was the master going to break the silence?
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Speaker 1: Would he reveal to Wilson the subject of his reverie
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Speaker 1: and admit his satellite into the charmed realm of his thoughts.
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Speaker 1: When Shulms had maintained his silent attitude for some time,
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Speaker 1: Wilson ventured to speak, Everything seems quiet now, not the
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Speaker 1: shadow of a case to occupy our leisure moments. Shulmes
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Speaker 1: did not reply, but the rings of smoke emitted by
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Speaker 1: Shulms were better formed, and Wilson observed that his companion
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Speaker 1: drew considerable pleasure from that trifling fact. In indication that
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Speaker 1: the great Man was not absorbed in any serious meditation,
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Speaker 1: Wilson discouraged arose and went to the window. The lonely
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Speaker 1: street extended between the gloomy facades of grimy houses. Unusually
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Speaker 1: gloomy this morning, by reason of a heavy downfall of rain.
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Speaker 1: A cab passed, then another. Wilson made an entry of
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Speaker 1: their numbers in his memorandum book. One never knows, ah,
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Speaker 1: he exclaimed the postman. The man entered, shone in by
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Speaker 1: the servant to registered letters, Sir, if you assigned please.
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Speaker 1: Shulms signed the receipts, accompanied the man to the door,
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Speaker 1: and was accompanying one of the lets as he returned.
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Speaker 1: It seems to please you, remarked Wilson, after a moment's silence.
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Speaker 1: This letter contains a very interesting proposition. You are anxious
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Speaker 1: for a case. Here's one, read Wilson. Read, Monsieur, I
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Speaker 1: desire the benefit of your services and experience. I have
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Speaker 1: been the victim of a serious theft, and the investigation
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Speaker 1: has as yet been unsuccessful. I am sending to you
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Speaker 1: by this mail a number of newspapers which will inform
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Speaker 1: you of the affair, And if you will undertake the case,
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Speaker 1: I will place my house at your disposal and ask
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Speaker 1: you to fill in the enclosed check signed by me,
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Speaker 1: for whatever sum you require for your expenses. Kindly reply
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Speaker 1: by telegraph, and much oblige your humble servant, Baron Victor
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Speaker 1: Dimbleval eighteen Rue Maurillo, Paris, Ah, exclaimed Sholmes, that sounds good,
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Speaker 1: a little trip to Paris. And why not, Wilson, since
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Speaker 1: my famous duel with Arsan Lupenn, I have not had
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Speaker 1: an excuse to go there. I should be pleased to
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Speaker 1: visit the capital of the world under less strenuous conditions.
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Speaker 1: He tore the check into four pieces, and while Wilson,
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Speaker 1: whose arm had not yet regained its former strength, uttered
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Speaker 1: bitter words against Paris and the Parisians, Cholms opened the
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Speaker 1: second envelope Immediately. He made a gesture of annoyance, and
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Speaker 1: a wrinkle appeared on his forehead during the reading of
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Speaker 1: the letter. Then, crushing the paper into a ball, he
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Speaker 1: threw it angrily on the floor. Well, what's the matter?
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Speaker 1: Asked Wilson. Anxiously, he picked up the ball of paper,
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Speaker 1: unfolded it, and read, with increasing amazement, My dear monsieur,
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Speaker 1: you know full well the admiration I have for you
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Speaker 1: and the interest I take in your renown. Well, believe
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Speaker 1: me when I warn you to have nothing whatever to
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Speaker 1: do with the case on which you have just now
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Speaker 1: been called to peris. Your intervention will cause much harm.
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Speaker 1: Your efforts will produce the most lamentable result, and you
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Speaker 1: will be obliged to make a public confession of your defeat.
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Speaker 1: Having a sincere desire to spare you much humiliation, I
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Speaker 1: implore you, in the name of the friendship that unites us,
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Speaker 1: to remain peacefully reposing at your own fireside, my best
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Speaker 1: wishes to Monsieur Wilson, and for yourself the sincere regards
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Speaker 1: of your devoted Arsan Lupin, Arsain Lupin, repeated. Wilson, Astounded, Sholmes,
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Speaker 1: struck the table with his fist and exclaimed, Ah, he
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Speaker 1: is pestering me already, the fool. He laughs at me
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Speaker 1: as if I were a schoolboy. The public confession of
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Speaker 1: my defeat didn't I force him to disgorge the blue diamond.
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Speaker 1: I tell you he's afraid, suggested Wilson. Nonsense, Arsain Lupin
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Speaker 1: is not afraid, and this taunting letter proves it. But
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Speaker 1: how did he know that the and dimblehol had written
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Speaker 1: to you? What do I know about it? You do
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Speaker 1: ask some stupid questions, my boy, I thought I supposed
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Speaker 1: what said I'm a clairvoyant or sorcerer. No, but I
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Speaker 1: have seen you do some marvelous things. No person can
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Speaker 1: perform marvelous things. I no more than you. I reflect,
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Speaker 1: I deduct, I conclude that is all. But I do
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Speaker 1: not divine. Only fools divine. Wilson assumed the attitude of
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Speaker 1: a whipped cur and resolved not to make a fool
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Speaker 1: of himself by trying to divine why Schulms paced the
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Speaker 1: room with quick, nervous strides. But when Schaums rang for
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Speaker 1: the servant and ordered his valise, Wilson thought that he
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Speaker 1: was in possession of a material fact which gave him
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Speaker 1: the right to reflect, deduct, and conclude that his associate
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Speaker 1: was about to take a journey. The same mental operation
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Speaker 1: permitted him to assert, with almost method medical exactness, Sholmes,
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Speaker 1: you are going to Paris, possibly and Lupin's affront impels
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Speaker 1: you to go rather than the desire to assist the
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Speaker 1: Baron Dimbleval, possibly Sholmes, I shall go with you. Ah ah,
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Speaker 1: my old friend, exclaimed Sholmes, interrupting his walking. You are
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Speaker 1: not afraid that your right arm will meet the same
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Speaker 1: fate as your left. What can happen to me? You
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Speaker 1: will be there. That's the way to talk, Wilson. We
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Speaker 1: will show that clever Frenchman that he made a mistake
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Speaker 1: when he threw his glove in our faces. Be quick, Wilson.
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Speaker 1: We must catch the first train without waiting for the
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Speaker 1: papers that Baron has sent you. What good are they?
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Speaker 1: I was on the telegram. No, if you do that,
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Speaker 1: Usain Lupin will know of my arrival. I wish to
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Speaker 1: avoid that this time, Wilson, we must fight under cover.
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Speaker 1: That afternoon, the two friends embarked at Dover. The passage
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Speaker 1: was a delightful one. In the train from Calais to Paris,
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Speaker 1: Shulms had three hours of sound sleep while Wilson guarded
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Speaker 1: the door of the compartment. Shulms awoke in good spirits.
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Speaker 1: He was delighted at the idea of another duel with
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Speaker 1: ar San lupin, and he rubbed his hands with the
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Speaker 1: satisfied air of a man who looks forward to a
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Speaker 1: pleasant vacation. At last, exclaimed Wilson, we are getting to
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Speaker 1: work again, and he rubbed his hands with the same
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Speaker 1: satisfied air. At the station, Shulms took the wraps, and
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Speaker 1: followed by Wilson, who carried the valises. He gave up
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Speaker 1: his tickets and started off briskly, fine weather, Wilson, blue
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Speaker 1: sky and sunshine. Paris is giving us a royal reception. Yes,
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Speaker 1: but what a proud So much the better, Wilson, We
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Speaker 1: will pass unnoticed. No one will recognize us in such
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Speaker 1: a crowd. Is this Monsieur Sholmes. He stopped, somewhat puzzled,
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Speaker 1: who the deuce could thus address him by his name?
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Speaker 1: A woman stood beside him, a young girl, whose simple
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Speaker 1: dress outlined her slender form, and whose pretty face had
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Speaker 1: a sad and anxious expression. She repeated her inquiry, you
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Speaker 1: are Monsieur Sholmes. As he still remained silent, as much
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Speaker 1: from confusion as from a habit of prudence, the girl
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Speaker 1: asked a third time, have I the honor of addressing
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Sholmes. What do you want, he replied testily, considering
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Speaker 1: the incident a suspicious one. You must listen to me,
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Sholmes, as it is a serious matter. I know
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Speaker 1: that you are going to the Rue Murillo. What do
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Speaker 1: you say. I know, I know Rue Murillo No. Eighteen.
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Speaker 1: Well you must not go. No, you must not. I
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Speaker 1: assure you that you will regret it. Do not think
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Speaker 1: that I have any interest in the matter. I do
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Speaker 1: it because it is right, because my conscience tells me
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Speaker 1: to do it. Shehrilmes tried to get away, but she persisted, Oh,
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Speaker 1: I beg of you. Don't neglect my advice. Ah, if
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Speaker 1: I only knew how to convince you. Look at me.
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Speaker 1: Look into my eyes. They are sincere. They speak the truth.
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Speaker 1: She gazed at Schrimes, fearlessly but innocently, with those beautiful eyes,
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Speaker 1: serious and clear, in which her very soul seemed to
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Speaker 1: be reflected. Wilson nodded his head as he said, Mademoiselle
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Speaker 1: looks honest. Yes, she implored, and you must have confidence.
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Speaker 1: I have confidence in you, Mademoiselle replied Wilson. Oh, how
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Speaker 1: happy you make me, And so has your friend. I
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Speaker 1: feel it, I am sure of it. What happiness. Everything
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Speaker 1: will be all right now? What a good idea of mine? Ah. Yes,
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Speaker 1: there is a train for Calais in twenty minutes. You
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Speaker 1: will take it quick follow me, You must come this way.
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Speaker 1: There is just time. She tried to drag them along.
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Speaker 1: Shulmes seized her arm and, in as gentle a voice
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Speaker 1: as he could assume, said to her, excuse me, mademoiselle,
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Speaker 1: if I cannot yield to your wishes, but I never
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Speaker 1: abandon a task that I have once undertaken. I beseech you,
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Speaker 1: I implore you, Ah, if only you could understand. Shulms
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Speaker 1: passed outside and walked away at a quick pace. Wilson
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Speaker 1: said to the girl, have no fear. He will be
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Speaker 1: in at the finish. He never failed yet, and he
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Speaker 1: ran to overtake Schorlms, Herlock Sholmes, Arsan lupin these words
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Speaker 1: in great black letters, met their gaze. As soon as
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Speaker 1: they left the railway station, a number of Sandwich men
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Speaker 1: were parading through the street, one behind the other, carrying
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Speaker 1: heavy canes with iron feruls in which they struck the
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Speaker 1: pavement in harmony. And on their backs they carried large
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Speaker 1: posters on which one could read the following notice the
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Speaker 1: match between Herlock Sholmes and Arsan Lupin. Arrival of the
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Speaker 1: English Champion, The Great Detective attacks the Mystery of the Rue.
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Speaker 1: Murillo read the details in the Echo de France. Wilson
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Speaker 1: shook his head and said, look at that, Sholmes, and
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Speaker 1: we thought we were traveling incognito. I shouldn't be surprised
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Speaker 1: to find the Republican Guard waiting for us at the room.
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Speaker 1: Merillo to give us an official reception with toasts and champagne. Wilson,
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Speaker 1: when you get funny, you get beastly funny, growled Sholms.
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Speaker 1: Then he approached one of the Sandwich men with the
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Speaker 1: obvious intention of seizing him in his powerful grip and
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Speaker 1: crushing him together with his infernal signboard. There was quite
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Speaker 1: a crowd gathered about, the men reading the notices, joking
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Speaker 1: and laughing. Repressing a furious access of rage. Shulms said
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Speaker 1: to the man, when did they hire you this morning?
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Speaker 1: How long have you been parading? About an hour? But
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Speaker 1: the boards were ready before that. Oh, yes, they were
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Speaker 1: ready when we went to the agency this morning. So
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Speaker 1: then it appears that Arsan Lupin had foreseen that he
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Speaker 1: Shulms would accept the challenge. More than that, the letter
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Speaker 1: written by Lupin showed that he was eager for the
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Speaker 1: fray and that he was prepared to measure swords once
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Speaker 1: more with his formidable rival. Why what motive could Arsan
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Speaker 1: Lupin have in renewing the struggle, Shulms hesitated for a moment.
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Speaker 1: Lupin must be very confident of his success to show
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Speaker 1: so much insolence in advance, and was not. He Shulmes
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Speaker 1: falling into a trap by rushing into the battle. At
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Speaker 1: the first call for help, however, he called a carriage, Come,
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Speaker 1: Wilson driver eighteen Rue Murillo, he exclaimed, with an outburst
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Speaker 1: of his accustomed energy. With distended veins and clenched fists,
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Speaker 1: as if he were about to engage in a boxing bout,
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Speaker 1: he jumped into the carriage. The room Maurillau is bordered
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Speaker 1: with magnificent private residences, the rear of which overlook the
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Speaker 1: Park Monceaux. One of the most pretentious of these houses
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Speaker 1: is Number eighteen, owned and occupied by the Baron Dimbelval,
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Speaker 1: and furnished in a luxurious manner consistent with the owner's
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Speaker 1: taste and wealth. There was a courtyard in front of
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Speaker 1: the house, and in the rear a garden well filled
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Speaker 1: with trees whose branches mingle with those of the park.
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Speaker 1: After ringing the bell, the two englishmen were admitted, crossed
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Speaker 1: the courtyard and were received at the door by a footman,
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Speaker 1: who showed them into a small parlor facing the garden
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Speaker 1: in the rear of the house. They sat down, and,
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Speaker 1: glancing about, made a rapid incie inspection of the many
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Speaker 1: valuable objects with which the room was filled. Everything very choice,
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Speaker 1: murmured Wilson, and in the best of taste. It is
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Speaker 1: a safe deduction to make that those who had the
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Speaker 1: leisure to collect these articles must now be at least
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Speaker 1: fifty years of age. The door opened and the Baron
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Speaker 1: Dimbleval entered, followed by his wife. Contrary to the deduction
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Speaker 1: made by Wilson, they were both quite young, of elegant appearance,
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Speaker 1: and vivacious in speech and action. They were profuse in
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Speaker 1: their expressions of gratitude. So kind of you to come,
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Speaker 1: sorry to have caused you so much trouble. The theft
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Speaker 1: now seems of little consequence, since it has procured us
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Speaker 1: this pleasure. How charming these French people are, thought Wilson.
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Speaker 1: Evolving one of his most commonplace deductions. But time is money,
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Speaker 1: exclaimed the Baron, especially your time, Monsieur Champ's. So I
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Speaker 1: will come to the point. Now, what do you think
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Speaker 1: of the affair? Do you think you can succeed in it?
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Speaker 1: Before I can answer, I must know what it is about.
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Speaker 1: I thought you knew no, So I must ask you
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Speaker 1: for full particulars, even to the smallest detail. First, what
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Speaker 1: is the nature of the case a theft? When did
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Speaker 1: it take place last Saturday? Replied the Baron, Or at
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Speaker 1: least some time during Saturday night or Sunday morning. That
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Speaker 1: was six days ago. Now you can tell me all
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Speaker 1: about it. In the first place, monsieur, I must tell
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Speaker 1: you that my wife and I, conforming to the manner
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Speaker 1: of life that our position demands, go out very little.
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Speaker 1: The education of our children, a few receptions, and the
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Speaker 1: care and decoration of our house. Such constitutes our life,
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Speaker 1: and nearly all our evenings are spent in this little room,
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Speaker 1: which is my wife's boudoir, and in which we have
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Speaker 1: gathered a few artistic objects. Last Saturday night, about eleven o'clock,
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Speaker 1: I turned off the electric lights and my wife and
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Speaker 1: I retired as usual to our room. Where's your room?
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Speaker 1: It adjoins this, That is the door. Next morning, that
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Speaker 1: is to say, Sunday morning, I arose quite early, as Suzanne,
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Speaker 1: my wife, was still asleep. I passed into the boudoir
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Speaker 1: as quietly as possible, so as not a waker. What
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Speaker 1: was my astonishment when I found that window open, as
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Speaker 1: we had left it closed the evening before a servant.
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Speaker 1: No one enters here in the morning until we ring. Besides,
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Speaker 1: I always take the precaution to both the second door,
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Speaker 1: which communicates with the ante chamber. Therefore the window must
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Speaker 1: have been opened from the outside. Besides, I have some
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Speaker 1: evidence of that the second pane of glass from the right,
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Speaker 1: close to the fastening, had been cut. What does that
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Speaker 1: window overlook? As you can see for yourself, it opens
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Speaker 1: on a little balcony surrounded by a stone railing. Here
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Speaker 1: we are on the first floor, and you can see
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Speaker 1: the garden behind the house and the iron fence which
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Speaker 1: separated from the park Monceaux. It is quite certain that
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Speaker 1: the thief came through the park, climbed the fence by
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Speaker 1: the aid of a ladder, and thus reached the terrace
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Speaker 1: below the window. That is quite certain, you say, well
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Speaker 1: in the soft earth on either side of the fence,
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Speaker 1: they found the two holes made by the bottom of
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Speaker 1: the ladder, and two similar holes can be seen below
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Speaker 1: the window, and the stone railing of the balcony shows
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Speaker 1: two scratches which were doubtless made by the contact of
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Speaker 1: the ladder. Is the park Monsieux closed at night? No,
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Speaker 1: But if it were, there is a house in course
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Speaker 1: of erection at number fourteen, and a person could enter
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Speaker 1: that way. Herlock Shones reflected for a few minutes, and
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Speaker 1: then said, come down to the theft. It must have
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Speaker 1: been committed in this room. Yes, there was here, between
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Speaker 1: that twelfth century virgin and that tabernacle of chased silver,
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Speaker 1: a small Jewish lamp. It has disappeared. And is that all?
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Speaker 1: That is all? Ah? And what is a Jewish lamp?
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Speaker 1: One of those copper lamps used by the ancient Jews,
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Speaker 1: consisting of a standard which supported a bowl containing the oil,
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Speaker 1: and from this bowl projected several burners intended for the
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Speaker 1: wicks upon the whole an object of small value, no
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Speaker 1: great value, of course, But this one contained a secret
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Speaker 1: hiding place in which we were accustomed to place a
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Speaker 1: magnificent jewel, a chimera in gold with rubies and emeralds,
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Speaker 1: which was of great value. Why did you hide it there? Oh?
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Speaker 1: I can't give any reason, monsieur, unless it was an
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Speaker 1: odd fancied utilize a hiding place of that kind. Did
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Speaker 1: anyone know it? No, no one except the thief, said Scholmes.
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Speaker 1: Otherwise he would not have taken the trouble to steal
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Speaker 1: the lamp, of course, but how could he know it?
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Speaker 1: As it was only by accident that the secret mechanism
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Speaker 1: of the lamp was revealed to us. A similar accident
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Speaker 1: has revealed it to someone else, a servant or an acquaintance.
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Speaker 1: But let us proceed. I suppose the police have been notified. Yes,
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Speaker 1: the examining magistrate has completed his investigation. The reported detectives
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Speaker 1: attached to the leading newspapers have also made their investigations.
19:43
Speaker 1: But as I wrote to you, it seems to me
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Speaker 1: the mystery will never be solved. Sholms Arose went to
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Speaker 1: the window, examined the casement, the balcony, the terrace, studied
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Speaker 1: the scratches on the stone railing with his magnifying glass,
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Speaker 1: and then requested Monsieur Dimbleval to him the garden outside
20:02
Speaker 1: Schulm sat down in a rat and chair and gazed
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Speaker 1: at the roof of the house in a dreamy way.
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Speaker 1: Then he walked over to the two little wooden boxes
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Speaker 1: with which they had covered the holes made in the
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Speaker 1: ground by the bottom of the ladder, with a view
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Speaker 1: of preserving them intact. He raised the boxes, kneeled on
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Speaker 1: the ground, scrutinized the holes, and made some measurements. After
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Speaker 1: making a similar examination of the holes near the fence,
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Speaker 1: he and the Baron returned to the boudoir, where Madame
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Speaker 1: Dimblval was waiting for them. After a short silence, Schulm said,
20:35
Speaker 1: at the very outset of your story, Baron, I am
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Speaker 1: surprised at the very simple methods employed by the thief
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Speaker 1: to raise a ladder, cut a window pane, select a
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Speaker 1: valuable article, and walk out again. No, that is not
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Speaker 1: the way such things are done. All that is too plain,
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Speaker 1: too simple. Well, what do you think that the Jewish
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Speaker 1: lamp was stolen under the direct of our San Lupin
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Speaker 1: Arsan Lupin, exclaimed the Baron. Yes, but he did not
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Speaker 1: do it himself, as no one came from the outside.
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Speaker 1: Perhaps a servant descended from the upper floor by means
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Speaker 1: of a water spout that I noticed when I was
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Speaker 1: in the garden. What makes you think so Arsain Lupin
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Speaker 1: would not leave this room empty handed? Empty handed, but
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Speaker 1: he had the lamp, But that would not have prevented
21:30
Speaker 1: his taking that snuff box set with diamonds, or that
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Speaker 1: opal necklace. When he leaves anything, it is because he
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Speaker 1: can't carry it away. But the marks of the ladder
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Speaker 1: outside a false scent, placed there simply to avert suspicion,
21:48
Speaker 1: and the scratches on the balustrade a farce. They were
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Speaker 1: made with a piece of sand paper. See here are
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Speaker 1: scraps of the paper that I picked up in the garden.
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Speaker 1: And what about the marks made by the bottom of
22:02
Speaker 1: the latter counterfeit? Examine the two rectangular holes below the
22:07
Speaker 1: window and the two holes near the fence. They are
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Speaker 1: of a similar form. But I find that the two
22:13
Speaker 1: holes near the house are closer to each other than
22:15
Speaker 1: the two holes near the fence. What does that fact
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Speaker 1: suggest to me? It suggested that the four holes were
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Speaker 1: made by a piece of wood prepared for the purpose.
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Speaker 1: The better proof would be the piece of wood itself.
22:29
Speaker 1: Here it is said Sholmes, I've found it in the
22:32
Speaker 1: garden under the box of a laurel tree. The baron
22:36
Speaker 1: bowed to Shrims in recognition of his skill. Only forty
22:40
Speaker 1: minutes had elapsed since the Englishman had entered the house,
22:43
Speaker 1: and he had already exploded all the theories theretofore formed,
22:47
Speaker 1: and which had been based on what appeared to be
22:49
Speaker 1: obvious and undeniable facts. But what now appeared to be
22:53
Speaker 1: the real facts of the case rested upon a more
22:55
Speaker 1: solid foundation. To wit, the astute reasoning of a shows
23:02
Speaker 1: the accusation which you make against one of our household
23:05
Speaker 1: is a very serious matter, said the Baroness. Our servants
23:09
Speaker 1: have been with us a long time, and none of
23:12
Speaker 1: them would betray our trust. If none of them has
23:15
Speaker 1: betrayed you, how can you explain the fact that I
23:18
Speaker 1: received this letter on the same day, and by the
23:21
Speaker 1: same mail as the letter you wrote to me. He
23:25
Speaker 1: handed to the Baroness the letter that he had received
23:27
Speaker 1: from Marsain Lupin. She exclaimed, in amazement, Ah, Saint Lupin,
23:34
Speaker 1: how could he know? Did you tell any one that
23:37
Speaker 1: you had written to me? No one, replied the baron
23:41
Speaker 1: The idea occurred to us the other evening at the
23:43
Speaker 1: dinner table before the servants. No, only our two children. Oh, No,
23:51
Speaker 1: Sophie and Henriette had left the table, hadn't they. Suzanne,
23:55
Speaker 1: Madame Dembarval, after a moment's reflection, replied yes, that they
24:00
Speaker 1: had gone to Mademoiselle. Mademoiselle, queried Schrilmes, the governess, Mademoiselle
24:08
Speaker 1: Alice des Mound. Does she take her meals with you? No,
24:14
Speaker 1: her meals are served in her room. Wilson had an idea,
24:19
Speaker 1: he said, the letter written to my friend Turloc Shomes
24:22
Speaker 1: was posted. Of course, who posted it? Dominique, who has
24:29
Speaker 1: been my valet for twenty years, replied the baron any
24:33
Speaker 1: search in that direction would be a waste of time.
24:36
Speaker 1: One never wastes his time when engaged in a search,
24:40
Speaker 1: said Wilson sententiously. This preliminary investigation now ended, and Schames
24:46
Speaker 1: asked permission to retire at dinner. An hour later, he
24:50
Speaker 1: saw Sophie and Henriette, the two children of the family.
24:54
Speaker 1: One was six and the other eight years of age.
24:58
Speaker 1: There was very little conversation at the table. Shulmes responded
25:02
Speaker 1: to the friendly advances of his hosts in such a
25:04
Speaker 1: curt manner that they were soon reduced to silence. When
25:08
Speaker 1: the coffee was served, Shulmes swallowed the contents of his
25:11
Speaker 1: cup and rose to take his leave. At that moment,
25:15
Speaker 1: a servant entered with a telephone message addressed to Sholmes.
25:19
Speaker 1: He opened it and read, you have my enthusiastic admiration.
25:25
Speaker 1: The results attained by you in so short a time
25:27
Speaker 1: are simply marvelous. I am dismayed, arsan Lupin. Shulmes made
25:35
Speaker 1: a gesture of indignation and handed the message to the baron, saying,
25:39
Speaker 1: what do you think now, monsieur? Are the walls of
25:42
Speaker 1: your house furnished with eyes and ears? I don't understand it,
25:46
Speaker 1: said the baron, in amazement. Nor do I, But I
25:51
Speaker 1: do understand that Lupin has knowledge of everything that occurs
25:55
Speaker 1: in this house. He knows every movement, every word, there
25:59
Speaker 1: is no doubt of it. But how does he get
26:02
Speaker 1: his information? That is the first mystery I have to solve.
26:06
Speaker 1: And when I know that, I will know everything. That night,
26:13
Speaker 1: Wilson retired with the clear conscience of a man who
26:16
Speaker 1: has performed his whole duty and thus acquired an undoubted
26:19
Speaker 1: rite to sleep and repose. So he fell asleep very quickly,
26:23
Speaker 1: and was soon enjoying the most delightful dreams in which
26:26
Speaker 1: he pursued lou Pan and captured him single handed. And
26:30
Speaker 1: the sensation was so vivid and exciting that it woke
26:33
Speaker 1: him from his sleep. Some one was standing at his bedside.
26:37
Speaker 1: He seized his revolver and cried, who don't move the pan.
26:41
Speaker 1: We're on fire, de deuce Wilson, what do you mean?
26:45
Speaker 1: Oh it is who Shums? Do you want me? I
26:49
Speaker 1: want to show you something. Get up. Shulmes led him
26:53
Speaker 1: to the window and said, look on the other side
26:56
Speaker 1: of the fence in the park. Yes, what do you see, Rah,
27:03
Speaker 1: I don't see anything. Yes, you do see something? Bah,
27:08
Speaker 1: of course, shadow two of them, Yes, close to the fence.
27:14
Speaker 1: See they are moving. Come quick quickly. They descended the
27:19
Speaker 1: stairs and reached a room which opened into the garden.
27:22
Speaker 1: Through the glass door, they could see two shadowy forms
27:25
Speaker 1: in the same place. It is very strange, said Sholmes,
27:30
Speaker 1: but it seems to me I can hear a noise
27:32
Speaker 1: inside the house? Inside the house? Impossible? Who everybody is asleep?
27:38
Speaker 1: Well listen. At that moment, a low whistle came from
27:43
Speaker 1: the other side of the fence, and they perceived a
27:45
Speaker 1: dim light which appeared to come from the house. The
27:48
Speaker 1: baron must have turned on the light in his room.
27:51
Speaker 1: It is just above us. That must have been the
27:53
Speaker 1: noise you heard, said Wilson, Perhaps there watching the fence. Also.
27:59
Speaker 1: Then there was a second softer than before. Don't understand it,
28:04
Speaker 1: don't understand, said Scholmes irritably. No more do, I, confessed Wilson.
28:13
Speaker 1: Shulmes turned the key, drew the bolt, and quietly opened
28:16
Speaker 1: the door. A third whistle louder than before and modulated
28:20
Speaker 1: to another form, and the noise above their heads became
28:24
Speaker 1: more pronounced. Shulmes said, it seems to be on the
28:28
Speaker 1: balcony outside the boudoir window. He put his head through
28:32
Speaker 1: the half opened door, but immediately recoiled with a stifled oath.
28:37
Speaker 1: Then Wilson looked quite close to them. There was a ladder,
28:41
Speaker 1: the upper end of which was resting on the balcony.
28:44
Speaker 1: De deuce, said Sholmes. There is someone in the boudoir,
28:49
Speaker 1: that is what we heard. Quick let us remove the ladder.
28:53
Speaker 1: But at that instant a man slid down the ladder
28:56
Speaker 1: and ran toward the spot where his accomplices were waiting
28:58
Speaker 1: for him outside the fence. He carried the ladder with him.
29:02
Speaker 1: Sholmes and Wilson pursued the man and overtook him just
29:05
Speaker 1: as he was placing the ladder against the fence. From
29:08
Speaker 1: the other side of the fence, two shots were fired. Wounded,
29:12
Speaker 1: cried Sholmes, No, replied Wilson. Wilson seized the man by
29:17
Speaker 1: the body and tried to hold him, but the man
29:19
Speaker 1: turned and plunged a knife into Wilson's breast. He uttered
29:22
Speaker 1: a groan, staggered, and fell damnation, muttered Sholmes. If they
29:28
Speaker 1: have killed him, I will kill them. He laid Wilson
29:32
Speaker 1: on the grass and rushed toward the ladder. Too late.
29:35
Speaker 1: The man had climbed the fence and, accompanied by his confederates,
29:39
Speaker 1: had fled through the bushes. Wilson Wilson, it is not serious.
29:44
Speaker 1: Hen merely a scratch. The house door opened and Monsieur
29:50
Speaker 1: Dimbeval appeared, followed by the servants carrying candles. What's the matter,
29:55
Speaker 1: asked the baron is Monsieur Wilson wounded. Oh, it's nothing,
30:00
Speaker 1: a mere scratch, repeated Sholmes, trying to deceive himself. The
30:05
Speaker 1: blood was flowing profusely and Wilson's face was livid. Twenty
30:10
Speaker 1: minutes later, the doctor ascertained that the point of the
30:12
Speaker 1: knife had penetrated to within an inch and a half
30:15
Speaker 1: of the heart. An inch and a half of the heart.
30:20
Speaker 1: Wilson was always lucky, said Scholmes in an envious tone.
30:25
Speaker 1: Lucky lucky, muttered the doctor. Of course, why with his
30:31
Speaker 1: robust constitution, he will soon be out again. Six weeks
30:35
Speaker 1: in bed, in two months of convalescence, not more, No,
30:41
Speaker 1: unless complications set in. Oh the devil, what does he
30:46
Speaker 1: want complications for? Fully reassured, Schulms joined the baron in
30:51
Speaker 1: the boudoir. This time, the mysterious visitor had not exercised
30:56
Speaker 1: the same restraint. Ruthlessly, He had laid his vicious hand
31:00
Speaker 1: upon the diamond snuffbox, upon the open necklace, and in
31:03
Speaker 1: a general way, upon everything that could find a place
31:06
Speaker 1: in the greedy pockets of an enterprising burglar. The window
31:11
Speaker 1: was still open. One of the window panes had been
31:13
Speaker 1: neatly cut, and in the morning a summary investigation showed
31:18
Speaker 1: that the latter belonged to the house. Then in course
31:20
Speaker 1: of construction. Now you can see, said Monsieur Dimbleval, with
31:26
Speaker 1: a touch of irony. It is an exact repetition of
31:29
Speaker 1: the affair of the Jewish lamp. Yes, if we accept
31:34
Speaker 1: the first theory adopted by the police, haven't you adopted it? Yet?
31:39
Speaker 1: Doesn't this second theft shatter your theory in regard to
31:42
Speaker 1: the first, It only confirms it. Monsieur. That is incredible.
31:48
Speaker 1: You have positive evidence that last night's theft was committed
31:52
Speaker 1: by an outsider, and yet you adhere to your theory
31:55
Speaker 1: that the Jewish lamp was stolen by someone inside the house. Yes,
31:59
Speaker 1: I am sure of it. How do you explain it?
32:04
Speaker 1: I do not explain anything, monsieur. I have established two
32:07
Speaker 1: facts which do not appear to have any relation to
32:09
Speaker 1: each other, and yet I am seeking the missing link
32:12
Speaker 1: that connects them. His conviction seemed to be so earnest
32:16
Speaker 1: and positive that the baron submitted to it and said,
32:20
Speaker 1: very well, we will notify as the police. Not at all,
32:24
Speaker 1: exclaimed the Englishman quickly, Not at all. I intend to
32:29
Speaker 1: ask for their assistance when I need it, but not before.
32:33
Speaker 1: But the attack on your friend, that's of no consequence.
32:37
Speaker 1: He is only wounded. Secure the license of the doctor.
32:41
Speaker 1: I shall be responsible for the legal side of the affair.
32:46
Speaker 1: The next two days proved uneventful. Yet Sholms was investigating
32:50
Speaker 1: the case with a minute care and with a sense
32:53
Speaker 1: of wounded pride resulting from that audacious theft committed under
32:57
Speaker 1: his nose, in spite of his presence and beyond his
33:00
Speaker 1: power to prevent it. He made a thorough investigation of
33:04
Speaker 1: the house and garden, interviewed the servants, and paid lengthy
33:07
Speaker 1: visits to the kitchen and stables. And although his efforts
33:11
Speaker 1: were fruitless, he did not despair. I will succeed, he thought,
33:17
Speaker 1: and the solution must be sought within the walls of
33:20
Speaker 1: this house. This affair is quite different from that of
33:23
Speaker 1: the Blond Lady, where I had to work in the
33:25
Speaker 1: dark on unknown ground. This time I am on the
33:29
Speaker 1: battlefield itself. The enemy is not the elusive and invisible
33:34
Speaker 1: loop Haan, but the accomplice in flesh and blood, who
33:38
Speaker 1: lives and moves within the confines of this house. Let
33:41
Speaker 1: me secure the slightest clue, and the game is mine.
33:46
Speaker 1: That clue was furnished to him by accident on the
33:50
Speaker 1: afternoon of the third day, when he entered a room
33:53
Speaker 1: located above the boudoir, which served as a study for
33:56
Speaker 1: the children he found Henriette, the younger of the two sisters.
34:00
Speaker 1: She was looking for her scissors, you know, she said
34:05
Speaker 1: to Schaulmes, I make papers like that. You received the
34:08
Speaker 1: other evening, the other evening, Yes, just as dinner was over,
34:14
Speaker 1: you received the paper with marks on it, you know,
34:17
Speaker 1: a telegram. Well, I make them too. She left the room.
34:23
Speaker 1: To anyone else, these words would seem to be nothing
34:25
Speaker 1: more than the insignificant remark of a child, and Schulmes
34:29
Speaker 1: himself listened to them with a distracted air and continued
34:32
Speaker 1: his investigation. But suddenly he ran after the child and
34:37
Speaker 1: overtook her at the head of the stairs. He said
34:39
Speaker 1: to her, so you paste stamps and marks on papers.
34:45
Speaker 1: Henriette very proudly replied, yes, I cut them out and
34:49
Speaker 1: paste them on. Who taught you that little game? Mademoiselle
34:55
Speaker 1: my governess, I have seen her do it often. She
34:58
Speaker 1: takes words out of the news papers and pastes them.
35:02
Speaker 1: What does she make out of them? Telegrams and letters
35:05
Speaker 1: that she sends away herlock Scholmes returned to the study,
35:10
Speaker 1: greatly puzzled by the information and seeking to draw from
35:13
Speaker 1: it a logical deduction. There was a pile of newspapers
35:17
Speaker 1: on the mantel. He opened them and found that many words,
35:20
Speaker 1: and in some places entire lines, had been cut out.
35:24
Speaker 1: But after reading a few of the words which preceded
35:27
Speaker 1: or followed, he decided that the missing words had been
35:30
Speaker 1: cut out at random, probably by the child. It was
35:34
Speaker 1: possible that one of the newspapers had been cut by mademoiselle,
35:38
Speaker 1: but how could he assure himself that such was the case.
35:42
Speaker 1: Mechanically Shulmes turned over the school books on the table,
35:45
Speaker 1: then others which were lying on the shelf of a bookcase.
35:49
Speaker 1: Suddenly he uttered a cry of joy. In a corner
35:52
Speaker 1: of the bookcase, under a pile of old exercise books,
35:55
Speaker 1: he found a child's alphabet book in which the letters
35:59
Speaker 1: were ornamented with pictures. And on one of the pages
36:02
Speaker 1: of that book he discovered a place where a word
36:04
Speaker 1: had been removed. He examined it. It was a list
36:08
Speaker 1: of the days of the week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, et cetera.
36:14
Speaker 1: The word Saturday was missing. Now the theft of the
36:19
Speaker 1: Jewish lamp had occurred on a Saturday night, Shulms experienced
36:24
Speaker 1: that slight fluttering of the heart which always announced to
36:27
Speaker 1: him in the clearest manner, that he had discovered the
36:30
Speaker 1: road which leads to victory. That ray of truth, that
36:34
Speaker 1: feeling of certainty, never deceived him with nervous fingers. He
36:39
Speaker 1: hastened to examine the balance of the book. Very soon
36:43
Speaker 1: he made another discovery. It was a page composed of
36:46
Speaker 1: capital letters followed by a line of figures. Nine of
36:50
Speaker 1: those letters and three of those figures had been carefully
36:53
Speaker 1: cut out. Shulms made a list of the missing letters
36:56
Speaker 1: and figures in his memorandum book in alphabetical and nas
37:00
Speaker 1: numerical order, and obtained the following result. C D E
37:05
Speaker 1: H no O, P E Z two three seven. Well,
37:13
Speaker 1: at first, at first sight, it is a rather formidable puzzle,
37:18
Speaker 1: he murmured. But by transposing the letters and using all
37:23
Speaker 1: of them, is it possible to form one, two, or
37:26
Speaker 1: three complete words. Schulms tried it in vain. Only one
37:32
Speaker 1: solution seemed possible. It constantly appeared before him no matter
37:37
Speaker 1: which way he tried to juggle the letters, until at
37:39
Speaker 1: length he was satisfied it was the true solution, since
37:43
Speaker 1: it harmonized with the logic of the facts and the
37:46
Speaker 1: general circumstances of the case. As that page of the
37:50
Speaker 1: book did not contain any duplicate letters. It was probable,
37:53
Speaker 1: in fact quite certain, that the words he could form
37:56
Speaker 1: from those letters would be incomplete, and that the original
38:00
Speaker 1: words had been completed with letters taken from other pages.
38:04
Speaker 1: Under those conditions he obtained the following solution, Errors and
38:08
Speaker 1: omissions accepted R. E. P O, N, d z C.
38:15
Speaker 1: H two three seven. The first word was quite clear,
38:20
Speaker 1: where ponde reply a letter E is missing because it
38:25
Speaker 1: occurs twice in the word, and the book furnished only
38:27
Speaker 1: one letter of each kind. As to the second incomplete word,
38:32
Speaker 1: no doubt it formed with the aid of the number
38:35
Speaker 1: two three seven, an address to which the reply was
38:38
Speaker 1: to be sent. They appointed Saturday as the time and
38:42
Speaker 1: requested a reply to be sent to the address H
38:45
Speaker 1: two three seven, or perhaps H two three seven was
38:51
Speaker 1: an address for a letter to be sent to the
38:53
Speaker 1: general delivery of some post office. Or again, they might
38:57
Speaker 1: form a part of some incomplete word. Schulmes searched the
39:01
Speaker 1: book once more, but did not discover that any other
39:04
Speaker 1: letters had been removed. Therefore, until further orders, he decided
39:09
Speaker 1: to adhere to the foregoing interpretation. Henriette returned and observed
39:14
Speaker 1: what he was doing amusing, isn't it? Yes, very amusing,
39:21
Speaker 1: he replied, But have you any other papers, or rather
39:26
Speaker 1: words already cut out that I can paste peepers, No,
39:32
Speaker 1: and Mademoiselle wouldn't like it. Mademoiselle, Yes, she has scolded
39:38
Speaker 1: me already. Why because I have told you some things,
39:44
Speaker 1: and she says that a person should never tell things
39:46
Speaker 1: about those they love. You are quite right. Henriette was
39:52
Speaker 1: delighted to receive his approbation, in fact, so highly pleased
39:56
Speaker 1: that she took from a little silk bag that was
39:58
Speaker 1: pinned to her dress, some scraps cloth, three buttons, two
40:02
Speaker 1: cubes of sugar, and lastly a piece of paper, which
40:05
Speaker 1: she handed to Chams. See, I give it to you
40:10
Speaker 1: just the same. It was the number of a cab
40:14
Speaker 1: eight two seventy nine. Where did this number come from?
40:20
Speaker 1: It fell out of her pocket book when Sunday at Mass,
40:25
Speaker 1: when she was taking out some soup for the collection, exactly.
40:30
Speaker 1: And now I shall tell you how to keep from
40:32
Speaker 1: being scolded again. Do not tell Mademoiselle that you saw me.
40:37
Speaker 1: Charms then went to Monsieur Dimbeval and questioned him in
40:40
Speaker 1: regard to Mademoiselle. The baron replied indignantly, Alice Dumont, how
40:47
Speaker 1: can you imagine such a thing? It is utterly impossible.
40:52
Speaker 1: How long has she been in your service? Only a year?
40:55
Speaker 1: But there is no one in the house in whom
40:57
Speaker 1: I have greater confidence. Why have I not seen her yet?
41:01
Speaker 1: She has been away for a few days, but she
41:04
Speaker 1: is here now. Yes, since her return, she has been
41:08
Speaker 1: watching at the bedside of your friend. She has all
41:11
Speaker 1: the qualities of a nurse. Gentle, thoughtful. Monsieur Wilson seems
41:15
Speaker 1: much pleased, ah, said Sholmes, who had completely neglected to
41:20
Speaker 1: inquire about his friend. After a moment's reflection, he asked,
41:25
Speaker 1: did she go out on Sunday morning, the day after the theft? Yes?
41:31
Speaker 1: The baron called his wife and asked her. She replied,
41:35
Speaker 1: Mademoiselle went to the eleven o'clock Mass with the children
41:38
Speaker 1: as usual. But before that, before that, no, let me see,
41:46
Speaker 1: I was so upset by the theft. But I remember
41:49
Speaker 1: now that on the evening before she asked permission to
41:52
Speaker 1: go out on Sunday morning to see a cousin who
41:55
Speaker 1: was passing through Paris. I think, but surely you don't
41:58
Speaker 1: suspect her. Of course, not, but I would like to
42:02
Speaker 1: see her. He went to Wilson's room. A woman dressed
42:07
Speaker 1: in a gray cloth dress as in the hospitals, was
42:10
Speaker 1: bending over the invalid, giving him a drink. When she
42:13
Speaker 1: turned her face, Shrilmes recognized her as the young girl
42:16
Speaker 1: who had accosted him at the railway station. Alice Demand
42:21
Speaker 1: smiled sweetly. Her great, serious, innocent eyes showed no sign
42:25
Speaker 1: of embarrassment. The Englishman tried to speak, muttered a few
42:30
Speaker 1: syllables and stopped. Then she resumed her work, acting quite
42:35
Speaker 1: naturally under Shulmes's astonished gaze, moved the bottles, unrolled and
42:39
Speaker 1: rolled cotton bandages, and again regarded Scholmes with her charming
42:43
Speaker 1: smile of pure innocence. He turned on his heels, descended
42:47
Speaker 1: the stairs. Noticed Monsieur Dimbarval's automobile in the court yard,
42:52
Speaker 1: jumped into it and went to le Vallois, to the
42:55
Speaker 1: office of the cab company, whose address was printed on
42:57
Speaker 1: the paper he had received from Henriette, the man who
43:01
Speaker 1: had driven carriage number eight two seventy nine on Sunday morning.
43:05
Speaker 1: Not being there, Schums dismissed the automobile and waited for
43:08
Speaker 1: the man's return. He told Schulms that he had picked
43:12
Speaker 1: up a woman in the vicinity of the Parque Monceux,
43:14
Speaker 1: A young woman dressed in black, wearing a heavy veil,
43:18
Speaker 1: and apparently quite nervous. Did she have a package? Yeas
43:24
Speaker 1: quite a long package. Where did you take her? Avenue
43:29
Speaker 1: de Towns, a corner of the place Saint Ferdinand. She
43:33
Speaker 1: remained there about ten minutes and then returned to Park Monceaux.
43:37
Speaker 1: Could you recognize the house in the Avenue de Terenes Parbleau.
43:42
Speaker 1: Shall I take you there presently? First take me to
43:46
Speaker 1: thirty six k des Aufrere. At a police office, he
43:50
Speaker 1: saw Detective Jeaennimard Monsieur Geniemard. Are you at liberty? If
43:56
Speaker 1: it has anything to do with Lupin? No, it has
44:00
Speaker 1: something to do with Lupin, then I do not go.
44:04
Speaker 1: What you surrender? I bow to the inevitable. I am
44:10
Speaker 1: tired of the unequal struggle in which we are sure
44:13
Speaker 1: to be defeated. Leupain is stronger than I am, stronger
44:17
Speaker 1: than the two of us. Therefore we must surrender. I
44:22
Speaker 1: will not surrender. He will make you as he has
44:26
Speaker 1: all others, and you would be pleased to see it, eh, Jeannimard.
44:31
Speaker 1: At all events, it is true, said Jannimard frankly. And
44:36
Speaker 1: since you are determined to pursue the game, I will
44:39
Speaker 1: go with you together. They entered the carriage and were
44:43
Speaker 1: driven to the Avenue de Tones. Upon their order. The
44:46
Speaker 1: carriage stopped on the other side of the street, at
44:49
Speaker 1: some distance from the house, in front of a little
44:51
Speaker 1: cafe on the terrace of which the two men took
44:54
Speaker 1: seats amongst the shrubbery. It was commencing to grow dark, waiter,
45:00
Speaker 1: said Sholmes some writing material. He wrote a note, recalled
45:05
Speaker 1: the waiter, and gave him the letter with instructions to
45:08
Speaker 1: deliver it to the concierge of the house, which he
45:10
Speaker 1: pointed out. In a few minutes, the concierge stood before them.
45:15
Speaker 1: Sholmes asked him if on the Sunday morning he had
45:18
Speaker 1: seen a young woman dressed in black in black. Yes,
45:22
Speaker 1: about nine o'clock she went to the second floor. Have
45:26
Speaker 1: you seen her often? No? But for some time. Well,
45:32
Speaker 1: during the last few weeks I have seen her almost
45:34
Speaker 1: every day, and since Sunday only once until to day.
45:42
Speaker 1: What does she come to day? She is here? Now
45:46
Speaker 1: here now? Yes, she came about ten minutes ago. Her
45:50
Speaker 1: carriage is standing in the place Saint Fernand as usual,
45:54
Speaker 1: I met her at the door. Who is the occupant
45:57
Speaker 1: of the second floor? There art too, a modiste Mademoiselle Langer,
46:04
Speaker 1: and a gentleman who rented two furnished rooms a month
46:07
Speaker 1: ago under the name of Bresson. Why do you say
46:10
Speaker 1: under the name, because I have an idea that is
46:14
Speaker 1: an assumed name. My wife takes care of his rooms.
46:17
Speaker 1: And well, there are not two shirts there with the
46:19
Speaker 1: same initials. Is he there much of the time? No,
46:24
Speaker 1: he is nearly always out. He has not been here
46:26
Speaker 1: for three days. Was he here on Saturday night? Saturday night?
46:32
Speaker 1: Let me think, yes, Saturday night he came in and
46:36
Speaker 1: stayed all night. What sort of a man is he? Well?
46:42
Speaker 1: I can scarcely answer that he's so changeable. He is
46:47
Speaker 1: by hands, big, little, fat, thin, dark and light. I
46:53
Speaker 1: do not always recognize him. Jeannie Mardin Shum's exchanged looks.
46:59
Speaker 1: That is all right, said Johnnie mard Ah, said the concierge.
47:05
Speaker 1: There is the girl now. Mademoiselle had just emerged from
47:09
Speaker 1: the house and was walking toward her carriage in the
47:11
Speaker 1: place Saint Ferdinand. And there is Monsieur Bresson, Monsieur Breson,
47:18
Speaker 1: which is he the man with the parcel under his arm?
47:22
Speaker 1: But he is not looking after the girl. She is
47:25
Speaker 1: going to her carriage alone. Yes, I have never seen
47:30
Speaker 1: them together. The two detectives had arisen by the light
47:34
Speaker 1: of the street lamps. There recognized the form of our
47:36
Speaker 1: Saint Lupin, who had started off in a direction opposite
47:40
Speaker 1: to that taken by the girl. Which will you follow,
47:43
Speaker 1: asked Jennimard. I will follow him, of course, he's the
47:47
Speaker 1: biggest game. Then I will follow the girl, proposed Johnny Mard. No, no,
47:53
Speaker 1: said Schommes quickly, who do not wish to disclose the
47:56
Speaker 1: girl's identity to jannimrd. I know where to find her.
48:00
Speaker 1: Come with me. They followed Lupann at a safe distance,
48:05
Speaker 1: taking care to conceal themselves as well as possible amongst
48:08
Speaker 1: the moving throng and behind the newspaper kiosks. They found
48:11
Speaker 1: the pursuit an easy one, as he walked steadily forward,
48:15
Speaker 1: without turning to the right or left, but with a
48:17
Speaker 1: slight limp in the right leg, so slight as to
48:20
Speaker 1: require the keen eye of a professional observer to detect it.
48:25
Speaker 1: Jeanni Mard observed it and said, he is pretending to
48:28
Speaker 1: be lame. Ah. If we could only collect two or
48:31
Speaker 1: three policemen and pounce on our men, we run a
48:34
Speaker 1: chance to lose him. But they did not meet any
48:37
Speaker 1: policemen before they reached the Porte de Ternes, and having
48:41
Speaker 1: passed the fortifications, there was no prospect of receiving any assistance.
48:46
Speaker 1: We had better separate, said Sholmes, as there are so
48:49
Speaker 1: few people on the street. They were now on the
48:53
Speaker 1: Boulevard Victor Hugo. They walked on each side of the
48:56
Speaker 1: street and kept well in the shadow of the trees.
49:00
Speaker 1: They continued thus for twenty minutes, when Lupin turned to
49:03
Speaker 1: the left and followed the Seine. Very soon they saw
49:06
Speaker 1: him descend to the edge of the river. He remained
49:09
Speaker 1: there only a few seconds, but they could not observe
49:12
Speaker 1: his movements. Then Leupan retraced his steps. His pursuers concealed
49:18
Speaker 1: themselves in the shadow of a gateway. Leupin passed in
49:21
Speaker 1: front of them. His parcel had disappeared, and as he
49:25
Speaker 1: walked away, another man emerged from the shelter of a
49:28
Speaker 1: house and glided amongst the trees. He seems to be
49:32
Speaker 1: following him, also, said Schoms in a low voice. The
49:37
Speaker 1: pursuit continued, but was now embarrassed by the presence of
49:40
Speaker 1: the third man. Lupin returned the same way, passed through
49:44
Speaker 1: the Porte de Terence, and re entered the house in
49:47
Speaker 1: the Avenue de Ternes. The concierge was closing the house
49:51
Speaker 1: for the night when Joannimard presented himself. Did you see him, yes,
49:56
Speaker 1: replied the concierge. I was putting out the gas on
49:59
Speaker 1: the lene when he closed and bolted his door. Is
50:02
Speaker 1: there any person with him? No? He has no servant.
50:07
Speaker 1: He never eats here. Is there a servant stairway? No.
50:12
Speaker 1: Jennie Mayd said to Schames, I had better stand at
50:15
Speaker 1: the door of his room while you go for the
50:17
Speaker 1: Commissary of Police and the Rue des Mours. And if
50:21
Speaker 1: he should escape during that time, said Schames, while I
50:24
Speaker 1: am here, he can't escape. One to one with Leupin.
50:29
Speaker 1: Is not in even chance for you. Well, I can't
50:33
Speaker 1: force the door. I have no right to do that,
50:36
Speaker 1: especially at night. Schams shrugged his shoulders and said, when
50:42
Speaker 1: you arrest Lupin, no one will question the methods by
50:44
Speaker 1: which you made the arrest. However, let us go up
50:48
Speaker 1: and ring and see what happens. Then they ascended to
50:51
Speaker 1: the second floor. There was a double door at the
50:54
Speaker 1: left of the landing. Jennimard rang the bell, no reply.
50:59
Speaker 1: He rang again, still no reply. Let us go in,
51:04
Speaker 1: said Schams. All right, come on, replied Joannimard. Yet they
51:10
Speaker 1: stood still, irresolute, like people who hesitate when they ought
51:14
Speaker 1: to accomplish a decisive action. They feared to move, and
51:17
Speaker 1: it seemed to them impossible that Arsan Lupin was there
51:21
Speaker 1: so close to them, on the other side of that
51:23
Speaker 1: fragile door that could be broken down by one blow
51:26
Speaker 1: of the fist. But they knew Lupin too well to
51:30
Speaker 1: suppose that he would allow himself to be trapped in
51:33
Speaker 1: that stupid manner. No, no, thousand times no, Leupan was
51:39
Speaker 1: no longer there, through the adjoining houses over the roofs
51:43
Speaker 1: by some conveniently prepared exit. He must have already made
51:46
Speaker 1: his escape, and once more it would only be Lupin's
51:50
Speaker 1: shadow that they would seize. They shuddered as a slight
51:54
Speaker 1: noise coming from the other side of the door reached
51:57
Speaker 1: their ears. Then they had the impression amounting almost to
52:01
Speaker 1: a certainty that he was there, separated from them by
52:05
Speaker 1: that frail wooden door, and that he was listening to them,
52:09
Speaker 1: that he could hear them what was to be done.
52:13
Speaker 1: The situation was a serious one. In spite of their
52:17
Speaker 1: vast experience as detectives, they were so nervous and excited
52:21
Speaker 1: that they thought they could hear the beating of their
52:22
Speaker 1: own hearts. Jennimard questioned Shums by a look. Then he
52:27
Speaker 1: struck the door a violent blow with his fist. Immediately
52:31
Speaker 1: they heard the sound of footsteps, concerning which there was
52:34
Speaker 1: no attempt at concealment. Jennimard shook the door. Then he
52:38
Speaker 1: and Schulms, uniting their efforts, rushed at the door and
52:42
Speaker 1: burst it open with their shoulders. Then they stood still
52:46
Speaker 1: in surprise. A shot had been fired in the adjoining room,
52:50
Speaker 1: another shot, and the sound of a falling body. When
52:54
Speaker 1: they entered, they saw the man lying on the floor
52:56
Speaker 1: with his face toward the marble mantel. His revolt had
53:00
Speaker 1: fallen from his hand. Jennimard stooped and turned the man's head.
53:05
Speaker 1: The face was covered with blood which was flowing from
53:08
Speaker 1: two wounds, one in the cheek, the other in the temple.
53:13
Speaker 1: You can't recognize him for blood, no matter, said Scholmes.
53:18
Speaker 1: It is not Lupin. How do you know. You haven't
53:21
Speaker 1: even looked at him. Do you think that our San
53:25
Speaker 1: Lupin is the kind of a man that would kill himself?
53:27
Speaker 1: Asked Sholmes with a sneer. But we thought we recognized
53:32
Speaker 1: him outside. We thought so because the wish was father
53:36
Speaker 1: to the thought. That man has us bewitched, then it
53:41
Speaker 1: must be one of his accomplices. The accomplices of a
53:44
Speaker 1: san Lupin did not kill themselves, Well, then who is it?
53:50
Speaker 1: They searched the corpse. In one pocket, Herlock Schulmes found
53:53
Speaker 1: an empty pocket book. In another, Jahnimard found several louis.
53:59
Speaker 1: There were no marks of identification on any part of
54:01
Speaker 1: his clothing. In a trunk and two valises, they found
54:04
Speaker 1: nothing but wearing apparel. On the mantel there was a
54:07
Speaker 1: pile of newspapers. Johannimard opened them. All of them contained
54:12
Speaker 1: articles referring to the theft of the Jewish lamp. An
54:16
Speaker 1: hour later, when Jeannimrd and Shulms left the house, they
54:20
Speaker 1: had acquired no further knowledge of the strange individual. Who
54:22
Speaker 1: had been driven to suicide by their untimely visit. Who
54:27
Speaker 1: was he, why had he killed himself? What was his
54:32
Speaker 1: connection with the affair of the Jewish lamp who had
54:35
Speaker 1: followed him on his return from the river. The situation
54:39
Speaker 1: involved many complex questions, many mysteries. Her Luck Schoms went
54:47
Speaker 1: to bed in a very bad humor. Early next morning
54:51
Speaker 1: he received the following telephonic message. Arsan Lupin has the
54:56
Speaker 1: honor to inform you of his tragic death in the
54:58
Speaker 1: person of Monsieur A Brest, and requests the honor of
55:02
Speaker 1: your presence at the funeral service and burial which will
55:05
Speaker 1: be held at the public expense on Thursday, the twenty
55:08
Speaker 1: fifth of June. End of Chapter seven.