The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

castle of the Malaquis, built upon a rock in the centre of the river. An arched bridge connects it with the shore. All around it,

nd massacres. A recital of the crimes that have been committed there would cause the stoutest heart to tremble. There are many mysterious legends connected with

utely ruined, had been obliged to sell the ancient castle at a great sacrifice. It contained an admirable collection of furniture, pictures, wood carvings, and faience. The Baron lived there alone, attended by three old servants

could not say that the Baron had ever erred in his taste or judgment. He loved them-his bibelots. He loved them intensely, like a miser; jealously, like a lover. Every day, at sunset, the

e Baron himself who partially opened the heavy portal. He scrutinized the man as minutely as if he were a stranger, although

Baron. It is not another ma

r tell," mutt

a number of newspap

r le Baron, here

thing

er. A regist

one now presented to him immediately aroused within him a feeling of suspicion and distrust. It was like

for it, Monsi

nervously to and fro for a few minutes, he leaned against the parapet of the bridge and opened the envelope. It contained

eur le

lery in your castle,

xquisite finish, wh

s are also to my ta

the salon to the righ

ble, the tapestries o

b,' and the Renaissan

e cabinet full of j

ill content myself wi

removed. I will ther

ship them to me, ch

s, within eight days,

m myself during the n

umstances, I shall no

les above

for any inconvenience

o be your hu

ne Lu

t send the largest

d francs for it, it

burned, under the D

ebauchery. Consult

the Louis XV chatel

enti

t borne any other signature, he would have be

had been arrested in America by his enemy Ganimard and was at present incarcerated in the Prison de la Santé. But he knew also that any miracle might be expected from Arsène Lupin. Moreover, that e

al, the depth of the surrounding water, and shrugged his shoulders. Certainly, there was no danger.

s did not exist. What use were the most formidable obstacles or the mos

Republique at Rouen. He enclosed the threate

rtunity to write such a letter, which was, no doubt, the work of some imposter. But, as an act of precaution, the Procurer had submitte

bt which appeared to him quite sufficient to warrant the intervention of the law. His fears increased. He read Lupin's letter

enced the necessity of seeking counsel with some one. Abandoned by the legal official of his own district, and feeling un

pe and joy as he read the following item in the `Reveil

rd who acquired a world-wide reputation by his clever capture of Arsène Lupin. He has come here for rest

o could baffle the schemes of Arsène Lupin better than Ganimard,

ly six kilometers from the castle, a short distance to

e baron visited the office of the `Reveil,' situated on the quai. There h

ith his fishing-pole. I met him there and chanced to read his n

man, wearing

gruff fellow, wi

s a failure. Then he broached the real object of his interview, and briefly stated his case. The other listened, motionless, with his at

warn people they are about to rob. Arsène Lupi

ut

again capturing Arsène Lupin would place me at your disposal. B

have e

escaped fro

t,

ore than

et

h him again. Meanwhile, you go home and sleep soundly

. He examined the bolts, watched the servants, and, during the next forty-eight hours, he became almost persuaded

y-sixth of September and nothing had happened. But at t

ation. Prepare everything f

ate of excitement that he even considered th

fishing at the same place, seated on a campst

f it?" said t

? But it is

is tom

he pillage of m

od, turned to the baron, and exc

ng to bother myself about

k to pass tomorrow

Now, leave

rice. I am rich

erted Ganimard, wh

on. I have no right to

w. I promise to

hing wil

sand francs. Will

fter a moment's

you that you are throwing yo

not

t this devil Lupin! He may have quite a numerous band

fait

y men to help me. And now, go! It is better for us not t

f the building, in a retired spot, well removed from the main portion of the castle. Shortly thereafter, the baron heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It was Ganimard and his two assistants-great, powerful fellows with immense hands, and necks like bulls. After asking a few questions relating to the locati

he windows of the court and call me. Pay attention also to the water-s

in the gallery, carried away

w, to o

ncipal doors, and which, in former years, had been the watchman's quarters. A peep-hole ope

tunnel is the only subterranean entrance to the castl

es

her entrance, known only to Ar

r, stretched himself upon them

our money for such a sinecure as this. I will tell the

beating of his own heart. From time to time, he leaned over the tunnel and cas

d's arm. The latter leaped

asked the baron

es

t is

oring, I

no, l

s the horn of

el

like a battering-ram to demolish your castle. Come, Monsieur l

on. At break of day, they left the room. The castle was enveloped in a profound calm; it was a peaceful dawn on the bosom of a tranquil r

Baron? Really, I should not have a

on two chairs, with drooping heads and pendent a

exclaimed Ganimard. At the sam

ures! The

walls where naught remained but the useless nails and cords. The Watteau, disappeared! Th

And the Regent chandelier!...A

, added up the figures, counted his losses, pell-mell, in confused words and unfinished phrases. H

be petrified; he examined the room in a listless manner. The windows?.... closed. The locks on the doors?.... intact. Not a break in the ceiling;

...Arsène Lupi

shed upon his two assistants and shoo

e cried. "Can

amined them closely. They were aslee

drugged," he s

wh

men under his discretion.

I am lost-nothi

" assente

dful; it is

a com

od will

try it. The law h

, at this moment, when you should be looking for a clue

ever leaves any clue behind him. He leaves nothing to chance. Sometimes I th

s of my collection. I would give a fortune to recover th

the baron attent

ensible. Will y

yes. B

a that

t is

examination does not succeed. But, not one

between

nothing to boast

of people who come out of an hypnotic sleep. They opened their eyes and looked

st have see

N

you rem

, n

drink a

moment, and then o

ank a litt

that c

es

" declared

sted it. It had no part

can't decide an Arsène Lupin problem in five minut

performed by Baron Cahorn against Arsène L

astle delivered over to the gendarmes, the procureur, the judge d'instruction, t

the public imagination to such an extent that the newspapers filled their columns with th

ed the existence of the famous subterranean tunnels, and that was the line of research pursued by the officers of the law, who searched the house from top to bottom, questioned every stone, studied the wainscoting and the chimneys, the window-frames and the girders in the ceilings. By t

bstantial, material things and require doors and windows for their exits and their entrances, and so do the peo

Mon. Dudouis, chief of the S?reté, sent the best sleuths of the iron brigade. He himself spent forty-eight hours at the

the instructions of his superior

ransack the castle. The solutio

re,

Arsène

pport that theory, we mus

fact, I consider

t is absurd. Arsène

ded; but he must have fetters on his feet, manacles on hi

bstinate,

France of sufficient calibre to invent

ords, G

stones swinging on pivots, and other nonsense of that kind. But Lupin doesn't

would you

permission to spend

his

venture to say that if he can give me any information without compromisin

ll of Arsène Lupin. The latter, who was lying on his b

l surprise. My dea

ard hi

a desire for many things, but my fo

of you, I

now I hold you in

proud

clever as Sherlock Holmes. But I am sorry that I cannot offer you anything better than this hard stool. An

ted the proffered seat. Th

s of spies who come here ten times a day to ransack my pockets and my cell to satisfy them

quite

ntented if they would allow m

r people

, and you are, no doubt, in a hurry. So let us come to bu

ir," declared Ga

the circumstances of this particular case....Ah! yes, now I have it. The Cahorn affair,

ifl

e. But it suffices to know that the affair i

at steps the authorities

pers and I will frankly state that

reason I have c

rely at yo

, the Cahorn affair

m A

of warning?

t to have the rec

, with the bed and stool, constituted all the furniture in his cell

you were closely guarded and searched, and I find that

the soles of my shoes, they sound the walls of my cell, but they never imagine

laughed,

ly, you bewilder me. But, come now

me of all my secrets; expose all my litt

o count on you

d, and since

wo or three times, then, stop

ink of my lette

using yourself by pl

ve written that letter if I could have robbed the baron without writing to him? I want you to understand that the letter was indispensable; it wa

proc

the Baron Cahorn. Am I to abandon my scheme and renounce the treasures that

ently

astle at the head of a band of adven

uld be f

ittance by stea

ossi

n to me. I must have the owner

ely an origi

ives a letter warning him that a notorious burglar known

ter to the

tually in prison.* Then, in his anxiety and fear, the simple

y li

wspaper that a celebrated detective is spe

eek that d

equested one of his friends to visit Caudebec, make the acquaintance of the editor of the `Réveil,' a newspaper to which th

the `Réveil' the presence i

and nothing will happen; or, what is more likely, he will run and greedily swallow the bai

nal, i

riend and offers him a definite sum of money for his services. My friend accepts and summons two members of our band, who, during the night, whilst Cahorn is under the watc

ngenuity of all its details are beyond criticism. But who is the detective whose

one name could

tha

onal enemy-the most

I

to talk, you will find that it will be your duty to arrest yourself, just as you arrested

f a prison guard gave Ganimard an opportunity to recover himself. The man brought Arsène Lupin's luncheon, furnished by a neighbori

alaquis. I can tell you something that will astonish yo

just seen the Chi

aron. The latter has authorized him to negotiate a very delicate transaction with me, and, at the present moment, in consideration of a certain sum, it is probable that the baron has

the prisoner wit

o you know

ived the telegram

st received

politeness, I did not wish to read it in y

joking,

nd as to break that egg, you will lea

se. The shell contained nothing but a small piece of blue paper. At the request of Arsène he unfolded it. It w

ndred thousand balls

housand balls?

w, these are hard times....And I have some heavy bills to meet. I

lancing over the whole affair in an effort to discover a weak point; then,

n such as you to deal with; if we d

umed a modest ai

rsion to occupy his leisure hours,

l, your defense, the examination-isn't

decided not to be

! o

n repeated,

be present

all

n the wet straw? You insult me. Arsène Lupin remains in pri

udent if you had avoided getting th

Know then, my worthy friend, that no one, not even you, could have placed a hand upon m

stonis

erstand what that means: to be under the eyes of a woman that one loves

: you have been h

der memory. Besides, I have been suffering from neurasthenia. Life is so feverish these days that it is ne

u are not a bad f

Wednesday next, at four o'clock in the afternoon, I w

in, I will

o valued each other at their true worth;

nim

ked Ganimard, as

forgotten

wa

rayed into

he watch, exc

ine is no reason why I should take yours. Besides, I

awer a large gold w

et did that come

ty glance at the initia

, I remember. Jules Bouvier, the judge who con