The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

which he was examining with unusual care, when the door of his cell was opened. He had barely time to thro

ear boy," exclaimed Lupin, i

it. One was Inspector Dieuzy; the other was Inspector Folenfant. They wished to verify their suspicion that Arsène Lupin was in communication wi

nsi

justifiable terms. Some days before the opening of

e sent letters; and, no doubt, received letters. It was certain tha

oler in regard to the precautions necessary to insure Lupin's safety. At the same time, he sent the two men to examine the prisoner's cell. They raised every stone, rans

table-drawer. When I entered

drawer, and Di

ave him t

nt stop

chief will want to

very choi

re, and notif

e read the titles of the books. One was an English edition of Carlyle's "Hero-worship"; the other was a charming elzevir, in modern binding, the "Manual of Epictetus," a German translation published at Leyden in 1634. On examining the books, he found that al

"Our friend smokes a good

had yielded under the pressure of his fingers. He examined it more closely, and quickly discovered something white between the leaves of tobacco. Delicately, with the aid

sing the outer foot the plate goes downward. From twelve to sixteen every day, H-P

eflected a mom

eight compartments.... From twelve to si

H-P, that

way they indicate strength of the motor. A twenty-f

rose, an

ner finished h

es

ch is proved by the condition of the cigar,

ow

led in his bread or

be brought in simply to trap him, but

xamining judge, and, if he agrees with me, we will have the letter photographed at once, and in an hour you ca

ned to the prison in the evening, accompanied by Inspector Die

as ea

eplied t

ni into very small pieces, and

chi

with a rounded blade. He turned the handle to the left; then to the right. It yielded

a man like Arsène. But we mustn't lose any tim

read t

at a distance every day. I will g

the affair in our own hands. A little strategy on our part, and the escape

ips through your finger

e displays too much cleverness, ma foi, so much the worse for him! As to

exerted himself in vain. The investigation had been reduced to a few uninteresting arguments between the judge and the advocat

in the rue de Babylone, the issue of the counterfeit bank-notes, the burglaries at the various c

you expla

in a lump, everything and even ten ti

epted messages were brought to his attention; and regularly, at mid-day, Arsène Lupin was taken from the prison t

s. The other prisoners not having been examined, it was decided to ta

five on either side. Each compartment is so arranged that the occupant must assume and retain a sitting posture, and, consequently, the five prisoner

passed the Palais de Justice. Then, about the centre of the bridge Saint Michel, with his outer foot, that is to say, his right foot, he pressed upon the met

ong of fiacres and omnibuses had gathered there. Arsène Lupin looked out. Another prison-van had stopped close to the one he occupied. He moved the plate still farther, put his foot on one of the spokes of the wheel and l

and, with the careless air of an idle stroller, he proceeded up the boulevard. It was a warm, bright autumn day, and the cafés were full. He took a seat on the terrace of one of them. He ordered a bock and a package of cigare

ok. Perhaps, on the strength of my name, you will be ple

him, thinking he was jo

gitive. I venture to assume that the name i

shouts of laughter, whilst

shop-windows. At the Boulevard de Port Royal he took his bearings, discovered where he was, and then walked in the direction of the rue de la Santé

e prison de

es

The van left me on the wa

ve along-quick!" gr

And if you prevent Arsène Lupin from entering

What are you

ard with me," said Arsène

. The iron gate was partly opened, and Arsène stepped inside. Almost immediately he encountere

nd imagine I am going to take to my heels and rejoin my friends. Well, and what about the twenty agents of the S?reté who accompanied us on foot

his shoulder

ry about me. When I wish to escape

prisoner and his mysterious friend, the means by which correspondence was constructed, the complicity of the police, the promenade on the Boulevard Saint Michel, the incident at the café Soufflot, everything was disclosed. It was known that the search of the restaurant and its waiters by Inspector Dieuzy had

terms, in a reply to Mon. Bouvier on the day following his attempted escape. The judge having mad

of honor that this attempted flight was simp

derstand," s

sary that you sh

ength in the columns of the `Echo de France,' when the judge sought to resume

s the use! All these quest

ortance?" cri

hall not be pres

l not be

ded on that, and nothi

served to annoy and mystify the officers of the law. There were secrets known only to Arsène

or a period of two months, during which time Arsène was seen almost constantly lying on his bed with his face turned toward the wall. The

life. He complained of want of air. Consequently, early every morn

blic sympathy by reason of his verve, his gayety, his diversity, his inventive genius and the mystery of his life. Arsène Lupin must escape. It was his in

s he esca

sieur le

row, pr

' asked to see the court reporter, threw his card in the reporter's face, and walked rapi

Arsène Lupin. They had a gleeful anticipation that the prisoner would play some audacious pranks upon the judge. Advocates and mag

he prisoner when the guards brought him in. But his heavy, shambling walk, the manner in which he dropped into his seat, and his passive, stupid appearan

e indictment, the

stand up. Your name,

any reply, the

I ask you

slow voic

ru, D

rvaded the courtroom. B

different names and this one is, no doubt, as imaginary as the others, we wi

red to his note

the man called Rostat who, eight years ago, worked with Dickson, the prestidigitator, was none other than Arsène Lupin. It is probable that the Russian student who, six years ago, attended the laboratory of Doctor Altier at the Saint Louis Hospital, and who often astonished the doctor by the ingenuity of his hypotheses on subjects of bacteriology and the boldness of his experiments in diseases of the skin, was none other than Arsène Lupin. It is probab

d for a moment,

e you have since waged against society; a methodical apprenticeship in which you developed your stren

ht one could observe his extreme thinness, his hollow cheeks, his projecting cheek-bones, his earthen-colored face dotted with small red spots and framed in a rough

e judge. Twice it was repeated to him. Then he raised his eyes,

ru, D

smiled,

void responsibility for your crimes on the ground of imbecility, such a line of defens

ed silent. The examination of witnesses commenced. Some of the evidence given was immaterial; other portions of it seemed more important, but through all of it there ran

recounted the events in which he had participated, including his pursuit of the prisoner across Europe and his arrival in America. He was listened to with great avidity, as his capture of Arsène Lupin was well known to everyone through the medium of the pres

you may retire

no, b

d sharply at the

risoner at closer range. There is som

vely for several minutes, then returned to the witn

t the prisoner now befor

he statement. The judge, nonp

you mean? Tha

ctive co

der the nose, the mouth, the hair, the color of skin, you will see that it

u mean? Do you pretend to say th

manner, contrived to put this poor devil in his

ongst the spectators. The judge adjourned the trial, and sent f

amined the accused and declared that there was only a very

"who is this man? Where does he c

th of them declared that the prisoner was A

the guard

, I think

tiently, "you *think* it is h

n my charge in the evening and, for two months, he seldom

time prior to th

ell in another part of the p

gaoler interru

nother cell after hi

ou have seen him duri

see him. He was alwa

soner is not

N

he?" demand

not

s substituted for Arsène Lupin, two

can

turned to the accused and addre

and since when, you became an in

he succeeded in framing a few phrases from which the following story was gleaned: Two months ago he had been taken to the Dép?t, examined and released. As he was leaving the building, a

citement of the spectators, the judge adjourned the tr

Baudru Désiré had slept at the Dép?t. He was released the next day, and left the Dép?t at two o'clock in the afternoo

en deceived by the resemblance and careles

have been an accomplice and must have caused his own arrest for the express purpose of taking Lupin's place.

hey easily traced his past history. He was known at Courbevois, at Asnières and at Levallois. He lived on alms

hich sought to explain it, not one was satisfactory. Of the escape itself, there was no doubt; an escape that was incomprehensible, sensational, in which the public, as well as the officers of the law, could

tly, he was released; but the chief of the S?rété resolved to keep him under surveillance. This idea originated with Ganimard. From his point of view there was neither complicity nor chance. Baudru was an instrument upon which Ar

. He followed the rue de la Santé and the rue Saint Jacques. He stopped in front of an old-clothes shop, removed his jacket and his vest, sold his vest on which he realized a few sous; then, replacing his jacket

s, and, without removing his eyes fr

will be better. I will go with on

not appear. Ganimard entered

muttered, "I forgot th

rdin de Plates omnibus as it was turning the corner of the rue de Rivoli. He ran and caught the omnibus. But he had lost his two assistants. He must continue the pursuit alone. In his anger he

his mouth half-opened, and an incredible expression of stupidity on his blotched face. No, su

amway, following the boulevard Haussmann and the avenue Victor Hugo. Baudru alighted

, and, noticing a bench, he sat down. The spot, not far from Auteuil, on the edge of a pond hidden amongst the trees, was absolutely deserted. After the lapse of another half-hour, Ganim

pleasa

augh, spontaneous and irresistible. Ganimard felt his hair stand on end in

t, at the same time, he saw the other, the real man, Lupin. He discovered the intense life in the eyes, he filled up the shrunken features, he perceived the real flesh beneath the fl

Arsène Lupin,

essed unusual strength, whilst his adversary was apparently in a weak condition. But the struggle was a brief one. Arsène Lupin mad

A second more, and I would have broken your arm and that would have been just what you deserve. I am surprised that you, an old friend whom I re

, who, by his sensational evidence, had led the court into serious error? That escape appeared to h

d not spoken, I would have arranged for some one else to d

, "it was you that was th

always I

be pos

arked at the trial, the apprenticeship of a dozen years that eq

face? Yo

ll. For instance, a hypodermic injection of paraffine will puff up the skin at the desired spot. Pyrogallic acid will change your skin to that of an Indian. The juice of the greater celandine will adorn you with the most beautiful eruptions and tumors. Another chemical affects the growth of your beard and hair; another changes the tone of

tand how you dec

The evolution was so gradual

friends caused him to remain at the Dép?t overnight, and to leave there next day about the same hour as I did-a coincidence easily arranged. Of course, it was necessary to have a record of his detention at the Dép?t in order to establish the fact that such a person was a reality; otherwise, the police would ha

f course," s

"When Arsène Lupin cries from the housetops that he will escape, he has some object in view." But, sapristi, you must understand that in order to escape I must create, in advance, a public belief in that escape, a belief amounting to an article of faith, an absolute conviction, a reality as glittering as the sun. And I did create that belief that Arsène Lupin would escape, that Arsène Lupin would not be present at his trial. And when you gave your evidence and said: "That man is not Arsène Lupin," every

d Ganimar

onversation in the prison de la Santé, you expected me at

n?" said Ganimard,

currence of a number of unusual circumstances. However, I found it useful to carry out that attempted escape and give it the widest publ

t the c

yself, as well

he let

ten b

sterious co

not e

ected a momen

nder consideration, why did they not perceive that hi

nts are not i

dee

ystem of records the visible marks of identification-and you have seen that they are not infallible-and, after that,

olut

es of the service there accepted so much money to insert false figures in my measureme

t silence, G

you going

all very well to become Baudru or some other person, on occasion, and to change your personality as you do your shirt, but you soon grow wea

ew minutes, then, stopping i

ing more to sa

o reveal the true state of facts connected

ry, and therefore I shall permit my escape to retain its almost miraculous character. So, have no fear on that score, my dear

you want

ciety that one cannot avoid

you dine

British Am