The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

e door of that house opened, and a number of guests, male and female, emerged. The majority of them entered their carriages and were quickly driven away, leaving beh

lear and cold; a night on which a br

e. The man rushed at him and attacked him violently. Immediately, they were engaged in a desperate struggle, wherein he felt that his unknown assailant had the advantage. He called for help, struggled, and was thrown down on a pile of gravel, seized by the throat, and gagged with a handkerchief that his assailant forced into his mou

hurt, m

riage, placed him in it, and accompanied him to his house on the avenue de la Grande

y wife at this time of night, but, to-morrow, she will be pleased to thank you pe

nly, mo

ert a card bearing the

ven used the name of Arsène Lupin. The name was specially invented to designate the rescuer of Mon. Imbert; that is to say, it was in that affair that Arsène Lupin was baptized. Fully armed

t, he had reached his goal! At last, he had undertaken a task worthy of his strengt

ribbon pinned with a false diamond. Thus accoutred, he descended the stairs of the house in which he lived at Montmartre. At the third floor, without stopping, he rapped on a closed door with the head of his cane. He walked to

, gov

t is all

ow

g there to

eakfast

from certain death at your hands. Mon. Imbert is no

ef silence. The

t going to thro

'clock in the morning, to rap you with my cane and tap you with my boot at the risk of injuring my only friend, it was

rumors we hear ab

n of straw; for six months, I have shadowed the husband and wife. Consequently, I know what I am talking about. Whether the fortune came to them fro

e hundred

ey have a safe full of bonds, and there will be

the Place de l'Etoile. T

m I to

You will hear from m

the Imbert mansion, and Mon. Imbert introduced him to his wife. Madame Gervaise I

ld be alone to entertai

father as a magistrate, the sorrows of his childhood, and his present difficulties. Gervaise, in turn, spoke of her youth, her marriage, the kindness of the aged Brawford, the hundred millions that she had inherited, the obstacles that preve

usband's office, and if we detach a single coupon, we lose ever

Yet he felt quite certain that Monsieur Lupin would never suffer from the s

he repeated, to hims

ely, the unfortunate young man was appointed private secretary to the Imberts, husband and wife, at a salary of one hundred francs a month. He was to come to th

led only once to Mon. Imbert's office; consequently, he had only one opportunity to contemplate, officially, the Imbert safe. Moreover, he noticed that the secretary

s respects to the safe, which was hermetically closed. It was an immense block of iron and steel, cold and stern in appea

f. "The essential thing is to be on the spot when the op

, he introduced a lead pipe which penetrated the ceiling of Mon. Imbert's office at a point between the tw

ng books and papers. When they turned the combination lock, he tried to learn the figures and the number of turns they made to the right and left. He watched

ing the safe. He descended the stairs quickly, a

aid, "I made a mis

you not at home here? We want your advice. What bonds should

ion?" said Lupin

n't cover al

e and withdrew a package of bo

bonds. They are going up, whilst the annuities are as hig

ok a paper at random. It proved to be a three-per-cent annuity worth two thousand francs. Ludovic placed the package of bonds in his

s position there was a peculiar one. He learned that the servants did not even know his name. They called him "monsieur." L

r, they gave him little or no attention. They appeared to regard him as an eccentric character who did not like to be disturbed, and they respected his i

uch a ba

aid to himself, "

ecided that he could not depend on chance, nor on the negligence of Madame Imbert, who carried the key of the safe, and who, on

was discussed. He decided that if he waited much longer, he would lose everything. During the next five days, instead of leaving the house about six o'clock, according to his usual habit, he locked himself in his room. It was supposed that he

ated by the malevolent insinuations of their enemies, p

it to-night,"

unt and the securities contained in the safe. Thus, one hour after another passed away. He heard the servants

to work," mu

window below, which was that of the of Imbert's office. He stood upon the balcony for a moment, motionless, with attentive ear and watchful eye, but the heavy curtains effectually concealed the interior of the

is head. He parted the curtains a few inches, looked in, and saw Mon. Imbert and his wife sitting in

would require to make in order to overcome them, one after the other, before they

quite cold. I am going

stay an

that will take

. An hour,

a little farther open. The curtains shook. He pushed once more. Mon. Imbert t

m the least injury, Arsène stunned him, wrapped the curtain about his head, bound him hand and foo

t he placed under his arm, left the office, and opened t

he office, and, in two trips, they emptied the safe. Then Arsène went to hi

ad foreseen that the wealth of the Imberts had been greatly exaggerated. It did not consist of hundreds of milli

e bonds, as we will have to dispose of them surreptitiously at reduced prices. I

the next day. But a perusal of the morning papers revealed thi

he safe and opened it, they found the

sène Lupin was in a confidential mood. He was pacing to and fro in my

him, "it was your mos

g a direct re

nstance: What caused their flight? Why did they not take advantage of the help I unconsciously gave them? It would have

st their

st their nerve...On the

is t

not

re was something he was loath to tell. His conduct puzzled me. It must indeed be a very serious matter

seen the

N

d the slightest degree of pity

claimed, w

ished me. Had I touched him

y might have been able to face the danger, or,

ly. "I suppose you have an idea that m

or regrets-anyt

e not wo

or remorse for having

fort

bonds you took

boy, you do not know the truth. You never imagined that those bonds were not worth the paper they were writte

at him, a

The four or

the whole of them! And you ask me if I have any remorse. THEY are the ones who should have remorse and pity.

nger-the result of malice an

stupid brain. Whilst I was posing as his "saviour," as the gentleman who had risked his life to rescue Mon. Imbert from the clutches of an assassin, they were passing me off as Brawford. Wasn't that splendid? That eccentric individual who had a room on the second floor, that barbarian that was exhibit

rm, and said to me, in

y moment, Gervaise Imbert ow

o grotesque. He was making a mountain out of a mo

iving you a straight story. She wanted it for some poor people she was assisting-unknown to her husband. And my hard-earned money was wormed out of me by that silly pretense! Isn't it amusing, hein? Arsène Lupin done out of fifteen hundred francs by the fair lady from who