The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

he concierge of number nine, avenue Hoch

dy was in. It must

one for the doctor,"

But the doctor won

t go to

nd, the third, and, without stopping at the doctor's door, he continued

mmence work I had better arrange for my retreat. Let me see.... have I had sufficie

ed a piece of iron in the lock in such a manner that the bolt could not enter. Then, quietly, he entered the house again, unknown to the concierge. In case of alarm, his retreat was assured. Noiselessly, he ascend

nd pleasant occupation of burglar. With a little care and reflection, it becomes a most delig

etailed plan of

hat the countess has a deplorable taste.... not a bibelot of any value!...Now, let's get down to business!... Ah! here is a corridor; it must lead to the bed chambers. At a distance of three metres, I s

bolt now separates me from the chamber, and I know that the bolt is located exactly one metre, forty-three cent

cessary instruments. Then the

he door is not bolted.

knob, and th

ooms; you know the place in which the countess hides the black pearl. Therefore, in order to secure

small table close to the bed. On the table, there was a box of letter-paper, and the black pearl was concealed in that box. He stooped and crept cautiously over the carpet, following the outlines of the reclining-chair. When he reached the extremity of it, he stopped in order to repress the throbbing of his heart. Although he was not moved by any sense of fear, he found it impossibl

ed one of the feet of the table. Ah! now, he had simply to rise, take the pearl, and escape. That was fortunate, as his heart was leaping in his breast like a wild beast, and made so much noise that he feared it would waken the countess. By a powerful effort of the will, he subdued the wild throbbing

ck, that clock; why were those articles not in their accustomed

be. It is some fantasy of my excited brain." For twenty seconds, thirty seconds, he remained motionless, terrif

ered that strange, unutterable thing. He felt it. He must feel it and find out what it is.

he learns what it is. So, Arsène Lupin quickly brought his lantern into use. A woman was lying before him, covered with blo

repeated, with

arose and turned on the electric lights. Then he beheld all the marks of a desperate struggle. The bed was in a state of great disorder. On the floor, the candlestick, and t

ack pearl?"

lace. He opened it, eagerly. The jew

With the countess lying cold and dead, and the black pearl vanished, the situation is anyt

did no

ly way. At all events, you have a clear conscience. Let us suppose that you are the commissary of police and that you are proceedin

ith his clenched hands pressed

Parisian public, and, certainly, I should never have mentioned the affair if the veil of my

the magnificence of her diamonds and pearls? It was said that she wore upon her shoulders the capital of several banking houses and the gold mines of numerous Australian companies. Skilful jewelers worked for Zalti as they had formerly wrought for kings

r it; a reason she was not afraid to disclose: the black pearl was the gift of an emperor! Almost ruined, and reduced to the most mediocre existence, she remained faithful to t

e to say, but quite obvious to those who have the key to the mystery, the arrest of the presumed assassin only co

. On the silken sleeve of his liveried waistcoat, which chief detective Dudouis found in his garret between the mattresses of his bed, several spots

seven o'clock in the morning, Danègre went to the tobacco-shop on the Boulevard de Courcelles; the concierge and the shop-keeper both affirm this fact. On the other hand, the countess' companion and cook, who sleep at the end of the hall, both declare that, when they arose at eight o'clock, the d

e investigation, the mystery deepened and new complications arose. In the first place, a young woman, Mlle. De Sinclèves, the cousin and sole heiress of the countess, declared that the countess, a

had inquired for Doctor Harel. On being questioned, the doctor testified

on adopted by the press and public, and

tom of this affair,"

"you have Lupin on the bra

where, because h

k the fact that the crime was committed at twenty minutes past eleven in the evening, as is shown by the

rly clues, his official opinion remained firm and unshaken. He closed his investigation, and, a few weeks later, the trial commenced. It proved to be slow and tedious. The judge was listless, and the public prosecutor presented the case in a careless manner. Under those circumstances, Danègre's counsel had an easy task. He pointed out the defects and inconsiste

that the mysterious individual who entered the house at three o'clock in the morning is not the guilty party. To be sure, the clock indicated eleven o'clock. But what of

nègre was

ion, the solitude, the trial, the deliberations of the jury, combined to fill him with a nervous fear. At night, he had

led a pitiful existence. Three times, he obtained regular employment, only to be recognized and then discharged. Sometimes, he had an idea that men were

ed soup, vegetables, and a bottle of wine. After he had finished his soup, he turned his eyes on Danègre, and gazed at him intently. Danègre winced. He was certain that this was one of the men who had been following

alth, Victo

d in alarm, a

no, no....I sw

you are not yourself? The

name is Dufour. As

tor of this restaurant, but Victor

ue! Some one h

or, who read on it: "Grimaudan, ex-inspector of the detective f

nected with

ue to work at it in a manner more-profitable. From time to time

ca

most promising affair, provided

am not r

re not in a position to re

u want?" stammered

I am sent by Mademoiselle de Sinclèves,

at

er the bl

ck p

you

haven't

hav

en I would be

e the a

owed a for

inion. The jury returned an unanimous verdict of acquittal. And w

seized him by t

thy of your consideration. Now, Danègre, three weeks before the murder, you abstracted the cook's ke

d Victor. "No person has seen t

e it

nce, Grimaud

r de la Republique on the same day as you ordered the duplicate ke

ply guessing at something you don'

e it

coiled. The ex-in

rust upon it. Shall I tel

and a knife. Who can pro

knife. I have already refreshed their memories, and, wh

precision. Danègre was trembling with fear, and yet he

the evidenc

ent out the same way you had entered. But, in the centre of the wardrobe-room

ne could know such a thing,

found on the white plaster a faint red spot, quite distinct, however, to trace in it the imprint of your thumb which you had pressed against the wal

ok, at the strange man who had narrated the story of his crime as faithfully as if he had been an invisible witness to it. O

u give me, if I g

thi

uld give you an article worth thousands and hu

your life. Is

ddered. Then Grimaudan

ur hands. It is quite impossible for you to s

and, some day, I will be ab

day may be

hy

olice, and, with the evidence that I can furnish-the k

he was lost, irremediably lost, and, at the same time, a sense

t I give

--within

I re

rocureur of the Republic; in which letter Mademoi

of wine which he drank in rapid

us go. I have had enoug

rds in the direction of the Place de l'Etoile. They pursued their way in silence; Victor

near the

once, before your arrest, and th

said Danègre,

street on a corner of which stood the tobacco-shop. A few steps further

ow?" demanded

is t

me, now, n

in fron

he

two pavin

hi

k fo

h sto

made no

imaudan, "you want me to

am afraid I will

e. Well, I'll not be hard on

a steerage pa

rig

cs to keep me until

ve two hundre

t from the sewer-hole. The pearl is

he gu

se to the

pedestrians were passing. But, bah, they will not suspect anything. He open

not there?" he

less someone saw me s

ast into the mud and filth of the gutter to be pick

down?"

en centi

omething. He enlarged the hole with his finger. Then he

ndred francs. I will send y

hed in the `Echo de France,' and was copied b

us black pearl came

overed it from the mu

t time, fac-similes o

ondon, St. Petersburg,

New

be pleased to consi

him through

rtue rewarded," said Arsène Lupin, after he had

udan, ex-inspector of detectives, were chosen by fate

t dangerous plight, I calmly studied the scene of the murder and reached the conclusion that the crime must have been committed by one of the house servants. I also decided that, in order to get the pearl, that servant must be arrested, and so I left the wainscoat button; it was necessary, also,

" I said, i

o elements of the problem-an arrest and an acquittal; to make use of the formidable machinery of the law to crush and humble

r de

escended to the lowest depths of vice and crime, if he had retained th

ave the bl

wallet, examined it, gazed at it tenderly, and care

asure! Or, perhaps, some American millionaire is destined to become the owner of this morsel o