The Blonde Lady / Being a Record of the Duel of Wits between Arsène Lupin and the English Detective

men upon whom ill-luck takes hardly any hold-there are yet circumstances in which the most

holiday to-day

nd

nd shirts and things to replenish our w

Shears. I

therefore exposed to the worst dangers. He threw out his chest and stiffened his muscles. With

of campaign better suited to the adversary whom we have to deal with. You se

if we can. Bu

hap: five days mo

n smoking and dozing. He did not begin

w, Wilson. We

n, full of martial ardour. "M

; next, with Suzanne Gerbois, to whom he telegraphed to come and whom he questioned about the blonde lady

waited outside and, af

isfi

ui

're on the right trac

e of the house in the Avenue Henri-Martin. From there they went on to the Rue

ecret passages between all these hous

on doubted the omnipotence of his talented chief

Lupin, one has nothing to go upon; one works at random. Instead of deriving the truth from e

secret pa

wyer's study or the one taken by the blonde lady after the murder of Baron d'Haut

im, in any case

a cry. Something had fallen at their feet: a bag half

working in a cradle hooked on to

he clumsy beggars! Another yard and we should have ca

on the fifth landing, burst into the flat, to the great alarm of the footm

ho were here a moment ag

ave jus

ch w

he servants'

leaving the house, leading their b

working on thi

this morning. Th

ned Wilson

sed mood; and this second

bench in the Avenue Henri-Martin. Wilson, who was thoroughly bored by thi

ct, Shears? To se

N

blonde

N

t, t

ppen, some little tiny thing whic

nothing

l happen inside myself: a sp

leman was coming down the riding-path that separates the two roadways of the avenue, when his

"A shade more and I should h

The Englishman drew his revolver and to

hy ... look here ... you

ilson ...

the horseman got his mount un

d Wilson, triumphantly, when

t you understand that that was

with rage. Wilson s

mean? That

's, like the workmen who fl

not cr

re was a means handy

ng that g

r you, I should have got one of Lupin's pa

from the houses, three young workingmen came along the pavement singing, arm-in-arm, knocked up against them and tried to continue their road without separating. Shears, who was in a bad temper, pu

better for that!... My nerves were a

son leaning ag

e said, "what's up?

, which was hanging lifeles

... my arm's h

rm?...

r ... it's my

o see exactly," he said, "how much it hurts." It hurt exactly so much that Wilson, on being l

broken and that it was a case for a surgeon, an operation and a hospital. Meanwhile,

ve or six weeks, you won't know that you've been hurt.... But I'll make them pay for it, the scoundrels!... You understand..

gave Wilson such a shock of pain that the poor wretch

an idea.... Coul

s eyes fixed before him, and

g us in the face.... Why, of course, I knew it only needed a litt

e he was, he rushed into t

, on the right, bore the inscrip

ar, this was quite natural. But what would he

d a pass

ue Henri-Martin. Go

urged on the horse, promisi

... Fast

e corner of the Rue de la Pompe. H

e, architect, 1874." And he found the same inscription-"Destan

trembling with delight. At last a tiny glimmer flickered in the darkness! Amid the thousand intersec

ked to be put on to the Chateau de C

Is that y

hears? How are

me, quickly.... Hul

s..

Chateau de C

wn thirty years

And in w

r the front door: 'Lucien D

, madame.

od-

away, mu

Destange.... I seem

d out the reference to "Lucien Destange, born 1840, Grand-Prix de Rome, officer

hich Wilson had been moved. Old chap was lying on his bed of pain,

ried Shears. "I have

t cl

. I am now treading firm soil, where I

lson, whom the interest of

ous link that connects the three adventures of the blonde lady. Why were the t

s,

same architect. It was easy to guess that, you say? Cer

except y

g similar plans, enabled three actions to be performed which appear

t lu

r I was beginning to lose patie

of

from now

is seat, exulting in his

t, those ruffians might have broken my arm as

huddered at the

ars con

ht Lupin in the open and to expose ourselves, in the most obliging way, to his

with a broken ar

atched, in broad daylight, I am beaten. Working freely, in the sh

ght be able

st set to work to catch him,' I shall hunt up Ganimard at one of the two addresses he gave me, his flat

lson's shoulder-the bad shoulder, of cour

n keeping two or three of Lupin's men busy. They will waste their time

atefully. "I shall do my best to perform it

I?" asked Sh

.. I'm going on as well as can be expected. You mig

dri

ith thirst; and thi

ourse! Wai

his pipe and, suddenly, as though he had not even heard his friend's request, wal

estange

Malesherbes and the Rue Montchanin-and, at the sight of the little gray-haired, ill-shaven man, whose long and far from

e or he may be out. It dep

uction and the butler had to take it to M. Destange, wh

ch occupied one of the wings of the house and

ickmann?" aske

s,

l catalogue of my books, which he began under my direction, and of the G

ce," replied Stickmann, in

settled; and M. Destange set to work with

rs had carrie

Clotilde, the illustrious detective had been obliged to take a leap in the dark, to resort to untold stratagems, to win the favou

rest, had retired from business and was living among the architectural books which it had been his hobby

eccentric. She spent her days, like her father, in th

d. I am bound to discover the solution of one at least of these exciting problems: is M. Destange an accomplice of Arsène Lupin's? Does he see him now? Are there any papers relating to

with a burglar! The presumption was hardly tenable. Besides, supposing that they were accomplices, how did M. Destange com

ll his own, he felt a mystery surrounding him. This was perceptible by small signs, which he could not ha

o fetch a book from the library. She was a woman of thirty, dark, with slow and silent movements; and her features bore the look of indifferen

ng. It was growing dark and he was preparing to leave, in his turn, when he heard a creaking sound and, at the same time, felt that there was some one in the room. Minute followed slowly upon minute. And,

on his knees behind the tapestry that covered the rail of the gallery, Shears watched and saw

nd Mlle. Destange entered quickl

ing out, father?... In that case, I'll turn o

g the curtains in front of him. How was it that Mlle. Destange did not see him! How was it that she

estange opened a book which she had

tary gone?" she

so it s

, as if in ignorance of the real secretary's illn

... qui

dropped on his ch

n slipped along the wall, toward the door, an action which made him pass behind M. Destange, but righ

ere correct, he had penetrated to the very heart of the

in was close to the door and had his arm stretched toward the handle, when his clothes grazed a table and something fel

delight. "My dear Maxime!... What stro

see you and M

d you co

terd

staying t

am dining out wi

im come to-morrow. My dear Maxime!... I

all

apers, in that cupboard, and I

ch o

Henri-Mart

you keep all that wa

ing-room which was connected with

ght Shears, seized

ho resembled Arsène Lupin in certain respects and who, nevertheless, pre

d and which brought a smile to Clotilde's lips. And each of these smiles seemed a reward which Arsène Lupin coveted and which he rejoiced at having won. His spirits a

rth can Clotilde Destange and Maxime Bermond have i

oken. Then, with infinite precautions, he came down and crossed the side of

s. Then he turned down a side street, put on the overcoat which he carried over his arm, changed the shape of his hat, drew hi

de Constantinople and the Rue de Londres, toward the centre

him to be following his adversary. It was no longer he that was watched, but Arsène Lupin, the invisible Arsène Lupin. He kept him, so to speak, fastene

lf, other people were going in the same direction, notably two tall fellows in bowler hats on the left p

opped as Lupin entered a tobacconist's shop; and still more when they started again

ought Shears. "He

ght of conquering unaided the most formidable enemy that he had ever encountered: this idea exasperated him. And yet there was no possibility of a mistake: the m

he pretends?" muttered Shear

nto the boulevard just as Lupin had his foot on the step of the Restaurant Hongrois, at the corner of the Rue du Helder. The door was open and Shears, sitting on a bench on the boulevard, on the opposite side of the roa

who were listening to the Bohemian band of the neighbouring café. Strange to say, they appe

pression that they were talking at greater length than the mere lighting of a cigarette demanded. At last the gentleman went up the steps and glanced into the restaurant. Seeing Lu

is safety! They were his bodyguard, his satellites, his vigilant escort. Wherever the master ran any danger, there his accomplice

in laying hands on that inaccessible person? The power represented b

pencil, put the note in an envelope and gave it to a b

the young lady behind the bar at the Taverne Suiss

ive-franc piece.

but occasionally caught sight of Lupin's followers. The

ars, what can

you, M. G

your note.

s th

that y

staurant.... Move a little to

N

he glass of the

at's no

, it

the rascal, how like himself he is!" muttered Ganima

e other is the Duchess of Cleath; and, opposi

toward the road. But

reckless: y

is

ounting guard.... Not to mention that

r and shout his name to have the whole re

er have a few

nds off.... No, Mr. Shears,

the attempt and take advantage of the exceptional circu

o be recognized bef

k, without losing sight of Arsène Lupin wh

ith his hands in his pockets. But, the moment he reached the opp

ould have disgraced the luxury of the establishment. Ganimard staggered. At the same moment, the gentleman in the frock-coat came out. He took the part of the inspector and began a violent discussion with

r way through; but they encountered an incomprehensible resistance and were unable to ge

pologies; the gentleman in the frock-coat withdrew his assistance; the crowd parted, the policemen passed in; and Ganimard rus

shouted to the five bewildered guests. "Yes,

Dest

: Arsèn

er ste

just gone up to t

floor consisted of private rooms and

aned Ganimard. "He's f

eacefully along behind its three horses, crossing the Place de l'Opéra and going down the Boulevard des Capucines. Two tall fellows in

to side, rocked by the movement of th

, from the moment when the whistle sounded that the game was up and that there was nothing serious to be done

s leant over, saw Arsène Lupin pass out i

he ét

there. I'll let him go ahead in that motor-cab,

0, Rue Chalgrin, a house with a narrow frontage. Shears found a hiding place in

d and a man in a bowler hat closed the shutters.

ely afterward, another person. And, at last, a motor-cab drew up and Shears saw

esume," thought Shears

w-ledge and, by standing on tip-toe, succeeded in peering into the ro

listened attentively. Shears recognized the gentleman in the frock-coat and thought he recognized the head-w

currences have alarmed them and they feel a need to discuss

gentleman in the frock-coat and the head-waiter left the house. Then the first floor

floor," said Holmlock to himself. "The t

should go away during his absence. At four o'clock in the morning, seeing two policemen at the

lat in the Rue Pergolèse and

ot him

ne Lu

es

did just now, I may as well go back to bed

use of the commissary, M. Decointre. Next, accompanied

ars of the two police

sir;

ng his men, rang and entered the lodge of the concierge. Terrified by this intru

an; no tenant?"

men called Leroux.... They have furnished the apart

and ge

es

me with them

I don't think so, though, for here

the other side of the passage. The ground floor

id Shears. "I sa

missary

but they are

first floor. The

occupied by two gent

the two gentlema

ond ring, a man, who was none other than one of the bodygu

this noise about; what do yo

opped in

Why, it's M. Decointre!... And you to

itting with a fit of merriment which doubled h

er heard: Leroux, Arsène Lupin's accomplice!... It'll be the death of

d? It's M. Ganimard c

he sight of whom Ganimard's hi

ve suspected it? It's a good thing that old Ganimard keeps his eyes open and still bett

ng to Shea

spector, one of the best in the iron brigade.... And Edmo