The Crystal Stopper [40]
not take sufficient. The doctor has just gone. He says she will get over it."
"And why did she make the attempt?"
"Her son Jacques has disappeared."
"Carried off?"
"Yes, he was playing just inside the forest. A motor-car was seen pulling up. Then there were screams. Clarisse tried to run, but her strength failed and she fell to the ground, moaning, 'It's he... it's that man... all is lost!' She looked like a madwoman.
Suddenly, she put a little bottle to her lips and swallowed the contents."
"What happened next?"
"My husband and I carried her to her room. She was in great pain."
"How did you know my address, my name?"
"From herself, while the doctor was attending to her. Then I telephoned to you."
"Has any one else been told?"
"No, nobody. I know that Clarisse has had terrible things to bear... and that she prefers not to be talked about."
"Can I see her?"
"She is asleep just now. And the doctor has forbidden all excitement."
"Is the doctor anxious about her?"
"He is afraid of a fit of fever, any nervous strain, an attack of some kind which might cause her to make a fresh attempt on her life. And that would be... "
"`What is needed to avoid it?"
A week or a fortnight of absolute quiet, which is impossible as long as her little Jacques... "
Lupin interrupted her:
"You think that, if she got her son back... "
"Oh, certainly, there would be nothing more to fear!"
You're sure? You're sure?... Yes, of course you are!... Well, when Madame Mergy wakes, tell her from me that I will bring her back her son this evening, before midnight. This evening, before midnight: it's a solemn promise."
With these words, Lupin hurried out of the house and, stepping into his car, shouted to the driver:
"Go to Paris, Square Lamartine, Daubrecq the deputy's!"
CHAPTER VI
THE DEATH-SENTENCE
Lupin's motor-car was not only an office, a writing- room furnished with books, stationery, pens and ink, but also a regular actor's dressing-room, containing a complete make-up box, a trunk filled with every variety of wearing-apparel, another crammed with "properties" - umbrellas, walking-sticks, scarves, eye-glasses and so on - in short, a complete set of paraphernalia which enabled him to alter his appearance from top to toe in the course of a drive.
The man who rang at Daubrecq the deputy's gate, at six o-clock that evening, was a stout, elderly gentleman, in a black frock-coat, a bowler hat, spectacles and whiskers.
The portress took him to the front-door of the house and rang the bell. Victoire appeared.
Lupin asked:
"Can M. Daubrecq see Dr. Vernes?"
"M. Daubrecq is in his bedroom; and it is rather late... "
"Give him my card, please."
He wrote the words, "From Mme. Mergy," in the margin and added:
"There, he is sure to see me."
"But... " Victoire began.
"Oh, drop your buts, old dear, do as I say, and don't make such a fuss about it!"
She was utterly taken aback and stammered:
"You!... is it you?"
No, it's Louis XIV.!" And, pushing her into a corner of the hall, "Listen... The moment I'm done with him, go up to your room, put your things together anyhow and clear out."
What!"
"Do as I tell you. You'll find my car waiting down the avenue. Come, stir your stumps! Announce me. I'll wait in the study."
"But it's dark in there."
"Turn on the light."
She switched on the electric light and left Lupin alone.
"It's here," he reflected, as he took a seat, "it's here that the crystal stopper byes... Unless Daubrecq always keeps it by him... But no, when people have a good hiding-place, they make use of it. And this is a capital one; for none of us... so far... "
Concentrating all his attention, he examined the objects in the room; and he remembered the note which Daubrecq wrote to Prasville:
"Within reach of your hand, my dear Prasville!... You touched it! A little more and the trick was done...
Nothing seemed to have moved since that day. The same things were lying about on the
"And why did she make the attempt?"
"Her son Jacques has disappeared."
"Carried off?"
"Yes, he was playing just inside the forest. A motor-car was seen pulling up. Then there were screams. Clarisse tried to run, but her strength failed and she fell to the ground, moaning, 'It's he... it's that man... all is lost!' She looked like a madwoman.
Suddenly, she put a little bottle to her lips and swallowed the contents."
"What happened next?"
"My husband and I carried her to her room. She was in great pain."
"How did you know my address, my name?"
"From herself, while the doctor was attending to her. Then I telephoned to you."
"Has any one else been told?"
"No, nobody. I know that Clarisse has had terrible things to bear... and that she prefers not to be talked about."
"Can I see her?"
"She is asleep just now. And the doctor has forbidden all excitement."
"Is the doctor anxious about her?"
"He is afraid of a fit of fever, any nervous strain, an attack of some kind which might cause her to make a fresh attempt on her life. And that would be... "
"`What is needed to avoid it?"
A week or a fortnight of absolute quiet, which is impossible as long as her little Jacques... "
Lupin interrupted her:
"You think that, if she got her son back... "
"Oh, certainly, there would be nothing more to fear!"
You're sure? You're sure?... Yes, of course you are!... Well, when Madame Mergy wakes, tell her from me that I will bring her back her son this evening, before midnight. This evening, before midnight: it's a solemn promise."
With these words, Lupin hurried out of the house and, stepping into his car, shouted to the driver:
"Go to Paris, Square Lamartine, Daubrecq the deputy's!"
CHAPTER VI
THE DEATH-SENTENCE
Lupin's motor-car was not only an office, a writing- room furnished with books, stationery, pens and ink, but also a regular actor's dressing-room, containing a complete make-up box, a trunk filled with every variety of wearing-apparel, another crammed with "properties" - umbrellas, walking-sticks, scarves, eye-glasses and so on - in short, a complete set of paraphernalia which enabled him to alter his appearance from top to toe in the course of a drive.
The man who rang at Daubrecq the deputy's gate, at six o-clock that evening, was a stout, elderly gentleman, in a black frock-coat, a bowler hat, spectacles and whiskers.
The portress took him to the front-door of the house and rang the bell. Victoire appeared.
Lupin asked:
"Can M. Daubrecq see Dr. Vernes?"
"M. Daubrecq is in his bedroom; and it is rather late... "
"Give him my card, please."
He wrote the words, "From Mme. Mergy," in the margin and added:
"There, he is sure to see me."
"But... " Victoire began.
"Oh, drop your buts, old dear, do as I say, and don't make such a fuss about it!"
She was utterly taken aback and stammered:
"You!... is it you?"
No, it's Louis XIV.!" And, pushing her into a corner of the hall, "Listen... The moment I'm done with him, go up to your room, put your things together anyhow and clear out."
What!"
"Do as I tell you. You'll find my car waiting down the avenue. Come, stir your stumps! Announce me. I'll wait in the study."
"But it's dark in there."
"Turn on the light."
She switched on the electric light and left Lupin alone.
"It's here," he reflected, as he took a seat, "it's here that the crystal stopper byes... Unless Daubrecq always keeps it by him... But no, when people have a good hiding-place, they make use of it. And this is a capital one; for none of us... so far... "
Concentrating all his attention, he examined the objects in the room; and he remembered the note which Daubrecq wrote to Prasville:
"Within reach of your hand, my dear Prasville!... You touched it! A little more and the trick was done...
Nothing seemed to have moved since that day. The same things were lying about on the