The Crystal Stopper [67]
of sentence," he suggested.
"The commutation? Do you imagine that they will commute the sentence of Arsene Lupin's accomplices?"
She ejaculated the words with a violence and a bitterness which he pretended not to notice; and he said:
"Vaucheray perhaps not... But they will take pity on Gilbert, on his youth... "
"They will do nothing of the sort."
"How do you know?"
"I have seen his counsel."
"You have seen his counsel! And you told him... "
"I told him that I was Gilbert's mother and I asked him whether, by proclaiming my son's identity, we could not influence the result... or at least delay it."
"You would do that?" he whispered. "You would admit... "
"Gilbert's life comes before everything. What do I care about my name! What do I care about my husband's name!"
"And your littie Jacques?" he objected. "Have you the right to ruin Jacques, to make him the brother of a man condemned to death?"
She hung her head. And he resumed:
"What did the counsel say?"
"He said that an act of that sort would not help Gilbert in the remotest degree. And, in spite of all his protests, I could see that, as far as he was concerned, he had no illusions left and that the pardoning commission are bound to find in favour of the execution."
"The commission, I grant you; but what of the president of the Republic?"
"The president always goes by the advice of the commission."
"He will not do so this time."
"And why not?"
"Because we shall bring influence to bear upon him."
"How?"
"By the conditional surrender of the list of the Twenty-seven!"
"Have you it?"
"No, but I shall have it."
His certainty had not wavered. He made the statement with equal calmness and faith in the infinite power of his will.
She had lost some part of her confidence in him and she shrugged her shoulders lightly: "If d'Albufex has not purloined the list, one man lone can exercise any influence; one man alone: Daubrecq."
She spoke these words in a low and absent voice that made him shudder. Was she still thinking, as he had often seemed to feel, of going back to Daubrecq and paying him for Gilbert's life?
"You have sworn an oath to me," he said. "I'm reminding you of it. It was agreed that the struggle with Daubrecq should be directed by me and that there would never be a possibility of any arrangement between you and him."
She retorted:
"I don't even know where he is. If I knew, wouldn't you know?"
It was an evasive answer. But he did not insist, resolving to watch her at the opportune time; and he asked her, for he had not yet been told all the details:
"Then it's not known what became of Daubrecq?"
"No. Of course, one of the Growler's bullets struck him. For, next day, we picked up, in a coppice, a handkerchief covered with blood. Also, it seems that a man was seen at Aumale Station, looking very tired and walking with great difficulty. He took a ticket for Paris, stepped into the first train and that is all... "
"He must be seriously wounded," said Lupin, "and he is nursing himself in some safe retreat. Perhaps, also, he considers it wise to lie low for a few weeks and avoid any traps on the part of the police, d'Albufex, you, myself and all his other enemies."
He stopped to think and continued:
"What has happened at Mortepierre since Daubrecq's escape? Has there been no talk in the neighbourhood?"
"No, the rope was removed before daybreak, which proves that Sebastiani or his sons discovered Daubrecq's flight on the same night. Sebastiani was away the whole of the next day."
"Yes, he will have informed the marquis. And where is the marquis himself?"
"At home. And, from what the Growler has heard, there is nothing suspicious there either."
"Are they certain that he has not been inside Daubrecq's house?"
"As certain as they can be."
Nor Daubrecq?" Nor Daubrecq." "Have you seen Prasville?"
"Prasville is away on leave. But Chief-inspector Blanchon, who has charge of the case, and the detectives who are guarding
"The commutation? Do you imagine that they will commute the sentence of Arsene Lupin's accomplices?"
She ejaculated the words with a violence and a bitterness which he pretended not to notice; and he said:
"Vaucheray perhaps not... But they will take pity on Gilbert, on his youth... "
"They will do nothing of the sort."
"How do you know?"
"I have seen his counsel."
"You have seen his counsel! And you told him... "
"I told him that I was Gilbert's mother and I asked him whether, by proclaiming my son's identity, we could not influence the result... or at least delay it."
"You would do that?" he whispered. "You would admit... "
"Gilbert's life comes before everything. What do I care about my name! What do I care about my husband's name!"
"And your littie Jacques?" he objected. "Have you the right to ruin Jacques, to make him the brother of a man condemned to death?"
She hung her head. And he resumed:
"What did the counsel say?"
"He said that an act of that sort would not help Gilbert in the remotest degree. And, in spite of all his protests, I could see that, as far as he was concerned, he had no illusions left and that the pardoning commission are bound to find in favour of the execution."
"The commission, I grant you; but what of the president of the Republic?"
"The president always goes by the advice of the commission."
"He will not do so this time."
"And why not?"
"Because we shall bring influence to bear upon him."
"How?"
"By the conditional surrender of the list of the Twenty-seven!"
"Have you it?"
"No, but I shall have it."
His certainty had not wavered. He made the statement with equal calmness and faith in the infinite power of his will.
She had lost some part of her confidence in him and she shrugged her shoulders lightly: "If d'Albufex has not purloined the list, one man lone can exercise any influence; one man alone: Daubrecq."
She spoke these words in a low and absent voice that made him shudder. Was she still thinking, as he had often seemed to feel, of going back to Daubrecq and paying him for Gilbert's life?
"You have sworn an oath to me," he said. "I'm reminding you of it. It was agreed that the struggle with Daubrecq should be directed by me and that there would never be a possibility of any arrangement between you and him."
She retorted:
"I don't even know where he is. If I knew, wouldn't you know?"
It was an evasive answer. But he did not insist, resolving to watch her at the opportune time; and he asked her, for he had not yet been told all the details:
"Then it's not known what became of Daubrecq?"
"No. Of course, one of the Growler's bullets struck him. For, next day, we picked up, in a coppice, a handkerchief covered with blood. Also, it seems that a man was seen at Aumale Station, looking very tired and walking with great difficulty. He took a ticket for Paris, stepped into the first train and that is all... "
"He must be seriously wounded," said Lupin, "and he is nursing himself in some safe retreat. Perhaps, also, he considers it wise to lie low for a few weeks and avoid any traps on the part of the police, d'Albufex, you, myself and all his other enemies."
He stopped to think and continued:
"What has happened at Mortepierre since Daubrecq's escape? Has there been no talk in the neighbourhood?"
"No, the rope was removed before daybreak, which proves that Sebastiani or his sons discovered Daubrecq's flight on the same night. Sebastiani was away the whole of the next day."
"Yes, he will have informed the marquis. And where is the marquis himself?"
"At home. And, from what the Growler has heard, there is nothing suspicious there either."
"Are they certain that he has not been inside Daubrecq's house?"
"As certain as they can be."
Nor Daubrecq?" Nor Daubrecq." "Have you seen Prasville?"
"Prasville is away on leave. But Chief-inspector Blanchon, who has charge of the case, and the detectives who are guarding