The Crystal Stopper [73]
she was going on to Genoa, to the Hotel Continental."
"Was she by herself?"
"Yes."
Lupin tipped the man, dismissed him and turned to his friends:
"This is Saturday. If the execution takes place on Monday, there's nothing to be done. But Monday is not a likely day... What I have to do is to lay hands on Daubrecq to-night and to be in Paris on Monday, with the document. It's our last chance. Let's take it."
The Growler went to the booking-office and returned with three tickets for Genoa.
The engine whistled.
Lupin had a last hesitation:
"No, really, it's too childish! What are we doing? We ought to be in Paris, not here!... Just think!... "
He was on the point of opening the door and jumping out on the permanent way. But his companions held him back. The train started. He sat down again.
And they continued their mad pursuit, travelling at random, toward the unknown... "
And this happened two days before the inevitable execution of Gilbert and Vaucheray.
CHAPTER X
EXTRA-DRY?
On one of the hills that girdle Nice with the finest scenery in the world, between the Vallon de Saint-Silvestre and the Vallon de La Mantega, stands a huge hotel which overlooks the town and the wonderful Baie des Anges. A crowd flocks to it from all parts, forming a medley of every class and nation.
On the evening of the same Saturday when Lupin, the Growler and the Masher were plunging into Italy, Clarisse Mergy entered this hotel, asked for a bedroom facing south and selected No. 130, on the second floor, a room which had been vacant since that morning.
The room was separated from No. 129 by two partition-doors. As soon as she was alone, Clarisse pulled back the curtain that concealed the first door, noiselessly drew the bolt and put her ear to the second door:
"He is here," she thought. "He is dressing to go to the club... as he dld yesterday."
When her neighbour had gone, she went into the passage and, availing herself of a moment when there was no one in sight, walked up to the door of No. 129. The door was locked.
She waited all the evening for her neighbour's return and dld not go to bed until two o'clock. On Sunday morning, she resumed her watch.
The neighbour went out at eleven. This time he left the key in the door.
Hurriedly turning the key, Clarisse entered boldly, went to the partition-door, raised the curtain, drew the bolt and found herself in her own room.
In a few minutes, she heard two chambermaids doing the room in No. 129.
She waited until they were gone. Then, feeling sure that she would not be dlsturbed, she once more slipped into the other room.
Her excitement made her lean against a chair. After days and nights of stubborn pursuit, after alternate hopes and dlsappointments, she had at last succeeded in entering a room occupied by Daubrecq. She could look about at her ease; and, if she dld not dlscover the crystal stopper, she could at least hide in the space between the partition-doors, behind the hanging, see Daubrecq, spy upon his movements and surprise his secret.
She looked around her. A travelling-bag at once caught her attention. She managed to open it; but her search was useless.
She ransacked the trays of a trunk and the compartments of a portmanteau. She searched the wardrobe, the writing-table, the chest of drawers, the bathroom, all the tables, all the furniture. She found nothing.
She gave a start when she saw a scrap of paper on the balcony, lying as though flung there by accident:
"Can it be a trick of Daubrecq's?" she thought, out loud. "Can that scrap of paper contain... "
"No," said a voice behind her, as she put her hand on the latch.
She turned and saw Daubrecq.
She felt neither astonishment nor alann, nor even any embarrassment at finding herself face to face with him. She had suffered too deeply for months to trouble about what Daubrecq could think of her or say, at catching her in the act of spying.
She sat down wearily.
He grinned:
"No, you're out of it, dear friend. As the children
"Was she by herself?"
"Yes."
Lupin tipped the man, dismissed him and turned to his friends:
"This is Saturday. If the execution takes place on Monday, there's nothing to be done. But Monday is not a likely day... What I have to do is to lay hands on Daubrecq to-night and to be in Paris on Monday, with the document. It's our last chance. Let's take it."
The Growler went to the booking-office and returned with three tickets for Genoa.
The engine whistled.
Lupin had a last hesitation:
"No, really, it's too childish! What are we doing? We ought to be in Paris, not here!... Just think!... "
He was on the point of opening the door and jumping out on the permanent way. But his companions held him back. The train started. He sat down again.
And they continued their mad pursuit, travelling at random, toward the unknown... "
And this happened two days before the inevitable execution of Gilbert and Vaucheray.
CHAPTER X
EXTRA-DRY?
On one of the hills that girdle Nice with the finest scenery in the world, between the Vallon de Saint-Silvestre and the Vallon de La Mantega, stands a huge hotel which overlooks the town and the wonderful Baie des Anges. A crowd flocks to it from all parts, forming a medley of every class and nation.
On the evening of the same Saturday when Lupin, the Growler and the Masher were plunging into Italy, Clarisse Mergy entered this hotel, asked for a bedroom facing south and selected No. 130, on the second floor, a room which had been vacant since that morning.
The room was separated from No. 129 by two partition-doors. As soon as she was alone, Clarisse pulled back the curtain that concealed the first door, noiselessly drew the bolt and put her ear to the second door:
"He is here," she thought. "He is dressing to go to the club... as he dld yesterday."
When her neighbour had gone, she went into the passage and, availing herself of a moment when there was no one in sight, walked up to the door of No. 129. The door was locked.
She waited all the evening for her neighbour's return and dld not go to bed until two o'clock. On Sunday morning, she resumed her watch.
The neighbour went out at eleven. This time he left the key in the door.
Hurriedly turning the key, Clarisse entered boldly, went to the partition-door, raised the curtain, drew the bolt and found herself in her own room.
In a few minutes, she heard two chambermaids doing the room in No. 129.
She waited until they were gone. Then, feeling sure that she would not be dlsturbed, she once more slipped into the other room.
Her excitement made her lean against a chair. After days and nights of stubborn pursuit, after alternate hopes and dlsappointments, she had at last succeeded in entering a room occupied by Daubrecq. She could look about at her ease; and, if she dld not dlscover the crystal stopper, she could at least hide in the space between the partition-doors, behind the hanging, see Daubrecq, spy upon his movements and surprise his secret.
She looked around her. A travelling-bag at once caught her attention. She managed to open it; but her search was useless.
She ransacked the trays of a trunk and the compartments of a portmanteau. She searched the wardrobe, the writing-table, the chest of drawers, the bathroom, all the tables, all the furniture. She found nothing.
She gave a start when she saw a scrap of paper on the balcony, lying as though flung there by accident:
"Can it be a trick of Daubrecq's?" she thought, out loud. "Can that scrap of paper contain... "
"No," said a voice behind her, as she put her hand on the latch.
She turned and saw Daubrecq.
She felt neither astonishment nor alann, nor even any embarrassment at finding herself face to face with him. She had suffered too deeply for months to trouble about what Daubrecq could think of her or say, at catching her in the act of spying.
She sat down wearily.
He grinned:
"No, you're out of it, dear friend. As the children