The Crystal Stopper [94]
house in the Place de Cichy has two outlets."
"And you didn't know it?"
"I didn't know it. I only discovered it this morning, on inspecting the flat."
"Was there no one in the flat?"
"No. The servant, a man called Achille, went away this morning, taking with him a lady who was staying with Lupin."
"What was the lady's name?"
"I don't know," replied Prasville, after an imperceptible hesitation.
"But you know the name under which Arsene Lupin passed?"
"Yes. M. Nicole, a private tutor, master of arts and so on. Here is his card."
As Prasville finished speaking, an office-messenger came to tell the prefect of police that he was wanted immediately at the Elysse. The prime minister was there already.
"I'm coming," he said. And he added, between his teeth, "It's to decide upon Gilbert's fate."
Prasville ventured:
"Do you think they will pardon him, monsieur le prefet?"
"Never! After last night's affair, it would make a most deplorable impression. Gilbert must pay his debt to-morrow morning."
The messenger had, at the same time, handed Prasville a visiting-card. Prasville now looked at it, gave a start and muttered:
"Well, I'm hanged! What a nerve!"
"What's the matter?" asked the prefect of police.
"Nothing, nothing, monsieur le prefet," declared Prasville, who did not wish to share with another the honour of seeing this business through. "Nothing... an unexpected visit... I hope soon to have the pleasure of telling you the result."
And he walked away, mumbling, with an air of amazement:
"Well, upon my word! What a nerve the beggar has! What a nerve!"
The visiting-card which he held in his hand bore these words:
M. Nicole,
Master of Arts, Private Tutor.
CHAPTER XIII
THE LAST BATTLE
When Prasville returned to his office he saw M. Nicole sitting on a bench in the waiting-room, with his bent back, his ailing air, his gingham umbrella, his rusty hat and his single glove:
"It's he all right," said Prasville, who had feared for a moment that Lupin might have sent another M. Nicole to see him. "And the fact that he has come in person proves that he does not suspect that I have seen through him." And, for the third time, he said, "All the same, what a nerve!"
He shut the door of his office and called his secretary:
"M. Lartigue, I am having a rather dangerous person shown in here. The chances are that he will have to leave my office with the bracelets on. As soon as he is in my room, make all the necessary arrangements: send for a dozen inspectors and have them posted in the waiting-room and in your office. And take this as a definite instruction: the moment I ring, you are all to come in, revolvers in hand, and surround the fellow. Do you quite understand?"
"Yes, monsieur le secretaire-general."
"Above all, no hesitation. A sudden entrance, in a body, revolvers in hand. Send M. Nicole in, please."
As soon as he was alone, Prasville covered the push of an electric bell on his desk with some papers and placed two revolvers of respectable dimensions behind a rampart of books.
"And now," he said to himself, "to sit tight. If he has the list, let's collar it. If he hasn't, let's collar him. And, if possible, let's collar both. Lupin and the list of the Twenty-seven, on the same day, especially after the scandal of this morning, would be a scoop in a thousand."
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" said Prasville.
And, rising from his seat:
"Come in, M. Nicole, come in.
M. Nicole crept timidly into the room, sat down on the extreme edge of the chair to which Prasville pointed and said:
"I have come...to resume... our conversation of yesterday... Please excuse the delay, monsieur."
"One second," said Prasville. "Will you allow me?"
He stepped briskly to the outer room and, seeing his secretary:
"I was forgetting, M. Lartigue. Have the staircases and passages searched ... in case of accomplices."
He returned, settled himself
"And you didn't know it?"
"I didn't know it. I only discovered it this morning, on inspecting the flat."
"Was there no one in the flat?"
"No. The servant, a man called Achille, went away this morning, taking with him a lady who was staying with Lupin."
"What was the lady's name?"
"I don't know," replied Prasville, after an imperceptible hesitation.
"But you know the name under which Arsene Lupin passed?"
"Yes. M. Nicole, a private tutor, master of arts and so on. Here is his card."
As Prasville finished speaking, an office-messenger came to tell the prefect of police that he was wanted immediately at the Elysse. The prime minister was there already.
"I'm coming," he said. And he added, between his teeth, "It's to decide upon Gilbert's fate."
Prasville ventured:
"Do you think they will pardon him, monsieur le prefet?"
"Never! After last night's affair, it would make a most deplorable impression. Gilbert must pay his debt to-morrow morning."
The messenger had, at the same time, handed Prasville a visiting-card. Prasville now looked at it, gave a start and muttered:
"Well, I'm hanged! What a nerve!"
"What's the matter?" asked the prefect of police.
"Nothing, nothing, monsieur le prefet," declared Prasville, who did not wish to share with another the honour of seeing this business through. "Nothing... an unexpected visit... I hope soon to have the pleasure of telling you the result."
And he walked away, mumbling, with an air of amazement:
"Well, upon my word! What a nerve the beggar has! What a nerve!"
The visiting-card which he held in his hand bore these words:
M. Nicole,
Master of Arts, Private Tutor.
CHAPTER XIII
THE LAST BATTLE
When Prasville returned to his office he saw M. Nicole sitting on a bench in the waiting-room, with his bent back, his ailing air, his gingham umbrella, his rusty hat and his single glove:
"It's he all right," said Prasville, who had feared for a moment that Lupin might have sent another M. Nicole to see him. "And the fact that he has come in person proves that he does not suspect that I have seen through him." And, for the third time, he said, "All the same, what a nerve!"
He shut the door of his office and called his secretary:
"M. Lartigue, I am having a rather dangerous person shown in here. The chances are that he will have to leave my office with the bracelets on. As soon as he is in my room, make all the necessary arrangements: send for a dozen inspectors and have them posted in the waiting-room and in your office. And take this as a definite instruction: the moment I ring, you are all to come in, revolvers in hand, and surround the fellow. Do you quite understand?"
"Yes, monsieur le secretaire-general."
"Above all, no hesitation. A sudden entrance, in a body, revolvers in hand. Send M. Nicole in, please."
As soon as he was alone, Prasville covered the push of an electric bell on his desk with some papers and placed two revolvers of respectable dimensions behind a rampart of books.
"And now," he said to himself, "to sit tight. If he has the list, let's collar it. If he hasn't, let's collar him. And, if possible, let's collar both. Lupin and the list of the Twenty-seven, on the same day, especially after the scandal of this morning, would be a scoop in a thousand."
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" said Prasville.
And, rising from his seat:
"Come in, M. Nicole, come in.
M. Nicole crept timidly into the room, sat down on the extreme edge of the chair to which Prasville pointed and said:
"I have come...to resume... our conversation of yesterday... Please excuse the delay, monsieur."
"One second," said Prasville. "Will you allow me?"
He stepped briskly to the outer room and, seeing his secretary:
"I was forgetting, M. Lartigue. Have the staircases and passages searched ... in case of accomplices."
He returned, settled himself