the crystal stopper-第42部分

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The　executioner　gave　a　signal。　　Vaucheray　was　laid　hold　of；　lifted；　dragged　along；　almost　at　a　run。

And　then　came　this　staggering　thing：　a　shot；　a　shot　fired　from　the　other　side；　from　one　of　the　houses　opposite。

The　assistants　stopped　short。

The　burden　which　they　were　dragging　bad　collapsed　in　their　arms。

〃What　is　it？　What's　happened？〃　asked　everybody。

〃He's　wounded。。。　〃

Blood　spurted　from　Vaucheray's　forehead　and　covered　his　face。

He　spluttered：

〃That's　done　it　。。。　one　in　a　thousand！　　Thank　you；　governor；　thank　you。

〃Finish　him　off！　　Carry　him　there！〃　said　a　voice；　amid　the　general　confusion。

〃But　he's　dead！〃

〃Get　on　with　it。。。　flnish　him　off！〃

Tumult　was　at　its　height；　in　the　little　group　of　magistrates；　officials　and　policemen。　　Every　one　was　giving　orders：

〃Execute　him！。。。　The　law　must　take　its　course！。。。　We　have　no　right　to　delay！　It　would　be　cowardice！。。。　Execute　him！〃

〃But　the　man's　dead！〃

〃That　makes　no　difference！。。。　The　law　must　be　obeyed！。。。　Execute　him！〃

The　chaplain　protested；　while　two　warders　and　Prasville　kept　their　eyes　on　Gilbert。　　In　the　meantime；　the　assistants　had　taken　up　the　corpse　again　and　were　carrying　it　to　the　guillotine。

〃Hurry　up！〃　cried　the　executioner；　scared　and　hoarse…voiced。　　〃Hurry　up！　。。。　And　the　other　one　to　follow。　。　。　Waste　no　time。。。　〃

He　had　not　finished　speaking；　when　a　second　report　rang　out。　　He　spun　round　on　his　heels　and　fell；　groaning：

〃It's　nothing　。。。　a　wound　in　the　shoulder。。。　Go　on。。。　The　next　one's　turn！〃

But　his　assistants　were　running　away；　yelling　with　terror。　　The　space　around　the　guillotine　was　cleared。　　And　the　prefect　of　police；　rallying　his　men；　drove　everybody　back　to　the　prison；　helter…skelter；　like　a　disordered　rabble：　the　magistrates；　the　officials；　the　condemned　man；　the　chaplain；　all　who　had　passed　through　the　archway　two　or　three　minutes　before。

In　the　meanwhile；　a　squad　of　policemen；　detectives　and　soldiers　were　rushing　upon　the　house；　a　little　o1d…fashioned；　three…storied　house；　with　a　ground…floor　occupied　by　two　shops　which　happened　to　be　empty。　Immediately　after　the　first　shot；　they　had　seen；　vaguely；　at　one　of　the　windows　on　the　second　floor；　a　man　holding　a　rifle　in　his　hand　and　surrounded　with　a　cloud　of　smoke。

Revolver…shots　were　fired　at　him；　but　missed　him。　　He；　standing　calmly　on　a　table；　took　aim　a　second　time；　fired　from　the　shoulder；　and　the　crack　of　the　second　report　was　heard。　　Then　he　withdrew　into　the　room。

Down　below；　as　nobody　answered　the　peal　at　the　bell；　the　assailants　demolished　the　door；　which　gave　way　almost　immediately。　　They　made　for　the　staircase；　but　their　onrush　was　at　once　stopped；　on　the　first　floor；　by　an　accumulation　of　beds；　chairs　and　other　furniture；　forming　a　regular　barricade　and　so　close…entangled　that　it　took　the　aggressors　four　or　five　minutes　to　clear　themselves　a　passage。

Those　four　or　five　minutes　lost　were　enough　to　render　all　pursuit　hopeless。　　When　they　reached　the　second　floor　they　heard　a　voice　shouting　from　above：

〃This　way；　friends！　　Eighteen　stairs　more。　　A　thousand　apologies　for　giving　you　so　much　trouble！〃

They　ran　up　those　eighteen　stairs　and　nimbly　at　that！　　But；　at　the　top；　above　the　third　story；　was　the　garret；　which　was　reached　by　a　ladder　and　a　trapdoor。　　And　the　fugitive　had　taken　away　the　ladder　and　bolted　the　trapdoor。

The　reader　will　not　have　forgotten　the　sensation　created　by　this　amazing　action；　the　editions　of　the　papers　issued　in　quick　succession；　the　newsboys　tearing　and　shouting　through　the　streets；　the　whole　metropolis　on　edge　with　indignation　and；　we　may　say；　with　anxious　curiosity。

But　it　was　at　the　headquarters　of　police　that　the　excitement　developed　into　a　paroxysm。　　Men　flung　themselves　about　on　every　side。　　Messages；　telegrams；　telephone　calls　followed　one　upon　the　other。

At　last；　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　there　was　a　meeting　in　the　office　of　the　prefect　of　police；　and　Prasville　was　there。　　The　　chief…detective　read　a　report　of　his　inquiry；　the　results　of　which　amounted　to　this：　shortly　before　midnight　yesterday　some　one　had　rung　at　the　house　on　the　Boulevard　Arago。　　The　portress；　who　slept　in　a　small　room　on　the　ground…floor；　behind　one　of　the　shops　pulled　the　rope。　A　man　came　and　tapped　at　her　door。　　He　said　that　he　had　come　from　the　police　on　an　urgent　matter　concerning　to…morrow's　execution。　　The　portress　opened　the　door　and　was　at　once　attacked；　gagged　and　bound。

Ten　minutes　later　a　lady　and　gentleman　who　lived　on　the　first　floor　and　who　had　just　come　home　were　also　reduced　to　helplessness　by　the　same　individual　and　locked　up；　each　in　one　of　the　two　empty　shops。　　The　third…floor　tenant　underwent　a　similar　fate；　but　in　his　own　flat　and　his　own　bedroom；　which　the　man　was　able　to　enter　without　being　heard。　　The　second　floor　was　unoccupied；　and　the　man　took　up　his　quarters　there。　　He　was　now　master　of　the　house。

〃And　there　we　are！〃　said　the　prefect　of　police；　beginning　to　laugh；　with　a　certain　bitterness。　　〃There　we　are！　　It's　as　simple　as　shelling　peas。　Only；　what　surprises　me　is　that　he　was　able　to　get　away　so　easily。〃

〃I　will　ask　you　to　observe；　monsieur　le　prefet；　that；　being　absolute　master　of　the　house　from　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　had　until　five　o'clock　to　prepare　his　flight。〃

〃And　that　flight　took　place。。。　？〃

〃Over　the　roofs。　　At　that　spot　the　houses　in　the　next　street；　the　Rue　de　la　Glaciere；　are　quite　near　and　there　is　only　one　break　in　the　roofs；　about　three　yards　wide；　with　a　drop　of　one　yard　in　height。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Well；　our　man　had　taken　away　the　ladder　leading　to　the　garret　and　used　it　as　a　foot…bridge。　　After　crossing　to　the　next　block　of　buildings；　all　he　had　to　do　was　to　look　through　the　windows　until　he　found　an　empty　attic；　enter　one　of　the　houses　in　the　Rue　de　Ia　Glaciere　and　walk　out　quietly　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　　In　this　way　his　flight；　duly　prepared　beforehand；　was　effected　very　simply　and　without　the　least　obstacle。〃

〃But　you　had　taken　the　necessary　measures。〃

〃These　which　you　ordered；　monsieur　le　prefet。　　My　men　spent　three　hours　last　evening　visiting　all　the　houses；　so　as　to　make　sure　that　there　was　no　stranger　hiding　there。　　At　the　moment　when　they　were　leaving　the　last　house　I　had　the　street　barred。　　Our　man　must　have　slipped　through　during　that　few　minutes'　interval。〃

〃Capital！　　Capital！　　And　there　is　no　doubt　in　your　minds；　of　course：　it's　Arsene　Lupin？〃

〃Not　a　doubt。　　In　the　first　place；　it　was　all　a　question　of　his　accomplices。　　And　then　。。。　and　then。。。　　no　one　but　Arsene　Lupin　was　capable　of　contriving　such　a　master…stroke　and　carrying　it　out　with　that　inconceivable　boldness。〃

〃But；　in　that　case；〃　muttered　the　prefect　of　police　…　　and；　turning　to　Prasville；　he　continued　…　〃but；　in　that　case；　my　dear　Prasville；　the　fellow　of　whom　you　spoke　to　me；　the　fellow　whom　you　and　the　chief…detective　have　had　watched　since　yesterday　evening；　in　his　flat　in　the　Place　de　Clichy；　that　fellow　is　not　Arsene　Lupin？〃

〃Yes；　he　is；　monsieur　le　prefet。　　There　is　no　doubt　about　that　either。〃

〃Then　why　wasn't　he　arrested　when　he　went　out　last　night？〃

〃He　did　not　go　out。〃

〃I　say；　this　is　getting　complicated！〃

〃It's　quite　simple；　monsieur　le　prefet。　　Like　all　the　houses　in　which　traces　of　Arsene　Lupin　are　to　be　found；　the　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　wa