Arsène Lupin Versus Herlock Sholmes, Maurice Leblanc [i read a book txt] 📗

door, asked Clotilde to enter, and took a seat beside her. The machine started at once, gained the exterior boulevards, the avenue Hoche and the avenue de la Grande-Armée. Sholmes was considering his plans. He thought:

“Ganimard is at home. I will leave the girl in his care. Shall I tell him who she is? No, he would take her to prison at once, and that would spoil everything. When I am alone, I can consult my list of addresses taken from the ‘account M. B.,’ and run them down. Tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest, I shall go to Ganimard, as I agreed, and deliver into his hands Arsène Lupin and all his band.”

He rubbed his hand, gleefully, at the thought that his duel with Lupin was drawing to a close, and he could not see any serious obstacle in the way of his success. And, yielding to an irrepressible desire to give vent to his feelings⁠—an unusual desire on his part⁠—he exclaimed:

“Excuse me, mademoiselle, if I am unable to conceal my satisfaction and delight. The battle has been a difficult one, and my success is, therefore, more enjoyable.”

“A legitimate success, monsieur, of which you have a just right to be proud.”

“Thank you. But where are we going? The chauffeur must have misunderstood my directions.”

At that moment they were leaving Paris by the gate de Neuilly. That was strange, as the rue Pergolese is not outside the fortifications. Sholmes lowered the glass, and said:

“Chauffeur, you have made a mistake.⁠ ⁠… Rue Pergolese!”

The man made no reply. Sholmes repeated, in a louder voice:

“I told you to go to the rue Pergolese.”

Still the man did not reply.

“Ah! but you are deaf, my friend. Or is he doing it on purpose? We are very much out of our way.⁠ ⁠… Rue Pergolese!⁠ ⁠… Turn back at once!⁠ ⁠… Rue Pergolese!”

The chauffeur made no sign of having heard the order. The Englishman fretted with impatience. He looked at Clotilde; a mysterious smile played upon her lips.

“Why do you laugh?” he said. “It is an awkward mistake, but it won’t help you.”

“Of course not,” she replied.

Then an idea occurred to him. He rose and made a careful scrutiny of the chauffeur. His shoulders were not so broad; his bearing was not so stiff and mechanical. A cold perspiration covered his forehead and his hands clenched with sudden fear, as his mind was seized with the conviction that the chauffeur was Arsène Lupin.

“Well, Monsieur Sholmes, what do you think of our little ride?”

“Delightful, monsieur, really delightful,” replied Sholmes.

Never in his life had he experienced so much difficulty in uttering a few simple words without a tremor, or without betraying his feelings in his voice. But quickly, by a sort of reaction, a flood of hatred and rage burst its bounds, overcame his self-control, and, brusquely drawing his revolver, he pointed it at Mademoiselle Destange.

“Lupin, stop, this minute, this second, or I fire at mademoiselle.”

“I advise you to aim at the cheek if you wish to hit the temple,” replied Lupin, without turning his head.

“Maxime, don’t go so fast,” said Clotilde, “the pavement is slippery and I am very timid.”

She was smiling; her eyes were fixed on the pavement, over which the carriage was traveling at enormous speed.

“Let him stop! Let him stop!” said Sholmes to her, wild with rage, “I warn you that I am desperate.”

The barrel of the revolver brushed the waving locks of her hair. She replied, calmly:

“Maxime is so imprudent. He is going so fast, I am really afraid of some accident.”

Sholmes returned the weapon to his pocket and seized the handle of the door, as if to alight, despite the absurdity of such an act. Clotilde said to him:

“Be careful, monsieur, there is an automobile behind us.”

He leaned over. There was an automobile close behind; a large machine of formidable aspect with its sharp prow and blood-red body, and holding four men clad in fur coats.

“Ah! I am well guarded,” thought Sholmes. “I may as well be patient.”

He folded his arms across his chest with that proud air of submission so frequently assumed by heroes when fate has turned against them. And while they crossed the river Seine and rushed through Suresnes, Rueil and Chatou, motionless and resigned, controlling his actions and his passions, he tried to explain to his own satisfaction by what miracle Arsène Lupin had substituted himself for the chauffeur. It was quite improbable that the honest-looking fellow he had selected on the boulevard that morning was an accomplice placed there in advance. And yet Arsène Lupin had received a warning in some way, and it must have been after he, Sholmes, had approached Clotilde in the house, because no one could have suspected his project prior to that time. Since then, Sholmes had not allowed Clotilde out of his sight.

Then an idea struck him: the telephone communication desired by Clotilde and her conversation with the dressmaker. Now, it was all quite clear to him. Even before he had spoken to her, simply upon his request to speak to her as the new secretary of Monsieur Destange, she had scented the danger, surmised the name and purpose of the visitor, and, calmly, naturally, as if she were performing a commonplace action of her everyday life, she had called Arsène Lupin to her assistance by some preconcerted signal.

How Arsène Lupin had come and caused himself to be substituted for the chauffeur were matters of trifling importance. That which affected Sholmes, even to the point of appeasing his fury, was the recollection of that incident whereby an ordinary woman, a sweetheart it is true, mastering her nerves, controlling her features, and subjugating the expression of her eyes, had completely deceived the astute detective Herlock Sholmes. How difficult to overcome an adversary who is aided by such confederates, and who, by the mere force of his authority, inspires in a woman so much courage and strength!

They crossed the Seine and