第29章

"When all is said, since the Enghien incident, you have not advanced a single step?""Not one.I have acted from day to day, led by those two men or leading them, without any definite plan.""Or, at least," he said, "without any other plan than that of getting the list of the Twenty-seven from Daubrecq.""Yes, but how? Besides, your tactics made things more difficult for me.

It did not take us long to recognize your old servant Victoire in Daubrecq's new cook and to discover, from what the portress told us, that Victoire was putting you up in her room; and I was afraid of your schemes.""It was you, was it not, who wrote to me to retire from the contest?""Yes."

"You also asked me not to go to the theatre on the Vaudeville night?""Yes, the portress caught Victoire listening to Daubrecq's conversation with me on the telephone; and the Masher, who was watching the house, saw you go out.I suspected, therefore, that you would follow Daubrecq that evening.""And the woman who came here, late one afternoon...""Was myself.I felt disheartened and wanted to see you.""And you intercepted Gilbert's letter?"

"Yes, I recognized his writing on the envelope.""But your little Jacques was not with you?""No, he was outside, in a motor-car, with the Masher, who lifted him up to me through the drawing-room window; and he slipped into your bedroom through the opening in the panel.""What was in the letter?"

"As ill-luck would have it, reproaches.Gilbert accused you of forsaking him, of taking over the business on your own account.In short, it confirmed me in my distrust; and I ran away."Lupin shrugged his shoulders with irritation:

"What a shocking waste of time! And what a fatality that we were not able to come to an understanding earlier! You and I have been playing at hide-and-seek, laying absurd traps for each other, while the days were passing, precious days beyond repair.""You see, you see," she said, shivering, "you too are afraid of the future!""No, I am not afraid," cried Lupin."But I am thinking of all the useful work that we could have done by this time, if we had united our efforts.

I am thinldng of all the mistakes and all the acts of imprudence which we should have been saved, if we had been working together.I am thinking that your attempt to-night to search the clothes which Daubrecq was wearing was as vain as the others and that, at this moment, thanks to our foolish duel, thanks to the din which we raised in his house, Daubrecq is warned and will be more on his guard than ever."Clarisse Mergy shook her head:

"No, no, I don't think that; the noise will not have roused him, for we postponed the attempt for twenty-four hours so that the portress might put a narcotic in his wine." And she added, slowly, "And then, you see, nothing can make Daubrecq be more on his guard than he is already.His life is nothing but one mass of precautions against danger.He leaves nothing to chance...Besides, has he not all the trumps in his hand?"Lupin went up to her and asked:

"What do you mean to convey? According to you, is there nothing to hope for on that side? Is there not a single means of attaining our end?""Yes," she murmured, "there is one, one only..."He noticed her pallor before she had time to hide her face between her hands again.And again a feverish shiver shook her frame.

He seemed to understand the reason of her dismay; and, bending toward her, touched by her grief:

"Please," he said, "please answer me openly and frankly.It's for Gilbert's sake, is it not? Though the police, fortunately, have not been able to solve the riddle of his past, though the real name of Vaucheray's accomplice has not Leaked out, there is one man, at least, who knows it: isn't that so? Daubrecq has recognized your son Antoine, through the alias of Gilbert, has he not?""Yes,yes..."

"And he promises to save him, doesn't he? He offers you his freedom, his release, his escape, his life: that was what he offered you, was it not, on the night in his study, when you tried to stab him?""Yes...yes...that was it..."