menu_book Chapter 2

chapter two arsne lupin in prison there is no tourist worthy of the name who does not know the banks of the seine and has not noticed in passing the little feudal castle of the malachy built upon a rock in the centre of the river an arched bridge connects it with a shore all around it the calm waters of the great river play peacefully amongst the reeds and the wagtails flutter over the moist crests of the stones the history of the malachy castle is stormy like its name harsh like its outlines it has passed through a long series of combats sieges assaults rapines and massacres a recital of the crimes that have been committed there would cause the stoutest heart to tremble there are many mysterious legends connected with the castle and they tell us of a famous subterranean tunnel that formerly led into the abbe of jumiege and to the manner of agnes mistress of charles the seventh in that ancient habitation of heroes and brigands the baron nathan cajon now lived or baron satan as he was formerly called on the bourse where he had acquired a fortune with incredible rapidity

the lords of malachy absolutely ruined had been obliged to sell the ancient castle at a great sacrifice it contained an admirable collection of furniture pictures wood carvings and faience the baron lived there alone attended by three old servants no one ever enters the place no one had ever beheld the three rubens that he possessed his two his jean goujon pulpit and the many other treasures that he had acquired by a vast expenditure of money at public sales baron satan lived in constant fear not for himself but for the treasures that he had accumulated with such an earnest devotion and with so much perspicacity that the shrewdest merchant could not say that the baron had ever erred in his taste or judgment he loved them his bibelots he loved them intensely like a miser jealously like a lover every day at sunset the iron gates at either end of the bridge and at the entrance to the court of honour are closed and barred at the least touch on these gates electric bells will ring throughout the castle

one thursday in september a letter-carrier presented himself at the gate at the head of the bridge and as usual it was the baron himself who partially opened the heavy portal he scrutinized the man as minutely as if he were a stranger although the honest face and twinkling eyes of the postman had been familiar to the baron for many years the man laughed as he said it is only i monsieur le baron it is not another man wearing my cap and blouse one can never tell muttered the baron the man handed him a number of newspapers and then said and now monsieur le baron here is something new something new yes a letter a registered letter living as a recluse without friends or business relations the baron never received any letters and the one now presented to him immediately aroused with him a feeling of suspicion and distrust it was like an evil omen who was this mysterious correspondent that dared to disturb the tranquillity of his retreat you must sign for it monsieur le baron he signed then he took the letter waited until the postman had disappeared beyond the bend in the road

and after walking nervously to and fro for a few minutes he leaned against the parapet of the bridge and opened the envelope it contained a sheet of paper bearing this heading prison de la sant paris he looked at the signature arsne then he read monsieur le baron there is in the gallery of your castle a picture of philippe de champagne of exquisite finish which pleases me beyond measure your rubens are also to my taste as well as your smallest in the salon to the right i have noticed the louis treze cadence table the tapestries of bouvet the empire guiridon signed jacob and the renaissance chest in the salon to the left all the cabinet full of jewels and miniatures for the present i will content myself with those articles that can be conveniently removed i will therefore ask you to pack them carefully and ship them to me charges prepaid to the station at batignolles within eight days otherwise i shall be obliged to remove them myself during the night of twenty seventh of september but under those circumstances i shall not content myself with the articles above mentioned

accept my apologies for any inconvenience i may cause you and believe me to be your humble servant arsne lupin p s please do not send the largest although you paid thirty thousand francs for it it is only a copy the original having been burned under the directoire by barras during a night of debauchery consult the memoirs of i do not care for the louis quinze chatelaine as i doubt its authenticity that letter completely upset the baron had it borne any other signature he would have been greatly alarmed but signed by arsne as an habitual reader of the newspapers he was versed with the history of recent crimes and was therefore well acquainted with the exploits of the mysterious burglar of course he knew that lupin had been arrested in america by his enemy ganimard and was at present incarcerated in the prison de la but he knew also that any miracle might be expected from arsne lupin moreover that exact knowledge of the castle the location of the pictures and furniture gave the affair an alarming aspect how could he have acquired that information concerning things that no one had ever seen

the baron raised his eyes and contemplated the stern outlines of the castle its steep rocky pedestal the depths of the surrounding water and shrugged his shoulders certainly there was no danger no one in the world could force an entrance to the sanctuary that contained his priceless treasures no one perhaps but arsne lupin for him gates walls and drawbridges did not exist what use were the most formidable obstacles or the most careful precautions if arsne lupin had decided to effect an entrance that evening he wrote to the procurer of the rpublique at rouen he enclosed a threatening letter and solicited aid and protection the reply came at once to the effect that arsne lupin was in custody in the prison de la santé under close surveillance with no opportunity to write such a letter which was no doubt the work of some impostor but as an act of precaution the procurer had submitted the letter to an expert in handwriting who declared that in spite of certain resemblances the writing was not that of the prisoner

but the words in spite of certain resemblances caught the attention of the baron in them he read the possibility of a doubt which appeared to him quite sufficient to warrant the intervention of the law his fears increased he read lupin's letter over and over again i shall be obliged to remove them myself and then there was the fixed date the night of twenty seventh of september to confide in his servants was a proceeding repugnant to his nature but now for the first time in many years he experienced the necessity of seeking counsel with some one abandoned by the legal official of his own district and feeling unable to defend himself with his own resources he was on the point of going to paris to engage the services of a detective two days passed on the third day he was filled with hope and joy as he read the following item in the rveil de caudebec a newspaper published in a neighbouring town

we have the pleasure of entertaining in our city at our present time the veteran detective m ganimard who acquired a world-wide reputation by his clever capture of arsne he has come here for rest and recreation and being an enthusiastic fisherman he threatens to capture all the fish in our river ah here is the assistance desired by baron cajon who could baffle the schemes of arsne lupin better than ganimard the patient and astute detective he was the man for the place the baron did not hesitate the town of courte beck was only six kilometres from the castle a short distance to a man whose step was accelerated by the hope of safety after several fruitless attempts to ascertain the detective's address the baron visited the office of the reveille situated on the quay there he found the writer of the article who approaching the window exclaimed ganimard why you are sure to see him somewhere on the quay with his fishing-pole i met him there and chanced to read his name engraved on his rod

ah there he is now under the trees that little man wearing a straw hat exactly he is a gruff fellow with little to say five minutes later the baron approached the celebrated ganimard introduced himself and sought to commence the conversation but that was a failure then he broached the real object of his interview and briefly stated his case the other listened motionless with his attention riveted on his fishing-rod when the baron had finished his story the fisherman turned with an air of profound pity and said monsieur it is not customary for thieves to warn people they are about to rob arsne lupin especially would not commit such a folly but monsieur if i had the least doubt believe me the pleasure of again capturing arsne lupin would place me at your disposal but unfortunately that young man is already under lock and key

he may have escaped no one ever escaped from the sant but he he no more than any other yet well if he escapes so much the better i will catch him again meanwhile you go home and sleep soundly that will do for the present you frightened a fish the conversation was ended the baron returned to the castle reassured to some extent by ganimard's indifference he examined the bolts watched the servants and during the next forty-eight hours he became almost persuaded that his fears were groundless certainly as ganimard had said thieves do not warn people they are about to rob the fateful day was close at hand it was now the twenty sixth of december and nothing had happened but at three o'clock the bell rang a boy brought this telegram no goods at batignolles station prepare everything for to-morrow night arsne this telegram threw the baron into such a state of excitement that he even considered the advisability of yielding to lupin's demands

however he hastened to courtebec ganimard was fishing at the same place seated on a camp-stool without a word he handed him the telegram well what of it said the detective what of it but it is to-morrow what is to-morrow the robbery the pillage of my collections ganimard laid down his fishing-rod turned to the baron and exclaimed in a tone of impatience ah do you think i am going to bother myself about such a silly story as that how much do you ask to pass to-morrow night at the castle not a sou now leave me alone name your own price i am rich and can pay it this offer disconcerted ganimard who replied calmly i am here on a vacation i have no right to undertake such work no one will know i promise to keep it secret oh nothing will happen

come three thousand francs will that be enough the detective after a moment's reflection said very well but i must warn you that you are throwing your money out of the window i do not care in that case but after all what do we know about this devil lupin he may have quite a numerous band of robbers with him are you sure of your servants my faith better not count on them i will telegraph for two of my men to help me and now go it is better for us not to be seen together to-morrow evening about nine o'clock the following day the date fixed by arsne lupin Baron Cahorn arranged all his panoply of war, furbished his weapons, and, like a sentinel, paced to and fro in front of the castle. He saw nothing, heard nothing. At half-past eight o'clock

in the evening he dismissed his servants. They occupied rooms in a wing of the building, in a retired spot, well removed from the main portion of the castle. Shortly thereafter, the baron heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It was Ganimard and his two assistants, great powerful fellows with immense hands and necks like bulls. After asking a few questions relating to the location of the various entrances and rooms, Ganimard carefully closed and barricaded

all the doors and windows through which one could gain access to the threatened rooms. He inspected the walls, raised the tapestries, and finally installed his assistants in the central gallery, which was located between the two salons. No nonsense! We are not here to sleep. At the slightest sound, open the windows of the court and call me. Pay attention also to the waterside. Ten meters of perpendicular rock is no obstacle to those devils. Ganimard locked his assistants in the gallery, carried away the keys, and said to the baron,

And now to our post. He had chosen for himself a small room located in the thick outer wall, between the two principal doors, and which in former years had been the watchman's quarters. A peephole opened upon the bridge, another on the court. In one corner there was an opening to a tunnel.

I believe you told me, Monsieur Le Baron, that this tunnel is the only subterranean entrance to the castle, and that it has been closed up for time immemorial. Yes. Then, unless there is some other entrance, known only to Arsène Lupin, we are quite safe. he placed three chairs together stretched himself upon them lighted his pipe and sighed really monsieur le baron i feel ashamed to accept your money for such a sinecure as this i will tell the story to my friend lupin he will enjoy it immensely The baron did not laugh. He was anxiously listening, but heard nothing save the beating of his own heart. From time to time he leaned over the tunnel and cast a fearful eye into its depths. He heard the clock strike eleven, twelve, one. Suddenly he seized Ganimard's

arm. The latter leaped up, awakened from his sleep. Do you hear? asked the baron in a whisper. yes what is it i was snoring i suppose no no listen ah yes it is the horn of an automobile well well it is very improbable that lupin would use an automobile like a battering ram to demolish your castle come monsieur le baron return to your post i am going to sleep good-night that was the only alarm ganimard resumed his interrupted slumbers and the baron heard nothing except the regular snoring of his companion

at break of day they left the room the castle was enveloped in a profound calm it was a peaceful dawn on the bosom of a tranquil river they mounted the stairs cojone radiant with joy ganimard calm as usual they heard no sound they saw nothing to rouse suspicion what did i tell you m le baron really i should not have accepted your offer i am ashamed he unlocked the door and entered the gallery upon two chairs with drooping heads and pendent arms the detective's two assistants were asleep exclaimed ganimard at the same time the baron cried out the pictures the credence he stammered choked with arms outstretched toward the empty places toward the denuded walls where naught remained but the useless nails and cords

the watteau disappeared the rubens carried away the tapestries taken down the cabinets despoiled of their jewels and my louisez candelabra and the regent chandelier and my twelfth-century virgin he ran from one spot to another in wildest despair he recalled the purchased price of each article added up the figures counted his losses pell-mell in confused words and unfinished phrases he stamped with rage he groaned with grief he acted like a ruined man whose only hope is suicide if anything could have consoled him it would have been the stupefaction displayed by ganimard the famous detective did not move he appeared to be petrified he examined the room in a listless manner the windows closed the locks on the doors intact not a break in the ceiling not a hole in the floor everything was in perfect order the theft had been carried out methodically according to a logical and inexorable plan arsne lupin arsne lupin he muttered suddenly as if moved by anger he rushed upon his two assistants and shook them violently they did not awaken the devil he cried can it be possible

he leaned over them and in turn examined them closely they were asleep but their response was unnatural they have been drugged he said to the baron by whom by him of course or his men under his discretion that work bears his stamp in that case i am lost nothing can be done nothing assented ganimard it is dreadful it is monstrous lodge a complaint what good will that do oh it is well to try it the law has some resources the law bah it is useless you represent the law and at this moment when you should be looking for a clue and trying to discover something you do not even stir discover something with arsne lupin why my dear monsieur arsne lupin never leaves any clue behind him he leaves nothing to chance sometimes i think he put himself in my way and simply allowed me to arrest him in america

then i must renounce my pictures he has taken the gems of my collection i would give a fortune to recover them if there is no other way let him name his own price ganimard regarded the baron attentively as he said now that is sensible will you stick to it yes yes but why an idea that i have what is it we will discuss it later if the official examination does not succeed but not one word about me if you wish my assistance he added between his teeth it is true i have nothing to boast of in this affair the assistants were gradually regaining consciousness with the bewildered air of people who come out of an hypnotic sleep they opened their eyes and looked about them in astonishment ganimard questioned them they remembered nothing but you must have seen some one no can't you remember no no did you drink anything they considered a moment and then one of them replied yes i drank a little water out of that carafe

yes so did i declared the other ganimard smelled and tasted it it had no particular taste and no odour come he said we are wasting our time here one can't decide an arsne lupin problem in five minutes but morblanc i swear i will catch him again the same day a charge of burglary was duly performed by baron cajon against arsne lupin a prisoner in the prison de la sant the baron afterwards regretted making the charge against lupin when he saw his castle delivered over to the gendarmes the procureurs the juges d'instruction the newspaper reporters and photographers and a throng of idle curiosity-seekers the affair soon became a topic of general discussion and the name of arsne lupin excited the public imagination to such an extent that the newspapers filled their columns with the most fantastic stories of his exploits which found ready credence amongst their readers but the letter of arsne lupin that was published in the echo de france

no one ever knew how the newspaper obtained it that letter in which baron cajon was impudently warned of the coming theft caused considerable excitement the most fabulous theories were advanced some recalled the existence of the famous subterranean tunnels and that was the line of research pursued by the officers of the law who searched the house from top to bottom questioned every stone studied the wainscoting and the chimneys the window-frames and the girders in the ceilings by the light of torches they examined the immense cellars where the lords of malachy were wont to store their munitions and provisions they sounded the rocky foundation to its very centre but it was all in vain they discovered no trace of a subterranean tunnel no secret passage existed but the eager public declared that the picture and furniture could not vanish like so many ghosts they are substantial material things and require doors and windows for their exits and their entrances and so do the people that remove them who were those people how did they gain access to the castle and how did they leave it

the police officers of rouen convinced of their own impotence solicited the assistance of the parisian detective force m dudouis chief of the surete sent the best sleuths of the iron brigade he himself spent forty-eight hours at the castle but met with no success then he sent for ganimard whose past services had proved so useful when all else failed ganimard listened in silence to the instructions of his superior then shaking his head he said in my opinion it is useless to ransack the castle the solution of the problem lies elsewhere where then with our saint lupin with our saint lupin To support that theory, we must admit his intervention. I do admit it.

In fact, I consider it quite certain. Come, Ganimard, that is absurd. Arsène Lupin is in prison. I grant you that Arsène Lupin is in prison, closely guarded. But he must have fetters on his feet, manacles on his wrists, and gag in his mouth, before I change my opinion.

why so obstinate ganimard because arsaint lupin is the only man in france of sufficient calibre to invent and carry out a scheme of that magnitude mere words ganimard but true ones look what are they doing searching for subterranean passages stones swinging on pivots and other nonsense of that kind but lupin doesn't employ such old-fashioned methods he is a modern cracksman right up to date and how would you proceed i should ask you permission to spend an hour with him in his cell yes during the return trip from america we became very friendly and i venture to say that if he can give me any information without compromising himself he will not hesitate to save me from incurring useless trouble it was shortly after noon when ganimard entered the cell of arsne lupin the latter who was lying on his bed raised his head and uttered a cry of apparent joy ah this is a real surprise my dear ganimard here

ganimard himself in my chosen retreat i have felt a desire for many things but my fondest wish was to receive you here very kind of you i am sure not at all you know i hold you in the highest regard i am proud of it i have always said ganimard is our best detective he is almost you see how candid i am he is almost as clever as sherlock holmes but i am sorry that i cannot offer you anything better than this hard stool and no refreshments not even a glass of beer of course you will excuse me as i am here only temporarily ganimard smiled and accepted the proffered seat then the prisoner continued mon dieu how pleased i am to see the face of an honest man i am so tired of those devils of spies who come here ten times a day to ransack my pockets at my cell to satisfy themselves that i am not preparing to escape the government is very solicitous on my account it is quite right why so i should be quite contented if they would allow me to live in my own quiet way on other people's money quite so that would be so simple

but here i am joking and you are no doubt in a hurry so let us come to business ganimard to what do i owe the honour of this visit the cojone affair declared ganimard frankly ah wait one moment you see i have had so many affairs first let me fix in my mind the circumstances of this particular case ah yes now i have it the cajon affair malachy castle seine to rubens a watteau and a few trifling articles trifling oh ma foi all that is of slight importance but it suffices to know that the affair interests you how can i serve you ganimard must i explain to you what steps the authorities have taken in the matter not at all i have read the newspapers and i will frankly state that you have made very little progress and that is the reason i have come to see you i am entirely at your service in the first place the cojorn affair was managed by you from a to z the letter of warning the telegram all mine i ought to have the receipts somewhere

arsne opened the drawer of a small table of plain white wood which with a bed and stool constituted all the furniture in his cell and took therefrom two scraps of paper which he handed to ganimard ah exclaimed the detective in surprise i thought you were closely guarded and searched and i find that you read the newspapers and collect postal receipts "'Bah! these people are so stupid. "'They open the lining of my vest, "'they examine the soles of my shoes,

"'they sand the walls of my cell. "'But they never imagined that Arsene Lupin "'would be foolish enough "'to choose such a simple hiding-place.' "'Ganimard laughed, as he said,

"'What a droll fellow you are! "'Really, you bewilder me. "'But come now, tell me about the Cahorn affair. "'Oh, oh, not quite so fast. you would rob me of all my secrets expose all my little tricks that is a very serious matter was i wrong to count on your complaisance no ganimard and since you insist

arsne lupin paced his cell two or three times then stopping before ganimard he asked what do you think of my letter to the baron i think you were amusing yourself by playing to the gallery ah playing to the gallery come ganimard i thought you knew me better do i arsne lupin ever waste my time on such purilities would i have written that letter if i could have robbed the baron without writing to him i want you to understand that the letter was indispensable it was the motor that set the whole machine in motion now let us discuss together a scheme for the robbery of the malachy castle are you willing yes proceed well let us suppose a castle carefully closed and barricaded like that of the baron am i to abandon my scheme and renounce the treasures that i covet upon the pretext that the castle which holds them is inaccessible evidently not should i make an assault upon the castle at the head of a band of adventurers as they did in ancient times

that would be foolish can i gain admittance by stealth or cunning impossible then there is only one way open to me i must have the owner of the castle invite me to it that is surely an original method and how easy let us suppose that one day the owner receives a letter warning him that a notorious burglar known as arsne lupin is plotting to rob him what will he do send a letter to the procureur who will laugh at him because the said arsne lupin is actually in prison then in his anxiety and fear the simple man will ask the assistance of the first comer will he not very likely and if he happens to read in a country newspaper that a celebrated detective is spending his vacation in a neighbouring town he will seek that detective of course but on the other hand let us presume that having foreseen the state of affairs that said arsne lupin has requested one of his friends to visit courdebec

make the acquaintance of the editor of the rivet a newspaper to which the baron is a subscriber and let said editor understand that such person is the celebrated detective then what will happen the editor will announce and revel the presence in gudebec of said detective exactly and one of two things will happen either the fish i mean cajon will not bite and nothing will happen or what is more likely he will run and greedily swallow the bait thus behold my baron cajon imploring the assistance of one of my friends against me original indeed of course this pseudo detective at first refuses to give any assistance on top of that comes the telegram from arsne lupin the frightened baron rushes once more to my friend and offers him a definite sum of money for his services my friend accepts and summons two members of our band who during the night whilst cajon is under the watchful eye of his protector

removes certain articles by way of the window and lowers them with ropes into a nice little launch chartered for the occasion simple isn't it marvellous marvellous exclaimed ganimard the boldness of the scheme and the ingenuity of all its details are beyond criticism but who is the detective whose name and fame served as a magnate to attract the baron and draw him into your net there is only one name could do it only one and that is arsne lupin's personal enemy the most illustrious ganimard ah eh yourself ganimard and really it is very funny if you go there and the baron decides to talk you will find that it will be your duty to arrest yourself just as you arrested me in america ah the revenge is really amusing i caused ganimard to arrest ganimard arsne lupin laughed heartily the detective greatly vexed bit his lips to him the joke was quite devoid of humour

the arrival of a prison guard gave ganimard an opportunity to recover himself the man brought arsne lupin's luncheon furnished by a neighboring restaurant after depositing the tray upon the table the guard retired lupin broke his bread ate a few morsels and continued but rest easy my dear ganimard you will not go to malachy i can tell you something that will astonish you the cojon affair is on the point of being settled excuse me i have just seen the chief of the suret what of that does monsieur dudouis know my business better than i do myself you will learn that ganimard excuse me that the pseudo ganimard still remains on very good terms with the baron the latter has authorized him to negotiate a very delicate transaction with me and at the present moment in consideration of a certain sum it is probable that the baron has recovered possession of his pictures and other treasures and on their return he will withdraw his complaint thus there is no longer any theft and the law must abandon the case

ganimard regarded the prisoner with a bewildered air and how do you know all that i have just received the telegram i was expecting you have just received a telegram this very moment my dear friend out of politeness i did not wish to read it in your presence but if you will permit me you are joking my dear friend if you will be so kind as to break that egg you will learn for yourself that i am not joking mechanically ganimard obeyed and cracked the egg-shell with the blade of a knife he uttered a cry of surprise the shell contained nothing but a small piece of blue paper at the request of arsne he unfolded it it was a telegram or rather a portion of a telegram from which the postmarks had been removed it read as follows contract closed hundred thousand balls delivered all well one hundred thousand balls said ganimard yes one hundred thousand francs very little but then you know these are hard times

and i have some heavy bills to meet if you only knew my budget living in the city comes very high ganimard arose his ill-humour had disappeared he reflected for a moment glancing over the whole affair in an effort to discover a weak point then in a tone and manner that betrayed his admiration of the prisoner he said fortunately we do not have a dozen such as you to deal with if we did we would have to close up shop arsne lupin resumed the modest air as he replied bah a person must have some diversion to occupy his leisure hours especially when he is in prison what exclaimed ganimard your trial your defence the examination isn't that sufficient to occupy your mind no because i have decided not to be present at my trial oh oh arsne lupin repeated positively i shall not be present at my trial really ah my dear monsieur do you suppose i am going to rot upon the wet straw

you insult me arsne lupin remains in prison just as long as it pleases him at not one minute more perhaps it would have been more prudent if you had avoided getting there said the detective ironically ah monsieur jests monsieur must remember that he had the honour to effect my arrest know then my worthy friend that no one not even you could have placed a hand upon me if a much more important event had not occupied my attention at that critical moment you astonish me a woman was looking at me ganimard and i loved her do you fully understand what that means to be under the eyes of a woman that one loves i cared for nothing in the world but that and that is why i am here permit me to say you have been here a long time in the first place i wished to forget do not laugh it was a delightful adventure and it is still a tender memory besides i have been suffering from neurasthenia

life is so feverish these days that it is necessary to take the rest cure occasionally and i find this spot a sovereign remedy for my tired nerves arsne lupin you are not a bad fellow after all thank you said lupin ganimard this is friday on wednesday next at four o'clock in the afternoon i will smoke my cigar at your house in the rue arsne lupin i will expect you they shook hands like two friends who valued each other at their true worth then the detective stepped to the door ganimard what is it asked ganimard as he turned back you have forgotten your watch my watch yes it strayed into my pocket he returned the watch excusing himself pardon me a bad habit because they have taken mine is not reason why i should take yours besides i have a chronometer here that satisfies me very well he took from the drawer a large gold watch and heavy chain from whose pocket did that come asked

arsne lupin gave a hasty glance at the initials engraved on the watch j b who the devil can that be ah yes i remember jules bouvier the judge who conducted my examination a charming fellow chapter two read by gazine april two thousand and six