Maurice Leblanc

“ Does Arsene Lupin inspire him with so much affection and esteem?"
"Not Arsene Lupin, but Prince Sernine, who, he says, saved his life, and M. Lenormand, with whom, he says, he began a conversation...."
"At the time when I was chief of the detective-service," Lupin broke in. "So you consent to admit."
"Mr. Steinweg," said the magistrate, "do you recognize M. Lenormand?"
"No, but I know that Arsene Lupin and he are one."
"So you consent to speak?"
"Yes... but... we are not alone."
"How do you mean? There is only my clerk here... and the guard...." ”

“ And, to keep up that struggle, that is to say, to discover and get to the bottom of the Kesselbach case, here am I, a prisoner, while he is free, unknown, and inaccessible, and holds the two trump-cards which I considered mine: Pierre Leduc and old Steinweg.... In short, he is near the goal, after finally pushing me back."
A fresh contemplative pause, followed by a fresh soliloquy:
"The position is far from brilliant. On the one side, everything; on the other, nothing. Opposite me, a man of my own strength, or stronger, because he has not the same scruples that hamper me. ”

“ In order to fight myself, I had to chuck myself into the command of the detective-service.... This time, I have some one to deal with!... Here's a man who puts me in his pocket... by sleight of hand, one might say.... If I succeed, from my prison cell, in avoiding his blows and smashing him, in seeing old Steinweg and dragging his confession from him, in setting the Kesselbach case on its legs and turning the whole of it into cash, in defending Mrs. Kesselbach and winning fortune and happiness for Genevieve... well, then Lupin will be Lupin still!... ”

“ The police were afraid of that walk along the corridors. They were afraid of the prison-van. They were afraid of everything.
M. Weber came in person, accompanied by twelve constables — the best he had, picked men, armed to the teeth — fetched the formidable prisoner at the door of his cell and took him in a cab, the driver of which was one of his own men, with mounted municipal guards trotting on each side, in front and behind.
"Bravo!" cried Lupin. "I am quite touched by the compliment paid me. A guard of honor. By Jove, Weber, you have the proper hierarchical instinct! ”

“ With his great powers of discernment, his energy, his qualities of decision and execution, his unexpected methods, his inexhaustible resources, M. Lenormand reminds us of the only man who, if he were still alive, could hope to hold his own against him: I mean Arsene Lupin. M. Lenormand is an Arsene Lupin in the service of society. ”

“ But a great longing to devote himself to her was the cause of his continuing it.
"Now that Prince Sernine has become merely Arsene Lupin, he begs Mrs. Kesselbach not to deprive him of the right of protecting her, at a distance and as a man protects one whom he will never see again."
There were some envelopes on the table. He took up one and took up a second; then, when he took up the third, he noticed a sheet of white paper, the presence of which surprised him and which had words stuck upon it, evidently cut out of a newspaper. He read:
"You have failed in your fight with the baron. ”

“ As he spoke there was a noise at the door. Some one was knocking.
"You can't come in," said Lupin. "I am busy..... Go on, Steinweg."
"But..." said the old man, in a great state of alarm.
The door was shaken violently and Lupin recognized Weber's voice. He shouted:
"A little patience, Weber. I shall have done in five minutes."
He gripped the old man's arm and, in a tone of command:
"Be easy and go on with you story. So, according to you, the expedition of the grand duke and his servant to Veldenz Castle had no other object than to hide those papers?" ”

“ The thing that most surprises the visitor who goes over the prison is that, at every moment, he will meet prisoners without a guard of any kind, who seem to move about as though they were absolutely free. In reality, in order to go from one point to another — for instance, from their cell to the van waiting in the yard to take them to the Palais de Justice for the magistrate's examination — they pass along straight lines each of which ends in a door that is opened to them by a warder. ”

“ Lupin was now clinging to the door with both hands:
"Weber," he roared, "you're very indiscreet! I shall report, you!.... Steinweg, have you those documents?"
"Yes."
"Are they in a safe place?"
"Absolutely."
"In Paris?"
"No."
"So much the better. Don't forget that your life is in danger and that you have people after you."
"I know. The least fake step and I am done for."
"Exactly. So take your precautions, throw the enemy off the scent, go and fetch your papers and await my instructions. The thing is cut and dried. In a month, at latest, we will go to Veldenz Castle together." ”

“ Lupin bent over M. Formerie, satisfied himself that ail was well and the heart beating normally, and said:
"Go on."
Steinweg resumed:
"On the evening of the day on which Bismarck died, the Grand-duke Hermann III. and his faithful manservant — my South African friend — took a train which brought them to Munich in time to catch the express for Vienna. From Vienna, they went to Constantinople, then to Cairo, then to Naples, then to Tunis, then to Spain, then to Paris, then to London, to St. Petersburg, to Warsaw... and in none of these towns did they stop. ”

“ Governor," he said, seeing the door open.
"Were you expecting me?"
"Why, I wrote to you, Mr. Governor, asking you to come! I felt certain that the warder would give you my letter. I was so certain of it that I put your initials, S. B., and your age, forty-two, on the envelope!"
The governor's name, in point of fact, was Stanislas Borfly, and he was forty-two years of age. He was a pleasant-looking man, with a very gentle character, who treated the prisoners with all the indulgence possible.
He said to Lupin:
"Your opinion of my subordinate's integrity was quite correct. Here is your money. ”

“ He sat down at the table, scribbled a few words in pencil on a sheet of paper, put it in an envelope and addressed the letter:
"To Monsieur S. B. 42,
"Post Resante,
"Paris."
The warder took the letter and walked away.
"That letter," said Lupin to himself, "will reach destination as safely as if I delivered it myself. I shall have the reply in an hour at latest: just the time I want to take a good look into my position."
He sat down on his chair and, in an undertone, summed up the situation as follows:
"When all is said and done, I have two adversaries to fight at the present moment. ”

“ But you won't make M. Formerie swallow that Lupin and Lenormand were one and the same man." He burst out laughing. "Lupin, chief of the detective-service! No, anything you like, but not that!... There are limits.... I am an easy-going fellow.... I'll believe anything... ”

“ Lupin woke very early and exclaimed:
"Let me see, if my calculations are correct and if the gods are on my side, there will be some news today. I have had four interviews with Formerie. The fellow must be worked up to the right point now. And the Doudevilles, on their side, must have been busy.... We shall have some fun!" ”

“ You are wise, you will be well defended."
The first sitting was over. M. Weber led the prisoner away.
As he went down the stairs of the "mouse-trap," between the two Doudevilles, Lupin said, in short, imperative sentences:
"Watch Steinweg.... Don't let him speak to anybody.... Be there tomorrow.... I'll give you some letters... one for you... important." ”

“ In two words? That can't be done. The document is a very long one, scattered all over with annotations and remarks which are sometimes impossible to understand. Let me mention just two titles which obviously refer to two bundles of secret papers: Original letters of the Crown Prince to Bismarck is one. ”