Tony Lumpkin

“ Tony Lumpkin carousing with the village riff-raff. Marlow and Hastings arrive, and inquire the way to Mr. Hardcastle's house. Tony tells them they cannot possibly reach the house that night, but directs them to it as an inn.
Tony: The old Buck's Head on the hill, one of the best inns in the whole county. But the landlord is rich and just going to leave off business; so he wants to be thought a gentleman, and will be for giving you his company. Ecod, he'll persuade you that his mother was an alderman, and his aunt a justice of the peace. I'll just step myself, and show you a piece of the way. ”

“ Brisk in the ‘Double Dealer’ of Congreve, Sir David Dunder in Colman's ‘Ways and Means,’ Ben in ‘Love for Love,’ Brass in the ‘Confederacy,’ Scrub in the ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ Trappanti in Cibber's ‘She would and she would not,’ Speed in the ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona,’ are among the parts that prepared the way for his conspicuous success as Sir Anthony Absolute and Tony Lumpkin, characters in which he was received with pleasure to the end of his career. ”

“ The prince set it on the ground, and forthwith the tiny creature began to dance a saraband with castanets.--Comtesse D’Aunoy, Fairy Tales (“The (“The White Cat,” 1682)
Tony Lumpkin, a young booby, fond of practical jokes, and low company. He was the son of Mrs. Hardcastle by her first husband.--Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer (1773) .
Tony Tyler, on the editorial staff of the Tecumseh Chronicle. “He knows about eighteen hundred times as much as Samboye (managing editor) does, only somehow, he hasn’t the faculty of putting it on paper. ”

“ She blessed it, and liked the youth the better.
During the stay of Mr. Arthur Rhodes at Copsley, Sir Lukin came on a visit to his wife. He mentioned reports in the scandal-papers: one, that Mr. P. D. would shortly lead to the altar the lovely heiress Miss A., Percy Dacier and Constance Asper:—another, that a reconciliation was to be expected between the beautiful authoress Mrs. W. and her husband. 'Perhaps it's the best thing she can do,' Sir Lukin added.
Lady Dunstane pronounced a woman's unforgiving: 'Never.' The revolt of her own sensations assured her of Tony's unconquerable repugnance. ”

“ Was it even an adversary? Really, he had neither the tone of one nor the appearance. Very calm, but with a real calmness, not one assumed to cloak the passion of a man endeavoring to restrain himself; very polite, but without exaggeration; smiling, but without chaff, he presented the most perfect contrast to Arsène Lupin, a contrast so perfect even that, to my mind, Lupin appeared as much perplexed as myself.
No, there was no doubt about it: in the presence of that frail stripling, with cheeks smooth as a girl’s and candid and charming eyes, Lupin was losing his ordinary self-assurance. ”

“ And, while he amused the gallery with his skill and ingenuity, he roused the general enthusiasm in other ways.
"People laughed at his practical jokes, but they loved his pluck, his courage, his adventurous spirit, his contempt for danger, his shrewd insight, his unfailing good humour, his reckless energy: all qualities that stood out at a period when the most active virtues of our race had reached their zenith, the period of the motor car and the aeroplane....
"One day," he said, as a joke, "I should like my epitaph to read, 'Here lies Arsène Lupin, adventurer.'" That was quite correct. ”

“ Lupin now experienced the same feelings that had stirred Shears during his motor-car drive: the same concentrated rage, the same rebellion; but also, when all was said and done, the same sense of loyalty which compelled him to bow before the force of circumstances. Both were equally strong: both alike were bound [Pg 227] to accept defeat as a temporary evil, to be received with resignation.
"We are quits, sir," he said, bluntly.
The Englishman seemed delighted at this confession. The two men were silent. Then Lupin, already master of himself, resumed with a smile:
"And I am not sorry. ”

“ A good citizen like yourself understands the constraints to which everybody is bound to submit. My dear Masseron, arrange it with this gentleman. At the department in an hour from now. Good-by till then, sir. I shall expect you.”
And, after a very civil bow, he walked away to his car, twirling his stick gaily and escorted by M. Masseron.
“Well, on my soul!” chuckled Don Luis. “There’s a character for you! In the twinkling of an eye, he accepts three hundred millions in gold, signs an epoch-making treaty and orders the arrest of Arsène Lupin!” ”

“ The boat drifted into the stream.
“Good Lord, what a fuss you make! A man of your age ought to know better! You act like a child.”
Lupin succeeded in freeing himself from the grasp of the detective, who, thoroughly exasperated and ready to kill, put his hand in his pocket. He uttered an oath: Lupin had taken his revolver. Then he knelt down and tried to capture one of the lost oars in order to regain the shore, while Lupin was trying to capture the other oar in order to drive the boat down the river. ”

“ Let us pretend that we are alarmed about M. Darcieux's health and spend the night in here. The bedrooms of both the father and daughter are close by. If anything happens, we are sure to hear."
There was an easy-chair in the room. They arranged to sleep in it turn and turn about.
In reality, Lupin slept for only two or three hours. In the middle of the night he left the room, without disturbing his companion, carefully looked round the whole of the house and walked out through the principal gate.
He reached Paris on his motor-cycle at nine o'clock in the morning. ”

“ Sonia drew herself out of his arms and cried, “But we’re wasting time! We must make haste! We must fly!”
“Fly?” said Lupin sharply. “No, thank you; never again. I did flying enough last night to last me a lifetime. For the rest of my life I’m going to crawl—crawl like a snail. But come along, you two, I must take you to the police-station.”
He opened the front door, and they came out on the steps. The policeman in charge of the car saluted.
Lupin paused and said softly: “Hark! I hear the sound of wedding bells.” ”

“ That's settled, is it not?”
“Yes,” she said, absolutely dominated by Lupin's gentle and imperious voice.
“In that case,” he said, “be as quick as you can ... and do not stir from your room....”
“But,” said the girl, with a shudder, “am I to stay alone to-night?”
“Fear nothing. Should there be the least danger, the doctor and I will come back. Do not open your door unless you hear three very light taps.”
Jeanne at once rang for her maid. The doctor went to M. Darcieux, while Lupin had some supper brought to him in the little dining-room. ”

“ Charolais came into the room, and said, in a grumbling tone, "A run-away knock. I wish I could catch the brats; I'd warm them. They wouldn't go fetching me away from my work again, in a hurry, I can tell you."
Lupin opened the letter, and read it. As he read it, at first he frowned; then he smiled; and then he laughed joyously. It ran:
"Sir, "M. Guerchard has told me everything. With regard to Sonia I have judged you: a man who loves a thief can be nothing but a
rogue. ”

“ So it was Arsene Lupin who was conducting the case! It was he who, from his prison cell, was stage-managing the comedy or the tragedy announced in the first note. What luck! Everybody was delighted. With an artist like Lupin, the spectacle could not fail to be both picturesque and startling.
Three days later the Grand Journal contained the following letter from Arsene Lupin:
"The name of the devoted friend to whom I referred has been imparted to me. ”

“ The stranger strode to and fro with the air of a master accustomed to command and to be obeyed. Lupin stood motionless. He had abandoned his usual provocative attitude and his sarcastic smile. He waited, gravely and deferentially. But, down in the depths of his being, he revelled, eagerly, madly, in the marvellous situation in which he found himself placed: here, in his cell, he, a prisoner; he, the adventurer; he, the swindler, the burglar; he, Arsène Lupin . . . face to face with that demi-god of the modern world, that formidable entity, the heir of Cæsar and of Charlemagne. ”

“ Every one remembers the stir caused by his marriage with Florence Levasseur. The controversy was renewed; and many of the newspapers clamoured for Arsène Lupin's arrest. But what could the authorities do?
Although nobody doubted who he really was, although the name of Arsène Lupin and the name of Don Luis Perenna consisted of the same letters, and people ended by remarking the coincidence, legally speaking, Arsène Lupin was dead and Don Luis Perenna was alive; and there was no possibility of bringing Arsène Lupin back to life or of killing Don Luis Perenna. ”

“ The doctor, huddled in his chair, emitted inarticulate sounds.
“Come,” said Lupin, laughing, “pull yourself together. There is nothing to excite ourselves about: it's all over.”
“Her father!... Her father!” moaned the old doctor.
“If you please, doctor, Mlle. Darcieux is ill. Look after her.”
Without more words, Lupin went back to the dressing-room and stepped out on the window-ledge. A ladder stood against the ledge. He ran down it. Skirting the wall of the house, twenty steps farther, he tripped over the rungs of a rope-ladder, which he climbed and found himself in M. Darcieux's bedroom. ”

“ THE END OF THE DUEL
"THE handcuffs?" said Lupin; and his face fell. Then it cleared; and he added lightly, "After all, there's nothing like being careful; and, by Jove, with me you need to be. I might get away yet. What luck it is for you that I'm so soft, so little of a Charmerace, so human! Truly, I can't be much of a man of the world, to be in love like this!"
"Come, come, hold out your hands!" said Guerchard, jingling the handcuffs impatiently.
"I should like to see that child for the last time," said Lupin gently. ”

“ I am dismayed.
“ARSÈNE LUPIN.”
Sholmes made a gesture of indignation and handed the message to the baron, saying:
“What do you think now, monsieur? Are the walls of your house furnished with eyes and ears?”
“I don’t understand it,” said the baron, in amazement.
“Nor do I; but I do understand that Lupin has knowledge of everything that occurs in this house. He knows every movement, every word. There is no doubt of it. But how does he get his information? That is the first mystery I have to solve, and when I know that I will know everything.” ”

“ And he paused, hesitating.
“Well, what is it you want?” said Lupin. “Out with it! Don’t be shy about it.”
“I offer you—”
“You offer me?” cried Lupin. “Then it isn’t true. You’re fooling me.”
“Reassure yourself,” said Guerchard coldly. “To you personally I offer nothing.”
“Then you are sincere,” said Lupin. “And putting me out of the question?”
“I offer you liberty.”
“Who for? For my concierge?” said Lupin.
“Don’t play the fool. You care only for a single person in the world. I hold you through her: Sonia Kritchnoff.” ”

“ The lady with the little dog and the beggar-woman kissed each other and sobbed; and we saw Louise d'Ernemont pressing her daughter sadly to her.
"Let's go," said Lupin.
"You think it's over?"
"Yes; and we have only just time to make ourselves scarce."
We went out unmolested. At the top of the lane, Lupin turned to the left and, leaving me outside, entered the first house in the Rue Raynouard, the one that backed on to the enclosure.
After talking for a few seconds to the porter, he joined me and we stopped a passing taxi-cab:
"No. 34 Rue de Turin," he said to the driver. ”

“ It would be a pity if any harm were to come to her. Luckily, Arsène Lupin is keeping his weather-eye open.”
Taking care not to be seen, with eyes and ears attentive to the least sight or sound, he inspected every nook and corner of the grounds, looked for the little low door which he had noticed outside and which was the door of the kitchen garden, drew the bolt, took the key and then skirted the walls and found himself once more near the tree which he had climbed. Two minutes later, he was mounting his motor-cycle. ”

“ Whenever I sit down to tell one of the numberless adventures which compose the life of Arsène Lupin, I feel a genuine embarrassment, because it is quite clear to me that even the least important of these adventures is known to every one of my readers. As a matter of fact, there is not a move on the part of "our national thief," as he has been happily called, but has been described all over the country, [Pg 22] not an exploit but has been studied from every point of view, not an action but has been commented upon with an abundance of detail generally reserved for stories of heroic deeds. ”

“ Sensible people don't find Lupin: they make him come to them! That was a masterly notion. It belongs to my young nephew, who loathes you as much as I do, if possible, and who knows you thoroughly, through reading all the books that have been written about you. He knows your prying nature, your need to be always plotting, your mania for hunting in the dark and unravelling what others have failed to unravel. He also knows that sort of sham kindness of yours, the drivelling sentimentality that makes you shed crocodile tears over the people you victimize ”

“ And he braced himself before the doors of the lift-well, gazing at them with harried eyes, as if he expected them to bite him.
“Be brave! Be ready to die in the discharge of your duty!” bellowed Lupin; and he walked out of the room, shut the door, and turned the key.
The policeman stood listening to the noise of the struggle in the lift, himself strung up to fighting point; he was panting. Lupin’s instructions were whirling and dancing in his head.
Lupin went quietly down the stairs. Victoire and Sonia saw him coming. Victoire rose ”