Arsene Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc

Author:Maurice Leblanc
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pronoun

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Monsieur Destange was already in the library. They had been working only a few minutes, when Clotilde entered, bade her father good morning, entered the adjoining parlor and sat down to write. From his place Sholmes could see her leaning over the table and from time to time absorbed in deep meditation. After a short time he picked up a book and said to Monsieur Destange:

“Here is a book that Mademoiselle Destange asked me to bring to her when I found it.”

He went into the little parlor, stood before Clotilde in such a manner that her father could not see her, and said:

“I am Monsieur Stickmann, your father’s new secretary.”

“Ah!” said Clotilde, without moving, “my father has changed his secretary? I didn’t know it.”

“Yes, mademoiselle, and I desire to speak with you.”

“Kindly take a seat, monsieur; I have finished.”

She added a few words to her letter, signed it, enclosed it in the envelope, sealed it, pushed her writing material away, rang the telephone, got in communication with her dressmaker, asked the latter to hasten the completion of a traveling dress, as she required it at once, and then, turning to Sholmes, she said:

“I am at your service, monsieur. But do you wish to speak before my father? Would not that be better?”

“No, mademoiselle; and I beg of you, do not raise your voice. It is better that Monsieur Destange should not hear us.”

“For whose sake is it better?”

“Yours, mademoiselle.”

“I cannot agree to hold any conversation with you that my father may not hear.”

“But you must agree to this. It is imperative.”

Both of them arose, eye to eye. She said:

“Speak, monsieur.”

Still standing, he commenced:

“You will be so good as to pardon me if I am mistaken on certain points of secondary importance. I will guarantee, however, the general accuracy of my statements.”

“Can we not dispense with these preliminaries, monsieur? Or are they necessary?”

Sholmes felt the young woman was on her guard, so he replied:

“Very well; I will come to the point. Five years ago your father made the acquaintance of a certain young man called Maxime Bermond, who was introduced as a contractor or an architect, I am not sure which it was; but it was one or the other. Monsieur Destange took a liking to the young man, and as the state of his health compelled him to retire from active business, he entrusted to Monsieur Bermond the execution of certain orders he had received from some of his old customers and which seemed to come within the scope of Monsieur Bermond’s ability.”

Herlock Sholmes stopped. It seemed to him that the girl’s pallor had increased. Yet there was not the slightest tremor in her voice when she said:

“I know nothing about the circumstances to which you refer, monsieur, and I do not see in what way they can interest me.”

“In this way, mademoiselle: You know, as well as I, that Maxime Bermond is also known by the name of Arsène Lupin.”

She laughed, and said:

“Nonsense! Arsène Lupin? Maxime Bermond

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