The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin,
Gentleman-burglar
By Maurice Leblanc
Translated from the French
By George Morehead
Contents
| I. | The Arrest of Arsène Lupin |
| II. | Arsène Lupin in Prison |
| III. | The Escape of Arsène Lupin |
| IV. | The Mysterious Traveller |
| V. | The Queen’s Necklace |
| VI. | The Seven of Hearts |
| VII. | Madame Imbert’s Safe |
| VIII. | The Black Pearl |
| IX. | Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late |
I. The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
It was a strange ending to a voyage that had commenced in a most auspiciousmanner. The transatlantic steamship ‘La Provence’ was a swift andcomfortable vessel, under the command of a most affable man. The passengersconstituted a select and delightful society. The charm of new acquaintances andimprovised amusements served to make the time pass agreeably. We enjoyed thepleasant sensation of being separated from the world, living, as it were, uponan unknown island, and consequently obliged to be sociable with each other.
Have you ever stopped to consider how much originality and spontaneity emanatefrom these various individuals who, on the preceding evening, did not even knoweach other, and who are now, for several days, condemned to lead a life ofextreme intimacy, jointly defying the anger of the ocean, the terribleonslaught of the waves, the violence of the tempest and the agonizing monotonyof the calm and sleepy water? Such a life becomes a sort of tragic existence,with its storms and its grandeurs, its monotony and its diversity; and that iswhy, perhaps, we embark upon that short voyage with mingled feelings ofpleasure and fear.
But, during the past few years, a new sensation had been added to the life ofthe transatlantic traveler. The little floating island is now attached to theworld from which it was once quite free. A bond united them, even in the veryheart of the watery wastes of the Atlantic. That bond is the wirelesstelegraph, by means of which we receive news in the most mysterious manner. Weknow full well that the message is not transported by the medium of a hollowwire. No, the mystery is even more inexplicable, more romantic, and we musthave recourse to the wings of the air in order to explain this new miracle.During the first day of the voyage, we felt that we were being followed,escorted, preceded even, by that distant voice, which, from time to time,whispered to one of us a few words from the receding world. Two friends spoketo me. Ten, twenty others sent gay or somber words of parting to otherpassengers.
On the second day, at a distance of five hundred miles from the French coast,in the midst of a violent storm, we received the following message by means ofthe wireless telegraph:
“Arsène Lupin is on your vessel, first cabin, blonde hair, wound rightfore-arm, traveling alone under name of R........”
At that moment, a terrible flash of lightning rent the stormy skies. Theelectric waves were inte