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The Crystal Stopper-Part18_Maurice LeBlanc(1864-1941)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

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business, which alarms me and upsets my plans; yours too, I expect?"

Prasville had every confidence in Clarisse Mergy. He knew her relentless



hatred of Daubrecq and appreciated the assistance which she had rendered

in the case. He therefore made no dilficulties about telling her what he



knew, thanks to certain clues and especially to the evidence of the

portress.



For that matter, the thing was exceedingly simple. Daubrecq, who had

attended the trial of Gilbert and Vaucheray as a witness and who was



seen in court during the speeches, returned home at six o'clock. The

portress affirmed that he came in alone and that there was nobody in the



house at the time. Nevertheless, a few minutes later, she heard shouts,

followed by the sound of a struggle and two pistol-shots; and from her



lodge she saw four masked men scuttle down the front steps, carrying

Daubrecq the deputy, and hurry toward the gate. They opened the gate.



At the same moment, a motor-car arrived outside the house. The four men

bundled themselves into it; and the motor-car, which had hardly had time



to stop, set off at full speed.

"Were there not always two policemen on duty?" asked Clarisse.



"They were there," said Prasville, "but at a hundred and fifty yards'

distance; and Daubrecq was carried off so quickly that they were unable



to interfere, although they hastened up as fast as they could."

"And did they discover nothing, find nothing?"



"Nothing, or hardly anything... Merely this."

"What is that?"



"A little piece of ivory, which they picked up on the ground. There was

a fifth party in the car; and the portress saw him get down while the



others were hoisting Daubrecq in. As he was stepping back into the car,

he dropped something and picked it up again at once. But the thing,



whatever it was, must have been broken on the pavement; for this is the

bit of ivory which my men found."



"But how did the four men manage to enter the house?" asked Clarisse.

"By means of false keys, evidently" target="_blank" title="ad.明显地">evidently, while the portress was doing her



shopping, in the course of the afternoon; and they had no difficulty

in secreting themselves, as Daubrecq keeps no other servants. I have



every reason to believe that they hid in the room next door, which is

the dining-room, and afterward attacked Daubrecq here, in the study.



The disturbance of the furniture and other articles proves how violent

the struggle was. We found a large-bore revolver, belonging to



Daubrecq, on the carpet. One of the bullets had smashed the glass over

the mantel-piece, as you see."



Clarisse turned to her companion for him to express an opinion. But M.

Nicole, with his eyes obstinately lowered, had not budged from his chair



and sat fumbling at the rim of his hat, as though he had not yet found a

proper place for it.



Prasville gave a smile. It was evident that he did not look upon

Clarisse's adviser as a man of first-rate intelligence:



"The case is somewhat puzzling, monsieur," he said, "is it not?"

"Yes... yes," M. Nicole confessed, "most puzzling."



"Then you have no little theory of your own upon the matter?"

"Well, monsieur le secretaire-general, I'm thinking that Daubrecq has



many enemies.

"Ah, capital!"



"And that several of those enemies, who are interested in his

disappearance, must have banded themselves against him.



"Capital, capital!" said Prasville, with satirical approval. "Capital!

Everything is becoming clear as daylight. It only remains for you to



furnish us with a little suggestion that will enable us to turn our

search in the right direction."



"Don't you think, monsieur le secretaire-general, that this broken bit

of ivory which was picked up on the ground... "



"No, M. Nicole, no. That bit of ivory belongs to something which we do

not know and which its owner will at once make it his business to



conceal. In order to trace the owner, we should at least be able to

define the nature of the thing itself."



M. Nicole reflected and then began:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, when Napoleon I fell from power... "



"Oh, M. Nicole, oh, a lesson in French history!"

"Only a sentence, monsieur le secretaire-general, just one sentence which



I will ask your leave to complete. When Napoleon I fell from power, the

Restoration placed a certain number of officers on half-pay. These



officers were suspected by the authorities and kept under observation by

the police. They remained faithful to the emperor's memory; and they



contrived to reproduce the features of their idol on all sorts of objects

of everyday use; snuff-boxes, rings, breast-pins, pen-knives and so on."



"Well?"




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