rtist whose beautiful marine views I so admire, I have no
doubt I should have warned the police of your presence in Dieppe."

This sally was greeted with an outburst of laughter. The large
dining-hall of the Chateau de Thibermesnil contained on this occasion,
besides Valmont, the following guests: Father Gelis, the parish priest,
and a dozen officers whose regiments were quartered in the vicinity and
who had accepted the invitation of the banker Georges Devanne and his
mother. One of the officers then remarked:

"I understand that an exact description of Arsene Lupin has been
furnished to all the police along this coast since his daring exploit on
the Paris-Havre express."

"I suppose so," said Devanne. "That was three months ago; and a week
later, I made the acquaintance of our friend Velmont at the casino, and,
since then, he has honored me with several visits--an agreeable preamble
to a more serious visit that he will pay me one of these days--or,
rather, one of these nights."

This speech evoked another round of laughter, and the guests then passed
into the ancient "Hall of the Guards," a vast room with a high ceiling,
which occupied the entire lower part of the Tour Guillaume--William's
Tower--and wherein Georges Devanne had collected the incomparable
treasures which the lords of Thibermesnil had accumulated through
many centuries. It contained ancient chests, credences, andirons and
chandeliers. The stone walls were overhung with magnificent tapestries.
The deep embrasures of the four windows were furnished with benches, and
the Gothic windows were composed of small panes of colored glass set
in a leaden frame. Between the door and the window to the left stood
an immense bookcase of Renaissance style, on the pediment of which, in
letters of gold, was the world "Thibermesnil," and, below it, the proud
family device: "Fais ce que veulx" (Do what thou wishest). When the
guests had lighted their cigars, Devanne resumed the conversation.

"And remember, Velmont, you have no time to lose; in fact, to-night is
the last chance you will have."

"How so?" asked the painter, who appeared to regard the affair as a
joke. Devanne was about to reply, when his mother mentioned to him to
keep silent, but the excitement of the occasion and a desire to interest
his guests urged him to speak.

"Bah!" he murmured. "I can tell it now. It won't do any harm."

The guests drew closer, and he commenced to speak with the satisfied a