q called out:

"Hullo!... 822.19, please, 822.19."

Having repeated the number, he sat without moving.

Lupin smiled:

"The headquarters of police, isn't it? The secretary-general's
office..."

"Yes, doctor... How do you know?"

"Oh, as a divisional surgeon, I sometimes have to ring them up."

And, within himself, Lupin asked:

"What the devil does all this mean? The secretary-general is
Prasville... Then, what?..."

Daubrecq put both receivers to his ears and said:

"Are you 822.19? I want to speak to M. Prasville, the secretary-general
... Do you say he's not there?... Yes, yes, he is: he's always in his
office at this time... Tell him it's M. Daubrecq... M. Daubrecq the
deputy... a most important communication."

"Perhaps I'm in the way?" Lupin suggested.

"Not at all, doctor, not at all," said Daubrecq. "Besides, what I have
to say has a certain bearing on your errand." And, into the telephone,
"Hullo! M. Prasville?... Ah, it's you, Prasville, old cock!... Why, you
seem quite staggered! Yes, you're right, it's an age since you and I
met. But, after all, we've never been far away in thought... And I've
had plenty of visits from you and your henchmen... In my absence, it's
true. Hullo!... What?... Oh, you're in a hurry? I beg your pardon!...
So am I, for that matter... Well, to come to the point, there's a little
service I want to do you... Wait, can't you, you brute?... You won't
regret it... It concerns your renown... Hullo!... Are you listening?...
Well, take half-a-dozen men with you... plain-clothes detectives, by
preference: you'll find them at the night-office... Jump into a taxi,
two taxis, and come along here as fast as you can... I've got a rare
quarry for you, old chap. One of the upper ten... a lord, a marquis
Napoleon himself... in a word, Arsene Lupin!"

Lupin sprang to his feet. He was prepared for everything but this. Yet
something within him stronger than astonishment, an impulse of his whole
nature, made him say, with a laugh:

"Oh, well done, well done!"

Daubrecq bowed his head, by way of thanks, and muttered:

"I haven't quite finished... A little patience, if you don't mind."
And he continued, "Hullo! Prasville!... No, no, old chap, I'm not
humbugging... You'll find Lupin here, with me, in my study... Lupin,
who's worrying me like the rest of you... Oh, one more or less makes no
difference to me! But, all the same, this one's a bit too pushing. And
I am appealing to your sens