ce
of paper rolled into a tiny pellet.

"The foreign-post-paper," he whispered, himself greatly excited, with
quivering hands.

There was a long silence. All four felt as if their hearts were ready to
burst from their bodies; and they were afraid of what was coming.

"Please, please..." stammered Clarisse.

Lupin unfolded the paper.

There was a set of names written one below the other, twenty-seven of
them, the twenty-seven names of the famous list: Langeroux, Dechaumont,
Vorenglade, d'Albufex, Victorien Mergy and the rest.

And, at the foot, the signature of the chairman of the Two-Seas Canal
Company, the signature written in letters of blood.

Lupin looked at his watch:

"A quarter to one," he said. "We have twenty minutes to spare. Let's
have some lunch."

"But," said Clarisse, who was already beginning to lose her head, "don't
forget..."

He simply said:

"All I know is that I'm dying of hunger."

He sat down at the table, cut himself a large slice of cold pie and said
to his accomplices:

"Growler? A bite? You, Masher?"

"I could do with a mouthful, governor."

"Then hurry up, lads. And a glass of champage to wash it down with: it's
the chloroform-patient's treat. Your health, Daubrecq! Sweet champagne?
Dry champagne? Extra-dry?"

CHAPTER XI. THE CROSS OF LORRAINE

The moment Lupin had finished lunch, he at once and, so to speak,
without transition, recovered all his mastery and authority. The
time for joking was past; and he must no longer yield to his love of
astonishing people with claptrap and conjuring tricks. Now that he had
discovered the crystal stopper in the hiding-place which he had
guessed with absolute certainty, now that he possessed the list of the
Twenty-seven, it became a question of playing off the last game of the
rubber without delay.

It was child's play, no doubt, and what remained to be done presented no
difficulty. Nevertheless, it was essential that he should perform these
final actions with promptness, decision and infallible perspicacity. The
smallest blunder was irretrievable. Lupin knew this; but his strangely
lucid brain had allowed for every contingency. And the movements and
words which he was now about to make and utter were all fully prepared
and matured:

"Growler, the commissionaire is waiting on the Boulevard Gambetta with
his barrow and the trunk which we bought. Bring him here and have the
trunk carried up. If the people of the hotel ask any que