ndled it, weighed it, examined it... And
doubt made its way so swiftly into his mind that he was not in the least
surprised, when he did open it, to find that it contained four blank
sheets of note-paper.

"Well, well," he said, "I am no match for those rascals. But all is not
over yet."

And, in point of fact, all was not over. If Lupin had acted so daringly,
it showed that the letters existed and that he relied upon buying them
from Stanislas Vorenglade. But, as, on the other hand, Vorenglade was
not in Paris, Prasville's business was simply to forestall Lupin's steps
with regard to Vorenglade and obtain the restitution of those dangerous
letters from Vorenglade at all costs. The first to arrive would be the
victor.

Prasville once more took his hat, coat and stick, went downstairs,
stepped into a taxi and drove to Vorenglade's flat.

Here he was told that the ex-deputy was expected home from London at six
o'clock that evening.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Prasville therefore had plenty of
time to prepare his plan.

He arrived at the Gare du Nord at five o'clock and posted all around,
in the waiting-rooms and in the railway-offices, the three or four dozen
detectives whom he had brought with him.

This made him feel easy. If M. Nicole tried to speak to Vorenglade,
they would arrest Lupin. And, to make assurance doubly sure, they would
arrest whosoever could be suspected of being either Lupin or one of
Lupin's emissaries.

Moreover, Prasville made a close inspection of the whole station.
He discovered nothing suspicious. But, at ten minutes to six,
Chief-inspector Blanchon, who was with him, said:

"Look, there's Daubrecq."

Daubrecq it was; and the sight of his enemy exasperated the
secretary-general to such a pitch that he was on the verge of having him
arrested. But he reflected that he had no excuse, no right, no warrant
for the arrest.

Besides, Daubrecq's presence proved, with still greater force, that
everything now depended on Stanislas Vorenglade. Vorenglade possessed
the letters: who would end by having them? Daubrecq? Lupin? Or he,
Prasville?

Lupin was not there and could not be there. Daubrecq was not in a
position to fight. There could be no doubt, therefore, about the result:
Prasville would reenter into possession of his letters and, through
this very fact, would escape Daubrecq's threats and Lupin's threats and
recover all his freedom of action against them.

The train arriv