's what I think of it!"

Lupin placed himself in front of him and shrugged his shoulders:

"Sold again!" he said.

"Hands up, I say, once more!"

"And sold again, say I. Your deadly weapon won't go off."

"What?"

"Old Catherine, your housekeeper, is in my service. She damped the
charges this morning while you were having your breakfast coffee."

Ganimard made a furious gesture, pocketed the revolver and rushed at
Lupin.

"Well?" said Lupin, stopping him short with a well-aimed kick on the
shin.

Their clothes were almost touching. They exchanged defiant glances, the
glances of two adversaries who mean to come to blows. Nevertheless,
there was no fight. The recollection of the earlier struggles made any
present struggle useless. And Ganimard, who remembered all his past
failures, his vain attacks, Lupin's crushing reprisals, did not lift a
limb. There was nothing to be done. He felt it. Lupin had forces at his
command against which any individual force simply broke to pieces. So
what was the good?

"I agree," said Lupin, in a friendly voice, as though answering
Ganimard's unspoken thought, "you would do better to let things be as
they are. Besides, friend of my youth, think of all that this incident
has brought you: fame, the certainty of quick promotion and, thanks to
that, the prospect of a happy and comfortable old age! Surely, you don't
want the discovery of the sapphire and the head of poor Arsene Lupin in
addition! It wouldn't be fair. To say nothing of the fact that poor
Arsene Lupin saved your life.... Yes, sir! Who warned you, at this very
spot, that Prevailles was left-handed?... And is this the way you thank
me? It's not pretty of you, Ganimard. Upon my word, you make me blush
for you!"

While chattering, Lupin had gone through the same performance as
Ganimard and was now near the door. Ganimard saw that his foe was about
to escape him. Forgetting all prudence, he tried to block his way and
received a tremendous butt in the stomach, which sent him rolling to
the opposite wall.

Lupin dexterously touched a spring, turned the handle, opened the door
and slipped away, roaring with laughter as he went.

* * * * *

Twenty minutes later, when Ganimard at last succeeded in joining his
men, one of them said to him:

"A house-painter left the house, as his mates were coming back from
breakfast, and put a letter in my hand. 'Give that to your governor,' he
said. 'Whic