Part 61 (1/2)

Shears increased his pace. His nails dug into Lupin's very flesh.

”Come along, come along!” he said, under his breath, in a sort of fevered haste to settle everything as quickly as possible. ”Come along!

Quick!”

But he stopped short: Alice Demun had followed them.

”What are you doing, mademoiselle? You need not trouble to come!”

It was Lupin who replied:

”I beg you to observe, maitre, that mademoiselle is not coming of her own free will. I am holding her wrist with an energy similar to that which you are applying to mine.”

”And why?”

”Why? Well, I am bent upon introducing her also. Her part in the story of the Jewish Lamp is even more important than mine. As an accomplice of a.r.s.ene Lupin, and of Bresson as well, she too must tell the adventure of the Baronne d'Imblevalle ... which is sure to interest the police immensely. And in this way you will have pushed your kind interference to its last limits, O generous Shears!”

The Englishman had released his prisoner's wrist. Lupin let go of mademoiselle's.

They stood, for a few seconds, without moving, looking at one another.

Then Shears went back to his bench and sat down. Lupin and the girl resumed their places.

A long silence divided them. Then Lupin said: