Part 53 (1/2)
”Don't move. And don't open the door to anybody, on any pretext whatever, before I come to fetch you. I shall not be long.”
He locked the door behind him and went down to the first floor. He did not feel those high spirits which usually cheered him on the eve of his great battles. This time, Florence Leva.s.seur's life and liberty were at stake; and the consequences of a defeat seemed to him worse than death.
Through the window on the landing he saw the detectives guarding the courtyard. He counted six of them. And he also saw the deputy chief at one of the windows of his study, watching the courtyard and keeping in touch with his detectives.
”By Jove!” he thought, ”he's sticking to his post. It will be a tough job. He suspects something. However, let's make a start!”
He went through the drawing-room and entered his study. Weber saw him.
The two enemies were face to face.
There was a few seconds' silence before the duel opened, the duel which was bound to be swift and vigorous, without the least sign of weakness or distraction on either side. It could not last longer than three minutes.
The deputy chief's face bore an expression of mingled joy and anxiety.
For the first time he had permission, he had orders, to fight that accursed Don Luis, against whom he had never yet been able to satisfy his hatred. And his delight was all the greater because he held every trump, whereas Don Luis had put himself in the wrong by defending Florence Leva.s.seur and tampering with the girl's portrait. On the other hand, Weber did not forget that Don Luis was identical with a.r.s.ene Lupin; and this consideration caused him a certain uneasiness. He was obviously thinking:
”The least blunder, and I'm done for.”
He crossed swords with a jest.
”I see that you were not in Mlle. Leva.s.seur's lodge, as your man pretended.”
”My man spoke in accordance with my instructions, I was in my bedroom, upstairs. But I wanted to finish the job before I came down.”
”And is it done?”
”It's done. Florence Leva.s.seur and Gaston Sauverand are in my room, gagged and bound. You have only to accept delivery of the goods.”
”Gaston Sauverand!” cried Weber. ”Then it was he who was seen coming in?”
”Yes. He was simply living with Florence Leva.s.seur, whose lover he is.”
”Oho!” said the deputy chief, in a bantering tone. ”Her lover!”
”Yes; and when Sergeant Mazeroux brought Florence Leva.s.seur to my room, to question her out of hearing of the servants, Sauverand, foreseeing the arrest of his mistress, had the audacity to join us. He tried to rescue her from our hands.”
”And you checkmated him?”
”Yes.”
It was clear that the deputy chief did not believe one word of the story.
He knew through M. Desmalions and Mazeroux that Don Luis was in love with Florence; and Don Luis was not the man even through jealousy to hand over a woman whom he loved. He increased his attention.
”Good business!” he said. ”Take me up to your room. Was it a hard struggle?”
”Not very. I managed to disarm the scoundrel. All the same, Mazeroux got stabbed in the thumb.”
”Nothing serious?”