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Prasville's secretary, who had received his chief's instructions by telephone, showed them into the office and asked them to wait. It was a quarter to five. Prasville came running in at five o'clock exactly and, at once, cried: "Have you the list?" "Yes." "Give it me." He put out his hand. Clarisse, who had risen from her chair, did not stir.
They reached Monte Carlo at three o'clock in the afternoon. Lupin was at once disappointed not to see Clarisse on the platform at the station. He waited. No messenger came up to him. He asked the porters and ticket-collectors if they had noticed, among the crowd, two travellers answering to the description of Daubrecq and Clarisse. They had not.
"You know," she added, "he adores women." "What the hell has that got to do with us?" said Clarisse. "We don't want to cuddle him, eh?" "There's always too many men of that sort!" declared Louise Violaine gravely. "It's better to do without 'em than to mix oneself up with such monsters!"
Clarisse, who could not move her elbows, told Vandeuvres that she counted on him to feed her. And then that Bordenave did just take up space with his chairs! There was a final effort, and at last everybody was seated, but, as Mignon loudly remarked, they were confoundedly like herrings in a barrel.
Now of the three who sat down with me to dinner, one was certainly not beautiful a poor timid thing of forty, quite troubled at this roaring table d'hôte, whom I squired and helped to wine, and pledged and tried generally to encourage, with quite a contrary effect; but the other two, both married, were both more handsome than the average of women. And Clarisse? What shall I say of Clarisse?
"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.
They were Prasville's inspectors. "No telegram?" he asked his servant. "No, governor," replied Achille. "No news of the Masher and the Growler?" "No, governor, none." "That's all right," he said to Clarisse, in a casual tone. "It's only seven o'clock and we mustn't reckon on seeing them before eight or nine. Prasville will have to wait, that's all. I will telephone to him to wait."
On the table there were now only some dirty plates, Mme Bron having recently distributed the last of the bouquets. A single fallen rose was withering on the floor in the neighborhood of the black cat, who had lain down and curled herself up while the kittens ran wild races and danced fierce gallops among the gentlemen's legs. Clarisse was momentarily inclined to turn La Faloise out.
"What Prasville and all his men, what Clarisse Mergy, what nobody has been able to do, you think that you will do!" "I shall!" "And why? By favour of what saint will you succeed where everybody else has failed? There must be a reason?" "There is." "What is it?" "My name is Arsene Lupin." He had let go of Daubrecq, but held him for a time under the dominion of his authoritative glance and will.
Prasville, touched like the rest and thinking of Clarisse, repeated, in a whisper: "Poor little chap!" But the hour struck, the preparations were finished. They set out. The two processions met in the passage. Vaurheray, on seeing Gilbert, snapped out: "I say, kiddie, the governor's chucked us!"
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