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And, looking Valenglay straight in the eyes, he said slowly, syllable by syllable: "In exchange for twenty-four hours' liberty and no more, undertaking on my honour to return here to-morrow morning and to return here either with Florence, to give you every proof of her innocence, or without her, to constitute myself a prisoner, I offer you "
What is the use of his defending you, of his remembering that you have saved his life twice over and rendered invaluable services to the police which he is the first to appreciate? What is the use of his going to the Prime Minister, though we all know that Valenglay protects you? "There are others besides the Prefect of Police! There are others besides the Prime Minister!
"Are you in love with her?" "I am." Valenglay experienced a little thrill of enjoyment. Lupin in love! Lupin acting through love and confessing his love! But how exciting! He said: "I have followed the Mornington case from day to day and I know every detail of it. You have done wonders, Monsieur.
And, overcome with emotion, he fell at Florence's feet, stammering words of love and adoration. Next morning, a little before eight o'clock, Valenglay was talking in his own flat to the Prefect of Police, and asked: "So you think as I do, my dear Prefect? He'll come?" "I haven't the least doubt of it, Monsieur le Président.
"Now it would seem that M. Valenglay, the Prime Minister, together with the Prefect of Police, is opposed to making any too minute inquiries capable of opening up a scandal which the authorities are anxious to avoid. Bring Arsène Lupin back to life? Recommence the struggle with that accursed scoundrel? Risk a fresh defeat and fresh ridicule? No, no, and again no!
"Those inquiries were made by my orders," said Valenglay. "And they led ?" "To nothing." "So that you do not know what I did during my captivity?" "Just so." "I will tell you, Monsieur le Président. It will not take me long." Don Luis pointed with a pencil to a spot in Morocco marked on the map. "It was here that I was taken prisoner on the twenty-fourth of July.
I was a sorcerer, a kind of marabout, a direct emissary of the Prophet." Valenglay laughed and said: "Their interpretation was not so very unreasonable, for, after all, you must have performed a sleight-of-hand trick which strikes me also as being little less than miraculous." "Monsieur le Président, do you know a curious short story of Balzac's called 'A Passion in the Desert?" "Yes."
Partly, but a kingdom all the same, with oases, wells, rivers, forests, and incalculable riches, a kingdom with ten million men and a hundred thousand warriors. This is the kingdom which I offer to France, Monsieur le Président du Conseil." Valenglay did not conceal his amazement.
She will be the scoundrel's seventh victim. And it will be your doing." Valenglay paused for a moment and then resumed: "According to you, contrary to all appearances, and contrary to the well-grounded suspicions of Monsieur le Préfet de Police, Florence Levasseur is innocent?" "Oh, absolutely, Monsieur le Président!" "And you believe her to be in danger of death?" "She is in danger of death."
At last some one entered, ushering in a second person. Don Luis recognized Valenglay and the Prefect of Police. "That's it," he thought. "I've got him." He saw this by the sort of vague sympathy perceptible on the old Premier's lean and bony face.
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