He himself spent forty-eight hours at the castle, but
met with no success. Then he sent for Ganimard, whose past
services had proved so useful when all else failed.
Ganimard listened, in silence, to the instructions of his
superior; then, shaking his head, he said:
"In my opinion, it is useless to ransack the castle. The solution
of the problem lies elsewhere."
"Where, then?"
"With Arsene Lupin."
"With Arsene Lupin! To support that theory, we must admit his
intervention."
"I do admit it. In fact, I consider it quite certain."
"Come, Ganimard, that is absurd. Arsene Lupin is in prison."
"I grant you that Arsene Lupin is in prison, closely guarded; but
he must have fetters on his feet, manacles on his wrists, and gag
in his mouth before I change my opinion."
"Why so obstinate, Ganimard?"
"Because Arsene Lupin is the only man in France of sufficient
calibre to invent and carry out a scheme of that magnitude."
"Mere words, Ganimard."
"But true ones. Look! What are they doing? Searching for
subterranean passages, stones swinging on pivots, and other nonsense
of that kind. But Lupin doesn't employ such old-fashioned methods.
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