From time to time,
through courtesy, Arsene Lupin would speak. One day he said:
"Yes, monsieur, le judge, I quite agree with you: the robbery of
the Credit Lyonnais, the theft in the rue de Babylone, the issue
of the counterfeit bank-notes, the burglaries at the various
chateaux, Armesnil, Gouret, Imblevain, Groseillers, Malaquis, all
my work, monsieur, I did it all."
"Then will you explain to me---"
"It is useless. I confess everything in a lump, everything and
even ten times more than you know nothing about."
Wearied by his fruitless task, the judge had suspended his
examinations, but he resumed them after the two intercepted
messages were brought to his attention; and regularly, at mid-day,
Arsene Lupin was taken from the prison to the Depot in the
prison-van with a certain number of other prisoners. They
returned about three or four o'clock.
Now, one afternoon, this return trip was made under unusual
conditions. The other prisoners not having been examined, it was
decided to take back Arsene Lupin first, thus he found himself
alone in the vehicle.
These prison-vans, vulgarly called "panniers a salade"--or salad-
baskets--are divided lengthwise by a central corridor from which
open ten compartments, five on either side.
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