But the surprising
revelation caused me considerable embarrassment. Lupin! My club
companion was none other than Arsene Lupin. I could not realize
it. But he said, quite at his ease:
"You can say farewell to Jean Daspry."
"Ah!"
"Yes, Jean Daspry is going on a long journey. I shall send him to
Morocco. There, he may find a death worthy of him. I may say that
that is his expectation."
"But Arsene Lupin will remain?"
"Oh! Decidedly. Arsene Lupin is simply at the threshold of his
career, and he expects---"
I was impelled by curiosity to interrupt him, and, leading him away
from the hearing of Madame Andermatt, I asked:
"Did you discover the smaller safe yourself--the one that held the
letters?"
"Yes, after a great deal of trouble. I found it yesterday
afternoon while you were asleep. And yet, God knows it was simple
enough! But the simplest things are the ones that usually escape
our notice." Then, showing me the seven-of-hearts, he added: "Of
course I had guessed that, in order to open the larger safe, this
card must be placed on the sword of the mosaic king."
"How did you guess that?"
"Quite easily. Through private information, I knew that fact when
I came here on the evening of 22 June---"
"After you left me---"
"Yes, after turning the subject of our conversation to stories of
crime and robbery which were sure to reduce you to such a nervous
condition that you would not leave your bed, but would allow me to
complete my search uninterrupted.
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