All my
youthful savings! And do you know why? To devote the money to
charity! I am giving you a straight story. She wanted it for some
poor people she was assisting--unknown to her husband. And my hard-
earned money was wormed out of me by that silly pretense! Isn't it
amusing, hein? Arsene Lupin done out of fifteen hundred francs by
the fair lady from whom he stole four millions in counterfeit
bonds! And what a vast amount of time and patience and cunning I
expended to achieve that result! It was the first time in my life
that I was played for a fool, and I frankly confess that I was
fooled that time to the queen's taste!"
VIII. THE BLACK PEARL
A violent ringing of the bell awakened the concierge of number
nine, avenue Hoche. She pulled the doorstring, grumbling:
"I thought everybody was in. It must be three o'clock!"
"Perhaps it is some one for the doctor," muttered her husband.
"Third floor, left. But the doctor won't go out at night."
"He must go to-night."
The visitor entered the vestibule, ascended to the first floor, the
second, the third, and, without stopping at the doctor's door, he
continued to the fifth floor.
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