The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar | Page 3

question indicated that the
others present also viewed the situation with a feeling of sudden alarm. However, the idea
was an absurd one, because the gentleman in question presented an air of the most perfect
innocence.
"Why do I not answer?" he said. "Because, considering my name, my position as a
solitary traveler and the color of my hair, I have already reached the same conclusion,
and now think that I should be arrested."
He presented a strange appearance as he uttered these words. His thin lips were drawn
closer than usual and his face was ghastly pale, whilst his eyes were streaked with blood.
Of course, he was joking, yet his appearance and attitude impressed us strangely.
"But you have not the wound?" said Miss Nelly, naively.
"That is true," he replied, "I lack the wound."
Then he pulled up his sleeve, removing his cuff, and showed us his arm. But that action
did not deceive me. He had shown us his left arm, and I was on the point of calling his
attention to the fact, when another incident diverted our attention. Lady Jerland, Miss
Nelly's friend, came running towards us in a state of great excitement, exclaiming:
"My jewels, my pearls! Some one has stolen them all!"

No, they were not all gone, as we soon found out. The thief had taken only part of them; a
very curious thing. Of the diamond sunbursts, jeweled pendants, bracelets and necklaces,
the thief had taken, not the largest but the finest and most valuable stones. The mountings
were lying upon the table. I saw them there, despoiled of their jewels, like flowers from
which the beautiful colored petals had been ruthlessly plucked. And this theft must have
been committed at the time Lady Jerland was taking her tea; in broad daylight, in
stateroom opening on a much frequented corridor; moreover, the thief had been obliged
to force open the door of the stateroom, search for the jewel-case, which was hidden at
the bottom of a hat-box, open it, select his booty and remove it from the mountings.
Of course, all the passengers instantly reached the same conclusion; it was the work of
Arsène Lupin.
That day, at the dinner table, the seats to the right and left of Rozaine remained vacant;
and, during the evening, it was rumored that the captain had placed him under arrest,
which information produced a feeling of safety and relief. We breathed once more. That
evening, we resumed our games and dances. Miss Nelly, especially, displayed a spirit of
thoughtless gayety which convinced me that if Rozaine's attentions had been agreeable to
her in the beginning, she had already forgotten them. Her charm and good-humor
completed my conquest. At midnight, under a bright moon, I declared my devotion with
an ardor that did not seem to displease her.
But, next day, to our general amazement, Rozaine was at liberty. We learned that the
evidence against him was not sufficient. He had produced documents that were perfectly
regular, which showed that he was the son of a wealthy merchant of Bordeaux. Besides,
his arms did not bear the slightest trace of a wound.
"Documents! Certificates of birth!" exclaimed the enemies of Rozaine, "of course,
Arsène Lupin will furnish you as many as you desire. And as to the wound, he never had
it, or he has removed it."
Then it was proven that, at the time of the theft, Rozaine was promenading on the deck.
To which fact, his enemies replied that a man like Arsène Lupin could commit a crime
without being actually present. And then, apart from all other circumstances, there
remained one point which even the most skeptical could not answer: Who except Rozaine,
was traveling alone, was a blonde, and bore a name beginning with R? To whom did the
telegram point, if it were not Rozaine?
And when Rozaine, a few minutes before breakfast, came boldly toward our group, Miss
Nelly and Lady Jerland arose and walked away.
An hour later, a manuscript circular was passed from hand to hand amongst the sailors,
the stewards, and the passengers of all classes. It announced that Mon. Louis Rozaine
offered a reward of ten thousand francs for the discovery of Arsène Lupin or other person
in possession of the stolen jewels.
"And if no one assists me, I will unmask the scoundrel myself," declared Rozaine.

Rozaine against Arsène Lupin, or rather, according to current opinion, Arsène Lupin
himself against Arsène Lupin; the contest promised to be interesting.
Nothing developed during the next two days. We saw Rozaine wandering about, day and
night, searching, questioning, investigating. The captain, also, displayed commendable
activity. He caused the vessel to be searched from stern to stern; ransacked every
stateroom under the plausible theory that the jewels might be