"Nevertheless . . ."
"Monsieur le Président, I come to my second trump. I have at last discovered Pierre Leduc."
"Nonsense!"
"Or rather Lupin discovered him, and before disappearing, settled him in a little villa in the neighborhood of Paris."
"By Jove! But how did you know . . ."
"Oh, easily! Lupin has placed two of his accomplices with Pierre Leduc, to watch him and defend him. Now these accomplices are two of my own detectives, two brothers whom I employ in the greatest secrecy and who will hand him over to me at the first opportunity!"
"Well done you! So that . . ."
"So that, as Pierre Leduc, we may say, is the central point of the efforts of all those who are trying to solve the famous Kesselbach secret, I shall, sooner or later, through Pierre Leduc, catch, first, the author of the treble murder, because that miscreant substituted himself for Mr. Kesselbach in the accomplishment of an immense scheme and because Mr. Kesselbach had to find Pierre Leduc in order to be able to accomplish that scheme; and, secondly, Arsène Lupin, because Arsène Lupin is pursuing the same object."
"Splendid! Pierre Leduc is the bait which you are throwing to the enemy."
"And the fish is biting, Monsieur le Président. I have just had word that a suspicious person was seen, a short time ago, prowling round the little villa where Pierre Leduc is living under the protection of my officers. I shall be on the spot in four hours."