Daubrecq paused. He had delivered his speech with the evident satisfaction of a man entitled to claim the appreciation of the most captious critics.
As Lupin did not speak, he took out his watch: “I say! Only twenty-three minutes! How time flies! At this rate, we sha’n’t have time to come to an explanation.” And, stepping still closer to Lupin, “I’m bound to say, I’m disappointed. I thought that Lupin was a different sort of gentleman. So, the moment he meets a more or less serious adversary, the colossus falls to pieces? Poor young man! Have a glass of water, to bring you round!” Lupin did not utter a word, did not betray a gesture of irritation. With absolute composure, with a precision of movement that showed his perfect self-control and the clear plan of conduct which he had adopted, he gently pushed Daubrecq aside, went to the table and, in his turn, took down the receiver of the telephone:
“I want 565.34, please,” he said.
He waited until he was through; and then, speaking in a slow voice and picking out every syllable, he said:
“Hullo!.... Rue Chateaubriand?... Is that you, Achille?... Yes, it’s the governor. Listen to me carefully, Achille.... You must leave the flat! Hullo!... Yes, at once. The police are coming in a few minutes. No, no, don’t lose your head.... You’ve got time. Only, do what I tell you. Is your bag still packed?... Good. And is one of the sides empty, as I told you?... Good. Well, go to my bedroom and stand with your face to the chimney-piece. Press with your left hand on the little carved rosette in front of the marble slab, in the middle, and with your right hand on the top of the mantel-shelf. You’ll see a sort of drawer, with two little boxes in it. Be careful. One of them contains all our papers; the other, bank-notes and jewellery. Put them both in the empty compartment of the bag. Take the bag in your hand and go as fast as you can, on foot, to the corner of the Avenue Victor-Hugo and the Avenue de Montespan. You’ll find the car waiting, with Victoire. I’ll join you there.... What?... My clothes? My knick-knacks?... Never mind about all that.... You be off. See you presently.”
Lupin quietly pushed away the telephone. Then, taking Daubrecq by the arm, he made him sit in a chair by his side and said:
“And now listen to me, Daubrecq.”
“Oho!” grinned the deputy. “Calling each other by our surnames, are we?”
“Yes,” said Lupin, “I allowed you to.” And, when Daubrecq released his arm with a certain misgiving, he said, “No, don’t be afraid. We sha’n’t come to blows. Neither of us has anything to gain by doing away with the other. A stab with a knife? What’s the good? No, sir! Words, nothing but words. Words that strike home, though. Here are mine: they are plain and to the point. Answer me in the same way, without reflecting: that’s far better. The boy?”
“I have him.”