“No, no,” declared Prasville, “I assure you, it will pass without an incident of any kind.”
“Do your reports mention nothing at all suspicious, monsieur le secrétaire;-général?”
“Nothing. And they can’t mention anything, for the simple reason that we have Lupin.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes, we know his hiding-place. The house where he lives, on the Place de Clichy, and where he went at seven o’clock last night, is surrounded. Moreover, I know the scheme which he had contrived to save his two accomplices. The scheme miscarried at the last moment. We have nothing to fear, therefore. The law will take its course.”
Meanwhile, the hour had struck.
They took Vaucheray first; and the governor of the prison ordered the door of his cell to be opened. Vaucheray leapt out of bed and cast eyes dilated with terror upon the men who entered.
“Vaucheray, we have come to tell you....”
“Stow that, stow that,” he muttered. “No words. I know all about it. Get on with the business.”
One would have thought that he was in a hurry for it to be over as fast as possible, so readily did he submit to the usual preparations. But he would not allow any of them to speak to him: