The Crystal Stopper Part 28

"And did they discover nothing, find nothing?"

"Nothing, or hardly anything... Merely this."

"What is that?"

"A little piece of ivory, which they picked up on the ground. There was a fifth party in the car; and the portress saw him get down while the others were hoisting Daubrecq in. As he was stepping back into the car, he dropped something and picked it up again at once. But the thing, whatever it was, must have been broken on the pavement; for this is the bit of ivory which my men found."

"But how did the four men manage to enter the house?" asked Clarisse.

"By means of false keys, evidently, while the portress was doing her shopping, in the course of the afternoon; and they had no difficulty in secreting themselves, as Daubrecq keeps no other servants. I have every reason to believe that they hid in the room next door, which is the dining-room, and afterward attacked Daubrecq here, in the study. The disturbance of the furniture and other articles proves how violent the struggle was. We found a large-bore revolver, belonging to Daubrecq, on the carpet. One of the bullets had smashed the gla.s.s over the mantel-piece, as you see."

Clarisse turned to her companion for him to express an opinion. But M.

Nicole, with his eyes obstinately lowered, had not budged from his chair and sat fumbling at the rim of his hat, as though he had not yet found a proper place for it.

Prasville gave a smile. It was evident that he did not look upon Clarisse's adviser as a man of first-rate intelligence:

"The case is somewhat puzzling, monsieur," he said, "is it not?"

"Yes... yes," M. Nicole confessed, "most puzzling."

"Then you have no little theory of your own upon the matter?"

"Well, monsieur le secretaire-general, I'm thinking that Daubrecq has many enemies."

"Ah, capital!"

"And that several of those enemies, who are interested in his disappearance, must have banded themselves against him."

"Capital, capital!" said Prasville, with satirical approval. "Capital!

Everything is becoming clear as daylight. It only remains for you to furnish us with a little suggestion that will enable us to turn our search in the right direction."

"Don't you think, monsieur le secretaire-general, that this broken bit of ivory which was picked up on the ground..."

"No, M. Nicole, no. That bit of ivory belongs to something which we do not know and which its owner will at once make it his business to conceal. In order to trace the owner, we should at least be able to define the nature of the thing itself."

M. Nicole reflected and then began:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, when Napoleon I fell from power..."

"Oh, M. Nicole, oh, a lesson in French history!"

"Only a sentence, monsieur le secretaire-general, just one sentence which I will ask your leave to complete. When Napoleon I fell from power, the Restoration placed a certain number of officers on half-pay.

These officers were suspected by the authorities and kept under observation by the police. They remained faithful to the emperor's memory; and they contrived to reproduce the features of their idol on all sorts of objects of everyday use; snuff-boxes, rings, breast-pins, pen-knives and so on."

"Well?"

"Well, this bit comes from a walking-stick, or rather a sort of loaded cane, or life-preserver, the k.n.o.b of which is formed of a piece of carved ivory. When you look at the k.n.o.b in a certain way, you end by seeing that the outline represents the profile of the Little Corporal.

What you have in your hand, monsieur le secretaire-general, is a bit of the ivory k.n.o.b at the top of a half-pay officer's life-preserver."

"Yes," said Prasville, examining the exhibit, "yes, I can make out a profile... but I don't see the inference..."

"The inference is very simple. Among Daubrecq's victims, among those whose names are inscribed on the famous list, is the descendant of a Corsican family in Napoleon's service, which derived its wealth and t.i.tle from the emperor and was afterward ruined under the Restoration.

It is ten to one that this descendant, who was the leader of the Bonapartist party a few years ago, was the fifth person hiding in the motor-car. Need I state his name?"

"The Marquis d'Albufex?" said Prasville.

"The Marquis d'Albufex," said M. Nicole.

M. Nicole, who no longer seemed in the least worried with his hat, his glove and his umbrella, rose and said to Prasville:

"Monsieur le secretaire-general, I might have kept my discovery to myself, and not told you of it until after the final victory, that is, after bringing you the list of the Twenty-seven. But matters are urgent.

Daubrecq's disappearance, contrary to what his kidnappers expect, may hasten on the catastrophe which you wish to avert. We must therefore act with all speed. Monsieur le secretaire-general, I ask for your immediate and practical a.s.sistance."

"In what way can I help you?" asked Prasville, who was beginning to be impressed by his quaint visitor.

"By giving me, to-morrow, those particulars about the Marquis d'Albufex which it would take me personally several days to collect."

Prasville seemed to hesitate and turned his head toward Mme. Mergy.

Clarisse said:

"I beg of you to accept M. Nicole's services. He is an invaluable and devoted ally. I will answer for him as I would for myself."

"What particulars do you require, monsieur?" asked Prasville.

"Everything that concerns the Marquis d'Albufex: the position of his family, the way in which he spends his time, his family connections, the properties which he owns in Paris and in the country."

Prasville objected:

"After all, whether it's the marquis or another, Daubrecq's kidnapper is working on our behalf, seeing that, by capturing the list, he disarms Daubrecq."

"And who says, monsieur le secretaire-general, that he is not working on his own behalf?"

"That is not possible, as his name is on the list."

"And suppose he erases it? Suppose you then find yourself dealing with a second blackmailer, even more grasping and more powerful than the first and one who, as a political adversary, is in a better position than Daubrecq to maintain the contest?"

The secretary-general was struck by the argument. After a moment's thought, he said:

"Come and see me in my office at four o'clock tomorrow. I will give you the particulars. What is your address, in case I should want you?"

"M. Nicole, 25, Place de Clichy. I am staying at a friend's flat, which he has lent me during his absence."

The interview was at an end. M. Nicole thanked the secretary-general, with a very low bow, and walked out, accompanied by Mme. Mergy:

"That's an excellent piece of work," he said, outside, rubbing his hands. "I can march into the police-office whenever I like, and set the whole lot to work."

Mme. Mergy, who was less hopefully inclined, said: