The Hollow Needle Maurice Leblanc (good short books .txt) đ
- Author: Maurice Leblanc
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He stopped.
âYes, Beautrelet, there is somethingâ âthe sixth hiding-place! This one was intangible. Not one of them dared touch it. It was the very last resource, the nest-egg, the something put by for a rainy day. Look, Beautrelet!â
He stooped and lifted up the lid. An iron box filled the bowl. Lupin took from his pocket a key with a complicated bit and wards and opened the box.
A dazzling sight presented itself. Every sort of precious stone sparkled there, every color gleamed, the blue of the sapphires, the red of the rubies, the green of the emeralds, the yellow of the topazes.
âLook, look, little Beautrelet! They have squandered all the cash, all the gold, all the silver, all the crown pieces and all the ducats and all the doubloons; but the chest with the jewels has remained intact. Look at the settings. They belong to every period, to every century, to every country. The dowries of the queens are here. Each brought her share: Margaret of Scotland and Charlotte of Savoy; duchesses of Austria: ĂlĂ©onore, Ălisabeth, Marie-ThĂ©rĂšse, Mary of England and Catherine de MĂ©dicis; and all the arch-Marie Antoinette. Look at those pearls, Beautrelet! And those diamonds: look at the size of the diamonds! Not one of them but is worthy of an empress! The Pitt Diamond is no finer!â
He rose to his feet and held up his hand as one taking an oath:
âBeautrelet, you shall tell the world that Lupin has not taken a single one of the stones that were in the royal chest, not a single one, I swear it on my honor! I had no right to. They are the fortune of France.â
Below them, Ganimard was making all speed. It was easy to judge by the reverberation of the blows that his men were attacking the last door but one, the door that gave access to the knicknack-room.
âLet us leave the chest open,â said Lupin, âand all the cavities, too, all those little empty graves.â
He went round the room, examined some of the glass cases, gazed at some of the pictures and, as he walked, said, pensively:
âHow sad it is to leave all this! What a wrench! The happiest hours of my life have been spent here, alone, in the presence of these objects which I loved. And my eyes will never behold them again and my hands will never touch them againâ ââ
His drawn face bore such an expression of lassitude upon it that Beautrelet felt a vague sort of pity for him. Sorrow in that man must assume larger proportions than in another, even as joy did, or pride, or humiliation. He was now standing by the window, and, with his finger pointing to the horizon, said:
âWhat is sadder still is that I must abandon that, all that! How beautiful it is! The boundless seaâ âthe sky.â âOn either side, the cliffs of Ătretat with their three natural archways: the Porte dâArmont, the Porte dâAval, the Manneporteâ âso many triumphal arches for the master. And the master was I! I was the king of the story, the king of fairyland, the king of the Hollow Needle! A strange and supernatural kingdom! From Caesar to Lupin: what a destiny!â He burst out laughing. âKing of fairyland! Why not say King of Yvetot at once? What nonsense! King of the world, yes, thatâs more like it! From this topmost point of the Needle, I ruled the globe! I held it in my claws like a prey! Lift the tiara of Saitapharnes, Beautrelet.â âYou see those two telephones? The one on the right communicates with Paris: a private line; the one on the left with London: a private line. Through London, I am in touch with America, Asia, Australia, South Africa. In all those continents, I have my offices, my agents, my jackals, my scouts! I drive an international trade. I hold the great market in art and antiquities, the worldâs fair! Ah, Beautrelet, there are moments when my power turns my head! I feel intoxicated with strength and authority.â
The door gave way below. They heard Ganimard and his men running about and searching.
After a moment, Lupin continued, in a low voice:
âAnd now itâs over. A little girl crossed my path, a girl with soft hair and wistful eyes and an honest, yes, an honest soulâ âand itâs over. I myself am demolishing the mighty edifice.â âAll the rest seems absurd and childish to meâ ânothing counts but her hairâ âand her wistful eyesâ âand her honest little soulâ ââ
The men came up the staircase. A blow shook the door, the last doorâ â
Lupin seized the boy sharply by the arm:
âDo you understand, Beautrelet, why I let you have things your own way when I could have crushed you, time after time, weeks ago? Do you understand how you succeeded in getting as far as this? Do you understand that I had given each of my men his share of the plunder when you met them the other night on the cliff? You do understand, donât you? The Hollow Needle is the great adventure. As long as it belongs to me, I remain the great adventurer. Once the Needle is recaptured, it means that the past and I are parted and that the future begins, a future of peace and happiness, in which I shall have no occasion to blush when Raymondeâs eyes are turned upon me, a futureâ ââ
He turned furiously toward the door:
âStop that noise, Ganimard, will you? I havenât finished my speech!â
The blows came faster. It was like the sound of a beam that was being hurled against
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