station."

"An official reception, eh? with music and fireworks! Oh! no, not for
me. That is not the way I do business," grumbled the Englishman.

This speech disconcerted Devanne, who replied, with a forced smile:

"Fortunately, the business has been greatly simplified since I wrote to
you."

"In what way?"

"The robbery took place last night."

"If you had not announced my intended visit, it is probable the robbery
would not have been committed last night."

"When, then?"

"To-morrow, or some other day."

"And in that case?"

"Lupin would have been trapped," said the detective.

"And my furniture?"

"Would not have been carried away."

"Ah! but my goods are here. They were brought back at three o'clock."

"By Lupin."

"By two army-wagons."

Sherlock Holmes put on his cap and adjusted his satchel. Devanne
exclaimed, anxiously:

"But, monsieur, what are you going to do?"

"I am going home."

"Why?"

"Your goods have been returned; Arsene Lupin is far away--there is
nothing for me to do."

"Yes, there is. I need your assistance. What happened yesterday, may
happen again to-morrow, as we do not know how he entered, or how he
escaped, or why, a few hours later, he returned the goods."

"Ah! you don't know--"

The idea of a problem to be solved quickened the interest of Sherlock
Holmes.

"Very well, let us make a search--at once--and alone, if possible."

Devanne understood, and conducted the Englishman to the salon. In a dry,
crisp voice, in sentences that seemed to have been prepared in advance,
Holmes asked a number of questions about the events of the preceding
evening, and enquired also concerning the guests and the members of the
household. Then he examined the two volumes of the "Chronique," compared
the plans of the subterranean passage, requested a repetition of the
sentences discovered by Father Gelis, and then asked:

"Was yesterday the first time you have spoken hose two sentences to any
one?"

"Yes."

"You had never communicated then to Horace Velmont?"

"No."

"Well, order the automobile. I must leave in an hour."

"In an hour?"

"Yes; within that time, Arsene Lupin solved the problem that you placed
before him."

"I.... placed before him--"

"Yes, Arsene Lupin or Horace Velmont--same thing."

"I thought so. Ah! the scoundrel!"

"Now, let us see," said Holmes, "last night at ten o'clock, you
furnished Lupin with the information that he lacked, and that he had