always the same men, watched Gilbert and Vaucheray, day and night, and
never let them out of their sight.

Lupin, at this time, had not yet promoted himself to the crowning honour
of his career, the post of chief of the detective-service, [*] and,
consequently, was not able to take steps at the Law Courts to insure the
execution of his plans. After a fortnight of fruitless endeavours, he
was obliged to bow.

* See 813, by Maurice Leblanc, translated by Alexander
Teixeira de Mattos.

He did so with a raging heart and a growing sense of anxiety.

"The difficult part of a business," he often says, "is not the finish,
but the start."

Where was he to start in the present circumstances? What road was he to
follow?

His thoughts recurred to Daubrecq the deputy, the original owner of the
crystal stopper, who probably knew its importance. On the other hand,
how was Gilbert aware of the doings and mode of life of Daubrecq the
deputy? What means had he employed to keep him under observation? Who
had told him of the place where Daubrecq spent the evening of that day?
These were all interesting questions to solve.

Daubrecq had moved to his winter quarters in Paris immediately after the
burglary at the Villa Marie-Therese and was now living in his own house,
on the left-hand side of the little Square Lamartine that opens out at
the end of the Avenue Victor-Hugo.

First disguising himself as an old gentleman of private means, strolling
about, cane in hand, Lupin spent his time in the neighbourhood, on the
benches of the square and the avenue. He made a discovery on the first
day. Two men, dressed as workmen, but behaving in a manner that left no
doubt as to their aims, were watching the deputy's house. When Daubrecq
went out, they set off in pursuit of him; and they were immediately
behind him when he came home again. At night, as soon as the lights were
out, they went away.

Lupin shadowed them in his turn. They were detective-officers.

"Hullo, hullo!" he said to himself. "This is hardly what I expected. So
the Daubrecq bird is under suspicion?"

But, on the fourth day, at nightfall, the two men were joined by six
others, who conversed with them in the darkest part of the Square
Lamartine. And, among these new arrivals, Lupin was vastly astonished
to recognize, by his figure and bearing, the famous Prasville, the
erstwhile barrister, sportsman and explorer, now favourite at the
Elysee, who, for some myster