ld have been seen going
out that way ... by the house ... whereas he's strolling in the
orchard."

Mother Goussot, all of a heap, suggested:

"The little door at the end, down there?..."

"The key never leaves me."

"But you showed it to him."

"Yes; and I took it back again.... Look, here it is."

He clapped his hand to his pocket and uttered a cry:

"Oh, dash it all, it's gone!... He's sneaked it!..."

He at once rushed away, followed and escorted by his sons and a number
of the villagers.

When they were halfway down the orchard, they heard the throb of a
motor-car, obviously the one belonging to the stranger, who had given
orders to his chauffeur to wait for him at that lower entrance.

When the Goussots reached the door, they saw scrawled with a brick, on
the worm-eaten panel, the two words:

"ARSENE LUPIN."

* * * * *

Stick to it as the angry Goussots might, they found it impossible to
prove that old Trainard had stolen any money. Twenty persons had to bear
witness that, when all was said, nothing was discovered on his person.
He escaped with a few months' imprisonment for the assault.

He did not regret them. As soon as he was released, he was secretly
informed that, every quarter, on a given date, at a given hour, under a
given milestone on a given road, he would find three gold louis.

To a man like old Trainard that means wealth.

X

EDITH SWAN-NECK

"Arsene Lupin, what's your real opinion of Inspector Ganimard?"

"A very high one, my dear fellow."

"A very high one? Then why do you never miss a chance of turning him
into ridicule?"

"It's a bad habit; and I'm sorry for it. But what can I say? It's the
way of the world. Here's a decent detective-chap, here's a whole pack of
decent men, who stand for law and order, who protect us against the
apaches, who risk their lives for honest people like you and me; and we
have nothing to give them in return but flouts and gibes. It's
preposterous!"

"Bravo, Lupin! you're talking like a respectable ratepayer!"

"What else am I? I may have peculiar views about other people's
property; but I assure you that it's very different when my own's at
stake. By Jove, it doesn't do to lay hands on what belongs to me! Then
I'm out for blood! Aha! It's _my_ pocket, _my_ money, _my_ watch ...
hands off! I have the soul of a conservative, my dear fellow, the
instincts of a retired trades