"I did not receive these particulars until later. The prince--let us call him Prince Dash--has disappeared. He is abroad, on other business." "And, if he does not return . . ." "The position which he occupies, the manner in which he has flung himself into the Kesselbach case, necessitate his return and under the same name." "Nevertheless . . ." "Monsieur le Président, I come to my second trump. I have at last discovered Pierre Leduc." "Nonsense!" "Or rather Lupin discovered him, and before disappearing, settled him in a little villa in the neighborhood of Paris." "By Jove! But how did you know . . ." "Oh, easily! Lupin has placed two of his accomplices with Pierre Leduc, to watch him and defend him. Now these accomplices are two of my own detectives, two brothers whom I employ in the greatest secrecy and who will hand him over to me at the first opportunity!" "Well done you! So that . . ." "So that, as Pierre Leduc, we may say, is the central point of the efforts of all those who are trying to solve the famous Kesselbach secret, I shall, sooner or later, through Pierre Leduc, catch, first, the author of the treble murder, because that miscreant substituted himself for Mr. Kesselbach in the accomplishment of an immense scheme and because Mr. Kesselbach had to find Pierre Leduc in order to be able to accomplish that scheme; and, secondly, Arsène Lupin, because Arsène Lupin is pursuing the same object." "Splendid! Pierre Leduc is the bait which you are throwing to the enemy." "And the fish is biting, Monsieur le Président. I have just had word that a suspicious person was seen, a short time ago, prowling round the little villa where Pierre Leduc is living under the protection of my officers. I shall be on the spot in four hours." "And the third trump, Lenormand?" "Monsieur le Président, a letter arrived yesterday, addressed to Mr. Rudolf Kesselbach, which I intercepted. . . ." "Intercepted, eh? You're getting on!" "Yes, I intercepted it, opened it and kept it for myself. Here it is. It is dated two months back. It bears the Capetown postmark and contains these words: 'My dear Rudolf, I shall be in Paris on the 1st of June and in just as wretched a plight as when you came to my assistance. But I have great hopes of this Pierre Leduc affair of which I told you. What a strange story it is! Have you found the man I mean? Where do we stand? I am most anxious to know.' The letter is signed, 'Steinweg.' The first of June," continued M. Lenormand, "is to-day. I have ordered one of my inspectors to hunt me out this Steinweg. I have no doubt that he will succeed." "Nor I, no doubt at all," cried Valenglay, rising from his chair, "and I make you every apology, my dear Lenormand, and my humble confession: I was on the point of letting you slide . . . for good and all! To-morrow I was expecting the prefect of police and M. Weber." "I knew that, Monsieur le Président." "Impossible!"