“Shall I write Arsène?” said Charolais, in a horrified tone. “Why not?” said Lupin. “It’s your charming name, isn’t it?” Bonavent pricked up his ears, and looked at Charolais with a new interest. Charolais shrugged his shoulders, finished the letter, blotted it, put it in an envelope, addressed it, and handed it to Lupin. “Take this to Mademoiselle Gournay-Martin,” said Lupin, handing it to Bonavent. Bonavent took the letter, turned, and had taken one step towards the door when Lupin sprang. His arm went round the detective’s neck; he jerked him backwards off his feet, scragging him. “Stir, and I’ll break your neck!” he cried in a terrible voice; and then he said quietly to Charolais, “Just take my pocket-book out of this fellow’s tunic.” Charolais, with deft fingers, ripped open the detective’s tunic, and took out the pocket-book. “This is what they call Jiu-jitsu, old chap! You’ll be able to teach it to your colleagues,” said Lupin. He loosed his grip on Bonavent, and knocked him straight with a thump in the back, and sent him flying across the room. Then he took the pocket-book from Charolais and made sure that its contents were untouched. “Tell your master from me that if he wants to bring me down he’d better fire the gun himself,” said Lupin contemptuously. “Show the gentleman out, Charolais.” Bonavent staggered to the door, paused, and turned on Lupin a face livid with fury. “He will be here himself in ten minutes,” he said. “Many thanks for the information,” said Lupin quietly. CHAPTER XXII THE BARGAIN Charolais conducted the detective down the stairs and let him out of the front door, cursing and threatening vengeance as he went. Charolais took no notice of his words—he was the well-trained servant. He came back upstairs, and on the landing called to Victoire and Bernard. They came hurrying down; and the three of them went into the smoking-room. “Now we know where we are,” said Lupin, with cheerful briskness. “Guerchard will be here in ten minutes with a warrant for my arrest. All of you clear out.” “It won’t be so precious easy. The house is watched,” said Charolais. “And I’ll bet it’s watched back and front.” “Well, slip out by the secret entrance. They haven’t found that yet,” said Lupin. “And meet me at the house at Passy.” Charolais and Bernard wanted no more telling; they ran to the book-case and pressed the buttons; the book-case slid aside; the doors opened and disclosed the lift. They stepped into it. Victoire had followed them. She paused and said: “And you? Are you coming?” “In an instant I shall slip out the same way,” he said. “I’ll wait for him. You go on,” said Victoire; and the lift went down. Lupin went to the telephone, rang the bell, and put the receiver to his ear. “You’ve no time to waste telephoning. They may be here at any moment!” cried Victoire anxiously.