“Faith, yes!” he said, affecting utter carelessness: “Alive. The fifth mark is not on a level with the ceiling of the grotto. Besides, if you imagine that one gets the better of me by little dodges of that kind—alive, my good Jodot! And Aurelie too. She’s well hidden, a long way from the grotto, and not even damp. So we can talk at our ease. But it won’t take long—five minutes at the most, and not a second longer. What do you say?” Jodot was silent, stupefied and terrorstricken. Ralph looked at his watch, and calmly and carelessly, without a sign that his heart was constricted by an indescribable anguish, he went on: “That’s where you stand. Your plan is useless. As long as Aurelie is not dead she inherits; and there’s no sale of the estate. If you murder her, and there is a sale, I am still here and I buy it. You must kill me too; and it can’t be done—invulnerable, you know. So you’re sold. There’s only one way out of it.” He paused; Jodot bent forward. There was a way out of it, then? “Yes: there’s one way out of it,” said Ralph again. “—to come to an understanding with me. Would you like to?” Jodot did not answer. He was crouching ten feet away from Ralph; and his blazing eyes were fixed on him in a feverish glare. “You don’t answer. But I see that your eyes are blazing like a wild beast’s. Do you think I make you an offer because I need you? I never need any one. But for the last fifteen or eighteen years you have been pursuing an object and were on the point of attaining it, which gives you certain rights, rights which you made up your mind to defend by any and every means, murder included. These rights I’m willing to buy from you, for I don’t want to be bothered and I don’t want Aurelie bothered either. One day or other you’d find a way of doing us a bad turn; and I don’t want it. How much do you want?” Jodot appeared to relax a little; he growled: “What’s your offer?” “It’s this,” said Ralph. “As you know, it isn’t a matter of a treasure of which every one can take his share, but a business proposition which will take a lot of developing and the profits——” “Will be considerable,” said Jodot. “I agree. And my offer is based on that fact—five thousand francs a month.” The ruffian started, dazzled by such a figure. “For both of us?” he gasped. “Five thousand for you—two thousand for William.” William could not contain himself; he almost shouted: “I accept!” “And you, Jodot?” “Perhaps. I must have a guarantee—and something in advance.” “How will a quarter’s advance suit you? I’ll meet you at three to-morrow, in Jande Square at Clermont-Ferrand, and give you a cheque.” “Yes: that’s all very well,” said the distrustful Jodot. “But I’ve got no assurance that to-morrow Baron de Limézy won’t have me arrested.” “That won’t happen because they’d arrest me at the same time.” “You?” “Rather! And it would be a more important capture than you suppose.” “Who are you?” “Arsène Lupin.”