MEMOIRS OF ARSÈNE LUPIN _By the Same Author_ THE WOMAN OF MYSTERY THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THE SECRET OF SAREK EYES OF INNOCENCE THE THREE EYES THE EIGHT STROKES OF THE CLOCK THE TREMENDOUS EVENT THE SECRET TOMB [Illustration: “Yes,” declared Ralph, “He’s murdered Bridget Rousselin.”] MEMOIRS OF ARSÈNE LUPIN BY MAURICE LE BLANC _Frontispiece by_ GEORGE W. GAGE NEW YORK THE MACAULAY COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1925, BY THE MACAULAY COMPANY _Printed in the United States of America_ PREFACE This is the story of the first adventure of Arsène Lupin, and undoubtedly it would have been published before the stories of the others if he had not so often and so resolutely opposed it. “No,” he would say, “there are one or two little matters yet to be settled between the Countess of Cagliostro and me. We must wait.” The waiting lasted longer than he foresaw. More than a quarter of a century passed before the final settlement; and only to-day am I permitted to relate the frightful duel of love and hate which brought a boy of twenty to grips with Cagliostro’s daughter. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I ARSÈNE LUPIN AT TWENTY 11 II JOSEPHINE BALSAMO BORN IN 1788 30 III A TRIBUNAL OF THE INQUISITION 46 IV THE SINKING BOAT 66 V ONE OF THE SEVEN BRANCHES 84 VI DETECTIVES AND POLICEMEN 102 VII THE DELIGHTS OF CAPUA 123 VIII TWO WILLS 143 IX THE TARPEIAN ROCK 166 X THE MUTILATED HAND 189 XI THE OLD LIGHTHOUSE 209 XII MADNESS AND GENIUS 229 XIII THE STRONG-BOX OF THE MONKS 259 XIV THE INFERNAL CREATURE 282 EPILOGUE 312 MEMOIRS OF ARSÈNE LUPIN MEMOIRS OF ARSÈNE LUPIN CHAPTER I. ARSÈNE LUPIN AT TWENTY Ralph d’Andresy extinguished the lamp, and thrust his bicycle behind a bank. At that moment the clock of Benouville struck three. In the deep shadow of the night he followed the lane which led to the estate of La Haie d’Etigues and so came to the wall which ran round it. He waited a little--the sound of horses pawing the ground, of wheels which rang on the pavement of the court-yard, the sound of harness bells. Then the two leaves of the big door were thrown open and a carriage passed out. It passed so quickly that Ralph barely caught the sound of men’s voices and perceived the barrel of a gun before the vehicle reached the high road and took the way to Etretat. “Come,” said he. “Shooting gulls is an attractive sport and the rock where they shoot them is a long way off. At last I’m going to know the meaning of this improvised shooting-party and of all these odd comings and goings.”