Delphi Collected Works of Maurice Leblanc (Illustrated) (Delphi Series Nine Book 17) Read online

  The Collected Works of

  MAURICE LEBLANC

  (1864-1941)

  Contents

  The Arsène Lupin Works

  The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar

  Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes

  Arsène Lupin by Edgar Jepson

  The Hollow Needle

  813

  The Crystal Stopper

  The Confessions of Arsène Lupin

  The Shell Shard

  The Golden Triangle

  The Island of Thirty Coffins

  The Teeth of the Tiger

  The Secret Tomb

  The Eight Strokes of the Clock

  Other Novels

  The Frontier

  The Three Eyes

  The Tremendous Event

  The Eyes of Innocence

  The Short Stories

  List of Short Stories in Chronological Order

  List of Short Stories in Alphabetical Order

  The Delphi Classics Catalogue

  © Delphi Classics 2018

  Version 1

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  The Collected Works of

  MAURICE LEBLANC

  with introductions by Gill Rossini

  www.gillrossini.com

  By Delphi Classics, 2018

  COPYRIGHT

  Collected Works of Maurice Leblanc

  First published in the United Kingdom in 2018 by Delphi Classics.

  © Delphi Classics, 2018.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

  ISBN: 978 1 78656 113 8

  Delphi Classics

  is an imprint of

  Delphi Publishing Ltd

  Hastings, East Sussex

  United Kingdom

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  The Arsène Lupin Works

  Rouen, Normandy — Leblanc’s birthplace

  Rue Saint-Romain in Rouen, c. 1860

  The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar

  Translated by George Morehead

  This collection of eight stories features the debut of Arsène Lupin, the French ‘gentleman-cambrioleur (burglar).’ The book was released on 10 June 1907 and sales undoubtedly benefited from the ‘Holmes mania’ that was sweeping France at the time. However, all the tales had previously been published in the then new French magazine, Je Sais Tout, the first appearing on 15 July 1905, with the magazine promoting the character as ‘the famous Arsène Lupin … the mysterious burglar whose exploits had been the subject of newspaper stories for months … the man of a thousand disguises….[Lupin’s] creator legitimately enjoys the glory of being France’s answer to Arthur Conan Doyle.’ Such was the determination to link Leblanc and Doyle and their fictional alter egos, that a photograph appeared in the journal Femina showing the very room in which, as the journalist put it, ‘the French Conan Doyle’ wrote his Lupin stories. In the end, all things are cyclical – Lupin himself has been suggested as the inspiration for a later ‘loveable rogue’ character, Simon Templar, ‘The Saint’, created by Leslie Charteris.

  The second story, Arsène Lupin in Prison, is set in Rouen, the town of Leblanc’s birth and the fortress in which the Baron lives may well have been inspired by images of how the moated castle at Rouen may have looked had it not been dismantled (only the keep is left).

  Leblanc was forty-one years old when he was commissioned to write the first Lupin story and had spent most of his adult life crafting a career as a writer after dropping out of law school. He was known best as a regular writer of short stories for magazines, his longer works were regarded as well written, but somewhat lacking in popular appeal. Arsène Lupin is often seen as not just a homage to Sherlock Holmes (first published 1887), but an attempt to ‘kick-start’ the readership of the new magazine by creating a character of equal charisma, who would encourage repeat purchases to find out what his next adventure would be. Another influence on Leblanc may have been the French anarchist Alexandre ‘Marius’ Jacob, a burglar with a “loveable rogue” persona, whose trial was held in March 1905; it is not thought that the English language stories of “Raffles”, another gentleman thief, written by E. W. Hornung, were an inspiration for Leblanc, as he had never encountered them. There is, however, a tenuous link between Raffles and Lupin; in 1909, the Era journal (14 August) reported that publishers Mills and Boon Ltd were to publish a romantic novel with a hero based on the character of Lupin, written by Leblanc and E. Jephson. The novel was based on the play by the same co-authors, entitled Arsène Lupin. In the stage version, Lupin was played by Gerald du Maurier (father of novelist Daphne du Maurier), who had previously played the part of Raffles on stage. E. W. Hornung, the creator of Raffles (1899 onwards), was the brother-in-law of Doyle; the tendrils of association are as complex as a Lupin plot. In October 1908 in France, another play, Arsène Lupin opened at le Théâtre de l’Athénée in Paris. André Brulé played Lupin and continued to do so until his death in 1953, presumably without fear of typecasting.

  The first story of the collection, ‘The Arrest of Arsène Lupin’ (‘L’Arrestation d’Arsène Lupin’), was originally published in Je sais tout, No. 6, on 15 July 1905. Narrated by Monsieur d’Andrézy, the story opens as the transatlantic steamer, La Provence, is nearing the end of her journey. On board, as is often the way when a group of strangers are confined during their travels on a vessel or train, a pleasant camaraderie has developed, until the calm is interrupted two days into the voyage by a wireless telegraph message informing the captain that Arsène Lupin, a notorious thief and ‘eccentric gentleman who operates only in the chateaux and salons’ is on board. We learn that Lupin is in the first cabin and has a wound on his arm. Lupin’s exploits become the talk of the passenger decks. We learn that his arch-rival is Detective Ganimard of the French police and that Lupin is a master of disguise: ‘in turn a chauffeur, detective, bookmaker, Russian physician, Spanish bull-fighter, commercial traveller, robust youth, or decrepit old man’. D’Andrezy and the young woman who is the darling of the ship’s social scene, Miss Nelly, join in the hunt. Meanwhile, some precious gems are stolen from their settings and the ‘Lupin Mania’ reaches fever pitch, with accusations flying…

  The next adventure, Arsène Lupin in Prison (Arsène Lupin en prison) was first published in Je sais tout, No. 11, on 15 December 1905. Lupin is indeed in prison at this point, but still intimidating and controlling the outside world from his cell in La Sante Prison. The wealthy and reclusive Baron Cahorn is therefore astonished and somewhat frightened to receive a letter from Lupin, demanding that the Baron send certain valuable works of art from his home, the Castle of Malaquis, to him, otherwise Lupin will come and take them anyway.

  By sheer chance (or is it?), Cahorn finds out that Lupin’s would-be nemesis, Ganimard, is on holiday nearby and he appeals
to the detective for help hiring him and two other men to guard the works of art on the day Lupin has named for the robbery. Needless to say, despite their every effort to guard the castle, the burglary successfully takes place. Baffled, humiliated and infuriated, Ganimard goes to La Sante Prison to confront the ever urbane and wily Lupin…

  The Escape of Arsène Lupin (L’Évasion d’Arsène Lupin) was published first in Je sais tout, No. 12, 15 January 1906. Lupin seems to be treating his stay in prison as a holiday, eating heartily, exercising gently, smoking cigars and sending threatening letters to reporters. Inspectors Dieuzy and Folenfant are detailed to search Lupin’s cell to find out how the burglar is communicating with his associates on the outside. A message is found in a cigar in the table drawer and the Inspectors try to lay a trap to catch out Lupin and apprehend his accomplices. So follows a complex game of escapes, lookalikes and duping of the authorities whilst all the time, Lupin retains his calm and amused exterior…

  Three more stories follow: The Mysterious Traveller (Le Mystérieux voyageur) from Je sais tout, No. 13, 15 February 1906; The Queen’s Necklace (Le Collier de la reine) from Je sais tout, No. 15, 15 April 1906; and The Safe of Madame Imbert (Le Coffre-fort de madame Imbert) published in Je sais tout, No. 16, 15 May 1906.

  The next adventure is Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late (Sherlock Holmès arrive trop tard) was first published in Je sais tout, No. 17, 15 June 1906. Lupin’s English rival began as Sherlock Holmes, but was changed to the marginally less obvious Herlock Sholmès later on, as Doyle objected to the use of his detective’s name without his consent (for a longer introduction to the relationship between Leblanc and Holmes, see the introduction to Arsène Lupin meets Herlock Sholmes). In this story, Lupin and Holmes are men of equal intelligence, although that gift is expressed in somewhat different ways. This story opens with a aristocratic scene, in the grand dining hall of the Château de Thibermesnil, as a group of men – an artist named Horace Velmont, a priest, a dozen soldiers and the chateau’s owner, Georges Devanne, spend a convivial evening together. Speculation is rife about the whereabouts of Arsène Lupin, whom it is believed is in their area and may burgle the chateau. Devanne reveals that the famous Sherlock Holmes will arrive the following day and the English detective has declared himself ‘ready and anxious to enter the lists with Arsène Lupin’, who not only robbed the Cahorn art treasures locally, but burgled properties at Montigny, Gruchet and Crasville. There is speculation as to how Lupin will enter the castle — perhaps by the secret passage into the round tower, which is a matter of local legend. Nothing can deter Lupin, however, and he goes ahead with his burglary, but is stunned to meet again a certain beautiful woman that had stolen his heart on a transatlantic liner. The next day, the chateau is in uproar, with police, locals and servants filling every space as the investigation begins. Only one person is missing – Sherlock Holmes, Esq., who has arrived too late to prevent the robbery. Can he now pursue and apprehend the culprit, Arsène Lupin?

  Two more stories finish the collection: The Black Pearl (La Perle noire) from Je sais tout, No. 18, 15 July 1906; and Seven of Hearts (Le Sept de cœur) first published in Je sais tout, No. 28, 15 May 1907.

  The style of the tales (as translated into Americanised English from the original French, so one has to assume the translator retained an authentic feel of the original) is easy to read and has a pleasing economy, very suitable for relatively light-hearted short stories with a mystery theme. It is entertaining to see the way a writer other than Doyle represents a truly great character such as Sherlock Holmes and it must be said that Leblanc’s admiration for both Doyle and Holmes shine through in the story that includes Holmes. Of course, for a purist, there can be no substitute for the original, but it could be said that a superbly drawn character such as Holmes is strong enough to take interpretations from other writers, especially those who had a genuine admiration for the famous character.

  Alexandre ‘Marius’ Jacob, the likely inspiration for Lupin, 1905

  Cover of “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Cambrioleur” (1907) published by Pierre Lafitte

  The first English edition’s title page

  CONTENTS

  The Arrest of Arsène Lupin

  Arsène Lupin in Prison

  The Escape of Arsène Lupin

  The Mysterious Traveller

  The Queen’s Necklace

  The Seven of Hearts

  Madame Imbert’s Safe

  The Black Pearl

  Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late

  An early edition depicting Lupin

  The Arrest of Arsène Lupin

  IT WAS A strange ending to a voyage that had commenced in a most auspicious manner. The transatlantic steamship ‘La Provence’ was a swift and comfortable vessel, under the command of a most affable man. The passengers constituted a select and delightful society. The charm of new acquaintances and improvised amusements served to make the time pass agreeably. We enjoyed the pleasant sensation of being separated from the world, living, as it were, upon an unknown island, and consequently obliged to be sociable with each other.

  Have you ever stopped to consider how much originality and spontaneity emanate from these various individuals who, on the preceding evening, did not even know each other, and who are now, for several days, condemned to lead a life of extreme intimacy, jointly defying the anger of the ocean, the terrible onslaught of the waves, the violence of the tempest and the agonizing monotony of the calm and sleepy water? Such a life becomes a sort of tragic existence, with its storms and its grandeurs, its monotony and its diversity; and that is why, perhaps, we embark upon that short voyage with mingled feelings of pleasure and fear.

  But, during the past few years, a new sensation had been added to the life of the transatlantic traveler. The little floating island is now attached to the world from which it was once quite free. A bond united them, even in the very heart of the watery wastes of the Atlantic. That bond is the wireless telegraph, by means of which we receive news in the most mysterious manner. We know full well that the message is not transported by the medium of a hollow wire. No, the mystery is even more inexplicable, more romantic, and we must have recourse to the wings of the air in order to explain this new miracle. During the first day of the voyage, we felt that we were being followed, escorted, preceded even, by that distant voice, which, from time to time, whispered to one of us a few words from the receding world. Two friends spoke to me. Ten, twenty others sent gay or somber words of parting to other passengers.

  On the second day, at a distance of five hundred miles from the French coast, in the midst of a violent storm, we received the following message by means of the wireless telegraph:

  “Arsène Lupin is on your vessel, first cabin, blonde hair, wound right fore-arm, traveling alone under name of R........”

  At that moment, a terrible flash of lightning rent the stormy skies. The electric waves were interrupted. The remainder of the dispatch never reached us. Of the name under which Arsène Lupin was concealing himself, we knew only the initial.

  If the news had been of some other character, I have no doubt that the secret would have been carefully guarded by the telegraphic operator as well as by the officers of the vessel. But it was one of those events calculated to escape from the most rigorous discretion. The same day, no one knew how, the incident became a matter of current gossip and every passenger was aware that the famous Arsène Lupin was hiding in our midst.

  Arsène Lupin in our midst! the irresponsible burglar whose exploits had been narrated in all the newspapers during the past few months! the mysterious individual with whom Ganimard, our shrewdest detective, had been engaged in an implacable conflict amidst interesting and picturesque surroundings. Arsène Lupin, the eccentric gentleman who operates only in the chateaux and salons, and who, one night, entered the residence of Baron Schormann, but emerged empty-handed, leaving, however, his card on which he had scribbled these words: “Arsène Lupin, gentleman-burglar, will return when the furniture
is genuine.” Arsène Lupin, the man of a thousand disguises: in turn a chauffer, detective, bookmaker, Russian physician, Spanish bull-fighter, commercial traveler, robust youth, or decrepit old man.

  Then consider this startling situation: Arsène Lupin was wandering about within the limited bounds of a transatlantic steamer; in that very small corner of the world, in that dining saloon, in that smoking room, in that music room! Arsène Lupin was, perhaps, this gentleman.... or that one.... my neighbor at the table.... the sharer of my stateroom....

  “And this condition of affairs will last for five days!” exclaimed Miss Nelly Underdown, next morning. “It is unbearable! I hope he will be arrested.”

  Then, addressing me, she added:

  “And you, Monsieur d’Andrézy, you are on intimate terms with the captain; surely you know something?”

  I should have been delighted had I possessed any information that would interest Miss Nelly. She was one of those magnificent creatures who inevitably attract attention in every assembly. Wealth and beauty form an irresistible combination, and Nelly possessed both.

  Educated in Paris under the care of a French mother, she was now going to visit her father, the millionaire Underdown of Chicago. She was accompanied by one of her friends, Lady Jerland.

  At first, I had decided to open a flirtation with her; but, in the rapidly growing intimacy of the voyage, I was soon impressed by her charming manner and my feelings became too deep and reverential for a mere flirtation. Moreover, she accepted my attentions with a certain degree of favor. She condescended to laugh at my witticisms and display an interest in my stories. Yet I felt that I had a rival in the person of a young man with quiet and refined tastes; and it struck me, at times, that she preferred his taciturn humor to my Parisian frivolity. He formed one in the circle of admirers that surrounded Miss Nelly at the time she addressed to me the foregoing question. We were all comfortably seated in our deck-chairs. The storm of the preceding evening had cleared the sky. The weather was now delightful.