Reading Notes: The Arrest of Arsene Lupin

(Photo from Geocaching)

I have chosen this as the base for my first story, so I decided to reread, taking more in depth notes.

The story begins with a description of a trip on the transatlantic steamship 'La Provence'. Mentions the extreme intimacy of being confined to a ship for several days with people who all didn't know each other the day before. A bond unites them over the water, the bond is a wireless telegraph. A message is received mysteriously. The second day of the voyage, the message is received that says "Arsene Lupin is on your vessel, first cabin, blonde hair, would right fore-arm, traveling alone under name of R-"Lightening interrupts the telegraph so only the initial is known.

Due to gossip, all the passengers knew the famous Arsene Lupin was hiding amongst them. Arsene is described by the narrator as an irresponsible burglar whom Ganimard, the shrewdest detective had been trying to catch with no success. He breaks into the homes of Barons, leaving behind cards with notes that he will return when the furniture is genuine, and so on. He is also described as the "man of a thousand disguises."

The narrator, Monsieur d'Andrezy speculates that Lupin could be anyone, including his neighbor at the table or his roommate. Miss Nelly Underdown is appalled at this fact and hopes he is arrested. She asks d'Andrezy to share any info he knows. He is attracted to her, becoming impressed by her charm as the ship's atmosphere becomes more intimate. His feelings deepen beyond a mere flirtation. He sees another passenger as a rival for her affection, "it struck me, at times, that she preferred his taciturn humor to my Parisian frivolity." d'Andrezy suggests to Miss Nelly and her circle of admirers that they can investigate the mystery as well as Ganimard. He suggests they look at the passenger list for a man traveling alone with blonde hair and the initial R. Only 4 with the initial were traveling alone, 3 were known and did not fit the description. This left d'Andrezy's rival for Miss Nelly's attention, Mon. Rozaine, who was in fact blonde. All eyes turned to him. He says he doesn't speak because considering his name, position as a solitary traveler, and the color of his hair, now he thinks he should be arrested. Miss Nelly points out that he doesn't have the wound, and he shows them his arm. d'Andrezy notes that he only showed them his left arm.

Miss Nelly's friend Lady Jerland comes running up and tells them that someone stole her jewels. The finest and most valuable stones had been removed from their settings, the rest left behind. The passengers concluded it must have been Lupin. The captain placed Rozaine under arrest. The passengers feel safe and carefree, and d'Andrezy confesses his feelings to Miss Nelly under the moon at midnight. The nest day, Rozaine was freed. His documents checked out and he had no wound. It was brought up that Lupin could furnish all sorts of documents, and could commit a crime without being present. When Rozaine approaches the group, the women walk away.

Rozaine offers a reward for the discovery of Lupin or other person in possession of the jewels and claims he will unmask them himself if no one helps. The vessel was searched by the captain's orders. d'Andrezy says they should be searching the lining of their hats and vests and shows Nelly his camera that he's been using to take pictures of her with, stating that a person could hide all the jewels in an object no larger, and pretend to take pictures with it, and no one would suspect him. Nelly says that every thief leaves behind clues. d'Andrezy says Lupin doesn't, "because he concentrates his thoughts not only on the theft, but on all the circumstances connected with it that could serve as a clue to his identity."

The investigation makes no progress, and the captain's watch is stolen. The next evening, Rozaine is found tied up on the deck with a card, having been robbed. The note says that Lupin accepts the reward. Since he couldn't have bound himself and the handwriting on the card didn't match his, Rozaine was cleared. The passengers were afraid of Lupin and clung to each other as they moved around the ship. "Arsene Lupin was now, anybody and everybody." On the last day, Nelly spends time with d'Andrezy for protection and he is very pleased, silently blessing Lupin for being the means that brought him and Nelly closer together.

When the ship approached the shore, the two of them watched as each passenger left the ship, passing by Ganimard who was waiting to arrest him. When Rozaine is about to pass him, d'Andrezy gives Nelly the camera and tells her he thinks it would be interesting to get them in the same photo. Before she can take one, Rozaine passes him and nothing happens. When d'Andrezy and Nelly try to pass Ganimard, he stops them and says "Lupin, is it not?" d'Andrezy gives his name, and Gainmard says that Bernard d'Andrezy died 3 years ago. He shows him his papers. Ganimard calls him out on the papers being fake, and slaps his arm, on the wound. He has to surrender. Our narrator d'Andrezy was Lupin the whole time. Nelly hears the whole thing, and when he looks at her, she glances down at the camera, which contains Rozaine's money and the jewels. He makes a gesture that lets him know she understands everything. He wonders if she will betray him. She passes by, and then discretely drops the camera into the water and walks away, not looking back. He tells Gainimard "why should I retain a definite form and feature? Why not avoid the danger of a personality that is ever the same? My actions will serve to identify me."

The Arrest of Arsene Lupin from The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice LeBlanc.