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“And the proceeds of the sale,” I added, “are to be paid over at once. The papers say that the princess will have her money to-morrow. Only, frankly, I fail to see the connection between this story, which you have told very well, and the puzzling sentence….”

Lupin did not condescend to reply.

We had been walking down the street in which I live and had passed some four or five houses, when he stepped off the pavement and began to examine a block of flats, not of the latest construction, which looked as if it contained a large number of tenants:

“According to my calculations,” he said, “this is where the signals came from, probably from that open window.”

“On the third floor?”

“Yes.”

He went to the portress and asked her:

“Does one of your tenants happen to be acquainted with Baron Repstein?”

“Why, of course!” replied the woman. “We have M. Lavernoux here, such a nice gentleman; he is the baron’s secretary and agent. I look after his flat.”

“And can we see him?”

“See him?… The poor gentleman is very ill.”