day. Two men, dressed as workmen, but behaving in a manner that left no
doubt as to their aims, were watching the deputy's house. When Daubrecq
went out, they set off in pursuit of him; and they were immediately
behind him when he came home again. At night, as soon as the lights were
out, they went away.

Lupin shadowed them in his turn. They were detective-officers.

"Hullo, hullo!" he said to himself. "This is hardly what I expected.
So the Daubrecq bird is under suspicion?"

But, on the fourth day, at nightfall, the two men were joined by six
others, who conversed with them in the darkest part of the Square
Lamartine. And, among these new arrivals, Lupin was vastly astonished
to recognize, by his figure and bearing, the famous Prasville, the
erstwhile barrister, sportsman and explorer, now favourite at the Elysee,
who, for some mysterious reason, had been pitchforked into the
headquarters of police as secretary-general, with the reversion of the
prefecture.

And, suddenly, Lupin remembered: two years ago, Prasville and Daubrecq
the deputy had had a personal encounter on the Place du Palais-Bourbon.
The incident made a great stir at the time. No one knew the cause of it.
Prasville had sent his seconds to Daubrecq on the same day; but Daubrecq
refused to fight.

A little while later, Prasville was appointed secretary-general.

"Very odd, very odd," said Lupin, who remained plunged in thought, while
continuing to observe Prasville's movements.