at a later day, have established between us certain ties....shall
I say of friendship? Yes, I venture to believe that Arsene Lupin
honors me with his friendship, and that it is through friendship
that he occasionally calls on me, and brings, into the silence of
my library, his youthful exuberance of spirits, the contagion of
his enthusiasm, and the mirth of a man for whom destiny has naught
but favors and smiles.

His portrait? How can I describe him? I have seen him twenty
times and each time he was a different person; even he himself
said to me on one occasion: "I no longer know who I am. I cannot
recognize myself in the mirror." Certainly, he was a great actor,
and possessed a marvelous faculty for disguising himself. Without
the slightest effort, he could adopt the voice, gestures and
mannerisms of another person.

"Why," said he, "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."

Then he added, with a touch of pride:

"So much the better if no one can ever say with absolute
certainty: There is Arsene Lupin! The essential point is that the
public may be able to refer to my work and say, without fear of
mistake: Arsene Lupin did that!"



II. Arsene Lupin in Prison