Arsène Lupin Versus Herlock Sholmes · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Arsène Lupin Versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc.
Chapter 1
Lottery Ticket No. 514
Professor Gerbois buys a writing desk for his daughter Suzanne, which is soon stolen. The desk contains a lottery ticket worth a million francs. Arsène Lupin orchestrates the theft and later returns the ticket to Gerbois, having also abducted Suzanne with her consent to secure her dowry. The chapter details the negotiations, the public's fascination, and the police's failed attempts to capture Lupin.
Chapter 2
The Blue Diamonds
The chapter details the investigation into the murder of Baron d'Hautrec, where Ganimard suspects Antoinette Bréhat (the 'blonde Lady') of the crime, linking her to Arsène Lupin. The famous blue diamond ring is discovered on the victim's finger, leading to a public auction. At the auction, the Countess de Crozon wins the diamond after a rival bidder, Herschmann, is momentarily distracted by a mysterious letter.
Chapter 3
Herlock Sholmes Opens Hostilities
Herlock Sholmes and Wilson are lured to an empty house on Avenue Henri-Martin by a forged letter from Lupin, where they are locked in overnight. The next morning, Sholmes discovers chalk marks and figures left by Lupin, which Wilson had examined the previous night. Sholmes then meets the Count and Countess de Crozon on a train, examines the ring, and reveals that the diamond is a manufactured substitute, promising to recover the real one within ten days. He leaves the train at Creil to return to Paris and continue his pursuit of Lupin.
Chapter 4
Light in the Darkness
Herlock Sholmes, after a near-miss with a falling sandbag, decides to abandon open confrontation with Arsène Lupin and instead work in the shadows. He infiltrates the home of architect Lucien Destange under the alias Stickmann, cataloging books while secretly investigating the connection between Destange and Lupin. During his surveillance, he observes Lupin secretly searching Destange's cupboard and is confronted by Clotilde Destange, who seems aware of the intruder but does not expose him.
Chapter 5
An Abduction
Herlock Sholmes attempts to capture Arsène Lupin by following Clotilde Destange, but she cleverly alerts Lupin via a prearranged signal. Lupin replaces the chauffeur and abducts Sholmes in a high-speed automobile chase. Later, Lupin comforts Clotilde, who is distressed by her involvement in his criminal life and the blood on her hands. Sholmes escapes and investigates the secret passage between houses 40 and 42 rue Chalgrin, capturing a man collecting garnets but releasing him after finding a jeweler's box.
Chapter 6
Second Arrest of Arsène Lupin
Herlock Sholmes confronts Arsène Lupin in his apartment, having escaped from captivity and surrounded the building with police. Sholmes reveals his true goal is to recover the blue diamond, not just arrest Lupin. After a tense exchange, Lupin is arrested by Ganimard, but not before a telephone call from the Blonde Lady adds further intrigue.
Chapter 7
VII: The Jewish Lamp
Herlock Sholmes is summoned by the Baron and Baroness d'Imblevalle to investigate the theft of a Jewish lamp containing a hidden jewel. Through careful examination of the scene and reasoning, Sholmes deduces that the theft was orchestrated by Arsène Lupin but carried out by an inside accomplice. He discovers clues in a child's alphabet book, including cut-out letters and numbers, leading him to suspect the governess.
Chapter 8
The Shipwreck
Herlock Sholmes presents his complete chain of circumstantial evidence to Monsieur and Madame d'Imblevalle, accusing Alice Demun of stealing the Jewish lamp and revealing that Bresson committed the second theft. After a dramatic confrontation on the Seine where Lupin and Sholmes are shipwrecked, Sholmes survives and later returns to the Rue Murillo to formally accuse Alice Demun, having recovered the stolen items.
Chapter 9
Endnotes
This chapter contains the endnotes for the book, providing citations and references for the preceding narrative.