# III: A Tribunal of the Inquisition explained — Memoirs of Arsène Lupin

> Chapter companion for Memoirs of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc.

## What happens

Ralph d'Andresy observes a secret tribunal convened by Beaumagnan and his associates to judge Josephine Balsamo. Beaumagnan accuses her of multiple murders and attempted poisoning, but Josephine defends herself, pointing to a miniature portrait that suggests she has lived for over eighty years. Despite her calm demeanor, the conspirators sentence her to death by drowning, and she is bound to a stretcher with a heavy boulder attached.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Identity

Josephine's true identity and age are questioned; the tribunal is built on deceptive accusations and hidden motives.

### Revenge and Retribution

Beaumagnan's personal vendetta against Josephine drives the tribunal's harsh sentence, blending revenge with a facade of justice.

### Power and Manipulation

Beaumagnan and his allies manipulate the situation to bypass legal systems, using fear and control to condemn Josephine.

## Character check-ins

### Ralph d'Andresy

Observes the tribunal from a hidden vantage point, feeling anxiety for Josephine and contemplating intervention.

### Josephine Balsamo

Accused of murder and attempted poisoning; defends herself calmly, revealing her apparent longevity through a miniature portrait.

### Beaumagnan

Leads the tribunal, accusing Josephine with fury and revealing his past love for her; orchestrates her death sentence.

### Baron Godfrey d'Etigues

Assists in the tribunal and later binds Josephine to a stretcher, covering her head to silence her cries.

### Count Oscar de Bennetot

Guards Josephine with a revolver and helps carry the stretcher for her execution.

## Key lines

> If she had really tried to poison Beaumagnan, if she really believed him dead, with what a fear she would be stricken when he stepped forward in person to face her, living, ready to accuse her!

Ralph realizes that Beaumagnan's sudden appearance is a trap to shock Josephine into confessing if she thought him dead.

_Reveals the psychological strategy of the tribunal._

> Your smile is death! It is the everlasting damnation of the man who lets himself be charmed by it.

Beaumagnan condemns Josephine's smile as a deadly and damning allure.

_Highlights Beaumagnan's intense hatred and the theme of dangerous attraction._

> Then if that is my portrait it means that I was alive at that time? It is eighty years ago; and from that portrait I was then

Josephine argues that the miniature proves she was alive eighty years ago, implying her unnatural longevity.

_Key moment for the supernatural theme and her defense._

> There are moments when one ought to pray to God as if one was about to die that very night.

Godfrey d'Etigues hints to Josephine that her execution is imminent.

_Signals the shift from trial to death sentence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_ars_ne_lupin_se/chapters/iii-a-tribunal-of-the-inquisition
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_ars_ne_lupin_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_ars_ne_lupin_se/chapters