The Crystal Stopper · Chapter
X: Extra-Dry? explained
Clarisse Mergy, having tracked Daubrecq to a hotel in Nice, secretly enters his room in search of the crystal stopper.
What happens
Clarisse Mergy, having tracked Daubrecq to a hotel in Nice, secretly enters his room in search of the crystal stopper. Daubrecq catches her and attempts to force her into a bargain for her son Gilbert's life, but Lupin, disguised as M. Nicole, along with the Growler and the Masher, ambushes and chloroforms Daubrecq, saving Clarisse.
Themes in this chapter
Sacrifice and Maternal Love
Clarisse is willing to sacrifice herself to Daubrecq to save her son Gilbert from execution.
Deception and Identity
Lupin disguises himself as M. Nicole to infiltrate Daubrecq's plans and ambush him.
Revenge and Obsession
Daubrecq's obsessive pursuit of Clarisse and his glee at outmaneuvering Lupin highlight his vengeful nature.
Characters to notice
- Clarisse Mergy
Enters Daubrecq's hotel room to search for the crystal stopper and is confronted by him.
- Alexis Daubrecq
Catches Clarisse in his room, attempts to blackmail her, and is chloroformed by Lupin.
- Arsène Lupin
Disguised as M. Nicole, leads the ambush and subdues Daubrecq with chloroform.
- Growler
Assists Lupin in the ambush, pointing a revolver at Daubrecq.
- Masher
Assists Lupin in the ambush, pointing a revolver at Daubrecq.
- Jacob
Reports to Daubrecq on his surveillance of Lupin, Growler, and Masher, sending them on a false trail to Italy.
Key passages
“this morning, when, lo and behold, I received a letter informing me of the existence of a bundle of documents which prove the complicity of our one and only Prasville! And who is my informant? Vorenglade himself!”
Daubrecq reveals that Vorenglade has contacted him with documents proving Prasville's guilt.
Daubrecq gloats about his leverage over Prasville.
“He took up the receiver of the telephone which communicated with the hall of the hotel and said: 'I'm No. 129, mademoiselle. Would you kindly ask the person sitting opposite your office to come up to me?'”
Daubrecq calls Jacob, his detective, to his room to report on his surveillance.
Daubrecq uses a hotel telephone to summon Jacob.
“Clarisse, Clarisse, give me your lips... Half-fainting, she had hardly the strength to put out her arm and push him away”
Daubrecq demands a kiss from Clarisse, who is too weak to resist.
Daubrecq's coercion of Clarisse reaches a climax.
“Two revolver-barrels, pointed at Daubrecq, showed on the right, a little above the chair.”
Lupin, Growler, and Masher aim revolvers at Daubrecq from behind Clarisse.
The ambush begins as Lupin and his men intervene.
“And he announced, as though they were the numbers in a music-hall performance: 'The prisoner's dance! The captive's hornpipe! A fantasia on the corpse of a representative of the people!'”
Lupin celebrates his victory over Daubrecq with a wild, theatrical dance.
Lupin's exuberant reaction to subduing Daubrecq.
