Arsène Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur — Résumé 🇺🇸 English
The transatlantic steamer La Provence sets off under pleasant conditions, carrying a distinguished group of passengers across the ocean. Among them is Miss Nelly Underdown, a wealthy and beautiful young woman who commands the attention of numerous admirers, including the narrator. Life aboard the ship feels intimate and self-contained until the wireless telegraph transmits an alarming message halfway to their destination: the notorious and elusive master criminal Arsene Lupin is on board traveling first class under an alias starting with the letter R, with blonde hair and a wound on his right forearm.
This revelation instantly transforms the atmosphere of the ship into one of suspicion and anxiety. Passengers begin scrutinizing one another, wondering if the infamous gentleman thief is sitting next to them in the dining room or walking the deck. Using the passenger list, the narrator deduces that a reserved, taciturn passenger named Rozaine fits the description. Although Rozaine jokingly plays along and reveals his arm, he shows his left arm instead of the injured right one, deepening the mystery. Soon after, Lady Jerland discovers that her cabin has been broken into and her finest jewels selectively stolen.
Suspicion intensely focuses on Rozaine, leading the captain to question him, though he is soon released because his papers are in order and he lacks any physical wound. Rozaine subsequently attempts to clear his name by offering a large reward to anyone who can expose Arsene Lupin, going so far as to actively investigate the passengers himself. Despite rigorous searches of the ship and cabins by both the crew and Rozaine, thefts continue to occur, culminating in the theft of the captain's own watch. The tension among the passengers reaches a fever pitch as nobody feels safe from the seemingly omnipresent criminal.
The suspense peaks on the penultimate night when Rozaine is found bound and gagged on the dark deck, robbed of twenty thousand francs. A calling card pinned to his clothing thanks him for the money on behalf of Arsene Lupin, proving conclusively that Rozaine is an innocent victim rather than the mastermind. With Rozaine cleared, panic spreads completely through the vessel. The passengers realize that Lupin could be anyone among them, possessing unlimited disguise and cunning, and they await the remainder of the journey in terror of what final disaster he might orchestrate before reaching port.