What does "men of straw" refer to in this passage from an Arsène Lupin story? The story in question is "Le coffre-fort de madame Imbert" or in English "Madame Imbert's Safe". The passage reads, in the translation I've got: > For six months, I have worked on this affair, investigated it, studied it, questioned the servants, the money-lenders and men of straw; for six months, I have shadowed the husband and wife. the original sentence in French: > Il y a six mois que je poursuis l'affaire, six mois que je me renseigne, que j'étudie, que je tends mes filets, que j'interroge les domestiques, les prêteurs et les hommes de paille, six mois que je vis dans l'ombre du mari et de la femme.

It is worth looking at the context: Arsène Lupin's accomplice has just mentioned the rumours about Imbert's fortune, which Lupin countered by saying that that fortune is very real ("Que la fortune provienne du vieux Brawford, comme ils le prétendent, ou d’une autre source, j’affirme qu’elle existe.": "Whether it comes from the old Brawford, as some claim, or from another source, it definitely exists").

In addition, Lupin talks of "les prêteurs et les hommes de paille", i.e. the money lenders and the straw men. This suggests that hommes de paille refers to persons that Imbert uses to sign documents on his behalf (see also straw man) on Wikipedia), so outsiders don't know he is behind certain transactions.

The accusations of swindling or fraud published in certain newspapers (and the end of the story) confirm the impression that the Imberts were involved in obscure dealings.