CHAPTER XXXI
THE DEATH WATCH
In her ears an incessant buzzing. On her throat a weight which stifledher. In her mouth a gag which obstructed her breathing and tore herlips. Over her eyes a heavy bandage. Her arms were bound at the wrists,her body was bruised by heavy thongs, and her ankles bleeding from thepressure of cords.
Marie Pascal was gradually regaining consciousness. She tried to make amovement, but her body could not respond; she wanted to cry out, but hervoice died away in her throat. At first she thought it was all anightmare, then memory returned and she recalled every detail of herstrange and sinister adventure.
She saw herself starting with Mme. Ceiron to call on Juve. The conciergehad said:
"Don't worry, my dear, I know the way. Monsieur Juve gave me hisaddress."
At length, after a long walk, Mme. Ceiron made her climb the stairs of adecent looking house. On the way up she remembered feeling faint andthat the concierge had given her salts to smell. Following that camecomplete unconsciousness, out of which she woke to hear a grim menacingvoice exclaim:
"I am Fantomas! I condemn you to death in the interest of my cause!"
She was in the hands of Fantomas!
And then she fainted again, but not until after a flood of light hadbeen let into her mind. In a flash she understood that Fantomas himselfmust have been the mainspring of the incomprehensible events envelopingthe King's visit to Paris. Furthermore, she divined that Mme. Ceiron andFantomas were the same person. It was she who offered the salts,undoubtedly inducing her unconsciousness. The sound of a steady tic-tacshe recognized as coming from a nearby clock. Where was she?
Was she really in Juve's apartment?
With a supreme effort she succeeded in turning her head a little, and inthe movement the bandage over her eyes became loosened and fell off. Shecould see at last!
She found herself bound to a large sofa placed in the middle of awell-furnished room. Before her was placed a monstrous and sinisterthing--the menacing barrel of a revolver. Its trigger was bound by anumber of strings, each one ending in a nail. These were embedded inlighted wax candles, and from the nails hung a counter-weight.
It was not difficult to guess its purport.
When the candles burned down to the nails, these would become detached,releasing the counter-weights and automatically discharging the revolveraimed straight at her body. Fantomas had no need to return. His infernalcunning had found a means to kill her in his absence.
Marie Pascal calculated that the candles would burn for not more than anhour--an hour and a half at most. The unfortunate girl now began toundergo the agony of waiting for her approaching end. It seemed to herthat the candles had been piously lighted for some death watch. When thewax had melted near the first nails, she closed her eyes and a deep sighof horror escaped from her lips.
"Pity! Pity!"
Suddenly, Jerome Fandor burst into the chamber, anxious to tell hisfriend Juve about the objects he had found in Marie Pascal's room.Scarcely had he opened the door than he started back in amazement, whiteas a sheet. Ah! the horrible spectacle of the young girl lyingmotionless, as though dead, she, who in spite of everything, he stillfound charming. Then realizing the situation, he sprang forward, put outthe candles and removed the revolver.
"Saved! You are saved!"
With infinite precautions he untied the ropes and placed Marie's headupon some cushions. She opened her eyes slowly and murmured:
"Where am I? Help! Fantomas!"
Fandor endeavored to reassure her.
"Don't be frightened! Fantomas isn't here; you are saved.... It is I ...Jerome Fandor."
* * * * *
Marie Pascal was seated in an armchair, still very pale, but withcourage regained.
"Now, Mademoiselle," exclaimed the journalist, "I beg you to tell meeverything.... I promise I won't give you up ... time is precious and ifyour accomplice had tried to get rid of you, it is only natural; you aredangerous for him.... Marie Pascal, I implore you to tell me the truth!Tell me, who is Fantomas?"
The young girl listened to these words with growing amazement.
"The accomplice of Fantomas, I!... What are you saying, Monsieur?...Sire!"
Jerome Fandor interrupted.
"Now don't deny it! Look here, I'll tell you the truth. I am not theKing."
"You are not...."
"No, but I haven't time to explain that now... you must help me tocapture this criminal ... and I give you my word you will not beinvolved yourself."
"But I am not the accomplice of Fantomas!"
"Then why did you steal those jewels? Why have you the key of Susyd'Orsel's apartment in your possession?"
Marie's face expressed such bewilderment as Fandor asked the questionthat he could no longer doubt her innocence.
"Then, for the love of heaven, tell me all you know!"
Marie Pascal told a lengthy story. She recounted in detail the role shehad played in the tragic affair of the Rue Monceau and ended byexclaiming:
"What you don't know is that Mme. Ceiron is in reality Fantomas. Underthis disguise he has tried to assassinate me; he assured you that I hadgone to the country, so that rescue would have been impossible."
"Ah, Fantomas!" cried Fandor at the end of the recital, "your hour hascome! In an hour at most you will begin the expiation of your crimes!"
As the young girl looked doubtfully at him, he added:
"It's time, Marie Pascal! Come with me and see him arrested!"
CHAPTER XXXII
THE ARREST OF FANTOMAS
"Good evening, Monsieur Caldoni, so you are starting soon?"
"Yes, Monsieur Vicart, it's customary and also my duty, every time asovereign, a crowned head, takes the train..."
"You stick as close to him as possible until he has reached thefrontier. Well, I'm not sorry to see you here," continued Vicart, "fornow my job is over."
"And mine just beginning, worse luck."
"Oh! you have only a few hours of it; you travel luxuriously in aspecial train..."
"One gets tired of that pretty soon. Last week I took the Dowager Queenof Italy to Menton; then jumped to the Spanish frontier to pick up theKing of Spain; now it's the King of Hesse-Weimar--to-morrow, who knows?"
The station was decorated gaily in honor of the departingFrederick-Christian. In a private room, a number of the guests,especially invited, were waiting the arrival of the Sovereign.
While M. Vicart, in company with a special agent, made a rapidexamination of the station and satisfied himself that all preparationshad been thoroughly carried out, M. Caldoni was talking to thestation-master.
"The King's special train is to start exactly at 10.17, that is to say,it will follow, at an interval of 10 minutes number 322."
"The 322 is the Cologne express, isn't it?" inquired M. Caldoni.
"Yes, the Cologne express."
* * * * *
In the meantime a vast crowd of the curious who had learned of thedeparture of the King by the evening papers, filled the waiting-roomsand platforms. Journalists were grouped apart and the invited guestsincluded numerous persons of quality. Among them was Baron Weil, memberof the Council of Administration, and delegated to represent it at theceremony of departure. Lieutenant Colonel Bonnival was also there torepresent the State. At the station entrance, M. Havard stood alone,waiting the arrival of the automobile which contained M. Annion, inattendance upon the King.
* * * * *
Making his way noiselessly in and out of the crowd, Juve gradually drewnear the front ranks and reached the cordon of special officers whoseduty it was to bar the way to the platform of departure. Here Juve raninto Michel, and the two men silently shook hands. Juve was about toshow his card, but Michel smiled:
"No need for you to show it, Juve."
The detective now mingled with the guests, and as he reached thereception-room he moved behind a lady who had j
ust arrived. Waiting afavorable opportunity he approached her:
"Pardon me," he began in a dry voice, "one moment, please."
The lady turned sharply:
"Monsieur, who are you? What do you want?"
"I am Juve, of the Secret Service."
"And I am the Grand Duchess Alexandra, relative of the King ofHesse-Weimar."
"No, you are Lady Beltham. I recognize you and it will be no use to denyit."
The adventuress started panting, in her eyes a look of fear.
"Ah," she stammered.
"I've got you, Lady Beltham. The time to pay has come. You are underarrest." Then in a whisper he added, "Where is the diamond?"
There was a silence. Lady Beltham lowered her eyes.
"Better tell me, and avoid the scandal."
"Don't make a scandal, I implore you. I have the diamond with me."
* * * * *
At this moment the King of Hesse-Weimar entered the reception-roomaccompanied by his friend, the Marquis de Serac.
Juve could not repress a start. The daring of Fantomas was beyondbelief. But his first duty was to recover the diamond. Leaning towardhis prisoner, he whispered:
"Hand over the diamond immediately."
The adventuress gave him a strange and mysterious look.
"Monsieur, slip your hand into my sleeve."
Juve obeyed. His fingers instantly closed around the precious jewelwhich he identified at once by the feel.
"Monsieur, I came here for the express purpose of returning it, pleasebelieve me."
At this moment Juve met the eyes of M. Annion, and he realized that thetime had come to report to his chief. The detective had three plainclothes men at his elbow; he now turned to them and with a gesture gavethe care of Lady Beltham into their keeping. Juve then advanced throughthe crowded room toward M. Annion and the King. The latter watched himclosely and whispered to M. Vicart:
"This time we mustn't hesitate."
In a moment Juve felt his arms seized and pinioned, and then before hecould recover from his amazement, he was hustled off into a privateroom.
"Search him!"
Immediately one of his guards snatched the diamond from his waistcoatpocket. Juve looked up and in the doorway stood the absurd Wulf and byhis side the Marquis de Serac.
"Fantomas," he cried, "Fantomas!... arrest him!" Then in a sudden accessof rage:
"Let me go, you idiots! M. Annion, what does this mean? Fantomas standsbefore you! We've got him, and Lady Beltham, too!"
M. Annion paid no attention to his outburst, but calmly turned toanother man who had appeared on the scene.
"Monsieur Heberlauf, do you recognize this man?"
M. Heberlauf, who never could make a decision, hesitated:
"It seems to me ... I don't know ... I think I do. Madame Heberlauf cantell you better than I can."
Madame Heberlauf now stepped forward and in a flood of words, explainedto M. Annion that she had no doubt in the matter.
"By a most infernal device, Monsieur, this criminal escaped from hisprison, and not content with that, he killed an unfortunate servant, anold porter whom our police discovered the following day in the mortuarychapel of Glotzbourg."
Instinctly Juve was about to protest but M. Annion held up a hand.
"Silence. You will explain at the trial." Then turning to the Marquis deSerac, he handed the diamond to him.
"We are very glad to be able to return this precious jewel to hisMajesty Frederick-Christian II, and I place it in your hands, Marquis,in presence of Monsieur Wulf and Monsieur Heberlauf."
A yell from Juve interrupted him:
"God Almighty! the Marquis de Serac is Fantomas!... Fantomas, theassassin of Susy d'Orsel!"
M. Havard came forward:
"It's no use, Juve, keep quiet. We know all you would say. But I maytell you that in every place where Fantomas left his trace we have foundundeniable evidences of your presence."
When M. Havard pronounced the name Fantomas, a young girl sprangforward. It was Marie Pascal.
"Monsieur," she cried, "Fantomas is arrested! Fantomas, the monster whonearly killed me two hours ago!"
"Nearly killed you? Where?"
"In a house in the Rue Bonaparte."
"M. Juve's house," exclaimed the Marquis de Serac with an ironicalsmile.
"And who rescued you?" asked M. Havard.
Marie Pascal turned to identify Fandor but the journalist haddisappeared.
Getting wind of what was afoot after reaching the station, he had keptout of sight and listened to the rumors of the crowd. It was withstupefaction that he at length discovered that the authorities hadactually decided that Juve and Fantomas were one and the same person!
With his usual quick decision, he promptly made up his mind that hewould be more useful to his friend if he remained free. He realized theprobability of his own arrest for counterfeiting the King.
* * * * *
M. Vicart offered humble apologies to the pseudo Grand DuchessAlexandra, who accepted them with a haughty inclination of the head, andhastened to join the suite of the King.
The latter warmly thanked the Marquis de Serac and amid theacclamations of the crowd the train started.
Wulf, swollen with vanity, cried aloud so that everyone might hear:
"It is thanks to me that he is arrested!"
Juve now left with the police officers, shouted at the top of his voice:
"But I am Juve! Juve! Oh! they are all crazy! Crazy!"
In a few moments he was taken to a waiting taxi, while the crowd took alast look at the departing King and his suite. They were saying:
"That's the Grand Duchess and the Marquis de Serac!"
Juve gave one great cry of distress, while the tears coursed down hischeeks.
"The Grand Duchess! the Marquis de Serac! No! no! The police havearrested an innocent man and have let Lady Beltham and Fantomas escape!"
THE END
FANTOMAS DETECTIVE TALES
By
PIERRE SOUVESTRE and MARCEL ALLAIN
12 mo. Cloth. Price, $1.40, net, each.
I.
FANTOMAS
The Adventures of Detective Juve in Pursuit of a Master in Crime.
II.
THE EXPLOITS OF JUVE
In this continuation of "Fantomas" the further adventures of DetectiveJuve are narrated and tell of his efforts to run the notorious criminalto earth. Fantomas appears here as the leader of a gang of Apaches.
III.
MESSENGERS OF EVIL
This third Instalment of the adventures of Detective Juve contains arecital of some remarkable happenings in the life of thismaster-criminal of Paris.
IV.
A NEST OF SPIES
Fantomas now appears as the representative in Paris of a ForeignGovernment whose real business is to obtain important military secretsfor Germany. Juve succeeds in defeating his efforts, but the criminalhimself escapes once more.
V.
A ROYAL PRISONER
This volume tells of the daring exploits of Fantomas in his attempts toget possession of the King of Hesse-Weimar's famous diamond.
_Other Volumes in Preparation_
BRENTANO'S
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