.. Besides, yesterday, I saw you
enter here; but you never came out again! You had reasons for acting so.
I determined to be near you, in case you needed my help. I therefore
passed myself off as a workman come to attend to the telephone
installation. It was easy enough, for I am a good electrician.... Well,
when I found that you were preparing to pass the night here, I laid my
plans accordingly. I pretended to leave the premises, but really I hid
myself in the house. Just now, when you called for help, I came to your
aid as quickly as I could, naturally!"

"Just as we did!" remarked Monsieur Barbey, looking at his partner.

Monsieur Nanteuil contented himself with a nod. He added:

"Alas, once again that criminal has escaped! Fantomas, since it was
Fantomas who was here, just now, Fantomas has got away!" And Nanteuil
pointed to the broken window by which it would seem the criminal, taking
advantage of the noise, had escaped.

But both Fandor and Juve shrugged doubtfully.

"You believe then, Monsieur Nanteuil, that Fantomas has left this room?"
questioned our young journalist.

"What the devil do you mean?" asked Nanteuil.

Juve demanded.

"Which way did he make his escape?"

Nanteuil pointed.

"Why that way! By this window ... where else?... You can see quite well
that he has broken the panes!... Why, look! His hooded cloak has got
caught on the window latch!..."

Fandor lay back in an arm-chair. He seemed much amused. He silenced Juve
with a gesture, and turned to Nanteuil.

"I can assure, dear Monsieur Nanteuil, that Fantomas has not left the
room by this window!..."

"Because?..."

"Because this window has been broken by means of this chair: this chair,
which he flung against the panes to put us on the wrong scent, and make
us believe he had escaped that way!... Just look at this chair! It is
still strewn with broken bits of glass ... look, there is even a little
bit stuck into the wood!"

"But that proves nothing!... Fantomas has broken the window panes as
best he could, and then made his escape!"

"In that case," insisted Fandor, "dear Monsieur Nanteuil, can you
explain how it was he troubled to remove his cloak, hood and all; and,
after that, how is it he has left no footprints in the flower-beds
beneath the window? When day dawns you will see for yourself that my
statement is correct, though I have not verified it! The flower-beds are
too wide, too big, for a man jumping from here, to jump c