trate and Detective 117

XII. A Knock-out Blow 125

XIII. Therese's Future 133

XIV. Mademoiselle Jeanne 140

XV. The Mad Woman's Plot 146

XVI. Among the Market Porters 156

XVII. At the Saint-Anthony's Pig 163

XVIII. A Prisoner and a Witness 174

XIX. Jerome Fandor 184

XX. A Cup of Tea 190

XXI. Lord Beltham's Murderer 196

XXII. The Scrap of Paper 205

XXIII. The Wreck of the "Lancaster" 210

XXIV. Under Lock and Key 216

XXV. An Unexpected Accomplice 223

XXVI. A Mysterious Crime 228

XXVII. Three Surprising Incidents 237

XXVIII. The Court of Assize 247

XXIX. Verdict and Sentence 255

XXX. An Assignation 265

XXXI. Fell Treachery 276

XXXII. On the Scaffold 288

I. THE GENIUS OF CRIME

"Fantomas."

"What did you say?"

"I said: Fantomas."

"And what does that mean?"

"Nothing.... Everything!"

"But what is it?"

"Nobody.... And yet, yes, it is somebody!"

"And what does the somebody do?"

"Spreads terror!"

* * * * *

Dinner was just over, and the company were moving into the drawing-room.

Hurrying to the fireplace, the Marquise de Langrune took a large log
from a basket and flung it on to the glowing embers on the hearth; the
log crackled and shed a brilliant light over the whole room; the guests
of the Marquise instinctively drew near to the fire.

During the ten consecutive months she spent every year at her chateau of
Beaulieu, on the outskirts of Correze, that picturesque district bounded
by the Dordogne, it had been the immemorial custom of the Marquise de
Langrune to entertain a few of her personal friends in the neighbourhood
to dinner every Wednesday, thereby obtaining a little pleasant relief
from her loneliness and keeping up some contact with the world.

On this particular winter evening the good lady's guests included
several habitues: President Bonnet, a retired ma