nsieur, no! Your inspectors are wrong! I who love him cannot be
deceived! It is no longer Frederick-Christian II who is at the Royal
Palace, it is an impostor! Besides, even if I could have been mistaken,
he had no reason for not recognizing me, of not seeming to understand
what I was saying."

The second inspector spoke up:

"Chief, I have something which will convince Mademoiselle that she is
mistaken. I was able to get hold of one of his Majesty's collars which
he had just worn. Its size is distinctly characteristic, being 18
inches. Now it would be very easy to verify the fact that the real King
wears this size and also whether it fits the supposed impostor. In any
case, Monsieur, from inquiries made among the hotel servants I find
there can be no doubt that Frederick-Christian is actually staying
there, and that his intimate friends have been received and have
recognized him."

M. Annion did not answer.

"This Marie Pascal is crazy," he thought, "or else she is up to some
game which I don't understand... the King is the King all right, but,
hang it all, that doesn't alter the fact that he is an assassin."

CHAPTER XXIV

JUVE'S LIES

M. Annion had left the Ministry quite late the evening before in a very
bad humor. Not that he had any doubt about the deposition of Marie
Pascal. The report of his inspectors had settled that point,
supplemented by the visits to the King of the attache and the banker.

"That young girl of the sixth floor," he said to himself, "who calls
herself Marie Pascal, is either trying to hold up the sovereign or else
she is crazy. In either case the important thing is to make her hold her
tongue. Now there are two ways of doing this, through menacing her or
through bribing her. I'll apply the first, and if that doesn't answer
I'll try the second."

As to the King, while his identity had been proved, he was none the less
a murderer.

The question was whether to prevent the visit he wished to pay to the
President of the Republic or to bring it about.

M. Annion took the Rue des Saussaies at 7.30 and having reached home,
dined quickly while he read the evening paper. The news was startling.

An article reserved in tone, but giving sufficient details, announced
the arrest of Fantomas, the mysterious criminal of the Palace Royal of
Glotzbourg, while attempting to steal the diamond which constituted the
private fortune of Prince Frederick-Christian II.

"Good God!" cried M. An