thanks to you, Monsieur Wulf, the elusive Fantomas is about to
be arrested. Be assured the King will give you the very highest proof of
his gratitude for this service. Your position at the Court of
Hesse-Weimar will be more important than ever."

* * * * *

Night had fallen and the lamps of the Paris streets were lit up.

At the corner of the Boulevard Malesherbes and the Avenue de Villiers,
not far from the door of the America Hotel, a man was seated on a bench;
he seemed to be merely resting; but in reality he was closely watching
each individual who entered and left the Hotel.

This man was Juve.

He began rubbing his hands with a satisfied air.

"Good, good! The evening is beginning well.... There is one important
thing for me to do now; shadow Lady Beltham, and not lose sight of her
for a single moment, from the time she leaves this Hotel until...."

CHAPTER XXXI

THE DEATH WATCH

In her ears an incessant buzzing. On her throat a weight which stifled
her. In her mouth a gag which obstructed her breathing and tore her
lips. 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 the
pressure of cords.

Marie Pascal was gradually regaining consciousness. She tried to make a
movement, but her body could not respond; she wanted to cry out, but her
voice died away in her throat. At first she thought it was all a
nightmare, then memory returned and she recalled every detail of her
strange and sinister adventure.

She saw herself starting with Mme. Ceiron to call on Juve. The concierge
had said:

"Don't worry, my dear, I know the way. Monsieur Juve gave me his
address."

At length, after a long walk, Mme. Ceiron made her climb the stairs of a
decent looking house. On the way up she remembered feeling faint and
that the concierge had given her salts to smell. Following that came
complete unconsciousness, out of which she woke to hear a grim menacing
voice 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 had
been let into her mind. In a flash she understood that Fantomas himself
must have been the mainspring of the incomprehensible events enveloping
the King's visit to Paris. Furthermore, she divined that Mme. Ceiron and
Fantomas were the same person. It was sh