precious and if
your accomplice had tried to get rid of you, it is only natural; you are
dangerous 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 the
King."

"You are not...."

"No, but I haven't time to explain that now... you must help me to
capture this criminal ... and I give you my word you will not be
involved yourself."

"But I am not the accomplice of Fantomas!"

"Then why did you steal those jewels? Why have you the key of Susy
d'Orsel's apartment in your possession?"

Marie's face expressed such bewilderment as Fandor asked the question
that 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 she
had played in the tragic affair of the Rue Monceau and ended by
exclaiming:

"What you don't know is that Mme. Ceiron is in reality Fantomas. Under
this disguise he has tried to assassinate me; he assured you that I had
gone to the country, so that rescue would have been impossible."

"Ah, Fantomas!" cried Fandor at the end of the recital, "your hour has
come! 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 a
sovereign, a crowned head, takes the train..."

"You stick as close to him as possible until he has reached the
frontier. Well, I'm not sorry to see you here," continued Vicart, "for
now my job is over."

"And mine just beginning, worse luck."

"Oh! you have only a few hours of it; you travel luxuriously in a
special train..."

"One gets tired of that pretty soon. Last week I took the Dowager Queen
of Italy to Menton; then jumped to the Spanish frontier to pick up the
King of Spain; now it's the King of Hesse-Weimar--to-morrow, who knows?"

The station was decorated gaily in honor of the departing
Frederick-Christian. In a private room, a number of the guests,
especially invited, were waiting t