riminals in all this round world--a band I
have, time and again, pursued, decimated, broken up, dispersed ...
only to see them spring to an associated evil life again, a ceaseless
rebirth of maleficent forces, forming and reforming, a malevolent,
hydra-headed monster, a band, gentlemen, of incarnated evil--the band
of Fantomas!"

Juve became silent. He wiped his forehead.

The harsh voice of Colonel Hofferman broke the silence:

"Hypotheses! True to this extent, Monsieur Juve, that Brocq may very
well have had a mistress--we are all agreed about that--but, in
reality, it is simply romance!"

There was a discreet knock at the door.

"What is it?" demanded the Under-Secretary. The form of an usher
showed itself in the half-opened doorway.

He entered, and, turning towards the Under-Secretary, said: "Excuse
me, sir." Then, addressing Colonel Hofferman: "Captain Loreuil sends
me to tell Colonel Hofferman that he has returned, and has a
communication of extreme urgency to lay before him."

"The captain must wait!" cried Hofferman, in a harsh, authoritative
tone.

But the usher, fulfilling his orders, replied:

"The captain anticipated this answer, Colonel, and told me to add that
the communication cannot wait."

The usher withdrew. Hofferman glanced questioningly at the
Under-Secretary.

"Go to him, Colonel, and return as soon as possible."

The Under-Secretary addressed Juve:

"The Government is greatly annoyed by all these incidents, which are
assuming enormous proportions.... Are you aware that rumours of war
are becoming wide-spread?... Public opinion is in a most unsettled
state.... Things are bad on the Bourse, too--going from bad to
worse!... Really, it is all most distressing!"

With a movement of sympathetic acquiescence, Juve said gently:

"I cannot help it, Monsieur!"

It was noon. Twelve was striking.

X

AUNT PALMYRA.

Early in the morning of the day on which the meeting took place in the
private office of the Under-Secretary of State, the proprietor of _The
Three Moons_ at Chalons was busy bottling his wine. Dawn was just
breaking, and the good man had a spirit lamp in his cellar to throw
light upon his task.

Suddenly his bottling operations were disturbed by an unknown voice
calling him insistently from the top of the steps.

"Hey, there! Father Louis! Where is Father Louis?"

Fuming and grumbling, the innkeeper mounted his cellar-steps, and
appeared on the porch.

"I