f grave problems.

Juve had felt anxious as he accosted de Loubersac: no doubt the
lieutenant and his secret agent had some set form of greeting, some
agreed on method of imparting information. By incurring the fine, Juve
realised that he had made a wrong start--perhaps omitted a password.
Still, he had obtained the essential thing--a private talk with this
particular official of the Second Bureau.

The talk began with an abrupt question from de Loubersac:

"And the V. affair?"

"The V. affair?... Peuh!"

"What the deuce does he refer to?" Juve was asking himself.

Unsuspecting, de Loubersac came to his aid.

"Our corporal must have returned to Verdun to-day?"

"Ah!" thought Juve, "our corporal is Vinson!" The further he proceeded
in his present investigations the clearer grew the connection between
the Brocq affair and those of Bobinette, Wilhelmine, de Loubersac:
surely they were all interpreters of the tragic drama conceived by
Vagualame-Fantomas!

"His leave expired this morning," continued de Loubersac.

"He left yesterday evening. I have proof of it," asserted
Juve-Vagualame.

"Anything new?"

"Not so far."

"Are you going to Verdun?"

"Possibly."

"How about the document?"

"Hum!" murmured Juve-Vagualame. Here was another conundrum he must go
warily.

"You are constantly looking for it, of course? You know it is the most
urgent of all!"...

Juve nodded agreement.

"Place it in my hands, and I shall give you fifty thousand francs in
exchange for it--you know that!"

"Less the fine," put in Juve-Vagualame with a comical grimace.

De Loubersac smiled.

"We will speak of that again." There was a pause.

"A good deal has happened since the death of Captain Brocq's
mistress."

Juve-Vagualame remarked.

"Is Captain Brocq's mistress dead, too?... Poor girl!"

De Loubersac stared hard at the accordion player.

"Oh come now, Vagualame! Where are your wits--wool-gathering?"

"Wits wool-gathering, lieutenant!" echoed Juve-Vagualame.

"There is no lieutenant, I tell you!" cried de Loubersac, with a stamp
of his foot. "It is Monsieur Henri--just Henri, if you like. How many
more times am I to tell you this?"

Juve-Vagualame's reply was an equivocal gesture.

"You do not know about the Chalons affair--the assassination of the
singer, Nichoune?"

"No--that is to say."...

"Well, then?" De Loubersac was staring at Vagualame with puzzled eyes.

"Well, then--as to that--no!... I had b