. He
turned to the wretched, over-strained Fandor, and in tones of the
utmost solemnity administered his finishing stroke.

"Jerome Fandor, not only are you accused of the crimes of treason and
spying, but, taking into account the formal avowals you have just
made, I, here and now, declare you guilty of the assassination of
Captain Brocq, of the theft of his documents, and of his money!"

XXXI

A CARAVAN DRAMA

The night was dark and stormy. On the Sceaux road a gipsy was braving
the tempest, making difficult headway in the teeth of a gale which
flapped her long cloak with impeding force, soaked her to the skin,
dashed masses of water in her face, plastered streaming locks to her
forehead, taking her breath with its suffocating rush. Shielding her
mouth with her hand, the gipsy pressed steadily forward.

A church struck eleven slow strokes, borne on the wind. Lashed by the
tempest, the gipsy pressed on, muttering as she moved:

"Vagualame told me that he would be at the first milestone beyond the
aviation sheds.... I must get there! I will get there!"

It was Bobinette, struggling on in blind obedience to him whom she
considered her master, towards the strange meeting-place fixed by the
bandit five days ago.

Under her looks of Parisian delicacy, Bobinette had a valiant spirit,
a high-strung temperament and a will of steel.... Bobinette wished to
reach the appointed trysting-place: she would reach it.

But gipsy Bobinette had her fears. She was painfully impressed by the
obscurity of the night--sinister, menacing. From the marshy fields
flanking her to right and left unaccustomed sounds, weird noises
reached her straining ears through the gusty darkness.

Then what did her master want with her here, and at such an hour?

Never had Bobinette confessed to herself that Vagualame's real
identity was unknown to her. What dark personality was hid behind that
familiar figure? She asked herself that now, with shuddering
apprehension. She had remarked certain coincidences, noted certain
details: she divined that this enigmatic accordion player might well
be none other than--Fantomas.

Fantomas! That name was it not a frightful symbol of all the crimes,
all the atrocities, the monstrous synthesis of unpunished evil?

In her tormented brain those three syllables of sinister intent were
sounding like a funeral knell.... At thought of Fantomas and Vagualame
co-mingled, Bobinette's terror-filled heart fainted