A Nest Of Spies - free ebook by Marcel Allain

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A Nest Of Spies

Marcel Allain

39 chapters

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39 chapters

I SUDDEN DEATH

I SUDDEN DEATH

She sought in vain! The young woman, who was finishing her toilette, lost patience. With a look of annoyance she half turned round, crying, "Well, Captain, it is easy to see that you are not accustomed to women's ways!" This pretty girl's lover, a man about forty, with an energetic countenance, and a broad forehead adorned with sparse locks, was smoking a Turkish cigarette, taking his ease on a divan at the far end of the room. He jumped up as if moved by a spring. For some time the captain had

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II DOCUMENT NUMBER SIX

II DOCUMENT NUMBER SIX

"Hullo!... Am I speaking to Headquarters of Police?" "Yes?" "To the sergeant?... Good!... It is the superintendent of the Wagram Quarter who is telephoning.... They have just brought here the body of an officer who has died suddenly, Place de l'Étoile, and I want you to send me one of your inspectors.... This officer was the bearer of important documents.... I must send them direct to the military authorities.... Hullo!... Good.... You will send me someone immediately?... An inspector will be he

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III BARON NAARBOVECK'S HOUSE

III BARON NAARBOVECK'S HOUSE

Despite the gusty wind and squalls of icy rain which deluged Paris, despite the early morning hour, although it was one of those first dark days of November which depress humanity, Jérôme Fandor, the journalist, editorial contributor to the popular evening paper La Capitale , was in a gay mood, and showed it by singing at the top of his voice, at the risk of rousing the neighbourhood. In his very comfortable little flat, rue Richer, where he had lived for a number of years, the young journalist

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IV A CORDIAL RECEPTION

IV A CORDIAL RECEPTION

The journalist had naturally expected to see Monsieur de Naarboveck enter the room: in his stead came this pretty girl. "Be seated, I beg, Monsieur," she entreated. "She is his daughter," thought Fandor. "I am given the go-by: the diplomatist is not going to see me! I am sorry for that, but, on the other hand, here is this delicious creature." "You asked to see Monsieur de Naarboveck, did you not? It is for an interview, no doubt. Monsieur de Naarboveck makes it a point of honour never to get hi

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V THEY ARE NOT AGREED

V THEY ARE NOT AGREED

As one who had the privilege of free entry to the house, Fandor opened the front door of Juve's flat with the latchkey he possessed as a special favour, traversed the semi-darkness of the corridor and went towards his friend's study. He raised the curtain, opened the door half-way, and caught sight of Juve at his desk. "Don't disturb yourself, it is only Fandor!" The detective was absorbed in the letter he was writing to such a degree that he had never even heard the journalist enter. At the sou

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VI CORPORAL VINSON

VI CORPORAL VINSON

With one knee resting on his portmanteau, Jérôme Fandor was pulling with all the force of his powerful arms at the straps in order to buckle them up. It was Sunday, November the thirteenth, and five o'clock in the afternoon. The flat was brilliantly illuminated, and the greatest disorder reigned throughout. At last Fandor was off for his holiday! Not to risk losing his train, our journalist meant to dine at the Lyons railway station. "Ouf!" cried he, when he had succeeded in cramming his mass of

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VII THE SECOND BUREAU

VII THE SECOND BUREAU

As early as nine o'clock that morning, there was unusual activity in the Second Bureau of the Headquarters Staff. The Second Bureau! This formidable office, whose official designation, Bureau of Statistics , did not deceive anyone, occupied premises in the Ministry of War. Modest as to appearance, this Bureau was located on the third floor of one of the oldest buildings in the rue Saint Dominique. The departments of the Second Bureau impinged on a long corridor, and had taken possession of quite

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VIII A SINGER OF THE HALLS.

VIII A SINGER OF THE HALLS.

"Nichoune!... Nichoune!... Nichoune!" "Be off with you, Léonce! To the door!" It was a regular hubbub! An uproar! It increased! Léonce the comedian had to cut short his monologue! The little concert-hall at Châlons was at its liveliest. There was not a single seat to be had. It was a mixed audience of soldiers and civilians, and the uniform did not fraternise too well with the garb of the working-man! This low-class concert-hall was frequented by soldiers, who, out on leave, would visit the tave

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IX WITH THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

IX WITH THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

"Come in!" cried Hofferman, who was writing hard. An orderly stepped gingerly into the room. "An usher, Colonel, with a message, begging you to be so good as to step downstairs at once to see the Under-Secretary of State." Hofferman looked up. "Are you sure the message is for me?" "Yes, Colonel." "Very well. I am coming immediately." The orderly vanished. Hofferman remained in thought for a minute or so, rose abruptly, half opened the door of the adjoining room, and addressed Commandant Dumoulin

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X AUNT PALMYRA.

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 Châlons 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

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XI THE HOODED CLOAK OF FANTÔMAS

XI THE HOODED CLOAK OF FANTÔMAS

Leaning on his window-sill, Jérôme Fandor was apparently keeping a strict watch on the comings and goings of the passers-by, who, having finished their Sunday walk, were bending their steps towards dinner, a quiet evening, and a reposeful night. Seven o'clock sounded from a neighbouring clock, its strokes borne through the misty atmosphere, darkened by fog: it was a peaceful moment, made for pleasurable relaxation ofter the activities of the day. Jérôme Fandor, however, was not enjoying the char

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XII A TRICK ACCORDING TO FANDOR

XII A TRICK ACCORDING TO FANDOR

It was a November Sunday evening. A crowd of leave-expired soldiers were entraining at the Eastern Station. They would be dropped at their respective garrisons along the line of some 400 kilometres separating the capital from the frontier. They had dined, supped, feasted with friends and relatives: now they were voicing regretful farewells by medley of songs and ear-splitting serenades. They scrambled into the third-class compartments, fifteen, sixteen at a time, filling the seats and overflowin

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XIII JUVE'S STRATAGEM

XIII JUVE'S STRATAGEM

Whilst Jérôme Fandor was commencing his apprenticeship as a soldier at the Saint Benoit barracks, Verdun, a sordid individual was following an elegant pedestrian who, descending the rue Solférino, went in the direction of the Seine. It was about seven in the evening. "Pstt!" This sound issued from the ragged individual, but the passer-by did not turn his head. "Monsieur!" insisted the sordid one. As the elegant pedestrian did not seem to know he was being followed, the sordid individual stepped

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XIV BEFORE A TOMB

XIV BEFORE A TOMB

"This is a surprise!" Mademoiselle de Naarboveck stopped. She smiled up at Henri de Loubersac. "Do you know, I saw in this glass that you were following us," she said, pointing to a mirror placed at an angle in a confectioner's shop at the corner of rue Biot. These artless remarks put the handsome lieutenant out of countenance: he blushed hotly, but he pressed the little hand held out to him so simply, and with such a look of frank pleasure. He stammered some excuse for not having recognised her

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XV THE TRAITOR'S APPRENTICESHIP

XV THE TRAITOR'S APPRENTICESHIP

Although for the past four days Fandor had shown himself the most punctual, the most correct, the most brilliant of French corporals, although he had replaced the unfortunate Vinson with striking ability, it was never without a feeling of bewildered terror that he awoke each morning in the vast barrack-room at Saint-Benoit, Verdun. No sooner was he dressed than he found himself in the thick of a life made up of fears, of ever-recurring alarms, a nightmare life, the strain of which was concealed

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XVI AT THE ELYSÉE BALL

XVI AT THE ELYSÉE BALL

The ball was in full swing. There was a crush in the brilliantly lighted reception-rooms of the Elysée. Prominent members of Parliament, diplomats, officers naval and military, representatives of the higher circles of commerce, and finance, rubbed shoulders with the undistinguished, at the official reception given in honour of Japan's new ambassador, Prince Ito. The prince was stationed in the centre of the inmost drawing-room, gorgeously arrayed in his national costume, a delicate smile on his

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XVII IN THE STRONGHOLD OF THE ENEMY

XVII IN THE STRONGHOLD OF THE ENEMY

The curtain with its pictured red cock was down, lights were up in the modern Cinema Concert Hall, rue des Poissonniers. Most of the spectators were on the move. An old white-bearded man of poverty-stricken appearance rose from his seat beside a pretty, red-haired girl, elegantly dressed. He murmured: "I am going out for a smoke." The girl nodded. She stared at the spectators with indifferent eyes. They were mostly women and girls. There was a mingled odour of hot coffee and orange peel. Drinks

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XVIII IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!

XVIII IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!

The Baron de Naarboveck and his daughter, Wilhelmine, were comfortably seated before a wood fire in the library. So numerous were their social engagements they rarely had time for a quiet talk together. Wilhelmine was in good spirits. De Naarboveck listened with an indulgent smile to her vivacious account of the little happenings and doings of her day. Presently a more serious subject came up for discussion. The word "marriage" was mentioned. Wilhelmine blushed and lowered her eyes, while the ba

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XIX THE MYSTERIOUS ABBÉ

XIX THE MYSTERIOUS ABBÉ

Fandor half opened his eyes. Was he dreaming? This was not the barrack dormitory, with its gaunt white-washed walls and morning clamour.... Of course! He was in a bedroom of a cheap hotel in Paris. Cretonne curtains shaded the window. A ray of light was reflected in a hanging mirror of scant dimensions, decidedly the worse for wear. Below it stood a washstand. On its cracked and dirty marble top could be seen a chipped and ill-matched basin and soapdish. A lopsided table occupied the middle of t

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XX MAN OR WOMAN

XX MAN OR WOMAN

Kilometres succeeded kilometres in endless procession. Ceaselessly the landscapes unrolled themselves like views on a cinema film. Swiftly, regularly, relentlessly, the car sped forward. Again the priest, with half-closed eyes, snuggled into his cushions. Fandor felt strangely drowsy. This was due, he thought, to the long journey in the open air, and to a nervous fatigue induced by the tense emotions of the day. "The nuisance is," thought he, "that no sooner shall I lay my head on the pillow to-

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XXI A CORDIAL UNDERSTANDING

XXI A CORDIAL UNDERSTANDING

"Let us make peace!" Juve held out his hand—a firm, strong hand—the hand of a trusty man. "Let us make peace frankly, sincerely, wholeheartedly!" Lieutenant de Loubersac signed the pact, without a moment's hesitation: he put his hand into the hand of Juve, and shook it warmly. "Agreed, Monsieur: we are of one mind on that point!" The two men stood silent, considering each other, despite the violence of the west wind sweeping across the end of the stockade, bringing with it enormous foam-tipped w

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XXII HAVE THEY BOLTED?

XXII HAVE THEY BOLTED?

Whilst Juve and Henri de Loubersac were watching through the midnight hours for the arrival of the traitors, Fandor in his hotel was also on the alert. He did not mean to sleep a wink. The noise of the merry-making below helped him in that.... The revellers retired at last, and silence fell on The Flowery Crossways . Fandor, feigning sleep, lay as still as a mouse; but how interminable seemed the hours! "Ah!" thought Fandor, "if only my abbé were sleeping, I should decamp; but that little bundle

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XXIII LONDON AND PARIS

XXIII LONDON AND PARIS

Juve and Henri de Loubersac passed the night on the quay. Daybreak found them marching side by side, keeping their weary watch and ward. De Loubersac had fallen silent; monosyllabic replies to Juve's remarks had given place to no remarks at all. Juve looked at Henri and smiled. "He has gone to the country of dreams: he sleeps standing." In brotherly fashion, the policeman guided the young man towards the shelter: settled him in, and left him. He was within call if needed; meanwhile, he could hav

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XXIV AN APPETISER AT ROBERT'S BAR

XXIV AN APPETISER AT ROBERT'S BAR

"Have another whisky, old sport?" "Not I! We have taken too much on board as it is." "You must! You must! Seen through the gold of old Scotch, life seems more beautiful, and the barmaids more fetching." Perched on the high stools which allowed them to lean on the rail of the bar the two topers solemnly clinked glasses. The younger of the two, a lean, dark fellow, emptied his glass at one go, but his companion, a big fair man about thirty-five, clean shaven, and slightly bald, handled his glass s

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XXV THE ARREST

XXV THE ARREST

The Dover Express, the Continental Mail, was moving out of Charing Cross station. Three travellers were seated in a first-class compartment. They were smoking big cigars: their eyes were bright, their cheeks flushed; they looked like big men who had dined well. These were Butler, Tommy and Paul, leaving for Belgium: otherwise Juve, Loreuil and Vinson bound for France! Copious libations of generous wines and strong liqueurs had reduced Butler-Vinson to the condition of a maudlin puppet: Tommy and

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XXVI WILHELMINE'S SECRET

XXVI WILHELMINE'S SECRET

"You are alone, Wilhelmine?" Mademoiselle de Naarboveck had just left the house in the rue Fabert. It was three in the afternoon, and she was going shopping. At the corner of the rue de l'Université she came on Henri de Loubersac. It was a delightful surprise. She had not seen him for several days. She was aware of the difficult and dangerous nature of her future fiancé's duties; that they frequently took him from Paris for days at a time; that they forbade him writing even a post card to let he

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XXVII THE TWO VINSONS

XXVII THE TWO VINSONS

There were strange happenings elsewhere on the day Henri de Loubersac and Wilhelmine de Naarboveck had parted in grief and anger. It was on the stroke of noon when Corporal Vinson heard a key turn in the lock of his cell. Two military jailors confronted him. "Butler?" The traitor answered to that name. Juve, for reasons of his own, had not revealed the prisoner's true quality. Vinson had therefore been entered in the jail book as Butler. One of the jailors, an old veteran, whose uniform was a mi

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XXVIII AT "THE CRYING CALF"

XXVIII AT "THE CRYING CALF"

"What's your drink?" "What's your offer?" Hogshead Geoffrey, also nicknamed "The Barrel," thumped the table with a formidable fist, at the risk of upsetting a pile of saucers, which, at this advanced hour of the evening, showed clearly how he had spent the hours passed in the wine-shop. "What do I offer?" he retorted. "I offer what's wanted. I don't haggle. When I ask a fellow: 'Old man, what do you want to wet your gullet?' that means: 'Choose.' There now!" Hogshead Geoffrey's companion merely

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XXIX I AM TROKOFF

XXIX I AM TROKOFF

Bobinette's astonishment was so evident that Hogshead Geoffrey, whose powers of observation were small, was struck by his sister's expression. "You know that old fellow?" he asked. "If he bothers you you've but to pass the word, you know, and I'll soon put him on the other side of the door!" This amiable offer terrified the girl. She felt sure Vagualame was not at The Crying Calf by chance. He had probably followed her—wished to have a word with her.... She must fall in with his wishes. She must

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XXX APPALLING ACCUSATIONS

XXX APPALLING ACCUSATIONS

"But, Commandant, you cannot possibly maintain that I am not Jérôme Fandor, journalist!" The interview between Commandant Dumoulin and Fandor had already lasted an hour. It was unlike that which had taken place six days before, when Dumoulin had dealt summarily with the Fandor-Vinson case. Since then Fandor had occupied cell 27, and had had no communication with the outside world. Fandor had raged furiously against things in general, against Dumoulin in particular, and against himself most of al

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XXXI A CARAVAN DRAMA

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,

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XXXII FREE AND PRISONER

XXXII FREE AND PRISONER

Isolated in the cell which had served him as dwelling-place for the past fortnight, Jérôme Fandor had had his ups and downs, hours of deepest depression, hours of violent exasperation when he suffered an intolerable martyrdom between his four walls—suffered morally and physically. Yet his imprisonment had been rendered as tolerable as possible. He could have his meals brought in from outside and obtain from the library such books as there were. How he longed for a talk with Juve; but that detect

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XXXIII RECONCILIATION

XXXIII RECONCILIATION

"Which do you prefer, Mademoiselle? The multi-coloured cockades or the bows of ribbon in one shade? We have both in satin of the best quality." Wilhelmine de Naarboveck hesitated. The representative from "The Ladies' Paradise" continued: "The cockades of various colours do very well: they are gay, look bright; but the bows of ribbon also produce an excellent effect—so distinguished! Both articles are in great demand." Wilhelmine answered at random: "Oh, put in half of each!" "And what quantity,

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XXXIV A FANTÔMAS TRICK

XXXIV A FANTÔMAS TRICK

Fandor stared at himself with wild eyes.... He must be in an abominable dream, a mad nightmare!... He must be!... What was behind all this? This outrage? This Vagualame, criminal proprietor of this pavilion, was the author of it! To him he owed it that he was thus bound, masked, disguised! That sinister menace was still ringing in his ears: "Through Fantômas thou shalt die!" Well, however it might come, Death came but once! He would await the event! Fandor's spirit rose once more—indomitable. He

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XXXV AT THE COUNCIL OF WAR

XXXV AT THE COUNCIL OF WAR

"The Council, gentlemen!... Stand up!" "Shoulder—arms!" "Rest—arms!" The seven military judges of the Council of War advanced solemnly, in single file. They were in full dress uniform—sabres, epaulettes, regulation plumes on helmets and caps. With all due ceremony they took their respective places at a long green-covered table. This opened at one o'clock, on the afternoon of the twenty-eighth of December. The president was a colonel of dragoons, a smart, distinguished-looking man, whose fair hai

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THE END

THE END

The Adventures of Detective Juve in pursuit of a master in crime....

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II THE EXPLOITS OF JUVE

II THE EXPLOITS OF JUVE

In this continuation Fantômas appears as the leader of a gang of Apaches, and as a physician of standing. Juve tracks the criminal to his secret hiding-place, but Fantômas escapes....

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III MESSENGERS OF EVIL

III MESSENGERS OF EVIL

Filled with hair-raising incidents this tale is a fascinating recital of remarkable happenings in the life of the master-criminal of Paris....

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IV A NEST OF SPIES

IV A NEST OF SPIES

In this volume Fantômas is an ambassador for a foreign power engaged in Paris in obtaining important military secrets for Germany. Detective Juve unmasks him, but the criminal again escapes....

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