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MARCEL ALLAIN
MARCEL ALLAIN
NEW YORK BRENTANO'S 1918 Copyright, 1918, by Brentano's CHAPTER PAGE I. A Royal Jag 3 II. Mother Citron's Tenants 12 III. The Tragedy of the Rue De Monceau 21 IV. Who Do They Think I Am? 33 V. By the Singing Fountains 42 VI. The Investigation Begins 49 VII. The King Receives 63 VIII. Marie Pascal 69 IX. A Party of Three 76 X. Wulfenmimenglaschk 86 XI. One Hundred and Twenty-Seven Stations 98 XII. Camouflage 110 XIII. The Kingdom of Hesse-Weimar 118 XIV. Queen Hedwige Receives 127 XV. The Mysteri
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A ROYAL JAG
A ROYAL JAG
"After all, why not celebrate? It's the last day of the year and it won't come again for twelve months." It was close upon midnight. Jerome Fandor, reporter on the popular newspaper, La Capitale , was strolling along the boulevard; he had just come from a banquet, one of those official and deadly affairs at which the guests are obliged to listen to interminable speeches. He had drowsed through the evening and at the first opportunity had managed to slip away quickly. The theatres were just out a
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MOTHER CITRON'S TENANTS
MOTHER CITRON'S TENANTS
"Now you've forgotten the fish knives and forks! Do you expect my lover to eat with his fingers like that old Chinaman I had for three months last year!" Susy d'Orsel spoke with a distinct accent of the Faubourg, which contrasted strangely with her delicate and distinguished appearance. Justine, her maid, stood staring in reply. "But, Madame, we have lobsters...." "What's that got to do with it, they're fish, ain't they?" The young woman left the table and went into the adjoining room, a small d
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THE TRAGEDY OF THE RUE DE MONCEAU
THE TRAGEDY OF THE RUE DE MONCEAU
Susy d'Orsel, tired of waiting for her royal lover, was sound asleep before the fire in her bedroom. Suddenly she was awakened by a loud noise. Still half asleep, she sat up listening. The sounds came from the stairs. Mechanically Susy glanced at the clock, which marked the quarter after three. "I'll bet it's him, but how late he is!" As the sounds drew nearer, she added: "He must be as drunk as a lord! After all, Kings are no better than other men." She quickly passed to the outer door and list
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WHO DO THEY THINK I AM?
WHO DO THEY THINK I AM?
The first faint light of dawn was filtering through the dusty windows of the police station. Sergeant Masson, pushing aside the game of dominoes he had been playing with his subordinate, declared: "I must go and see the chief." "At his house?" demanded the other in a tone of alarm. "Yes; after all, if I catch it for waking him that won't be so bad as having him come here at ten." The sergeant rose and stretched himself. He had entire charge of the Station and was responsible for all arrests. As
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CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
Paris rises very late indeed on New Year's Day. The night before is given up to family reunions, supper parties and every kind of jollification. So the year begins with a much needed rest. The glitter and racket of the streets gives place to a death-like stillness. Shops are shut and the cafés are empty. Paris sleeps. There is an exception to this rule: Certain unfortunate individuals are obliged to rise at day-break, don their best clothes, their uniforms and make their way to the four corners
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THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS
THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS
M. Vicart, sub-director of the Police Department, was in an execrable humor. In all his long career such a thing had never happened before. In spite of the established rule, he had been deprived of his New Year holiday, which he usually spent in visits to governmental officials capable of influencing his advancement. He had been ordered to his office. His morning had been spent in endless discussions with M. Annion, his director. Numerous telegrams, interviews, work of all kinds instead of his c
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THE KING RECEIVES
THE KING RECEIVES
The elegant attaché of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs bowed, saying: "I am extremely sorry to bring your Majesty this bad news." A voice from the depth of the cushions inquired: "What bad news?" "I am telling your Majesty that it would be difficult—even impossible for you to go to the Longchamps races as you had the intention of doing." "And why not?" "The President of the Republic opens to-day the exposition at the Bagatelle Museum. If your Majesty went to the Bois de Boulogne you would run
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MARIE PASCAL
MARIE PASCAL
Now that he had become a King and was obliged to receive unexpected visits in that capacity, Fandor had adopted the wise precaution of making his visitors wait in the main Salon, while he retired to the adjoining study. From there, thanks to a large mirror, he could see them without being seen himself. Following this precaution he waited for the appearance of his visitor and scarcely had she set foot in the Salon when he experienced an agreeable surprise. "Ah, there's a pretty girl." He was righ
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A PARTY OF THREE
A PARTY OF THREE
Juve was busy searching in a bureau drawer while Marie Pascal was going through piles of linen in her cupboard. "You are sure you put it there?" asked Juve. "Madame Ceiron hasn't by any chance taken it away, has she?" "Oh, no," replied Marie Pascal, "I am quite sure I locked it in my drawer, and locked the door of my room as well." The room had been turned completely topsy-turvy, while Juve and Marie Pascal were searching anxiously and nervously through all the girl's belongings. When she left t
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WULFENMIMENGLASCHK
WULFENMIMENGLASCHK
Wulfenmimenglaschk! Fandor stared in consternation at the individual who had just entered the apartment of Frederick-Christian II. He was enormously fat and absurd looking. A large red nose stood out between two little blinking eyes; a heavy moustache bushed above his three well-defined chins. In his hand he held a soft green hat, through the ribbon of which was stuck a feather. He wore a wide leather belt containing cartridge cases, and the butts of two revolvers peeped out of his pockets. The
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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN STATIONS
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN STATIONS
On leaving Fandor, Juve walked up the Avenue Champs Elysées, refusing the offers of various cab drivers. He felt the need of movement as an antidote to his growing worry over the affair. On arriving at the Rue Saussaies, Juve sent up his card to M. Annion and requested an immediate interview. In a few moments he was shown into M. Annion's office. "Well, what's new? What's the result of your investigation, Juve?" "There is nothing much to report yet. The theory of suicide is possible, although a
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CAMOUFLAGE
CAMOUFLAGE
"Come in and sit down, Monsieur Wulfenmimenglaschk." The Marquis de Sérac led the way into his study. He was a powerfully built, white-haired man, in the sixties, still active, with a slightly tired voice, a typical man of the world in his manners and dress. Very embarrassed, Wulf bowed and bowed: "I am confused, Monsieur. Quite confused ... I ..." "Not at all, Monsieur Wulf; now take off your overcoat, sit down and smoke a cigar. I assure you it's a great pleasure for me to talk to anyone comin
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THE KINGDOM OF HESSE-WEIMAR
THE KINGDOM OF HESSE-WEIMAR
"Has Monsieur le Baron any trunks to be examined? This is the Hesse-Weimar Customs." These words, spoken in a respectful but guttural voice, startled Juve from the deep sleep into which he had fallen after a very unpleasant night. The detective opened his eyes and stretched himself. The pale light of dawn struggled through the windows of the sleeping car, the curtains of which had been carefully drawn. Outside nothing was to be seen, for besides the mud which covered the windows a heavy fog lay
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QUEEN HEDWIGE RECEIVES
QUEEN HEDWIGE RECEIVES
Obedient to the Grand Chamberlain's invitation, the assembled guests passed into the great gallery at the end of which an immense salon was seen, still empty; it was the room in which the Queen held her drawing-room. It was sparsely furnished; a large gilded armchair, which was really a throne, stood at the farther end between two windows; the floor was waxed until it shone, and the surface was so slippery that Juve felt some fear of mishaps. First came the guard with a clatter of sabres, then t
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THE MYSTERIOUS PRISON
THE MYSTERIOUS PRISON
"Good Lord! How my head aches! It feels as though it were made of lead!... I have a fire in my veins and such a thirst! Here and now I make a firm resolution never to give way again to such dissipation. Never again will I drink champagne in such quantities. But, where the deuce am I?... It's still pitch dark!... Ah, I remember ... it's outrageous! Help! Help!" King Frederick-Christian had wakened. At first he experienced the usual unpleasant sensations which follow a night of heavy drinking and
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THE THEFT OF THE DIAMOND
THE THEFT OF THE DIAMOND
Queen Hedwige had had a serious and legitimate reason for bringing her reception to an abrupt conclusion. A Court ball for the high functionaries and dignities of the Kingdom was to take place that evening. Furthermore, the Queen was very much exercised over the rumor that the Grand Duchess Alexandra was to be present. This woman, still young and very beautiful, played an important rôle in the small world of the Palace. It was said by the gossips that she accepted the attentions of Prince Gudulf
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ON THE RIGHT TRAIL
ON THE RIGHT TRAIL
"The Bureau of Public Highways, if you please?" "What is it you wish to inquire about?" "I want some information as to the probable duration of certain repair works." "Ah, then go to the fourth floor, number 54, door to the right at the end of the passage." "Thanks." With a slight nod, the visitor entered the huge building on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, which houses the offices of Public Works. He was a young man, dressed in a long black overcoat, a derby hat, which he wore well down over his e
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A SLEEPER
A SLEEPER
Fandor sat up in bed as the door of his room opened to admit the cautious head of Wulf. "Your Majesty is awake?" he inquired. "Yes, my Majesty is awake and ready to get up. Wulf, we are going out to-day." "As your Majesty wishes." "The Queen has written to say that she is getting bored, and wants me home again. That being the case we had better make the most of our few remaining days, you understand?" "Not very well." "Why, this afternoon we must look up some pretty girls and, as my cousin the K
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FREE!
FREE!
After a brief inspection, a cry of surprise rose to his lips. "Good Lord!... there he is! Frederick-Christian." It was indeed the King—a prisoner in the hollow foundations of the Singing Fountains. "Sire, Sire!" The King slept on. But his sleep seemed troubled; he breathed in gasps. "Sire! Sire! Wake up! I have come to save you! Upon my word, that is what might be called a royal sleep." The journalist's words made no impression on the sleeping monarch, so, ignoring all formality, he laid hands u
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FREDERICK-CHRISTIAN
FREDERICK-CHRISTIAN
"Another drink, Monsieur Louis?" "I think I've had about enough." "No, no ... this is my turn to treat." "Well, since you put it that way, Monsieur Wulf, I can't refuse." "Besides," added the barkeeper, "this is some very special vermouth, only served to old clients." "Ah," laughed Wulf, "I hope we're included in that category, for you certainly have no better client than myself." "Excuse me," replied the barkeeper, smiling, "we have one, your boss, Monsieur Wulf, the King Frederick-Christian...
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HORRIBLE CERTAINTY
HORRIBLE CERTAINTY
"What has happened to that idiot Juve? Here for three days I've been shut up in this beastly prison and no sign of him." As the days passed, Fandor gradually lost his buoyancy of spirits and became more and more anxious. "What can Juve be doing?" he repeated for the hundredth time. The continual obscurity of the place began to weigh him down. This was relieved each day for a few moments by a thin shaft of light. Fandor was quick to account for the phenomenon. "It happens exactly at noon when the
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BETWEEN US THREE—FANTÔMAS!
BETWEEN US THREE—FANTÔMAS!
For the second time, the Grand Duchess Alexandra solemnly repeated to the Queen: "I have the honor to take leave of your Majesty, and I dare to hope that I may hear news of your Majesty when I reach my journey's end. I shall be away a long while from the court of Hesse-Weimar and from its august Sovereign for whom I profess the deepest respect." The interview between the Queen and the woman she deemed her mortal enemy took place about eleven o'clock, two days after the famous ball in the midst o
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OFFICIAL OPINIONS
OFFICIAL OPINIONS
"Well, M. Vicart?" "Well, M. Annion, that's all." "That's all!" replied M. Annion. "That's nothing! We've been talking for a quarter of an hour without getting anywhere or reaching any conclusion." "But, M. Annion...." "No, I say.... It is I who have been giving you all the information and that, you know, is rather surprising.... You are the acting head of the Secret Service and you should have known all this. It's not my place to tell you what's going on at the Royal Palace." "M. Annion, nothin
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JUVE'S LIES
JUVE'S LIES
M. Annion had left the Ministry quite late the evening before in a very bad humor. Not that he had any doubt about the deposition of Marie Pascal. The report of his inspectors had settled that point, supplemented by the visits to the King of the attaché and the banker. "That young girl of the sixth floor," he said to himself, "who calls herself Marie Pascal, is either trying to hold up the sovereign or else she is crazy. In either case the important thing is to make her hold her tongue. Now ther
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"I WANT TO LIVE!"
"I WANT TO LIVE!"
During two days which passed like two centuries, Fandor had been held prisoner in his dungeon where death awaited him. "I am condemned to death," he exclaimed, "very good, then I will wait for death." But Fandor was of those who do not give up until the struggle is over. Besides, he had his faithful revolver. He could end his life at any moment and shorten the torture. He had found sufficient ham to last for two meals, and when that had been eaten and the last drop of water drunk he began to suf
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THE ACCUSING WAISTCOAT
THE ACCUSING WAISTCOAT
"As a matter of fact, Monsieur Juve, did not the celebrated Vidocq before he was a detective begin life as a murderer?" Wulf, book in hand and comfortably installed in a large armchair, addressed the question to Juve, who answered in brief monosyllables, without turning his head: "That's true, Monsieur Wulf." "And don't you think that every detective at one time or another has a tendency toward crime, either as a thief or as an assassin?" "That I cannot say." What a day Juve had passed! Events h
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THE EXPLOSION OF THE NORD-SUD
THE EXPLOSION OF THE NORD-SUD
The Empire clock on Juve's desk struck half-past eleven. The detective, having gone over in his mind the course of events just narrated, rose abruptly and tapped Wulf on the shoulder. "Monsieur Wulf, if you are to remain here you are very welcome to do so; as for me, I'm going out." Wulf, wakened out of a doze, sat up and stared at Juve, an expression of dawning suspicion in his eyes. "Where are you going?" he inquired. Juve, absorbed in his thoughts, did not remark the strange behavior of his c
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INNOCENT OR GUILTY?
INNOCENT OR GUILTY?
Juve and Doctor Gast were talking in low tones in the dining-room adjoining the bedroom. Their patient, Fandor, had just wakened and had cried out: "I'm dying of hunger!" It was about nine o'clock in the morning. After rescuing his friend Fandor from his perilous situation, he had taken the unfortunate journalist to his own home in Rue Richer and called in a physician of the quarter, Doctor Gast. An examination of the patient showed that he had received no serious injury, merely some abrasions a
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COMPROMISING DISCOVERIES
COMPROMISING DISCOVERIES
Fandor, smoking a good cigar, walked to the Rue Monceau, taking deep breaths of the fresh air, looking up with delight at the blue sky. After his imprisonment and slow torture he experienced an extraordinary joy in living and in his freedom. When he reached the house he found the concièrge's office empty. He called out several times. "I'm the concièrge, what is it you want?" a voice answered behind him. Fandor turned sharply: "Ah, there you are, Madame, I didn't see you." It would have surprised
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SHADOWED
SHADOWED
An unusual cold had continued for nearly a week, and the ice fête organized by the skating club upon the upper lake in the Bois de Boulogne had been announced for this particular day. This fête had been already frequently postponed on account of the weather. It had become a joke among Parisians to receive an invitation for a date which was invariably followed by a period of thaw, turning the lake into ice water and mud. And now the afternoon of this January day, which began with the explosion in
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THE DEATH WATCH
THE DEATH WATCH
In her ears an incessant buzzing. On her throat a weight which stifled her. In her mouth a gag which obstructed her breathing and tore her lips. Over her eyes a heavy bandage. Her arms were bound at the wrists, her body was bruised by heavy thongs, and her ankles bleeding from the pressure of cords. Marie Pascal was gradually regaining consciousness. She tried to make a movement, but her body could not respond; she wanted to cry out, but her voice died away in her throat. At first she thought it
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THE ARREST OF FANTÔMAS
THE ARREST OF FANTÔMAS
"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 wee
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PIERRE SOUVESTRE and MARCEL ALLAIN
PIERRE SOUVESTRE and MARCEL ALLAIN
I. FANTÔMAS The Adventures of Detective Juve in Pursuit of a Master in Crime. II. THE EXPLOITS OF JUVE In this continuation of "Fantômas" the further adventures of Detective Juve are narrated and tell of his efforts to run the notorious criminal to earth. Fantômas appears here as the leader of a gang of Apaches. III. MESSENGERS OF EVIL This third Instalment of the adventures of Detective Juve contains a recital of some remarkable happenings in the life of this master-criminal of Paris. IV. A NES
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