Crossing quickly to the telephone, he called up: "Hello! Are inspectors 42, 59 and 63 there? What? Then send them up." "You did well to come to me, M. Giraud; we must clear up this business at any cost.... I've just sent for the three inspectors whom I detailed this morning to watch his Majesty Frederick-Christian...." Then glancing at Marie Pascal: "You'll hear what they have to say, Mademoiselle." A few minutes later the three men entered the office. "Well, what is new? You've been shadowing him?" "Yes, Monsieur." "Anything to report?" "Nothing much, Monsieur, only in regard to the conduct of the King. It seems that since this morning he has quite changed. Frederick-Christian, instead of keeping himself shut up as of late, now sees his friends again and has resumed his haughty manner and his fault-finding with the servants." "What friends has he seen?" "A young attache of the Embassy arrived immediately after luncheon, and the director of his bank." "And these men found nothing unusual?" "No, chief, nothing at all." M. Annion turned to Marie Pascal. "You see, Mademoiselle, that is conclusive, isn't it? What probably happened was that the King had a fit of nerves, due to the death of his mistress, and then his return to his normal life misled you...." Marie Pascal interrupted: "No, Monsieur, no! Your inspectors are wrong! I who love him cannot be deceived! It is no longer Frederick-Christian II who is at the Royal Palace, it is an impostor! Besides, even if I could have been mistaken, he had no reason for not recognizing me, of not seeming to understand what I was saying." The second inspector spoke up: "Chief, I have something which will convince Mademoiselle that she is mistaken. I was able to get hold of one of his Majesty's collars which he had just worn. Its size is distinctly characteristic, being 18 inches. Now it would be very easy to verify the fact that the real King wears this size and also whether it fits the supposed impostor. In any case, Monsieur, from inquiries made among the hotel servants I find there can be no doubt that Frederick-Christian is actually staying there, and that his intimate friends have been received and have recognized him." M. Annion did not answer. "This Marie Pascal is crazy," he thought, "or else she is up to some game which I don't understand... the King is the King all right, but, hang it all, that doesn't alter the fact that he is an assassin." CHAPTER XXIV 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 attache and the banker.