"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 there are two ways of doing this, through menacing her or through bribing her. I'll apply the first, and if that doesn't answer I'll try the second." As to the King, while his identity had been proved, he was none the less a murderer. The question was whether to prevent the visit he wished to pay to the President of the Republic or to bring it about. M. Annion took the Rue des Saussaies at 7.30 and having reached home, dined quickly while he read the evening paper. The news was startling. An article reserved in tone, but giving sufficient details, announced the arrest of Fantomas, the mysterious criminal of the Palace Royal of Glotzbourg, while attempting to steal the diamond which constituted the private fortune of Prince Frederick-Christian II. "Good God!" cried M. Annion, "Fantomas arrested, the diamond stolen, and Juve doesn't return or send any word!" The director of the Secret Service felt himself entangled in a network of intrigues which seemed impossible to unravel. He seemed to be surrounded by an impenetrable mystery. Fantomas! And now the name of Fantomas was associated with the scandal brought about by Frederick-Christian! M. Annion slept badly, haunted by a nightmare in which he was constantly pursuing an extraordinary Fantomas, whom he would seize and bind and who would then suddenly vanish into thin air. At eight o'clock in the morning he appeared at his office. There a surprise awaited him. Upon his desk lay a telegram. Rapidly tearing it open, he glanced at the text. "Ah!... Good God! Can it be true! Fantomas dead! Fantomas dead in prison! I must be dreaming!" While he was rereading the astonishing news, the door of his office opened and Juve walked in. "Juve!" "Myself, Chief." "Well!" "Well," replied Juve, calmly, "I've had a pretty good trip." Brandishing the telegram, M. Annion cried: "Fantomas is dead!" "Yes ... Fantomas is dead." "What have you found out?" "Oh, a thing or two ... rather interesting." "And the diamond?" "Stolen, Chief, disappeared." "Stolen by Fantomas?" "Yes, by Fantomas." "It was you who arrested him?" "Hum!--yes and no.... I was the cause of his arrest." "And the murder of Susy d'Orsel?" "It was committed by Fantomas." "You are sure of that?" "Certain, Chief." M. Annion rose and paced up and down in great excitement. "Now then, let's get the facts in the case, tell me in detail what occurred at Hesse-Weimar." Juve had had the foresight to prepare a report which would tell enough to prove that the murderer of Susy d'Orsel was really Fantomas, and thus clear the name of the King. He gave no hint, however, that Fandor was still, as Juve thought, impersonating Frederick-Christian, and made no mention of his own adventures. He concluded by saying: