Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net MESSENGERS OF EVIL BEING A FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE LURES AND DEVICES OF FANTOMAS THE FANTOMAS DETECTIVE NOVELS BY PIERRE SOUVESTRE AND MARCEL ALLAIN AUTHORS OF "FANTOMAS," "THE EXPLOITS OF JUVE," ETC. NEW YORK BRENTANO'S 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY BRENTANO'S CONTENTS I. THE DRAMA OF THE RUE NORVINS II. THOMERY'S TWO LOVES III. UNEXPECTED COMPLICATIONS IV. A SURPRISING ITINERARY V. MOTHER TOULOUCHE AND CRANAJOUR VI. IN THE OPPOSITE SENSE VII. PEARLS AND DIAMONDS VIII. END OF THE BALL IX. FINGER PRINTS X. IDENTITY OF A NAVVY XI. AN AUDACIOUS THEFT XII. INVESTIGATIONS XIII. RUE RAFFET XIV. SOMEONE TELEPHONED XV. VAGUE SUSPICIONS XVI. DISCUSSIONS XVII. AN ARREST XVIII. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK XIX. CRIMINAL OR VICTIM? XX. UNDER THE HOODED MASK XXI. IN A PRISON VAN XXII. AN EXECUTION XXIII. FROM VAUGIRARD TO MONTMARTRE XXIV. AT SAINT LAZARE XXV. A MOUSE TRAP XXVI. IN THE TRAP XXVII. THE IMPRINT XXVIII. COURAGE MESSENGERS OF EVIL I THE DRAMA OF THE RUE NORVINS On Monday, April 4th, 19--, the evening paper _La Capitale_ published the following article on its first page:-- A drama, over the motives of which there is a bewildering host of conjectures, was unfolded this morning on the heights of Montmartre. The Baroness de Vibray, well known in the Parisian world and among artists, whose generous patroness she was, has been found dead in the studio of the ceramic painter, Jacques Dollon. The young painter, rendered completely helpless by a soporific, lay stretched out beside her when the crime was discovered. We say 'crime' designedly, because, when the preliminary medical examination was completed, it was clear that the death of the Baroness de Vibray was due to the absorption of some poison. The painter, Jacques Dollon, whom the enlightened attentions of Doctor Mayran had drawn from his condition of torpor, underwent a short examination from the superintendent of police, in the course of which he made remarks of so suspicious a nature that the examining magistrate put him under arrest then and there. At police headquarters they are absolutely dumb regarding this strange affair. Nevertheless, the personal investigation undertaken by us throws a little light on what is already called: _The Drama of the Rue Norvins_. _The Discovery of the Crime_