“These facts are as follows: Yesterday, the Grand Duchess Alexandra gave a ball, a costume ball. At this costume ball were several ‘Fantômas.’ How many, precisely, it is impossible, sir, for me to inform you; I have not been able to ascertain the number. On more than one occasion, this is certain, two masked figures, two ‘Fantômas’ were seen talking together, which would go to prove there were _two_ ‘Fantômas’; but after all, this is not positively certain, for because two men in black cowls have been seen, it obviously does not follow there were no others elsewhere in the rooms....” “But why this hypothesis?” “Why? h’m! because ... Anyhow, sir, let us remember this fact, this primary fact—two ‘Fantômas,’ exactly alike, two disguises of identical shape and make, attended the Grand Duchess Alexandra’s fête. Very good, but who and what were they? Here we enter the domain at once of certainties and hypotheses. One certainly we have—one of these masquers was Tom Bob; he was seen, recognized, identified by name. The second of these masqued men, and here we have another, a melancholy, certainty, was an agent of the Criminal Bureau, one of our excellent officers, indeed, Inspector Joffre—he was the man they found subsequently, you know, under the trees in the garden, stabbed to the heart.” “And he was the man,” affirmed the Minister, “who was seen to go off with Tom Bob, with the other ‘Fantômas,’ after a laughing colloquy, in which our agent, like Tom Bob, had claimed to be actually and indeed the ever-elusive brigand. From which I infer ...” But M. Havard made a gesture of dissent: “Yes, you infer, sir, but you go too fast in your inferences. What precisely occurred between the moment when Tom Bob as ‘Fantômas’ arrived at the grand duchess’s, a little before our agent Joffre, also disguised as a ‘Fantômas,’ and that when the unfortunate officer was found dead, murdered? It would be hard to say. You remember the laughing dispute that took place between the two ‘Fantômas’? That dispute actually took place; my investigation has enabled me to find many who can vouch for it, amongst other witnesses the Princess Sonia Danidoff. I do not dispute it, but you miss one point, Monsieur le Ministre, and that is that when the two men made a pretence of going into the park to settle their difference arms in hand, both wore the sinister black cowl, and could not therefore be recognized, and that in consequence there is nothing to justify our alleging that the man who was with the unfortunate Joffre was really Tom Bob.” “Why, yes, there _is_ one thing ...” “Namely, sir?” “Why, think, the incident in the cloak room....” M. Havard smiled. “I do not forget it!” he cried, “yes, the cloak room incident does constitute a serious impeachment against Tom Bob, a terribly serious impeachment. But you remember the exact details, sir?” “I think so! Come, now, events happened thus ...”