"Ah, thank you, thank you for coming, Majesty!"
"Here, Monsieur, I am incognito--the Prince Louis de Kalbach: respect my incognito and do whatever you have to do quickly. My presence in Paris is not suspected. As you are aware, I am fortunately not known personally to my--to this individual."
Juve was about to a.s.sure the king that his wishes would be respected, but someone touched him on the arm. Juve, with a respectful inclination, turned away.
"Ah, Monsieur Juve, how delighted I am to see you!... But I was forgetting.... Monsieur Lepine was looking for you just now!"...
Juve was facing beaming Lieutenant de Loubersac.
"I will go to him at once ... but let me take this opportunity of congratulating you, my dear Lieutenant."...
Juve slipped away to join the popular chief commissioner of police, who was standing apart in the gallery overlooking the hall. Despite the amiable smile he cultivated, Monsieur Lepine looked anxious.
"Juve, are you on duty here?" he asked.
"Yes and no, Monsieur."
Monsieur Lepine looked his surprise.
"I will explain this to you later, Monsieur," said Juve.... "Things are still very complicated."
Wilhelmine de Naarboveck came into view. She was one beam of happiness and radiant beauty.
"Ah, Monsieur, I perceive you are not dancing," she said, playing the good hostess to Juve. "Will you not allow me to introduce you to some charming girls?"
"This is not the time," thought Juve: "and there is my age to be considered."
Making an evasive reply, Juve beat a retreat in good order, and followed Colonel Hofferman, who was talking to de Naarboveck.
"The work of the Second Bureau," declared that officer.
Juve heard no more--Monsieur Lepine confronted him. The chief commissioner of police was plucking at his pointed beard with nervous fingers.
Drawing Juve aside, he asked:
"Juve, what is Headquarters thinking about?"
"I do not know, Monsieur."
"What! There is a visitor here, unnoticed.... Are you also ignorant of the fact that the Baron de Naarboveck receives a king here to-night?"
"Oh, as to that, I know it--Frederick Christian II."
Monsieur Lepine was incensed at the detective"s calm.
"You know it! You know it!" he grumbled, "and the administration knows nothing about!... Well, since you know so much, what is he doing here your king?"
"He comes to see me."
"Juve, you are mad!"
"No, Monsieur, But."...
Juve cut short the conversation, approached the king, and said a few words to him in a low voice.
The chief commissioner of police was surprised beyond words when he saw the king listening attentively to what Juve had to say, then nod acquiescence, leave the ballroom and enter the gallery on to which several rooms opened, including the library at the far end.
Juve glanced discreetly at his watch. He was startled. His expression altered. It grew severe, determined. He glanced about him, discovered de Naarboveck not far off, and went up to him.
"Monsieur de Naarboveck," he said: "shall we have a few minutes" talk?
Not here--somewhere else.... Should we say?"...
"In my library?" proposed de Naarboveck, who looked the detective up and down--a measuring glance, cold, contemptuous. Their glances crossed, hard, menacing.
"You are set on it, Monsieur?" De Naarboveck"s tone was irony incarnate.... "And what may I ask is your aim in forcing this conversation, Monsieur?"
Juve"s reply came, distinct, determined:
"Unmask Fantomas!"
"That shall be as you like," was the diplomat"s reply.
In the library, unusually full of furniture, Juve and de Naarboveck met for their duel of words and wits.
They were by themselves. Juve had made the Baron pa.s.s into the room before him. He knew there was but one exit--the door. If in order to get clear away, de Naarboveck meant to employ force or trickery, he would first have to remove Juve from the door, before which he had stationed himself.
Juve did not budge.
Certainly there was the window at the other end of the room looking on to the Esplanade des Invalides. Curtains were drawn across the window, but Juve did not fear to see his adversary escape in that direction: he knew--and he alone knew it--that between this window and the curtains there was an obstacle--someone."...
"Do you remember, Monsieur de Naarboveck, that evening when the police came here to arrest Vagualame?"
"Yes," replied de Naarboveck with his ironic smile: "and it was you, Monsieur Juve, who got yourself arrested in that disguise!"
"That is a fact." Juve"s admission was matter-of-fact. "Do you recall a certain conversation, Monsieur de Naarboveck, between detective Juve and the real Vagualame at Jerome Fandor"s flat?"
"No," declared the Baron: "and for the very good reason that the conversation--you have just said so--was a dialogue between two persons: Juve and Vagualame."
"Nevertheless, this Vagualame was none other than Fantomas!"
"What then?" De Naarboveck was smiling.
Juve, after a short silence, burnt his ships.
"Naarboveck!" he cried: "It is useless to double like that! Vagualame is Fantomas: Vagualame is you, yourself: Fantomas is you, yourself....
We know it. We have identified you; and to-morrow the anthropometric test will prove in the eyes of the world what to-day is the conviction of a certain few only.
"This long time past you have known yourself pursued, tracked: you have noted that the ring has been drawn closer, tighter each day: so, playing your last trump card, attempting even the impossible, you have planned this abominable comedy, which consists in duping a n.o.ble king and getting yourself nominated as his amba.s.sador, that you might take advantage of diplomatic inviolability--an advantage, let me tell you, you are in desperate need of!... Quite a good idea! Was it not?"