al of Ouaouaoua with the music
from the Fountains, and he was acclaimed the hero of the occasion.

M. de Panteloup, seized with a happy inspiration, shook hands with
Ouaouaoua and pinned on his white robe the gold medal of _La Capitale_.

Proceedings were, however, summarily brought to a stop at this point.
The prefect of the police drove up and his men scattered the crowd in
all directions.

Ten minutes after the Place de la Concorde had assumed its usual aspect
and the tritons and nereids continued to pour out their 6,716 cubic
yards of water every twenty-four hours.

CHAPTER VI

THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS

M. Vicart, sub-director of the Police Department, was in an execrable
humor.

In all his long career such a thing had never happened before. In spite
of the established rule, he had been deprived of his New Year holiday,
which he usually spent in visits to governmental officials capable of
influencing his advancement.

He had been ordered to his office. His morning had been spent in endless
discussions with M. Annion, his director. Numerous telegrams,
interviews, work of all kinds instead of his customary rest. Besides, he
had received from his friends only 318 visiting cards instead of 384,
last year's number. It was most annoying. He was engaged in recounting
his cards when a clerk announced the visit of detective Juve.

"Send him in at once."

In a few moments Juve entered.

* * * * *

Juve had not changed. In spite of his forty-odd years, he was still
young looking, active, persevering and daring.

For some time past he had been left very much to his own devices in his
tracking of the elusive Fantomas, and he was rarely called in to assist
in the pursuit of other criminals. Therefore he realized that it was an
affair of the very first importance which called for his presence in M.
Vicart's office.

The detective found M. Vicart seated at his desk in the badly lighted
room.

"My dear Juve, you are probably surprised at being sent for to-day."

"A little ... yes."

"Well, you probably know that the King of Hesse-Weimar,
Frederick-Christian II, has been staying incognito in Paris?"

Juve nodded. He did not think it necessary to mention the incident that
had occasioned this visit.[1]

[Footnote 1: See "A Nest of Spies."]

"Now, Christian II has, or rather had, a mistress, Susy d'Orsel, a
demi-mondaine. Were you aware of that?"

"No, what of it?"

"