e to a phenomenon of inhibition._"...

"This professor did not explain what he meant by 'death due to
inhibition'?"

"No, Monsieur."

"Annoying!... I do not know what that means."

The superintendent was about to continue his enquiry when there was a
knock at his office door.

A policeman informed him respectfully: "There is an inspector,
Monsieur, from Headquarters detective department who asks to see you
on urgent business--he declares you have sent for him."

"Tell him to come in."

No sooner had this personage from "Headquarters detective department"
appeared in the doorway, than the superintendent rose, and advanced
with outstretched hands.

"You, Juve! I am delighted to see you! How are you?"

It was, in truth, the celebrated detective, Juve.

Juve had altered but little. He was always the same man; rather
thick-set, vigorous, astonishingly alive, agile, as youthful as ever,
in spite of his moustache turning grey, in spite of his rounded
shoulders which, at moments, seemed to bend under the weight of the
toils and fatigues of the past.

This magic name evoked memories of terrible stories, stories of
dangers encountered, endured, overcome; of brave deeds; of desperate
struggles with the worst criminals.

Juve! He was the man who, for ten years, had represented to all,
ability, audacity, limitless daring! He was the man who best knew how
to employ wiles and stratagems to secure the triumph of society in the
incessant combat it had to sustain against the innumerable soldiers of
the army of crime.

* * * * *

When the terrible Dollon affair had come to an end, Juve had been
blamed officially, and the detective could not help feeling angry and
exasperated, for, after all, if he had failed, he ought not to have
been treated as a culprit. Not a soul had had the slightest suspicion
of how the affair had ended. Not one of them knew the incredible
truth--how the marvellous, the redoubtable, the incredible Fantomas
had elected to make his escape at the very moment when Juve was
preparing to put the handcuffs on him.

And the detective, disheartened, but determined not to give up the
fight against this deep-dyed criminal whom he had been pursuing for
years, had asked for a few weeks' holiday, had lain snug, then had
returned to his post at Headquarters, had made a point of keeping in
the background, only awaiting the moment when he could resume his hunt
for the ruffian whom