The grand duchess, mastering her very sincere grief, had consented to see a visitor, who was now with her. Jérôme Fandor, in the automatic way people’s attention is fixed by external trifles at times of the most poignant emotions, in the midst of the deepest sorrows, found himself listening to the conversation.
“Madam,” a voice was saying, a voice Fandor recognized with a startled exclamation to be that of M. Havard, “madam, the step I am taking to-day, believe me, is official; but in any case I think you will be ready to do as I desire.”
“Speak, sir.”
“You have recently, madam, taken the initiative in organizing a public subscription with the object of collecting the sum demanded by Fantômas as the condition of his disappearance, and refused him by the Chamber. That is so, is it not? you admit the fact?”
Haughtily the grand duchess assented.
“Yes, sir, that is so. I will even add that the money is beginning to come in.”
“Madam,” resumed M. Havard, “I do not know what motive prompted you ...”
The grand duchess did not let the Head of the Criminal Bureau finish his sentence.
“The motives that prompted me are quite simple,” she said; “the Chamber has refused to accept Fantômas’ ultimatum. That brigand, recoiling at nothing, now that Parliament has refused his demands, is adding crime to crime, piling atrocity on atrocity. What the Government declines to approve, it struck me as incumbent on private initiative to carry out. Fantômas the murderer promises he will kill no more if he is paid a million francs. What more natural, Monsieur Havard, than to open a general subscription to provide this million? to put Fantômas in a position to fulfil his undertaking? to induce him to halt in his sanguinary and deadly career?”
M. Havard did not answer at once; after some moments thought, however, he took up the word: