Thanks to Monsieur Havard’s kindness, we were permitted to approach the original hand-cart. It was in a lamentable condition: the body of it was nearly smashed to pieces! Of course, no traces of the seals were to be found.

The only remark we see fit to make in this connection is, that Monsieur Nanteuil, his clerks, and those who witnessed the accident, must have been greatly excited and upset, otherwise they would naturally have been much astonished at finding the substituted hand-cart practically uninjured after an accident of so crushing a nature.

We have carefully examined the soil round the original hand-cart, in the hope of finding some clear footprints of the thieves, or their accomplices; but it was impossible to draw any conclusion from this examination – the footmarks are intermingled, superimposed, undistinguishable. It must be admitted the soil of the Metropolitan, hereabouts, has been very much trampled over and beaten down, so that it is difficult to believe that researches, with the object of discovering the robbers’ footmarks, are likely to have any clear result.

At the moment these lines have been written, the investigation in the Metropolitan passage-ways still continues, and will, in all probability, be continued late into the night. So far, the police admit that results are meagre.

Monsieur Havard considers it certain that the deed is a premeditated one carefully prepared, and that, consequently, the explosion which caused the catastrophe was a deliberate act of violence. On the other hand, Monsieur Nanteuil declares that outside the parties interested, that is to say, the Barbey-Nanteuil bank and the Comptoir d’Escomptes, who were to receive the bullion, not a soul could know of the transfer on that particular morning. But the staffs of the bank and of the Comptoir National d’Escomptes are absolutely trustworthy: their honour has never been questioned.

It is evident that such a daring and desperate deed, carried through so successfully in the galleries of the Metropolitan, in the sight of all Paris, at eleven o’clock in the morning, could only be the work of a band of daring criminals, numerous and perfectly organised. Are we returning to the days of Fantômas?

Let us add, that owing to the number of individuals probably involved and the audacious nature of the crime, Monsieur Havard considers that it will be extremely difficult for the guilty persons to escape from the police.” Jérôme Fandor had just finished correcting this sensational article, when slips from the Havas Agency arrived at La Capitale.

The journalist cast his eyes over them, thinking he might find some piece of news which had come to hand at the last minute. As he read he grew pale. He struck his writing table a violent blow with his fist.

“For all that, I am not mad! “ he cried.

And, holding his head between his hands, spelling out each word, he re-read the following telegram from the Havas Agency: