Speaking in the same hard, decisive tone, Fandor asserted:“He is not hidden in the house! In the very height of the struggle, I kept a strict ear on the direction taken by the man who was doing his utmost to strangle me. I am positive I had my back against the door when I fired – so that exit was barred! Neither by door nor window did Fantômas escape!” Fandor’s tone was one of absolute assurance.

“If you are certain of that,” said Nanteuil, “can you tell us how Fantômas did escape?”

Fandor’s reply was to rise from his arm-chair. He took the candlestick from the table where Juve had placed it and walked towards a large mirror. He carefully examined his neck.

“Very curious!” he said, in a low voice... “Now, monsieur, the man who tried to strangle me was Fantômas – we have seen him .... Well, this man had a wound on his thumb, or, more probably he wounded me, – anyhow, he has left on my collar the mark of his thumb in blood – and you can guess what this thumb-print is...”

Simultaneously, Barbey, Nanteuil, and Juve rushed towards the young journalist... Fandor showed them a little red mark, clear cut on the white surface of the collar; it was a fingerprint so characteristic that the two bankers cried:

“Again, the imprint of Jacques Dollon!”

Silence fell – a pregnant silence. The four men gazed at one another. Fandor soon started whistling a popular air.

Juve smiled: Monsieur Barbey was the first to speak:

“Good Heavens! Do you mean to say that Jacques Dollon was here – in this room!... Yet it is certain, you say, Monsieur Fandor, that he did not get away either by door or window – for pity’s sake explain the mystery!” But Fandor contented himself with a smile and a question:

“Do you really think, then, that I know it?” Nanteuil stamped with impatience.

“But hang it all! If you don’t know anything, don’t let us waste time! Let us begin the search! Hunt through the house! Search the garden from end to end!” Fandor went on – his tone was ironic:

“And warn the police? Well, no, Monsieur Nanteuil, we will not make any search whatever, you can rely on that!... For the last three months we have been striving and struggling to solve a maddening mystery: we never could reach a certain solution of it: we have been vainly pursuing an assassin, who forever escaped us... and now, when for once we get hold of a definite fact, an indisputable reality, are we going to risk messing up the whole business?... Not if I can help it!”

“What do you mean? “demanded Monsieur Barbey.