# XVIII: A Prisoner and a Witness explained — Fantômas

> Chapter companion for Fantômas by Pierre Souvestre.

## What happens

Juve arrests Charles Rambert, who had been disguised as Mademoiselle Jeanne, and takes him to the anthropometric service for measurements and fingerprinting. Juve then uses a dynamometer to test Charles's strength, after which he meets with Gervais Aventin, a witness who traveled on the train to Limoges on the night of December 23rd.

## Themes in this chapter

### Identity and Deception

Charles Rambert's disguise as Mademoiselle Jeanne is uncovered by Juve, highlighting themes of hidden identity and deception.

### Crime and Justice

The chapter focuses on Juve's investigative methods, including arrest, measurement, and interrogation, as part of the pursuit of justice.

### Science and Modernity

The use of Bertillon's anthropometric system and dynamometer reflects the application of scientific techniques in criminal investigation.

## Character check-ins

### Inspector Juve

Arrests Charles Rambert, oversees his measurements and dynamometer test, and interviews Gervais Aventin.

### Charles Rambert

Revealed to be the person disguised as Mademoiselle Jeanne; arrested by Juve and subjected to anthropometric measurements and a strength test.

### M. Gervais Aventin

A civil engineer summoned by Juve; he traveled on the train to Limoges on December 23rd and is questioned about his journey.

## Key lines

> Come now, answer! You are Charles Rambert, and you were Mademoiselle Jeanne?

Juve directly accuses the young man of being Charles Rambert in disguise.

_Juve confronts Charles about his true identity._

> Well, yes, I am Charles Rambert, and I was disguised as Mademoiselle Jeanne.

Charles admits his true identity and previous disguise.

_Charles confesses to Juve._

> This is Dr. Bertillon's effraction dynamometer. I am going to make use of it to find out at once whether you are or are not deserving of some little interest.

Juve explains that he will use the dynamometer to test Charles's strength and determine his involvement in a crime.

_Juve uses a scientific device to assess Charles's physical capability._

> I wondered, sir, why you vouchsafed no answer to the local enquiries which have been made at my instance, to the advertisements which I have had inserted in the papers, in which I discreetly made it known that the police wanted to get into communication with all the passengers who travelled first class, in the slow train from Paris to Luchon, on the night of the 23rd of December last.

Juve asks Gervais Aventin why he did not respond to police inquiries about passengers on that specific train.

_Juve questions Aventin about his travel on the night of a crime._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fant_mas_se/chapters/xviii-a-prisoner-and-a-witness
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fant_mas_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fant_mas_se/chapters