the mystery of the yellow room-第13节

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daughter　and　I；　to　dine　there。　　At　that　moment　I　was　spoken　to　by
my　gamekeeper；　who　detained　me　a　moment；　to　ask　me　to　accompany
him　on　an　urgent　tour　of　inspection　in　a　part　of　the　woods　which　I
had　decided　to　thin。　　I　put　this　off　until　the　next　day；　and　begged
him；　as　he　was　going　by　the　chateau；　to　tell　the　steward　that　we
should　dine　in　the　laboratory。　　He　left　me；　to　execute　the　errand
and　I　rejoined　my　daughter；　who　was　already　at　work。

〃Q。　　At　what　hour；　mademoiselle；　did　you　go　to　your　chamber　while
your　father　continued　to　work　there？

〃A。　　At　midnight。

〃Q。　　Did　Daddy　Jacques　enter　The　Yellow　Room　in　the　course　of
the　evening？

〃A。　　To　shut　the　blinds　and　light　the　night…light。

〃Q。　　He　saw　nothing　suspicious？

〃A。　　He　would　have　told　us　if　he　had　seen。　　Daddy　Jacques　is　an
honest　man　and　very　attached　to　me。

〃Q。　　You　affirm；　Monsieur　Stangerson；　that　Daddy　Jacques　remained
with　you　all　the　time　you　were　in　the　laboratory？

〃M。　　Stangerson。　　I　am　sure　of　it。　　I　have　no　doubt　of　that。

〃Q。　　When　you　entered　your　chamber；　mademoiselle；　you　immediately
shut　the　door　and　locked　and　bolted　it？　　That　was　taking　unusual
precautions；　knowing　that　your　father　and　your　servant　were　there？
Were　you　in　fear　of　something；　then？

〃A。　　My　father　would　be　returning　to　the　chateau　and　Daddy　Jacques
would　be　going　to　his　bed。　　And；　in　fact；　I　did　fear　something。

〃Q。　　You　were　so　much　in　fear　of　something　that　you　borrowed　Daddy
Jacques's　revolver　without　telling　him　you　had　done　so？

〃A。　　That　is　true。　　I　did　not　wish　to　alarm　anybody；　…　the　more；
because　my　fears　might　have　proved　to　have　been　foolish。

〃Q。　　What　was　it　you　feared？

〃A。　　I　hardly　know　how　to　tell　you。　　For　several　nights；　I　seemed
to　hear；　both　in　the　park　and　out　of　the　park；　round　the　pavilion；
unusual　sounds；　sometimes　footsteps；　at　other　times　the　cracking
of　branches。　　The　night　before　the　attack　on　me；　when　I　did　not
get　to　bed　before　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　on　our　return　from
the　Elysee；　I　stood　for　a　moment　before　my　window；　and　I　felt　sure
I　saw　shadows。

〃Q。　　How　many？

〃A。　　Two。　　They　moved　round　the　lake；　…　then　the　moon　became　clouded
and　I　lost　sight　of　them。　　At　this　time　of　the　season；　every　year；　I
have　generally　returned　to　my　apartment　in　the　chateau　for　the
winter；　but　this　year　I　said　to　myself　that　I　would　not　quit　the
pavilion　before　my　father　had　finished　the　resume　of　his　works　on
the　'Dissociation　of　Matter'　for　the　Academy。　　I　did　not　wish　that
that　important　work；　which　was　to　have　been　finished　in　the　course
of　a　few　days；　should　be　delayed　by　a　change　in　our　daily　habit。
You　can　well　understand　that　I　did　not　wish　to　speak　of　my　childish
fears　to　my　father；　nor　did　I　say　anything　to　Daddy　Jacques　who；　I
knew；　would　not　have　been　able　to　hold　his　tongue。　　Knowing　that　he
had　a　revolver　in　his　room；　I　took　advantage　of　his　absence　and
borrowed　it；　placing　it　in　the　drawer　of　my　night…table。

〃Q。　　You　know　of　no　enemies　you　have？

〃A。　　None。

〃Q。　　You　understand；　mademoiselle；　that　these　precautions　are
　　　　　calculated　to　cause　surprise？

〃M。　　Stangerson。　　Evidently；　my　child；　such　precautions　are　very
　　　　　surprising。

〃A。　　No；　…　because　I　have　told　you　that　I　had　been　uneasy　for　two
　　　　　nights。

〃M。　　Stangerson。　　You　ought　to　have　told　me　of　that！　　This　misfortune
　　　　　would　have　been　avoided。

〃Q。　　The　door　of　The　Yellow　Room　locked；　did　you　go　to　bed？

〃A。　　Yes；　and；　being　very　tired；　I　at　once　went　to　sleep。

〃Q。　　The　night…light　was　still　burning？

〃A。　　Yes；　but　it　gave　a　very　feeble　light。

〃Q。　　Then；　mademoiselle；　tell　us　what　happened。

〃A。　　I　do　not　know　whether　I　had　been　long　asleep；　but　suddenly　I
　　　　　awoke　…　and　uttered　a　loud　cry。

〃M。　　Stangerson。　　Yes　…　a　horrible　cry　…　'Murder！'　…　It　still　rings
　　　　　in　my　ears。

〃Q。　　You　uttered　a　loud　cry？

〃A。　　A　man　was　in　my　chamber。　　He　sprang　at　me　and　tried　to　strangle
　　　　　me。　　I　was　nearly　stifled　when　suddenly　I　was　able　to　reach　the
　　　　　drawer　of　my　night…table　and　grasp　the　revolver　which　I　had
　　　　　placed　in　it。　　At　that　moment　the　man　had　forced　me　to　the　foot
　　　　　of　my　bed　and　brandished　in　over　my　head　a　sort　of　mace。　　But
　　　　　I　had　fired。　　He　immediately　struck　a　terrible　blow　at　my　head。
　　　　　All　that；　monsieur；　passed　more　rapidly　than　I　can　tell　it；　and
　　　　　I　know　nothing　more。

〃Q。　　Nothing？　　…　Have　you　no　idea　as　to　how　the　assassin　could
　　　　　escape　from　your　chamber？

〃A。　　None　whatever　…　I　know　nothing　more。　　One　does　not　know　what
　　　　　is　passing　around　one；　when　one　is　unconscious。

〃Q。　　Was　the　man　you　saw　tall　or　short；　little　or　big？

〃A。　　I　only　saw　a　shadow　which　appeared　to　me　formidable。

〃Q。　　You　cannot　give　us　any　indication？

〃A。　　I　know　nothing　more；　monsieur；　than　that　a　man　threw　himself
　　　　　upon　me　and　that　I　fired　at　him。　　I　know　nothing　more。〃

Here　the　interrogation　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　concluded。

Rouletabille　waited　patiently　for　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　who　soon
appeared。

》From　a　room　near　the　chamber　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　he　had
heard　the　interrogatory　and　now　came　to　recount　it　to　my　friend
with　great　exactitude；　aided　by　an　excellent　memory。　　His　docility
still　surprised　me。　　Thanks　to　hasty　pencil…notes；　he　was　able　to
reproduce；　almost　textually；　the　questions　and　the　answers　given。

It　looked　as　if　Monsieur　Darzac　were　being　employed　as　the　secretary
of　my　young　friend　and　acted　as　if　he　could　refuse　him　nothing；　nay；
more；　as　if　under　a　compulsion　to　do　so。

The　fact　of　the　closed　window　struck　the　reporter　as　it　had　struck
the　magistrate。　　Rouletabille　asked　Darzac　to　repeat　once　more
Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　account　of　how　she　and　her　father　had
spent　their　time　on　the　day　of　the　tragedy；　as　she　had　stated　it
to　the　magistrate。　　The　circumstance　of　the　dinner　in　the　laboratory
seemed　to　interest　him　in　the　highest　degree；　and　he　had　it　repeated
to　him　three　times。　　He　also　wanted　to　be　sure　that　the　forest…keeper
knew　that　the　professor　and　his　daughter　were　going　to　dine　in　the
laboratory；　and　how　he　had　come　to　know　it。

When　Monsieur　Darzac　had　finished；　I　said：　〃The　examination　has　not
advanced　the　problem　much。〃

〃It　has　put　it　back；〃　said　Monsieur　Darzac。

〃It　has　thrown　light　upon　it；〃　said　Rouletabille；　thoughtfully。





CHAPTER　IX

Reporter　and　Detective


The　three　of　us　went　back　towards　the　pavilion。　　At　some　distance
from　the　building　the　reporter　made　us　stop　and；　pointing　to　a　small
clump　of　trees　to　the　right　of　us；　said：

〃That's　where　the　murderer　came　from　to　get　into　the　pavilion。〃

As　there　were　other　patches　of　trees　of　the　same　sort　between　the
great　oaks；　I　asked　why　the　murderer　had　chosen　that　one；　rather
than　any　of　the　others。　　Rouletabille　answered　me　by　pointing　to
the　path　which　ran　quite　close　to　the　thicket　to　the　door　of　the
pavilion。

〃That　path　is　as　you　see；　topped　with　gravel；〃　he　said；　〃the　man
must　have　passed　along　it　going　to　the　pavilion；　since　no　traces　of
his　steps　have　been　found　on　the　soft　ground。　　The　man　didn't　have
wings；　he　walked；　but　he　walked　on　the　gravel　which　left　no
impression　of　his　tread。　　The　gravel　has；　in　fact；　been　trodden　by
many　other　feet；　since　the　path　is　the　most　direct　way　between　the
pavilion　and　the　chateau。　　As　to　the　thicket；　made　of　the　sort　of
shrubs　that　don't　flourish　in　the　rough　season　…　laurels　and
fuchsias　…　it　offered　the　murderer　a　sufficient　hiding…place　until
it　was　time　for　him　to　make　his　way　to　the　pavilion。　　It　was　while
hiding　in　that　clump　of　trees　that　he　saw　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle
Stangerson；　and　then　Daddy　Jacques；　leave　the　pavilion。　　Gravel　has
been　spread　nearly；　very　nearly；　up　to　the　windows　of　the　pavilion。
The　footprints　of　a　man；　parallel　with　the　wall　…　marks　which　we
will　examine　presently；　and　which　I　have　already　seen　…　prove　that
he　only　needed　to　make　one　stride　to　find　himself　in　front　of　the
vestibule　window；　left　open　by　Daddy　Jacques。　　The　man　drew　himself
up　by　his　hands　and　entered　the　vestibule。〃

〃After　all　it　is　very　possible；〃　I　said。

〃After　all　what？　　After　all　what？〃　cried　Rouletabille。

I　begged　of　him　not　to　be　angry；　but　he　was　too　much　irritated　to
listen　to　me　and　declared；　ironically；　that　he　admired　the　prudent
doubt　with　which　certain　people　approached　the　most　simple　problems；
risking　nothing　by　saying　〃that　is　so；　or　'that　is　not　so。〃　Their
intelligence　would　have　produced　about　the　same　result　if　nature
had　forgotten　to　furnish　their　brain…pan　with　a　little　grey　matter。
As　I　appeared　vexed；　my　young　friend　took　me　by　the　arm　and　admitted
that　he　had　not　meant　that　for　me；　he　thought　more　of　me　than　that。

〃If　I　did　not　reason　as　I　do　in　regard　to　this　gravel；〃　he　went　on；
〃I　should　have　to　assume　a　balloon！　…　My　dear　fellow；　the　science
of　the　aerostation　of　dirigible　balloons　is　not　yet　developed　enough
for　me　to　consider　it　and　suppose　that　a　murderer　would　drop　from
the　clouds！　　So　don't　say　a　thing　is　possible；　when　it　could　not　be
otherwise。　　We　know　now　how　the　man　entered　by　the　window；　and　we
also　know　the　moment　at　which　he　entered；　…　during　the　five　o'cloc