the mystery of the yellow room-第17节

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found。　　Monsieur　de　Marquet　appeared　to　be　delighted　and　never
ceased　repeating：

〃What　a　case！　　What　a　case！　　We　shall　never　know；　you'll　see；　how
the　murderer　was　able　to　get　out　of　this　room！〃

Then　suddenly；　with　a　radiant　face；　he　called　to　the　officer　in
charge　of　the　gendarmes。

〃Go　to　the　chateau；〃　he　said；　〃and　request　Monsieur　Stangerson　and
Monsieur　Robert　Darzac　to　come　to　me　in　the　laboratory；　also　Daddy
Jacques；　and　let　your　men　bring　here　the　two　concierges。〃

Five　minutes　later　all　were　assembled　in　the　laboratory。　　The　Chief
of　the　Surete；　who　had　arrived　at　the　Glandier；　joined　us　at　that
moment。　　I　was　seated　at　Monsieur　Stangerson's　desk　ready　for　work；
when　Monsieur　de　Marquet　made　us　the　following　little　speech　…　as
original　as　it　was　unexpected：

〃With　your　permission；　gentlemen　…　as　examinations　lead　to　nothing
…　we　will；　for　once；　abandon　the　old　system　of　interrogation。　　I
will　not　have　you　brought　before　me　one　by　one；　but　we　will　all
remain　here　as　we　are；　…　Monsieur　Stangerson；　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；
Daddy　Jacques　and　the　two　concierges；　the　Chief　of　the　Surete；　the
Registrar；　and　myself。　　We　shall　all　be　on　the　same　footing。　　The
concierges　may；　for　the　moment；　forget　that　they　have　been　arrested。
We　are　going　to　confer　together。　　We　are　on　the　spot　where　the　crime
was　committed。　　We　have　nothing　else　to　discuss　but　the　crime。　　So
let　us　discuss　it　freely　…　intelligently　or　otherwise；　so　long　as
we　speak　just　what　is　in　our　minds。　　There　need　be　no　formality　or
method　since　this　won't　help　us　in　any　way。〃

Then；　passing　before　me；　he　said　in　a　low　voice：

〃What　do　you　think　of　that；　eh？　　What　a　scene！　　Could　you　have
thought　of　that？　　I'll　make　a　little　piece　out　of　it　for　the
Vaudeville。〃　　And　he　rubbed　his　hands　with　glee。

I　turned　my　eyes　on　Monsieur　Stangerson。　　The　hope　he　had　received
from　the　doctor's　latest　reports；　which　stated　that　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　might　recover　from　her　wounds；　had　not　been　able　to　efface
from　his　noble　features　the　marks　of　the　great　sorrow　that　was　upon
him。　　He　had　believed　his　daughter　to　be　dead；　and　he　was　still
broken　by　that　belief。　　His　clear；　soft；　blue　eyes　expressed　infinite
sorrow。　　I　had　had　occasion；　many　times；　to　see　Monsieur　Stangerson
at　public　ceremonies；　and　from　the　first　had　been　struck　by　his
countenance；　which　seemed　as　pure　as　that　of　a　child　…　the　dreamy
gaze　with　the　sublime　and　mystical　expression　of　the　inventor　and
thinker。

On　those　occasions　his　daughter　was　always　to　be　seen　either
following　him　or　by　his　side；　for　they　never　quitted　each　other；　it
was　said；　and　had　shared　the　same　labours　for　many　years。　　The　young
lady；　who　was　then　five　and　thirty；　though　she　looked　no　more　than
thirty；　had　devoted　herself　entirely　to　science。　　She　still　won
admiration　for　her　imperial　beauty　which　had　remained　intact；　without
a　wrinkle；　withstanding　time　and　love。　　Who　would　have　dreamed　that
I　should　one　day　be　seated　by　her　pillow　with　my　papers；　and　that　I
should　see　her；　on　the　point　of　death；　painfully　recounting　to　us
the　most　monstrous　and　most　mysterious　crime　I　have　heard　of　in　my
career？　　Who　would　have　thought　that　I　should　be；　that　afternoon；
listening　to　the　despairing　father　vainly　trying　to　explain　how　his
daughter's　assailant　had　been　able　to　escape　from　him？　　Why　bury
ourselves　with　our　work　in　obscure　retreats　in　the　depths　of　woods；
if　it　may　not　protect　us　against　those　dangerous　threats　to　life
which　meet　us　in　the　busy　cities？

〃Now；　Monsieur　Stangerson；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　with　somewhat
of　an　important　air；　〃place　yourself　exactly　where　you　were　when
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　left　you　to　go　to　her　chamber。〃

Monsieur　Stangerson　rose　and；　standing　at　a　certain　distance　from
the　door　of　The　Yellow　Room；　said；　in　an　even　voice　and　without　the
least　trace　of　emphasis　…　a　voice　which　I　can　only　describe　as　a
dead　voice：

〃I　was　here。　　About　eleven　o'clock；　after　I　had　made　a　brief　chemical
experiment　at　the　furnaces　of　the　laboratory；　needing　all　the　space
behind　me；　I　had　my　desk　moved　here　by　Daddy　Jacques；　who　spent　the
evening　in　cleaning　some　of　my　apparatus。　　My　daughter　had　been
working　at　the　same　desk　with　me。　　When　it　was　her　time　to　leave
she　rose；　kissed　me；　and　bade　Daddy　Jacques　goodnight。　　She　had　to
pass　behind　my　desk　and　the　door　to　enter　her　chamber；　and　she　could
do　this　only　with　some　difficulty。　　That　is　to　say；　I　was　very　near
the　place　where　the　crime　occurred　later。〃

〃And　the　desk？〃　I　asked；　obeying；　in　thus　mixing　myself　in　the
conversation；　the　express　orders　of　my　chief；　〃as　soon　as　you　heard
the　cry　of　'murder'　followed　by　the　revolver　shots；　what　became　of
the　desk？〃

Daddy　Jacques　answered。

〃We　pushed　it　back　against　the　wall；　here　…　close　to　where　it　is　at
the　present　moment…so　as　to　be　able　to　get　at　the　door　at　once。〃

I　followed　up　my　reasoning；　to　which；　however；　I　attached　but　little
importance；　regarding　it　as　only　a　weak　hypothesis；　with　another
question。

〃Might　not　a　man　in　the　room；　the　desk　being　so　near　to　the　door；
by　stooping　and　slipping　under　the　desk；　have　left　it　unobserved？〃

〃You　are　forgetting；〃　interrupted　Monsieur　Stangerson　wearily；　〃that
my　daughter　had　locked　and　bolted　her　door；　that　the　door　had
remained　fastened；　that　we　vainly　tried　to　force　it　open　when　we
heard　the　noise；　and　that　we　were　at　the　door　while　the　struggle
between　the　murderer　and　my　poor　child　was　going　on　…　immediately
after　we　heard　her　stifled　cries　as　she　was　being　held　by　the　fingers
that　have　left　their　red　mark　upon　her　throat。　　Rapid　as　the　attack
was；　we　were　no　less　rapid　in　our　endeavors　to　get　into　the　room
where　the　tragedy　was　taking　place。〃

I　rose　from　my　seat　and　once　more　examined　the　door　with　the　greatest
care。　　Then　I　returned　to　my　place　with　a　despairing　gesture。

〃If　the　lower　panel　of　the　door；〃　I　said；　〃could　be　removed　without
the　whole　door　being　necessarily　opened；　the　problem　would　be　solved。
But；　unfortunately；　that　last　hypothesis　is　untenable　after　an
examination　of　the　door　…　it's　of　oak；　solid　and　massive。　　You　can
see　that　quite　plainly；　in　spite　of　the　injury　done　in　the　attempt
to　burst　it　open。〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　Daddy　Jacques；　〃it　is　an　old　and　solid　door　that　was
brought　from　the　chateau　…　they　don't　make　such　doors　now。　　We　had
to　use　this　bar　of　iron　to　get　it　open；　all　four　of　us　…　for　the
concierge；　brave　woman　she　is；　helped　us。　　It　pains　me　to　find　them
both　in　prison　now。〃

Daddy　Jacques　had　no　sooner　uttered　these　words　of　pity　and
protestation　than　tears　and　lamentations　broke　out　from　the
concierges。　　I　never　saw　two　accused　people　crying　more　bitterly。
I　was　extremely　disgusted。　　Even　if　they　were　innocent；　I　could
not　understand　how　they　could　behave　like　that　in　the　face　of
misfortune。　　A　dignified　bearing　at　such　times　is　better　than　tears
and　groans；　which；　most　often；　are　feigned。

〃Now　then；　enough　of　that　sniveling；〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Marquet；
〃and；　in　your　interest；　tell　us　what　you　were　doing　under　the　windows
of　the　pavilion　at　the　time　your　mistress　was　being　attacked；　for
you　were　close　to　the　pavilion　when　Daddy　Jacques　met　you。〃

〃We　were　coming　to　help！〃　they　whined。

〃If　we　could　only　lay　hands　on　the　murderer；　he'd　never　taste　bread
again！〃　the　woman　gurgled　between　her　sobs。

As　before　we　were　unable　to　get　two　connecting　thoughts　out　of　them。
They　persisted　in　their　denials　and　swore；　by　heaven　and　all　the
saints；　that　they　were　in　bed　when　they　heard　the　sound　of　the
revolver　shot。

〃It　was　not　one；　but　two　shots　that　were　fired！　　…　You　see；　you　are
lying。　　If　you　had　heard　one；　you　would　have　heard　the　other。〃

〃Mon　Dieu！　　Monsieur　…　it　was　the　second　shot　we　heard。　　We　were
asleep　when　the　first　shot　was　fired。〃

〃Two　shots　were　fired；〃　said　Daddy　Jacques。　　〃I　am　certain　that　all
the　cartridges　were　in　my　revolver。　　We　found　afterward　that　two
had　been　exploded；　and　we　heard　two　shots　behind　the　door。　　Was　not
that　so；　Monsieur　Stangerson？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　Professor；　〃there　were　two　shots；　one　dull；　and
the　other　sharp　and　ringing。〃

〃Why　do　you　persist　in　lying？〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　turning
to　the　concierges。　　〃Do　you　think　the　police　are　the　fools　you　are？
Everything　points　to　the　fact　that　you　were　out　of　doors　and　near
the　pavilion　at　the　time　of　the　tragedy。　　What　were　you　doing　there？
So　far　as　I　am　concerned；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Monsieur　Stangerson；
〃I　can　only　explain　the　escape　of　the　murderer　on　the　assumption　of
help　from　these　two　accomplices。　　As　soon　as　the　door　was　forced
open；　and　while　you；　Monsieur　Stangerson；　were　occupied　with　your
unfortunate　child；　the　concierge　and　his　wife　faciitated　the　flight
of　the　murderer；　who；　screening　himself　behind　them；　reached　the
window　in　the　vestibule；　and　sprang　out　of　it　into　the　park。　　The
concierge　closed　the　window　after　him　and　fastened　the　blinds；　which
certainly　could　not　have　closed　and　fastened　of　themselves。　　That
is　the　conclusion　I　have　arrived　at。　　If　anyone　here　has　any　other
idea；　let　hun　state　it。〃

Monsieur　Stangerson　intervened：

〃What　you　say　was　impossible。　　I　do　not