the mystery of the yellow room-第23节

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Robert　Darzac　led　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　into　the　conservatory。　　I
followed。　　The　weather　was　very　mild　that　evening；　the　garden　doors
were　open。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　threw　a　fichu　shawl　over　her
shoulders　and　I　plainly　saw　that　it　was　she　who　was　begging　Monsieur
Darzac　to　go　with　her　into　the　garden。　　I　continued　to　follow；
interested　by　the　agitation　plainly　exhibited　by　the　bearing　of
Monsieur　Darzac。　　They　slowly　passed　along　the　wall　abutting　on　the
Avenue　Marigny。　　I　took　the　central　alley；　walking　parallel　with
them；　and　then　crossed　over　for　the　purpose　of　getting　nearer　to
them。　　The　night　was　dark；　and　the　grass　deadened　the　sound　of　my
steps。　　They　had　stopped　under　the　vacillating　light　of　a　gas　jet
and　appeared　to　be　both　bending　over　a　paper　held　by　Mademoiselle
Stangerson；　reading　something　which　deeply　interested　them。　　I
stopped　in　the　darkness　and　silence。

〃Neither　of　them　saw　me；　and　I　distinctly　heard　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　repeat；　as　she　was　refolding　the　paper：　'The　presbytery
has　lost　nothing　of　its　charm；　nor　the　garden　its　brightness！'　…　It
was　said　in　a　tone　at　once　mocking　and　despairing；　and　was　followed
by　a　burst　of　such　nervous　laughter　that　I　think　her　words　will
never　cease　to　sound　in　my　ears。　　But　another　phrase　was　uttered　by
Monsieur　Robert　Darzac：　'Must　I　commit　a　crime；　then；　to　win　you？'
He　was　in　an　extraordinarily　agitated　state。　　He　took　the　hand　of
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　and　held　it　for　a　long　time　to　his　lips；
and　I　thought；　from　the　movement　of　his　shoulders；　that　he　was
crying。　　Then　they　went　away。

〃When　I　returned　to　the　great　gallery；〃　continued　Rouletabille；　〃I
saw　no　more　of　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　and　I　was　not　to　see　him
again　until　after　the　tragedy　at　the　Glandier。　　Mademoiselle　was
near　Mr。　Rance；　who　was　talking　with　much　animation；　his　eyes；
during　the　conversation；　glowing　with　a　singular　brightness。
Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　I　thought；　was　not　even　listening　to　what
he　was　saying；　her　face　expressing　perfect　indifference。　　His　face
was　the　red　face　of　a　drunkard。　　When　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　left；　he　went　to　the　bar　and　remained　there。　　I　joined
him；　and　rendered　him　some　little　service　in　the　midst　of　the
pressing　crowd。　　He　thanked　me　and　told　me　he　was　returning　to
America　three　days　later；　that　is　to　say；　on　the　26th　（the　day　after
the　crime）。　　I　talked　with　him　about　Philadelphia；　he　told　me　he
had　lived　there　for　five…and…twenty　years；　and　that　it　was　there　he
had　met　the　illustrious　Professor　Stangerson　and　his　daughter。　　He
drank　a　great　deal　of　champagne；　and　when　I　left　him　he　was　very
nearly　drunk。

〃Such　were　my　experiences　on　that　evening；　and　I　leave　you　to
imagine　what　effect　the　news　of　the　attempted　murder　of　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　produced　on　me；　…　with　what　force　those　words　pronounced
by　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　'Must　I　commit　a　crime；　then；　to　win　you？'
recurred　to　me。　　It　was　not　this　phrase；　however；　that　I　repeated　to
him；　when　we　met　here　at　Glandier。　　The　sentence　of　the　presbytery
and　the　bright　garden　sufficed　to　open　the　gate　of　the　chateau。　　If
you　ask　me　if　I　believe　now　that　Monsieur　Darzac　is　the　murderer；　I
must　say　I　do　not。　　I　do　not　think　I　ever　quite　thought　that。　　At
the　time　I　could　not　really　think　seriously　of　anything。　　I　had　so
little　evidence　to　go　on。　　But　I　needed　to　have　at　once　the　proof
that　he　had　not　been　wounded　in　the　hand。

〃When　we　were　alone　together；　I　told　him　how　I　had　chanced　to
overhear　a　part　of　his　conversation　with　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　in
the　garden　of　the　Elysee；　and　when　I　repeated　to　him　the　words；
'Must　I　commit　a　crime；　then；　to　win　you？'　he　was　greatly　troubled；
though　much　less　so　than　he　had　been　by　hearing　me　repeat　the　phrase
about　the　presbytery。　　What　threw　him　into　a　state　of　real
consternation　was　to　learn　from　me　that　the　day　on　which　he　had
gone　to　meet　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　at　the　Elysee；　was　the　very
day　on　which　she　had　gone　to　the　Post　Office　for　the　letter。　　It
was　that　letter；　perhaps；　which　ended　with　the　words：　'The　presbytery
has　lost　nothing　of　its　charm；　nor　the　garden　its　brightness。'　　My
surmise　was　confirmed　by　my　finding；　if　you　remember；　in　the　ashes
of　the　laboratory；　the　fragment　of　paper　dated　October　the　23rd。
The　letter　had　been　written　and　withdrawn　from　the　Post　Office　on
the　same　day。

〃There　can　be　no　doubt　that；　on　returning　from　the　Elysee　that　night；
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　tried　to　destroy　that　compromising　paper。
It　was　in　vain　that　Monsieur　Darzac　denied　that　that　letter　had
anything　whatever　to　do　with　the　crime。　　I　told　him　that　in　an
affair　so　filled　with　mystery　as　this；　he　had　no　right　to　hide　this
letter；　that　I　was　persuaded　it　was　of　considerable　importance；　that
the　desperate　tone　in　which　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　pronounced
the　prophetic　phrase；　…　that　his　own　tears；　and　the　threat　of　a
crime　which　he　had　professed　after　the　letter　was　read　…　all　these
facts　tended　to　leave　no　room　for　me　to　doubt。　　Monsieur　Darzac
became　more　and　more　agitated；　and　I　determined　to　take　advantage
of　the　effect　I　had　produced　on　him。　　'You　were　on　the　point　of
being　married；　Monsieur；'　I　said　negligently　and　without　looking
at　him；　'and　suddenly　your　marriage　becomes　impossible　because　of
the　writer　of　that　letter；　because　as　soon　as　his　letter　was　read；
you　spoke　of　the　necessity　for　a　crime　to　win　Mademoiselle
Stangerson。　　Therefore　there　is　someone　between　you　and　her　someone
who　has　attempted　to　kill　her；　so　that　she　should　not　be　able　to
marry！'　　And　I　concluded　with　these　words：　'Now；　monsieur；　you　have
only　to　tell　me　in　confidence　the　name　of　the　murderer！'　…　The　words
I　had　uttered　must　have　struck　him　ominously；　for　when　I　turned　my
eyes　on　him；　I　saw　that　his　face　was　haggard；　the　perspiration
standing　on　his　forehead；　and　terror　showing　in　his　eyes。

〃'Monsieur；'　he　said　to　me；　'I　am　going　to　ask　of　you　something
which　may　appear　insane；　but　in　exchange　for　which　I　place　my　life
in　your　hands。　　You　must　not　tell　the　magistrates　of　what　you　saw
and　heard　in　the　garden　of　the　Elysee；　…　neither　to　them　nor　to
anybody。　　I　swear　to　you；　that　I　am　innocent；　and　I　know；　I　feel；
that　you　believe　me；　but　I　would　rather　be　taken　for　the　guilty　man
than　see　justice　go　astray　on　that　phrase；　〃The　presbytery　has　lost
nothing　of　its　charm；　nor　the　garden　its　brightness。〃　　The　judges
must　know　nothing　about　that　phrase。　　All　this　matter　is　in　your
hands。　　Monsieur；　I　leave　it　there；　but　forget　the　evening　at　the
Elysee。　　A　hundred　other　roads　are　open　to　you　in　your　search　for
the　criminal。　　I　will　open　them　for　you　myself。　　I　will　help　you。
Will　you　take　up　your　quarters　here？　　…　You　may　remain　here　to　do
as　you　please。　…　Eat　…　sleep　here　…　watch　my　actions　…　the　actions
of　all　here。　　You　shall　be　master　of　the　Glandier；　Monsieur；　but
forget　the　evening　at　the　Elysee。'

Rouletabille　here　paused　to　take　breath。　　I　now　understood　what　had
appeared　so　unexplainable　in　the　demeanour　of　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac
towards　my　friend；　and　the　facility　with　which　the　young　reporter
had　been　able　to　install　himself　on　the　scene　of　the　crime。　　My
curiosity　could　not　fail　to　be　excited　by　all　I　had　heard。　　I　asked
Rouletabille　to　satisfy　it　still　further。　　What　had　happened　at　the
landier　during　the　past　week？　…　Had　he　not　told　me　that　there　were
surface　indications　against　Monsieur　Darzac　much　more　terrible　than
that　of　the　cane　found　by　Larsan？

〃Everything　seems　to　be　pointing　against　him；〃　replied　my　friend；
〃and　the　situation　is　becoming　exceedingly　grave。　　Monsieur　Darzac
appears　not　to　mind　it　much；　but　in　that　he　is　wrong。　　I　was
interested　only　in　the　　health　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　which
was　daily　improving；　when　something　occurred　that　is　even　more
mysterious　than　…　than　the　mystery　of　The　Yellow　Room！〃

〃Impossible！〃　I　cried；　〃What　could　be　more　mysterious　than　that？〃

〃Let　us　first　go　back　to　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；〃　said　Rouletabille；
calming　me。　　〃I　have　said　that　everything　seems　to　be　pointing
against　him。　　The　marks　of　the　neat　boots　found　by　Frederic　Larsan
appear　to　be　really　the　footprints　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's
fiance。　　The　marks　made　by　the　bicycle　may　have　been　made　by　his
bicycle。　　He　had　usually　left　it　at　the　chateau；　why　did　he　take
it　to　Paris　on　that　particular　occasion？　　Was　it　because　he　was
not　going　to　return　again　to　the　chateau？　　Was　it　because；　owing
to　the　breaking　off　of　his　marriage；　his　relations　with　the
Stangersons　were　to　cease？　　All　who　are　interested　in　the　matter
affirm　that　those　relations　were　to　continue　unchanged。

〃Frederic　Larsan；　however；　believes　that　all　relations　were　at　an
end。　　From　the　day　when　Monsieur　Darzac　accompanied　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　to　the　Grands　Magasins　de　la　Louvre　until　the　day　after
the　crime；　he　had　not　been　at　the　Glandier。　　Remember　that
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　lost　her　reticule　containing　the　key　with
the　brass　head　while　she　was　in　his　company。　　From　that　day　to　the
evening　at　the　Elysee；　the　Sorbonne　professor　and　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　did　not　see　one　another；　but　they　may　have　written　to
each　other。　　Mademoiselle