the mystery of the yellow room-第30节

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you　notice　the　marks　on　the　carpet？　…　Come　and　look　at　them。'

〃'I　have　seen　them；　they　are　the　marks　of　the　neat　boots；　the　same
as　those　we　saw　on　the　border　of　the　lake。'

〃'Can　you　deny　that　they　belong　to　Robert　Darzac？'

〃'Of　course；　one　may　be　mistaken。'

〃'Have　you　noticed　that　those　footprints　only　go　in　one　direction？
…　that　there　are　no　return　marks？　　When　the　man　came　from　the
chamber；　pursued　by　all　of　us；　his　footsteps　left　no　traces　behind
them。'

〃'He　had；　perhaps；　been　in　the　chamber　for　hours。　　The　mud　from　his
boots　had　dried；　and　he　moved　with　such　rapidity　on　the　points　of
his　toes　…　We　saw　him　running；　but　we　did　not　hear　his　steps。'

〃I　suddenly　put　an　end　to　this　idle　chatter　…　void　of　any　logic；　and
made　a　sign　to　Larsan　to　listen。

〃'There　…　below；　some　one　is　shutting　a　door。'

〃I　rise；　Larsan　follows　me；　we　descend　to　the　ground…floor　of　the
chateau。　　I　lead　him　to　the　little　semi…circular　room　under　the
terrace　beneath　the　window　of　the　'off…turning'　gallery。　　I　point
to　the　door；　now　closed；　open　a　short　time　before；　under　which　a
shaft　of　light　is　visible。

〃'The　forest…keeper！'　says　Fred。

〃'Come　on！'　I　whisper。

〃Prepared　…　I　know　not　why　…　to　believe　that　the　keeper　is　the
guilty　man　…　I　go　to　the　door　and　rap　smartly　on　it。　　〃Some　might
think　that　we　were　rather　late　in　thinking　of　the　keeper；　since　our
first　business；　after　having　found　that　the　murderer　had　escaped　us
in　the　gallery；　ought　to　have　been　to　search　everywhere　else；
…　around　the　chateau；　…　in　the　park　…

〃Had　this　criticism　been　made　at　the　time；　we　could　only　have
answered　that　the　assassin　had　disappeared　from　the　gallery　in　such
a　way　that　we　thought　he　was　no　longer　anywhere！　　He　had　eluded　us
when　we　all　had　our　hands　stretched　out　ready　to　seize　him　…　when
we　were　almost　touching　him。　　We　had　no　longer　any　ground　for　hoping
that　we　could　clear　up　the　mystery　of　that　night。

〃As　soon　as　I　rapped　at　the　door　it　was　opened；　and　the　keeper
asked　us　quietly　what　we　wanted。　　He　was　undressed　and　preparing
to　go　to　bed。　　The　bed　had　not　yet　been　disturbed。

〃We　entered　and　I　affected　surprise。

〃'Not　gone　to　bed　yet？'

〃'No；'　he　replied　roughly。　　'I　have　been　making　a　round　of　the　park
and　in　the　woods。　　I　am　only　just　back　…　and　sleepy。　　Good…night！'

〃'Listen；'　I　said。　　'An　hour　or　so　ago；　there　was　a　ladder　close　by
your　window。'

〃'What　ladder？　…　I　did　not　see　any　ladder。　　Good…night！'

〃And　he　simply　put　us　out　of　the　room。　　When　we　were　outside　I
looked　at　Larsan。　　His　face　was　impenetrable。

'Well？'　I　said。

〃'Well？'　he　repeated。

〃'Does　that　open　out　any　new　view　to　you？'

〃There　was　no　mistaking　Larsan's　bad　temper。　　On　re…entering　the
chateau；　I　heard　him　mutter：

〃'It　would　be　strange　…　very　strange　…　if　I　had　deceived　myself　on
that　point！'

〃He　seemed　to　be　talking　to　me　rather　than　to　himself。　　He　added：
〃'In　any　case；　we　shall　soon　know　what　to　think。　　The　morning　will
bring　light　with　it。'〃





CHAPTER　XVIII

Rouletabille　Has　Drawn　a　Circle　Between　the　Two　Bumps　on　His　Forehead


（EXTRACT　FROM　THE　NOTE…BOOK　OF　JOSEPH　ROULETABILLE；　continued）

〃We　separated　on　the　thresholds　of　our　rooms；　with　a　melancholy
shake　of　the　hands。　　I　was　glad　to　have　aroused　in　him　a　suspicion
of　error。　　His　was　an　original　brain；　very　intelligent　but　…　without
method。　　I　did　not　go　to　bed。　　I　awaited　the　coming　of　daylight　and
then　went　down　to　the　front　of　the　chateau；　and　made　a　detour；
examining　every　trace　of　footsteps　coming　towards　it　or　going　from
it。　　These；　however；　were　so　mixed　and　confusing　that　I　could　make
nothing　of　them。　　Here　I　may　make　a　remark；　…　I　am　not　accustomed
to　attach　an　exaggerated　importance　to　exterior　signs　left　in　the
track　of　a　crime。

〃The　method　which　traces　the　criminal　by　means　of　the　tracks　of　his
footsteps　is　altogether　primitive。　　So　many　footprints　are　identical。
However；　in　the　disturbed　state　of　my　mind；　I　did　go　into　the
deserted　court　and　did　look　at　all　the　footprints　I　could　find　there；
seeking　for　some　indication；　as　a　basis　for　reasoning。

〃If　I　could　but　find　a　right　starting…point！　　In　despair　I　seated
myself　on　a　stone。　　For　over　an　hour　I　busied　myself　with　the　common；
ordinary　work　of　a　policeman。　　Like　the　least　intelligent　of
detectives　I　went　on　blindly　over　the　traces　of　footprints　which
told　me　just　no　more　than　they　could。

〃I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　I　was　a　fool；　lower　in　the　scale　of
intelligence　than　even　the　police　of　the　modern　romancer。　　Novelists
build　mountains　of　stupidity　out　of　a　footprint　on　the　sand；　or　from
an　impression　of　a　hand　on　the　wall。　　That's　the　way　innocent　men
are　brought　to　prison。　　It　might　convince　an　examining　magistrate　or
the　head　of　a　detective　department；　but　it's　not　proof。　　You　writers
forget　that　what　the　senses　furnish　is　not　proof。　　If　I　am　taking
cognisance　of　what　is　offered　me　by　my　senses　I　do　so　but　to　bring
the　results　within　the　circle　of　my　reason。　　That　circle　may　be　the
most　circumscribed；　but　if　it　is；　it　has　this　advantage　…　it　holds
nothing　but　the　truth！　　Yes；　I　swear　that　I　have　never　used　the
evidence　of　the　senses　but　as　servants　to　my　reason。　　I　have　never
permitted　them　to　become　my　master。　　They　have　not　made　of　me　that
monstrous　thing；　…　worse　than　a　blind　man；　…　a　man　who　sees　falsely。
And　that　is　why　I　can　triumph　over　your　error　and　your　merely　animal
intelligence；　Frederic　Larsan。

〃Be　of　good　courage；　then；　friend　Rouletabille；　it　is　impossible
that　the　incident　of　the　inexplicable　gallery　should　be　outside　the
circle　of　your　reason。　　You　know　that！　　Then　have　faith　and　take
thought　with　yourself　and　forget　not　that　you　took　hold　of　the　right
end　when　you　drew　that　circle　in　your　brain　within　which　to　unravel
this　mysterious　play　of　circumstance。

〃To　it；　once　again！　　Go　…　back　to　the　gallery。　　Take　your　stand　on
your　reason　and　rest　there　as　Frederic　Larsan　rests　on　his　cane。
You　will　then　soon　prove　that　the　great　Fred　is　nothing　but　a　fool。
…　30th　October。　Noon。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOSEPH　ROULETABILLE。〃


〃I　acted　as　I　planned。　　With　head　on　fire；　I　retraced　my　way　to　the
gallery；　and　without　having　found　anything　more　than　I　had　seen　on
the　previous　night；　the　right　hold　I　had　taken　of　my　reason　drew　me
to　something　so　important　that　I　was　obliged　to　cling　to　it　to　save
myself　from　falling。

〃Now　for　the　strength　and　patience　to　find　sensible　traces　to　fit
in　with　my　thinking　…　and　these　must　come　within　the　circle　I　have
drawn　between　the　two　bumps　on　my　forehead！
…　30th　of　October。　　Midnight。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃JOSEPH　ROULETABILLE。〃





CHAPTER　XIX

Rouletabille　Invites　Me　to　Breakfast　at　the　Donjon　Inn


It　was　not　until　later　that　Rouletabille　sent　me　the　note…book　in
which　he　had　written　at　length　the　story　of　the　phenomenon　of　the
inexplicable　gallery。　　On　the　day　I　arrived　at　the　Glandier　and
joined　him　in　his　room；　he　recounted　to　me；　with　the　greatest
detail；　all　that　I　have　now　related；　telling　me　also　how　he　had
spent　several　hours　in　Paris　where　he　had　learned　nothing　that　could
be　of　any　help　to　him。

The　event　of　the　inexplicable　gallery　had　occurred　on　the　night
etween　the　29th　and　30th　of　October；　that　is　to　say；　three　days
before　my　return　to　the　chateau。　　It　was　on　the　2nd　of　November；
then；　that　I　went　back　to　the　Glandier；　summoned　there　by　my
friend's　telegram；　and　taking　the　revolvers　with　me。

I　am　now　in　Rouletabille's　room　and　he　has　finished　his　recital。

While　he　had　been　telling　me　the　story　I　noticed　him　continually
rubbing　the　glass　of　the　eyeglasses　he　had　found　on　the　side　table。
》From　the　evident　pleasure　he　was　taking　in　handling　them　I　felt
they　must　be　one　of　those　sensible　evidences　destined　to　enter　what
he　had　called　the　circle　of　the　right　end　of　his　reason。　　That
strange　and　unique　way　of　his；　to　express　himself　in　terms
wonderfully　adequate　for　his　thoughts；　no　longer　surprised　me。
It　was　often　necessary　to　know　his　thought　to　understand　the　terms
he　used；　and　it　was　not　easy　to　penetrate　into　Rouletabille's
thinking。

This　lad's　brain　was　one　of　the　most　curious　things　I　have　ever
observed。　　Rouletabille　went　on　the　even　tenor　of　his　way　without
suspecting　the　astonishment　and　even　bewilderment　he　roused　in
others。　　I　am　sure　he　was　not　himself　in　the　least　conscious　of
the　originality　of　his　genius。　　He　was　himself　and　at　ease　wherever
he　happened　to　be。

When　he　had　finished　his　recital　he　asked　me　what　I　thought　of　it。
I　replied　that　I　was　much　puzzled　by　his　question。　　Then　he　begged
me　to　try；　in　my　turn；　to　take　my　reason　in　hand　〃by　the　right　end。〃

〃Very　well；〃　I　said。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　the　point　of　departure
of　my　reason　would　be　this　…　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　murderer
you　pursued　was　in　the　gallery。〃　I　paused。

〃After　making　so　good　a　start；　you　ought　not　to　stop　so　soon；〃　he
exclaimed。　　〃Come；　make　another　effort。〃

〃I'll　try。　　Since　he　disappeared　from　the　gallery　without　passing
through　any　door　or　window；　he　must　have　escaped　by　some　other
opening。〃

Rouletabille　looked　at　me　pity