the mystery of the yellow room-第33节

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friend　and　in　thinking　over　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac's　strange
behaviour。

When　he　had　finished　his　omelette　and　we　were　again　alone；
Rouletabille　continued　the　tale　of　his　confidences。

〃When　I　sent　you　my　telegram　this　morning；〃　he　said；　〃I　had　only
the　word　of　Monsieur　Darzac；　that　'perhaps'　the　assassin　would
come　to…night。　　I　can　now　say　that　he　will　certainly　come。　　I
expect　him。〃

〃What　has　made　you　feel　this　certainty？〃

〃I　have　been　sure　since　half…past　ten　o'clock　this　morning　that　he
would　come。　　I　knew　that　before　we　saw　Arthur　Rance　at　the　window
in　the　court。〃

〃Ah！〃　I　said；　〃But；　again　…　what　made　you　so　sure？　　And　why　since
half…past　ten　this　morning？〃

〃Because；　at　half…past　ten；　I　had　proof　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
was　making　as　many　efforts　to　permit　of　the　murderer's　entrance　as
Monsieur　Robert　Darzac　had　taken　precautions　against　it。〃

〃Is　that　possible！〃　I　cried。　　〃Haven't　you　told　me　that　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　loves　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac？〃

〃I　told　you　so　because　it　is　the　truth。〃

〃Then　do　you　see　nothing　strange　…〃

〃Everything　in　this　business　is　strange；　my　friend；　but　take　my　word
for　it；　the　strangeness　you　now　feel　is　nothing　to　the　strangeness
that's　to　come！〃

〃It　must　be　admitted；　then；〃　I　said；　〃that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
and　her　murderer　are　in　communication　…　at　any　rate　in　writing？〃

〃Admit　it；　my　friend；　admit　it！　　You　don't　risk　anything！　　I　told
you　about　the　letter　left　on　her　table；　on　the　night　of　the
inexplicable　gallery　affair；　…　the　letter　that　disappeared　into
the　pocket　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　Why　should　it　not　have　been
a　summons　to　a　meeting？　　Might　he　not；　as　soon　as　he　was　sure　of
Darzac's　absence；　appoint　the　meeting　for　'the　coming　night？〃

And　my　friend　laughed　silently。　　There　are　moments　when　I　ask
myself　if　he　is　not　laughing　at　me。

The　door　of　the　inn　opened。　　Rouletabille　was　on　his　feet　so
suddenly　that　one　might　have　thought　he　had　received　an　electric
shock。

〃Mr。　Arthur　Rance！〃　he　cried。

Mr。　Arthur　Rance　stood　before　us　calmly　bowing。





CHAPTER　XX

An　Act　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson


〃You　remember　me；　Monsieur？〃　asked　Rouletabile。

〃Perfectly！〃　replied　Arthur　Rance。　　〃I　recognise　you　as　the　lad　at
the　bar。　　＇The　face　of　Rouletabille　crimsoned　at　being　called　a
〃lad。〃＇　　I　want　to　shake　hands　with　you。　　You　are　a　bright　little
fellow。〃

The　American　extended　his　hand　and　Rouletabille；　relaxing　his　frown；
shook　it　and　introduced　Mr。　Arthur　Rance　to　me。　　He　invited　him　to
share　our　meal。

〃No　thanks。　　I　breakfasted　with　Monsieur　Stangerson。〃

Arthur　Rance　spoke　French　perfectly；　…　almost　without　an　accent。

〃I　did　not　expect　to　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　again；
Monsieur。　I　thought　you　were　to　have　left　France　the　day　after　the
reception　at　the　Elysee。〃

Rouletabille　and　I；　outwardly　indifferent；　listened　most　intently
for　every　word　the　American　would　say。

The　man's　purplish　red　face；　his　heavy　eyelids；　the　nervous
twitchings；　all　spoke　of　his　addiction　to　drink。　　How　came　it　that
so　sorry　a　specimen　of　a　man　should　be　so　intimate　with　Monsieur
Stangerson？

Some　days　later；　I　learned　from　Frederic　Larsan　…　who；　like
ourselves；　was　surprised　and　mystified　by　his　appearance　and
reception　at　the　chateau　…　that　Mr。　　Rance　had　been　an　inebriate
for　only　about　fifteen　years；　that　is　to　say；　since　the　professor
and　his　daughter　left　Philadelphia。　　During　the　time　the　Stangersons
lived　in　America　they　were　very　intimate　with　Arthur　Rance；　who　was
one　of　the　most　distinguished　phrenologists　of　the　new　world。　　Owing
to　new　experiments；　he　had　made　enormous　strides　beyond　the　science
of　Gall　and　Lavater。　　The　friendliness　with　which　he　was　received　at
the　Glandier　may　be　explained　by　the　fact　that　he　had　once　rendered
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　a　great　service　by　stopping；　at　the　peril　of
his　own　life；　the　runaway　horses　of　her　carriage。　　The　immediate
result　of　that　could；　however；　have　been　no　more　than　a　mere
friendly　association　with　the　Stangersons；　certainly；　not　a　love
affair。

Frederic　Larsan　did　not　tell　me　where　he　had　picked　up　this
information；　but　he　appeared　to　be　quite　sure　of　what　he　said。

Had　we　known　these　facts　at　the　time　Arthur　Rance　met　us　at　the
Donjon　Inn；　his　presence　at　the　chateau　might　not　have　puzzled　us；
but　they　could　not　have　failed　to　increase　our　interest　in　the　man
himself。　　The　American　must　have　been　at　least　forty…five　years　old。
He　spoke　in　a　perfectly　natural　tone　in　reply　to　Rouletabille's
question。

〃I　put　off　my　return　to　America　when　I　heard　of　the　attack　on
Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　I　wanted　to　be　certain　the　lady　had　not
been　killed；　and　I　shall　not　go　away　until　she　is　perfectly
recovered。〃

Arthur　Rance　then　took　the　lead　in　talk；　paying　no　heed　to　some　of
Rouletabille's　questions。　　He　gave　us；　without　our　inviting　him；　his
personal　views　on　the　subject　of　the　tragedy；　…　views　which；　as　well
as　I　could　make　out；　were　not　far　from　those　held　by　Frederic　Larzan。
The　American　also　thought　that　Robert　Darzac　had　something　to　do
with　the　matter。　　He　did　not　mention　him　by　name；　but　there　was　no
room　to　doubt　whom　he　meant。　　He　told　us　he　was　aware　of　the　efforts
young　Rouletabille　was　making　to　unravel　the　tangled　skein　of　The
Yellow　Room　mystery。　　He　explained　that　Monsieur　Stangerson　had
related　to　him　all　that　had　taken　place　in　the　inexplicable　gallery。
He　several　times　expressed　his　regret　at　Monsieur　Darzac's　absence
from　the　chateau　on　all　these　occasions；　and　thought　that　Monsieur
Darzac　had　done　cleverly　in　allying　himself　with　Monsieur　Joseph
Rouletabille；　who　could　not　fail；　sooner　or　later；　to　discover　the
murderer。　　He　spoke　the　last　sentence　with　unconcealed　irony。　　Then
he　rose；　bowed　to　us；　and　left　the　inn。

Rouletabille　watched　him　through　the　window。

〃An　odd　fish；　that！〃　he　said。

〃Do　you　think　he'll　pass　the　night　at　the　Glandier？〃　I　asked。

To　my　amazement　the　young　reporter　answered　that　it　was　a　matter
of　entire　indifference　to　him　whether　he　did　or　not。

As　to　how　we　spent　our　time　during　the　afternoon；　all　I　need　say　is
that　Rouletabille　led　me　to　the　grotto　of　Sainte…Genevieve；　and；　all
the　time；　talked　of　every　subject　but　the　one　in　which　we　were　most
interested。　　Towards　evening　I　was　surprised　to　find　Rouletabille
making　none　of　the　preparations　I　had　expected　him　to　make。　　I　spoke
to　him　about　it　when　night　had　come　on；　and　we　were　once　more　in　his
room。　　He　replied　that　all　his　arrangements　had　already　been　made；
and　this　time　the　murderer　would　not　get　away　from　him。

I　expressed　some　doubt　on　this；　reminding　him　of　his　disappearance
in　the　gallery；　and　suggested　that　the　same　phenomenon　might　occur
again。　　He　answered　that　he　hoped　it　would。　　He　desired　nothing　more。
I　did　not　insist；　knowing　by　experience　how　useless　that　would　have
been。　　He　told　me　that；　with　the　help　of　the　concierges；　the　chateau
had　since　early　dawn　been　watched　in　such　a　way　that　nobody　could
approach　it　without　his　knowing　it；　and　that　he　had　no　concern　for
those　who　might　have　left　it　and　remained　without。

It　was　then　six　o'clock。　　by　his　watch。　　Rising；　he　made　a　sign　to
me　to　follow　him；　and；　without　in　the　least　tying　to　conceal　his
movements　or　the　sound　of　his　footsteps；　he　led　me　through　the
gallery。　　We　reached　the　'right'　gallery　and　came　to　the
landing…place　which　we　crossed。　　We　then　continued　our　way　in　the
gallery　of　the　left　wing；　passing　Professor　Stangerson's　apartment。

At　the　far　end　of　the　gallery；　before　coming　to　the　donjon；　is　the
room　occupied　by　Arthur　Rance。　　We　knew　that；　because　we　had　seen
him　at　the　window　looking　on　to　the　court。　　The　door　of　the　room
opens　on　to　the　end　of　the　gallery；　exactly　facing　the　east　window；
at　the　extremity　of　the　'right'　gallery；　where　Rouletabille　had
placed　Daddy　Jacques；　and　commands　an　uninterrupted　view　of　the
gallery　from　end　to　end　of　the　chateau。

〃That　'off…turning'　gallery；〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃I　reserve　for
myself；　when　I　tell　you　you'll　come　and　take　your　place　here。〃

And　he　made　me　enter　a　little　dark；　triangular　closet　built　in　a
bend　of　the　wall；　to　the　left　of　the　door　of　Arthur　Rance's　room。
》From　this　recess　I　could　see　all　that　occurred　in　the　gallery　as
well　as　if　I　had　been　standing　in　front　of　Arthur　Rance's　door；
and　I　could　watch　that　door；　too。　　The　door　of　the　closet；　which
was　to　be　my　place　of　observation；　was　fitted　with　panels　of
transparent　glass。　　In　the　gallery；　where　all　the　lamps　had　been
lit；　it　was　quite　light。　　In　the　closet；　however；　it　was　quite
dark。　　It　was　a　splendid　place　from　which　to　observe　and　remain
unobserved。

I　was　soon　to　play　the　part　of　a　spy　…　a　common　policeman。　　I
wonder　what　my　leader　at　the　bar　would　have　said　had　he　known！　　I
was　not　altogether　pleased　with　my　duties；　but　I　could　not　refuse
Rouletabille　the　assistance　he　had　begged　me　to　give　him。　　I　took
care　not　to　make　him　see　that　I　in　the　least　objected；　and　for
several　reasons。　　I　wanted　to　oblige　him；　I　did　not　wish　him　to
think　me　a　coward；　I　was　filled　with　curiosity；　and　it　was　too　late
for　me　to　draw　back；　even　had　I　determined　to　do　so。