the mystery of the yellow room-第43节

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return　to　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　room。　　It　was　a　very　dangerous
thing　to　do。　　He　risked　being　captured；　…　and　he　knew　it。　　And　he
was　very　nearly　captured。　　He　had　not　had　time　to　regain　his　post；
as　he　had　certainly　hoped　to　do。　　He　had　then　a　very　strong　reason
for　returning　to　his　room。　　As　for　myself；　when　I　sent　Daddy　Jacques
to　the　end　of　the　'right　gallery；'　I　naturally　thought　that　Larsan
was　still　at　his　post。　　Daddy　Jacques；　in　going　to　his　post；　had　not
looked；　when　he　passed；　to　see　whether　Larsan　was　at　his　post　or　not。

〃What；　then；　was　the　urgent　reason　which　had　compelled　Larsan　to
go　to　the　room　a　second　time？　　I　guessed　it　to　be　some　evidence　of
his　presence　there。　　He　had　left　something　very　important　in　that
room。　　What　was　it？　　And　had　he　recovered　it？　　I　begged　Madame
Bernier　who　was　accustomed　to　clean　the　room　to　look；　and　she　found
a　pair　of　eye…glasses　…　this　pair；　Monsieur　President！〃

And　Rouletabille　drew　the　eye…glasses；　of　which　we　know；　from　his
pocket。

〃When　I　saw　these　eye…glasses；〃　he　continued；　〃I　was　utterly
nonplussed。　　I　had　never　seen　Larsan　wear　eye…glasses。　　What　did
they　mean？　　Suddenly　I　exclaimed　to　myself：　'I　wonder　if　he　is
long。sighted？'　　I　had　never　seen　Larsan　write。　　He　might；　then；　be
long…sighted。　　They　would　certainly　know　at　the　Surete；　and　also
know　if　the　glasses　were　his。　　Such　evidence　would　be　damning。
That　explained　Larsan's　return。　　I　know　now　that　Larsan；　or
Ballmeyer；　is　long…sighted　and　that　these　glasses　belonged　to　him。

〃I　now　made　one　mistake。　　I　was　not　satisfied　with　the　evidence　I
had　obtained。　　I　wished　to　see　the　man's　face。　　Had　I　refrained
from　this；　the　second　terrible　attack　would　not　have　occurred。〃

〃But；〃　asked　the　President；　〃why　should　Larsan　go　to　Mademoiselle
Stangerson's　room；　at　all？　　Why　should　he　twice　attempt　to　murder
her？〃

〃Because　he　loves　her；　Monsieur　President。〃

〃That　is　certainly　a　reason；　but…〃

〃It　is　the　only　reason。　　He　was　madly　in　love；　and　because　of　that；
nd　…　other　things；　he　was　capable　of　committing　any　crime。〃

〃Did　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　know　this？〃

〃Yes；　Monsieur；　but　she　was　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　the　man　who
was　pursuing　her　was　Frederic　Larsan；　otherwise；　of　course；　he
would　not　have　been　allowed　to　be　at　the　chateau。　　I　noticed；　when
he　was　in　her　room　after　the　incident　in　the　gallery；　that　he　kept
himself　in　the　shadow；　and　that　he　kept　his　head　bent　down。　　He　was
looking　for　the　lost　eye…glasses。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　knew
Larsan　under　another　name。〃

〃Monsieur　Darzac；〃　asked　the　President；　〃did　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
in　any　way　confide　in　you　on　this　matter？　　How　is　it　that　she　has
never　spoken　about　it　to　anyone？　　If　you　are　innocent；　she　would
have　wished　to　spare　you　the　pain　of　being　accused。〃

〃Mademoiselle　Stangerson　told　me　nothing；〃　replled　Monsieur　Darzac。

〃Does　what　this　young　man　says　appear　probable　to　you？〃　the
President　asked。

〃Mademoiselle　Stangerson　has　told　me　nothing；〃　he　replied　stolidly。

〃How　do　you　explain　that；　on　the　night　of　the　murder　of　the　keeper；〃
the　President　asked；　turning　to　Rouletabille；　〃the　murderer　brought
back　the　papers　stolen　from　Monsieur　Stangerson？　…　How　do　you　explain
how　the　murderer　gained　entrance　into　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's
locked　room？〃

〃The　last　question　is　easily　answered。　　A　man　like　Larsan；　or
Ballmeyer；　could　have　had　made　duplicate　keys。　　As　to　the　documents；
I　think　Larsan　had　not　intended　to　steal　them；　at　first。　　Closely
watching　Mademoiselle　with　the　purpose　of　preventing　her　marriage
with　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　he　one　day　followed　her　and　Monsieur
into　the　Grands　Magasins　de　Ia　Louvre。　　There　he　got　possession　of
the　reticule　which　she　lost；　or　left　behind。　　In　that　reticule　was
a　key　with　a　brass　head。　　He　did　not　know　there　was　any　value
attached　to　the　key　till　the　advertisement　in　the　newspapers　revealed
it。　　He　then　wrote　to　Mademoiselle；　as　the　advertisement　requested。
No　doubt　he　asked　for　a　meeting；　making　known　to　her　that　he　was
also　the　person　who　had　for　some　time　pursued　her　with　his　love。
He　received　no　answer。　　He　went　to　the　Post　Office　and　ascertained
that　his　letter　was　no　longer　there。　　He　had　already　taken　complete
stock　of　Monsieur　Darzac；　and；　having　decided　to　go　to　any　lengths
to　gain　Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　he　had　planned　that；　whatever　might
happen；　Monsieur　Darzac；　his　hated　rival；　should　be　the　man　to　be
suspected。

〃I　do　not　think　that　Larsan　had　as　yet　thought　of　murdering
Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　but　whatever　he　might　do；　he　made　sure　that
Monsieur　Darzac　should　suffer　for　it。　　He　was　very　nearly　of　the
same　height　as　Monsieur　Darzac　and　had　almost　the　same　sized　feet。
It　would　not　be　difficult；　to　take　an　impression　of　Monsieur　Darzac's
footprints；　and　have　similar　boots　made　for　himself。　　Such　tricks
were　mere　child's　play　for　Larsan；　or　Ballmeyer。

〃Receiving　no　reply　to　his　letter；　he　determined；　since　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　would　not　come　to　him；　that　he　would　go　to　her。　　His　plan
had　long　been　formed。　　He　had　made　himself　master　of　the　plans　of
the　chateau　and　the　pavilion。　　So　that；　one　afternoon；　while　Monsieur
and　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　were　out　for　a　walk；　and　while　Daddy
Jacques　was　away；　he　entered　the　latter　by　the　vestibule　window。　　He
was　alone；　and；　being　in　no　hurry；　he　began　examining　the　furniture。
One　of　the　pieces；　resembling　a　safe；　had　a　very　small　keyhole。
That　interested　him！　　He　had　with　him　the　little　key　with　the　brass
head；　and；　associating　one　with　the　other；　he　tried　the　key　in　the
lock。　　The　door　opened。　　He　saw　nothing　but　papers。　　They　must　be
very　valuable　to　have　been　put　away　in　a　safe；　and　the　key　to　which
to　be　of　so　much　importance。　　Perhaps　a　thought　of　blackmail　occurred
to　him　as　a　useful　possibility　in　helping　him　in　his　designs　on
Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　He　quickly　made　a　parcel　of　the　papers　and
took　it　to　the　lavatory　in　the　vestibule。　　Between　the　time　of　his
first　examination　of　the　pavilion　and　the　night　of　the　murder　of　the
keeper；　Larsan　had　had　time　to　find　out　what　those　papers　contained。
He　could　do　nothing　with　them；　and　they　were　rather　compromising。
That　night　he　took　them　back　to　the　chateau。　　Perhaps　he　hoped　that；
by　returning　the　papers　he　might　obtain　some　gratitude　from
Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　But　whatever　may　have　been　his　reasons；
he　took　the　papers　back　and　so　rid　himself　of　an　encumbrance。

Rouletabille　coughed。　　It　was　evident　to　me　that　he　was　embarrassed。
He　had　arrived　at　a　point　where　he　had　to　keep　back　his　knowledge　of
Larsan's　true　motive。　　The　explanation　he　had　given　had　evidently
been　unsatisfactory。　　Rouletabille　was　quick　enough　to　note　the　bad
impression　he　had　made；　for；　turning　to　the　President；　he　said：
〃And　now　we　come　to　the　explanation　of　the　Mystery　of　The　Yellow
Room！〃

A　movement　of　chairs　in　the　court　with　a　rustling　of　dresses　and　an
energetic　whispering　of　〃Hush！〃　showed　the　curiosity　that　had　been
aroused。

〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　the　President；　〃that　the　Mystery　of　The
Yellow　Room；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　is　wholly　explained　by　your
hypothesis。　　Frederic　Larsan　is　the　explanation。　　We　have　merely
to　substitute　him　for　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　Evidently　the　door
of　The　Yellow　Room　was　open　at　the　time　Monsieur　Stangerson　was
alone；　and　that　he　allowed　the　man　who　was　coming　out　of　his
daughter's　chamber　to　pass　without　arresting　him　…　perhaps　at　her
entreaty　to　avoid　all　scandal。〃

〃No；　Monsieur　President；〃　protested　the　young　man。　　〃You　forget
that；　stunned　by　the　attack　made　on　her；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
was　not　in　a　condition　to　have　made　such　an　appeal。　　Nor　could　she
have　locked　and　bolted　herself　in　her　room。　　You　must　also　remember
that　Monsieur　Stangerson　has　sworn　that　the　door　was　not　open。〃

〃That；　however；　is　the　only　way　in　which　it　can　be　explained。　　The
Yellow　Room　was　as　closely　shut　as　an　iron　safe。　　To　use　your　own
expression；　it　was　impossible　for　the　murderer　to　make　his　escape
either　naturally　or　supernaturally。　　When　the　room　was　broken　into
he　was　not　there！　　He　must；　therefore；　have　escaped。〃

〃That　does　not　follow。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃There　was　no　need　for　him　to　escape　…　if　he　was　not　there！〃

〃Not　there！〃

〃Evidently；　not。　　He　could　not　have　been　there；　if　he　were　not　found
there。〃

〃But；　what　about　the　evidences　of　his　presence？〃　asked　the　President。

〃That；　Monsieur　President；　is　where　we　have　taken　hold　of　the　wrong
end。　　From　the　time　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　shut　herself　in　the　room
to　the　time　her　door　was　burst　open；　it　was　impossible　for　the
murderer　to　escape。　　He　was　not　found　because　he　was　not　there　during
that　time。〃

〃But　the　evidences？〃

〃They　have　led　us　astray。　　In　reasoning　on　this　mystery　we　must　not
take　them　to　mean　what　they　apparently　mean。　　Why　do　we　conclude　the
murderer　was　there？　　…　Because　he　left　his　tracks　in　the　room？　　Good！
But　may　he　not　have　been　there　before　the　room　was　locked。　　Nay；　he
must　have　been　there　before！　　Let　us　look　into　the　matter　of　these
traces　and　see　if　they　do　not　point　to　my　conclusion。

〃After　the　publication　of　the　article　in　the　'Matin'　and　my