the mystery of the yellow room-第44节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


traces　and　see　if　they　do　not　point　to　my　conclusion。

〃After　the　publication　of　the　article　in　the　'Matin'　and　my
conversation　with　the　examining　magistrate　on　the　journey　from　Paris
to　Epinaysur…Orge；　I　was　certain　that　The　Yellow　Room　had　been
hermetically　sealed；　so　to　speak；　and　that　consequently　the　murderer
had　escaped　before　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　gone　into　her　chamber
at　midnight。

〃At　the　time　I　was　much　puzzled。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　could
not　have　been　her　own　murderer；　since　the　evidences　pointed　to　some
other　person。　　The　assassin；　then；　had　come　before。　　If　that　were　so；
how　was　it　that　Mademoiselle　had　been　attacked　after？　　or　rather；
that　she　appeared　to　have　been　attacked　after？　　It　was　necessary　for
me　to　reconstruct　the　occurrence　and　make　of　it　two　phases　…　each
separated　from　the　other；　in　time；　by　the　space　of　several　hours。
One　phase　in　which　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　really　been　attacked
…　the　other　phase　in　which　those　who　heard　her　cries　thought　she
was　being　attacked。　　I　had　not　then　examined　The　Yellow　Room。　　What
were　the　marks　on　Mademoiselle　Stangerson？　　There　were　marks　of
strangulation　and　the　wound　from　a　hard　blow　on　the　temple。　　The
marks　of　strangulation　did　not　interest　me　much；　they　might　have
been　made　before；　and　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　could　have　concealed
them　by　a　collarette；　or　any　similar　article　of　apparel。　　I　had　to
suppose　this　the　moment　I　was　compelled　to　reconstruct　the　occurrence
by　two　phases。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had；　no　doubt；　her　own
reasons　for　so　doing；　since　she　had　told　her　father　nothing　of　it；
and　had　made　it　understood　to　the　examining　magistrate　that　the
attack　had　taken　place　in　the　night；　during　the　second　phase。　　She
was　forced　to　say　that；　otherwise　her　father　would　have　questioned
her　as　to　her　reason　for　having　said　nothing　about　it。

〃But　I　could　not　explain　the　blow　on　the　temple。　　I　understood　it
even　less　when　I　learned　that　the　mutton…bone　had　been　found　in　her
room。　　She　could　not　hide　the　fact　that　she　had　been　struck　on　the
head；　and　yet　that　wound　appeared　evidently　to　have　been　inflicted
during　the　first　phase；　since　it　required　the　presence　of　the
murderer！　　I　thought　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　hidden　the　wound
by　arranging　her　hair　in　bands　on　her　forehead。

〃As　to　the　mark　of　the　hand　on　the　wall；　that　had　evidently　been
made　during　the　first　phase　…　when　the　murderer　was　really　there。
All　the　traces　of　his　presence　had　naturally　been　left　during　the
first　phase；　the　mutton…bone；　the　black　footprints；　the　Basque　cap；
the　handkerchief；　the　blood　on　the　wall；　on　the　door；　and　on　the
floor。　　If　those　traces　were　still　all　there；　they　showed　that
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　…　who　desired　that　nothing　should　be　known
…　had　not　yet　had　time　to　clear　them　away。　　This　led　me　to　the
conclusion　that　the　two　phases　had　taken　place　one　shortly　after
the　other。　　She　had　not　had　the　opportunity；　after　leaving　her　room
and　going　back　to　the　laboratory　to　her　father；　to　get　back　again
to　her　room　and　put　it　in　order。　　Her　father　was　all　the　time　with
her；　working。　　So　that　after　the　first　phase　she　did　not　re…enter
her　chamber　till　midnight。　　Daddy　Jacques　was　there　at　ten　o'clock；
as　he　was　every　night；　but　he　went　in　merely　to　close　the　blinds
and　light　the　night…light。　　Owing　to　her　disturbed　state　of　mind
she　had　forgotten　that　Daddy　Jacques　would　go　into　her　room　and
had　begged　him　not　to　trouble　himself。　　All　this　was　set　forth　in
the　article　in　the　'Matin。'　Daddy　Jacques　did　go；　however；　and；　in
the　dim　light　of　the　room；　saw　nothing。

〃Mademoiselle　Stangerson　must　have　lived　some　anxious　moments　while
Daddy　Jacques　was　absent；　but　I　think　she　was　not　aware　that　so
many　evidences　had　been　left。　　After　she　had　been　attacked　she　had
only　time　to　hide　the　traces　of　the　man's　fingers　on　her　neck　and
to　hurry　to　the　laboratory。　　Had　she　known　of　the　bone；　the　cap；
and　the　handkerchief；　she　would　have　made　away　with　them　after　she
had　gone　back　to　her　chamber　at　midnight。　　She　did　not　see　them；　and
undressed　by　the　uncertain　glimmer　of　the　night　light。　　She　went　to
bed；　worn…out　by　anxiety　and　fear　…　a　fear　that　had　made　her　remain
in　the　laboratory　as　late　as　possible。

〃My　reasoning　had　thus　brought　me　to　the　second　phase　of　the　tragedy；
when　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was　alone　in　the　room。　　I　had　now　to
explain　the　revolver　shots　fired　during　the　second　phase。　　Cries　of
'Help！　…　Murder！'　had　been　heard。　　How　to　explain　these？　　As　to　the
cries；　I　was　in　no　difficulty；　since　she　was　alone　in　her　room　these
could　result　from　nightmare　only。　　My　explanation　of　the　struggle　and
noise　that　were　heard　is　simply　that　in　her　nightmare　she　was　haunted
by　the　terrible　experience　she　had　passed　through　in　the　afternoon。
In　her　dream　she　sees　the　murderer　about　to　spring　upon　her　and　she
cries；　'Help！　　Murder！'　　Her　hand　wildly　seeks　the　revolver　she　had
placed　within　her　reach　on　the　night…table　by　the　side　of　her　bed；
but　her　hand；　striking　the　table；　overturns　it；　and　the　revolver；
falling　to　the　floor；　discharges　itself；　the　bullet　lodging　in　the
ceiling。　　I　knew　from　the　first　that　the　bullet　in　the　ceiling　must
have　resulted　from　an　accident。　　Its　very　position　suggested　an
accident　to　my　mind；　and　so　fell　in　with　my　theory　of　a　nightmare。
I　no　longer　doubted　that　the　attack　had　taken　place　before
Mademoiselle　had　retired　for　the　night。　　After　wakening　from　her
rightful　dream　and　crying　aloud　for　help；　she　had　fainted。

〃My　theory；　based　on　the　evidence　of　the　shots　that　were　heard　at
midnight；　demanded　two　shots　…　one　which　wounded　the　murderer　at
the　time　of　his　attack；　and　one　fired　at　the　time　of　the　nightmare。
The　evidence　given　by　the　Berniers　before　the　examining　magistrate
was　to　the　effect　that　only　one　shot　had　been　heard。　　Monsieur
Stangerson　testified　to　hearing　a　dull　sound　first　followed　by　a
sharp　ringing　sound。　　The　dull　sound　I　explained　by　the　falling　of
the　marble…topped　table；　the　ringing　sound　was　the　shot　from　the
revolver。　　I　was　now　convinced　I　was　right。　　The　shot　that　had
wounded　the　hand　of　the　murderer　and　had　caused　it　to　bleed　so　that
he　left　the　bloody　imprint　on　the　wall　was　fired　by　Mademoiselle　in
self…defence；　before　the　second　phase；　when　she　had　been　really
attacked。　　The　shot　in　the　ceiling　which　the　Berniers　heard　was　the
accidental　shot　during　the　nightmare。

〃I　had　now　to　explain　the　wound　on　the　temple。　　It　was　not　severe
enough　to　have　been　made　by　means　of　the　mutton…bone；　and
Mademoiselle　had　not　attempted　to　hide　it。　　It　must　have　been　made
during　the　second　phase。　　It　was　to　find　this　out　that　I　went　to
The　Yellow　Room；　and　I　obtained　my　answer　there。〃

Rouletabille　drew　a　piece　of　white　folded　paper　from　his　pocket；　and
drew　out　of　it　an　almost　invisible　object　which　he　held　between　his
thumb　and　forefinger。

〃This；　Monsieur　President；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　hair　…　a　blond　hair
stained　with　blood；　…　it　is　a　hair　from　the　head　of　Mademoiselle
Stangerson。　　I　found　it　sticking　to　one　of　the　corners　of　the
overturned　table。　　The　corner　of　the　table　was　itself　stained　with
blood　…　a　tiny　stain　…　hardly　visible；　but　it　told　me　that；　on
rising　from　her　bed；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　fallen　heavily
and　had　struck　her　head　on　the　corner　of　its　marble　top。

〃I　still　had　to　learn；　in　addition　to　the　name　of　the　assassin；
which　I　did　later；　the　time　of　the　original　attack。　　I　learned
this　from　the　examination　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　and　her
father；　though　the　answers　given　by　the　former　were　well　calculated
to　deceive　the　examining　magistrate　…　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had
stated　very　minutely　how　she　had　spent　the　whole　of　her　time　that
day。　　We　established　the　fact　that　the　murderer　had　introduced
himself　into　the　pavilion　between　five　and　six　o'clock。　　At　a
quarter　past　six　the　professor　and　his　daughter　had　resumed　their
work。　　At　five　the　professor　had　been　with　his　daughter；　and　since
the　attack　took　place　in　the　professor's　absence　from　his　daughter；
I　had　to　find　out　just　when　he　left　her。　　The　professor　had　stated
that　at　the　time　when　he　and　his　daughter　were　about　to　re…enter
the　laboratory　he　was　met　by　the　keeper　and　held　in　conversation
about　the　cutting　of　some　wood　and　the　poachers。　　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　was　not　with　him　then　since　the　professor　said：　'I　left
the　keeper　and　rejoined　my　daughter　who　was　at　work　in　the
laboratory。'

〃It　was　during　that　short　interval　of　time　that　the　tragedy　took
place。　　That　is　certain。　　In　my　mind's　eye　I　saw　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　re…enter　the　pavilion；　go　to　her　room　to　take　off　her
hat；　and　find　herself　faced　by　the　murderer。　　He　had　been　in　the
pavilion　for　some　time　waiting　for　her。　　He　had　arranged　to　pass
the　whole　night　there。　　He　had　taken　off　Daddy　Jacques's　boots；　he
had　removed　the　papers　from　the　cabinet；　and　had　then　slipped　under
the　bed。　　Finding　the　time　long；　he　had　risen；　gone　again　into　the
laboratory；　then　into　the　vestibule；　looked　into　the　garden；　and
had　seen；　coming　towards　the　pavilion；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
…　alone。　　He　would　never　have　dared　to　attack　her　at　that　hour；　if
he　had　not　found　her　alone