the mystery of the yellow room-第13章

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〃We　did；　monsieur；〃　explained　Daddy　Jacques。　　〃When　we　could　not
find　the　assassin；　we　asked　ourselves　whether　there　was　not　some
hole　in　the　floor　…〃

〃There　is　not；〃　replied　Rouletabille。　　〃Is　there　a　cellar？〃

〃No；　there's　no　cellar。　　But　that　has　not　stopped　our　searching；　and
has　not　prevented　the　examining　magistrate　and　his　Registrar　from
studying　the　floor　plank　by　plank；　as　if　there　had　been　a　cellar
under　it。〃

The　reporter　then　reappeared。　　His　eyes　were　sparkling　and　his
nostrils　quivered。　　He　remained　on　his　hands　and　knees。　　He　could
not　be　better　likened　than　to　an　admirable　sporting　dog　on　the
scent　of　some　unusual　game。　　And；　indeed；　he　was　scenting　the　steps
of　a　man；　…　the　man　whom　he　has　sworn　to　report　to　his　master；　the
manager　of　the　〃Epoque。〃　　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　Rouletabille
was　first　and　last　a　journalist。

Thus；　on　his　hands　and　knees；　he　made　his　way　to　the　four　corners
of　the　room；　so　to　speak；　sniffing　and　going　round　everything
…　everything　that　we　could　see；　which　was　not　much；　and　everything
that　we　could　not　see；　which　must　have　been　infinite。

The　toilette　table　was　a　simple　table　standing　on　four　legs；　there
was　nothing　about　it　by　which　it　could　possibly　be　changed　into　a
temporary　hiding…place。　　There　was　not　a　closet　or　cupboard。
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　kept　her　wardrobe　at　the　chateau。

Rouletabille　literally　passed　his　nose　and　hands　along　the　walls；
constructed　of　solid　brickwork。　　When　he　had　finished　with　the
walls；　and　passed　his　agile　fingers　over　every　portion　of　the
yellow　paper　covering　them；　he　reached　to　the　ceiling；　which　he　was
able　to　touch　by　mounting　on　a　chair　placed　on　the　toilette　table；
and　by　moving　this　ingeniously　constructed　stage　from　place　to　place
he　examined　every　foot　of　it。　　When　he　had　finished　his　scrutiny　of
the　ceiling；　where　he　carefully　examined　the　hole　made　by　the　second
bullet；　he　approached　the　window；　and；　once　more；　examined　the　iron
bars　and　blinds；　all　of　which　were　solid　and　intact。　　At　last；　he
gave　a　grunt　of　satisfaction　and　declared　〃Now　I　am　at　ease！〃

〃Well；　…　do　you　believe　that　the　poor　dear　young　lady　was　shut　up
when　she　was　being　murdered　…　when　she　cried　out　for　help？〃　wailed
Daddy　Jacques。

〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　reporter；　drying　his　forehead；　〃The　Yellow
Room　was　as　tightly　shut　as　an　iron　safe。〃

〃That；〃　I　said；　〃is　why　this　mystery　is　the　most　surprising　I　know。
Edgar　Allan　Poe；　in　'The　Murders　in　the　Rue　Morgue；'　invented
nothing　like　it。　　The　place　of　that　crime　was　sufficiently　closed
to　prevent　the　escape　of　a　man；　but　there　was　that　window　through
which　the　monkey；　the　perpetrator　of　the　murder；　could　slip　away！
But　here；　there　can　be　no　question　of　an　opening　of　any　sort。　　The
door　was　fastened；　and　through　the　window　blinds；　secure　as　they
were；　not　even　a　fly　could　enter　or　get　out。〃

〃True；　true；〃　assented　Rouletabille　as　he　kept　on　drying　his
forehead；　which　seemed　to　be　perspiring　less　from　his　recent　bodily
exertion　than　from　his　mental　agitation。　　〃Indeed；　it's　a　great；　a
beautiful；　and　a　very　curious　mystery。〃

〃The　Bete　du　bon　Dieu；〃　muttered　Daddy　Jacques；　〃the　Bete　du　bon
Dieu　herself；　if　she　had　committed　the　crime；　could　not　have　escaped。
Listen！　　Do　you　hear　it？　　Hush！〃

Daddy　Jacques　made　us　a　sign　to　keep　quiet　and；　stretching　his　arm
towards　the　wail　nearest　the　forest；　listened　to　something　which　we
could　not　hear。

〃It's　answering；〃　he　said　at　length。　　〃I　must　kill　it。　　It　is　too
wicked；　but　it's　the　Bete　du　bon　Dieu；　and；　every　night；　it　goes　to
pray　on　the　tomb　of　Sainte…Genevieve　and　nobody　dares　to　touch　her；
for　fear　that　Mother　Angenoux　should　cast　an　evil　spell　on　them。〃

〃How　big　is　the　Bete　du　bon　Dieu？〃

〃Nearly　as　big　as　a　small　retriever；　…　a　monster；　I　tell　you。　　Ah！
…　I　have　asked　myself　more　than　once　whether　it　was　not　her　that
took　our　poor　Mademoiselle　by　the　throat　with　her　claws。　　But　the
Bete　du　bon　Dieu　does　not　wear　hobnailed　boots；　nor　fire　revolvers；
nor　has　she　a　hand　like　that！〃　exclaimed　Daddy　Jacques；　again
pointing　out　to　us　the　red　mark　on　the　wall。　　〃Besides；　we　should
have　seen　her　as　well　as　we　would　have　seen　a　man　…〃

〃Evidently；〃　I　said。　　〃Before　we　had　seen　this　Yellow　Room；　I　had
also　asked　myself　whether　the　cat　of　Mother　Angenoux　…〃

〃You　also！〃　cried　Rouletabille。

〃Didn't　you？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　for　a　moment。　　After　reading　the　article　in　the　'Matin；'　I　knew
that　a　cat　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter。　　But　I　swear　now　that
a　frightful　tragedy　has　been　enacted　here。　　You　say　nothing　about
the　Basque　cap；　or　the　handkerchief；　found　here；　Daddy　Jacques？〃

〃Of　course；　the　magistrate　has　taken　them；〃　the　old　man　answered；
hesitatingly。

〃I　haven't　seen　either　the　handkerchief　or　the　cap；　yet　I　can　tell
you　how　they　are　made；〃　the　reporter　said　to　him　gravely。

〃Oh；　you　are　very　clever；〃　said　Daddy　Jacques；　coughing　and
embarrassed。

〃The　handkerchief　is　a　large　one；　blue　with　red　stripes　and　the　cap
is　an　old　Basque　cap；　like　the　one　you　are　wearing　now。〃

〃You　are　a　wizard！〃　said　Daddy　Jacques；　trying　to　laugh　and　not
quite　succeeding。　　〃How　do　you　know　that　the　handkerchief　is　blue
with　red　stripes？〃

〃Because；　if　it　had　not　been　blue　with　red　stripes；　it　would　not
have　been　found　at　all。〃

Without　giving　any　further　attention　to　Daddy　Jacques；　my　friend
took　a　piece　of　paper　from　his　pocket；　and　taking　out　a　pair　of
scissors；　bent　over　the　footprints。　　Placing　the　paper　over　one
of　them　he　began　to　cut。　　In　a　short　time　he　had　made　a　perfect
pattern　which　he　handed　to　me；　begging　me　not　to　lose　it。

He　then　returned　to　the　window　and；　pointing　to　the　figure　of
Frederic　Larsan；　who　had　not　quitted　the　side　of　the　lake；　asked
Daddy　Jacques　whether　the　detective　had；　like　himself；　been　working
in　The　Yellow　Room？

〃No；〃　replied　Robert　Darzac；　who；　since　Rouletabille　had　handed
him　the　piece　of　scorched　paper；　had　not　uttered　a　word；　〃He　pretends
that　he　does　not　need　to　examine　The　Yellow　Room。　　He　says　that　the
murderer　made　his　escape　from　it　in　quite　a　natural　way；　and　that
he　will；　this　evening；　explain　how　he　did　it。〃

As　he　listened　to　what　Monsieur　Darzac　had　to　say；　Rouletabille
turned　pale。

〃Has　Frederic　Larsan　found　out　the　truth；　which　I　can　only　guess
at？〃　he　murmured。　　〃He　is　very　clever　…　very　clever　…　and　I　admire
him。　　But　what　we　have　to　do　to…day　is　something　more　than　the　work
of　a　policeman；　something　quite　different　from　the　teachings　of
experience。　　We　have　to　take　hold　of　our　reason　by　the　right　end。〃

The　reporter　rushed　into　the　open　air；　agitated　by　the　thought　that
the　great　and　famous　Fred　might　anticipate　him　in　the　solution　of
the　problem　of　The　Yellow　Room。

I　managed　to　reach　him　on　the　threshold　of　the　pavilion。　　〃Calm
yourself；　my　dear　fellow；〃　I　said。　　〃Aren't　you　satisfied？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　confessed　to　me；　with　a　deep　sigh。　　〃I　am　quite　satisfied。
I　have　discovered　many　things。〃

〃Moral　or　material？〃

〃Several　moral；　…　one　material。　　This；　for　example。〃

And　rapidly　he　drew　from　his　waistcoat　pocket　a　piece　of　paper　in
which　he　had　placed　a　light…coloured　hair　from　a　woman's　head。





CHAPTER　VIII

The　Examining　Magistrate　Questions　Mademoiselle　Stangerson


Two　minutes　later；　as　Rouletabille　was　bending　over　the　footprints
discovered　in　the　park；　under　the　window　of　the　vestibule；　a　man；
evidently　a　servant　at　the　chateau；　came　towards　us　rapidly　and
called　out　to　Monsieur　Darzac　then　coming　out　of　the　pavilion：

〃Monsieur　Robert；　the　magistrate；　you　know；　is　questioning
Mademoiselle。〃

Monsieur　Darzac　uttered　a　muttered　excuse　to　us　and　set　off　running
towards　the　chateau；　the　man　running　after　him。

〃If　the　corpse　can　speak；〃　I　said；　〃it　would　be　interesting　to　be
there。〃

〃We　must　know；〃　said　my　friend。　　〃Let's　go　to　the　chateau。〃　And　he
drew　me　with　him。　　But；　at　the　chateau；　a　gendarme　placed　in　the
vestibule　denied　us　admission　up　the　staircase　of　the　first　floor。
We　were　obliged　to　wait　down　stairs。

This　is　what　passed　in　the　chamber　of　the　victim　while　we　were
waiting　below。

The　family　doctor；　finding　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was