the mystery of the yellow room-第15章

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　　　　　placed　in　it。　　At　that　moment　the　man　had　forced　me　to　the　foot
　　　　　of　my　bed　and　brandished　in　over　my　head　a　sort　of　mace。　　But
　　　　　I　had　fired。　　He　immediately　struck　a　terrible　blow　at　my　head。
　　　　　All　that；　monsieur；　passed　more　rapidly　than　I　can　tell　it；　and
　　　　　I　know　nothing　more。

〃Q。　　Nothing？　　…　Have　you　no　idea　as　to　how　the　assassin　could
　　　　　escape　from　your　chamber？

〃A。　　None　whatever　…　I　know　nothing　more。　　One　does　not　know　what
　　　　　is　passing　around　one；　when　one　is　unconscious。

〃Q。　　Was　the　man　you　saw　tall　or　short；　little　or　big？

〃A。　　I　only　saw　a　shadow　which　appeared　to　me　formidable。

〃Q。　　You　cannot　give　us　any　indication？

〃A。　　I　know　nothing　more；　monsieur；　than　that　a　man　threw　himself
　　　　　upon　me　and　that　I　fired　at　him。　　I　know　nothing　more。〃

Here　the　interrogation　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　concluded。

Rouletabille　waited　patiently　for　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　who　soon
appeared。

》From　a　room　near　the　chamber　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　he　had
heard　the　interrogatory　and　now　came　to　recount　it　to　my　friend
with　great　exactitude；　aided　by　an　excellent　memory。　　His　docility
still　surprised　me。　　Thanks　to　hasty　pencil…notes；　he　was　able　to
reproduce；　almost　textually；　the　questions　and　the　answers　given。

It　looked　as　if　Monsieur　Darzac　were　being　employed　as　the　secretary
of　my　young　friend　and　acted　as　if　he　could　refuse　him　nothing；　nay；
more；　as　if　under　a　compulsion　to　do　so。

The　fact　of　the　closed　window　struck　the　reporter　as　it　had　struck
the　magistrate。　　Rouletabille　asked　Darzac　to　repeat　once　more
Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　account　of　how　she　and　her　father　had
spent　their　time　on　the　day　of　the　tragedy；　as　she　had　stated　it
to　the　magistrate。　　The　circumstance　of　the　dinner　in　the　laboratory
seemed　to　interest　him　in　the　highest　degree；　and　he　had　it　repeated
to　him　three　times。　　He　also　wanted　to　be　sure　that　the　forest…keeper
knew　that　the　professor　and　his　daughter　were　going　to　dine　in　the
laboratory；　and　how　he　had　come　to　know　it。

When　Monsieur　Darzac　had　finished；　I　said：　〃The　examination　has　not
advanced　the　problem　much。〃

〃It　has　put　it　back；〃　said　Monsieur　Darzac。

〃It　has　thrown　light　upon　it；〃　said　Rouletabille；　thoughtfully。





CHAPTER　IX

Reporter　and　Detective


The　three　of　us　went　back　towards　the　pavilion。　　At　some　distance
from　the　building　the　reporter　made　us　stop　and；　pointing　to　a　small
clump　of　trees　to　the　right　of　us；　said：

〃That's　where　the　murderer　came　from　to　get　into　the　pavilion。〃

As　there　were　other　patches　of　trees　of　the　same　sort　between　the
great　oaks；　I　asked　why　the　murderer　had　chosen　that　one；　rather
than　any　of　the　others。　　Rouletabille　answered　me　by　pointing　to
the　path　which　ran　quite　close　to　the　thicket　to　the　door　of　the
pavilion。

〃That　path　is　as　you　see；　topped　with　gravel；〃　he　said；　〃the　man
must　have　passed　along　it　going　to　the　pavilion；　since　no　traces　of
his　steps　have　been　found　on　the　soft　ground。　　The　man　didn't　have
wings；　he　walked；　but　he　walked　on　the　gravel　which　left　no
impression　of　his　tread。　　The　gravel　has；　in　fact；　been　trodden　by
many　other　feet；　since　the　path　is　the　most　direct　way　between　the
pavilion　and　the　chateau。　　As　to　the　thicket；　made　of　the　sort　of
shrubs　that　don't　flourish　in　the　rough　season　…　laurels　and
fuchsias　…　it　offered　the　murderer　a　sufficient　hiding…place　until
it　was　time　for　him　to　make　his　way　to　the　pavilion。　　It　was　while
hiding　in　that　clump　of　trees　that　he　saw　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle
Stangerson；　and　then　Daddy　Jacques；　leave　the　pavilion。　　Gravel　has
been　spread　nearly；　very　nearly；　up　to　the　windows　of　the　pavilion。
The　footprints　of　a　man；　parallel　with　the　wall　…　marks　which　we
will　examine　presently；　and　which　I　have　already　seen　…　prove　that
he　only　needed　to　make　one　stride　to　find　himself　in　front　of　the
vestibule　window；　left　open　by　Daddy　Jacques。　　The　man　drew　himself
up　by　his　hands　and　entered　the　vestibule。〃

〃After　all　it　is　very　possible；〃　I　said。

〃After　all　what？　　After　all　what？〃　cried　Rouletabille。

I　begged　of　him　not　to　be　angry；　but　he　was　too　much　irritated　to
listen　to　me　and　declared；　ironically；　that　he　admired　the　prudent
doubt　with　which　certain　people　approached　the　most　simple　problems；
risking　nothing　by　saying　〃that　is　so；　or　'that　is　not　so。〃　Their
intelligence　would　have　produced　about　the　same　result　if　nature
had　forgotten　to　furnish　their　brain…pan　with　a　little　grey　matter。
As　I　appeared　vexed；　my　young　friend　took　me　by　the　arm　and　admitted
that　he　had　not　meant　that　for　me；　he　thought　more　of　me　than　that。

〃If　I　did　not　reason　as　I　do　in　regard　to　this　gravel；〃　he　went　on；
〃I　should　have　to　assume　a　balloon！　…　My　dear　fellow；　the　science
of　the　aerostation　of　dirigible　balloons　is　not　yet　developed　enough
for　me　to　consider　it　and　suppose　that　a　murderer　would　drop　from
the　clouds！　　So　don't　say　a　thing　is　possible；　when　it　could　not　be
otherwise。　　We　know　now　how　the　man　entered　by　the　window；　and　we
also　know　the　moment　at　which　he　entered；　…　during　the　five　o'clock
walk　of　the　professor　and　his　daughter。　　The　fact　of　the　presence
of　the　chambermaid　…　who　had　come　to　clean　up　The　Yellow　Room　…　in
the　laboratory；　when　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　his　daughter　returned
from　their　walk；　at　half…past　one；　permits　us　to　affirm　that　at
half…past　one　the　murderer　was　not　in　the　chamber　under　the　bed；
unless　he　was　in　collusion　with　the　chambermaid。　　What　do　you　say；
Monsieur　Darzac？

Monsieur　Darzac　shook　his　head　and　said　he　was　sure　of　the
chambermaid's　fidelity；　and　that　she　was　a　thoroughly　honest　and
devoted　servant。

〃Besides；〃　he　added；　〃at　five　o'clock　Monsieur　Stangerson　went　into
the　room　to　fetch　his　daughter's　hat〃

〃There　is　that　also；〃　said　Rouletabille。

〃That　the　man　entered　by　the　window　at　the　time　you　say；　I　admit；〃
I　said；　〃but　why　did　he　shut　the　window？　　It　was　an　act　which　would
necessarily　draw　the　attention　of　those　who　had　left　it　open〃

〃It　may　be　the　window　was　not　shut　at　once；〃　replied　the　young
reporter。　　〃But　if　he　did　shut　the　window；　it　was　because　of　the
bend　in　the　gravel　path；　a　dozen　yards　from　the　pavilion；　and　on
account　of　the　three　oaks　that　are　growing　at　that　spot。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　Monsieur　Darzac；　who　had　followed
us　and　listened　with　almost　breathless　attention　to　all　that
Rouletabille　had　said。

〃I'll　explain　all　to　you　later　on；　Monsieur；　when　I　think　the　moment
to　be　ripe　for　doing　so；　but　I　don't　think　I　have　anything　of　more
importance　to　say　on　this　affair；　if　my　hypothesis　is　justified　〃

〃And　what　is　your　hypothesis？〃

〃You　will　never　know　if　it　does　not　turn　out　to　be　the　truth。　　It
is　of　much　too　grave　a　nature　to　speak　of　it；　so　long　as　it
continues　to　be　only　a　hypothesis。〃

〃Have　you；　at　least；　some　idea　as　to　who　the　murderer　is？〃

〃No；　monsieur；　I　don't　know　who　the　murderer　is；　but　don't　be　afraid；
Monsieur　Robert　Darzac　…　I　shall　know。〃

I　could　not　but　observe　that　Monsieur　Darzac　was　deeply　moved；　and
I　suspected　that　Rouletabille's　confident　assertion　was　not　pleasing
to　him。　　Why；　I　asked　myself；　if　he　was　really　afraid　that　the
murderer　should　be　discovered；　was　he　helping　the　reporter　to　find
him？　　My　young　friend　seemed　to　have　received　the　same　impression；
for　he　said；　bluntly：

〃Monsieur　Darzac；　don't　you　want　me　to　find　out　who　the　murderer
was？〃

〃Oh！　　…　I　should　like　to　kill　him　with　my　own　hand！〃　cried
Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　fiance；　with　a　vehemence　that　amazed　me。

〃I　believe　you；〃　said　Rouletabille　gravely；　〃but　you　have　not
answered　my　question。〃

We　were　passing　by　the　thicket；　of　which　the　young　reporter　had
spoken　to　us　a　minute　before。　　I　entered　it　and　pointed　out　evident
traces　of　a　man　who　had　been　hidden　there。　　Rouletabille；　once　more；
was　right。

〃Yes；　yes！〃　he　said。　　〃We　have　to　do　with　a　thing　of　flesh　and　blood；
who　uses　the　same　means　that　we　do。　　It'll　all　come　out　on　those
lines。〃

Having　said　this；　he　asked　me　for　the　paper　pattern　of　the　footprint
which　he　had　given　me　to　take　care　of；　and　applied　it　to　a　very
clear　footmark　behind　the　thick