the mystery of the yellow room-第16章

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which　he　had　given　me　to　take　care　of；　and　applied　it　to　a　very
clear　footmark　behind　the　thicket。　　〃Aha！〃　he　said；　rising。

I　thought　he　was　now　going　to　trace　back　the　track　of　the　murderer's
footmarks　to　the　vestibule　window；　but　he　led　us　instead；　far　to　the
left；　saying　that　it　was　useless　ferreting　in　the　mud；　and　that　he
was　sure；　now；　of　the　road　taken　by　the　murderer。

〃He　went　along　the　wall　to　the　hedge　and　dry　ditch；　over　which　he
jumped。　　See；　just　in　front　of　the　little　path　leading　to　the　lake；
that　was　his　nearest　way　to　get　out。〃

〃How　do　you　know　he　went　to　the　lake？〃　…

〃Because　Frederic　Larsan　has　not　quitted　the　borders　of　it　since
this　morning。　　There　must　be　some　important　marks　there。〃

A　few　minutes　later　we　reached　the　lake。

It　was　a　little　sheet　of　marshy　water；　surrounded　by　reeds；　on　which
floated　some　dead　water…lily　leaves。　　The　great　Fred　may　have　seen
us　approaching；　but　we　probably　interested　him　very　little；　for　he
took　hardly　any　notice　of　us　and　continued　to　be　stirring　with　his
cane　something　which　we　could　not　see。

〃Look！〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃here　again　are　the　footmarks　of　the
escaping　man；　they　skirt　the　lake　here　and　finally　disappear　just
before　this　path；　which　leads　to　the　high　road　to　Epinay。　　The　man
continued　his　flight　to　Paris。〃

〃What　makes　you　think　that？〃　I　asked；　〃since　these　footmarks　are
not　continued　on　the　path？〃

〃What　makes　me　think　that？　　…　Why　these　footprints；　which　I　expected
to　find！〃　he　cried；　pointing　to　the　sharply　outlined　imprint　of　a
neat　boot。　　〃See！〃　…　and　he　called　to　Frederic　Larsan。

〃Monsieur　Fred；　these　neat　footprints　seem　to　have　been　made　since
the　discovery　of　the　crime。〃

〃Yes；　young　man；　yes；　they　have　been　carefully　made；〃　replied　Fred
without　raising　his　head。　　〃You　see；　there　are　steps　that　come；　and
steps　that　go　back。〃

〃And　the　man　had　a　bicycle！〃　cried　the　reporter。

Here；　after　looking　at　the　marks　of　the　bicycle；　which　followed；
going　and　coming；　the　neat　footprints；　I　thought　I　might　intervene。

〃The　bicycle　explains　the　disappearance　of　the　murderer's　big
foot…prints；〃　I　said。　　〃The　murderer；　with　his　rough　boots；　mounted
a　bicycle。　　His　accomplice；　the　wearer　of　the　neat　boots；　had　come
to　wait　for　him　on　the　edge　of　the　lake　with　the　bicycle。　　It　might
be　supposed　that　the　murderer　was　working　for　the　other。〃

〃No；　no！〃　replied　Rouletabille　with　a　strange　smile。　　〃I　have
expected　to　find　these　footmarks　from　the　very　beginning。　　These
are　not　the　footmarks　of　the　murderer！〃

〃Then　there　were　two？〃

〃No　…　there　was　but　one；　and　he　had　no　accomplice。〃

〃Very　good！　…　Very　good！〃　cried　Frederic　Larsan。

〃Look！〃　continued　the　young　reporter；　showing　us　the　ground　where
it　had　been　disturbed　by　big　and　heavy　heels；　〃the　man　seated
himself　there；　and　took　off　his　hobnailed　boots；　which　he　had　worn
only　for　the　purpose　of　misleading　detection；　and　then　no　doubt；
taking　them　away　with　him；　he　stood　up　in　his　own　boots；　and　quietly
and　slowly　regained　the　high　road；　holding　his　bicycle　in　his　hand；
for　he　could　not　venture　to　ride　it　on　this　rough　path。　　That
accounts　for　the　lightness　of　the　impression　made　by　the　wheels
along　it；　in　spite　of　the　softness　of　the　ground。　　If　there　had　been
a　man　on　the　bicycle；　the　wheels　would　have　sunk　deeply　into　the
soil。　　No；　no；　there　was　but　one　man　there；　the　murderer　on　foot。〃

〃Bravo！　　…　bravo！〃　cried　Fred　again；　and　coming　suddenly　towards
us　and；　planting　himself　in　front　of　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　he
said　to　him：

〃If　we　had　a　bicycle　here；　we　might　demonstrate　the　correctness　of
the　young　man's　reasoning；　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　Do　you　know
whether　there　is　one　at　the　chateau？〃

〃No！〃　replied　Monsieur　Darzac。　　〃There　is　not。　　I　took　mine；　four
days　ago；　to　Paris；　the　last　time　I　came　to　the　chateau　before　the
crime。〃

〃That's　a　pity！〃　replied　Fred；　very　coldly。　　Then；　turning　to
Rouletabille；　he　said：　〃If　we　go　on　at　this　rate；　we'll　both　come
to　the　same　conclusion。　　Have　you　any　idea；　as　to　how　the　murderer
got　away　from　The　Yellow　Room？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　my　young　friend；　〃I　have　an　idea。〃

〃So　have　I；〃　said　Fred；　〃and　it　must　be　the　same　as　yours。　　There
are　no　two　ways　of　reasoning　in　this　affair。　　I　am　waiting　for　the
arrival　of　my　chief　before　offering　any　explanation　to　the　examining
magistrate。〃

〃Ah！　　Is　the　Chief　of　the　Surete　coming？〃

〃Yes；　this　afternoon。　　He　is　going　to　summon；　before　the　magistrate；
in　the　laboratory；　all　those　who　have　played　any　part　in　this
tragedy。　　It　will　be　very　interesting。　　It　is　a　pity　you　won't　be
able　to　be　present。〃

〃I　shall　be　present；〃　said　Rouletabille　confidently。

〃Really　…　you　are　an　extraordinary　fellow　…　for　your　age！〃　replied
the　detective　in　a　tone　not　wholly　free　from　irony。　　〃You'd　make　a
wonderful　detective　…　if　you　had　a　little　more　method　…　if　you
didn't　follow　your　instincts　and　that　bump　on　your　forehead。　　As　I
have　already　several　times　observed；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　you
reason　too　much；　you　do　not　allow　yourself　to　be　guided　by　what　you
have　seen。　　What　do　you　say　to　the　handkerchief　full　of　blood；　and
the　red　mark　of　the　hand　on　the　wall？　　You　have　seen　the　stain　on
the　wall；　but　I　have　only　seen　the　handkerchief。〃

〃Bah！〃　cried　Rouletabille；　〃the　murderer　was　wounded　in　the　hand
by　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　revolver！〃

〃Ah！　　…　a　simply　instinctive　observation！　　Take　care！　　…　You　are
becoming　too　strictly　logical；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　logic　will
upset　you　if　you　use　it　indiscriminately。　　You　are　right；　when　you
say　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　fired　her　revolver；　but　you　are
wrong　when　you　say　that　she　wounded　the　murderer　in　the　hand。〃

〃I　am　sure　of　it；〃　cried　Rouletabille。

Fred；　imperturbable；　interrupted　him：

〃Defective　observation　…　defective　observation！　　…　the　examination
of　the　handkerchief；　the　numberless　little　round　scarlet　stains；　the
impression　of　drops　which　I　found　in　the　tracks　of　the　footprints；
at　the　moment　when　they　were　made　on　the　floor；　prove　to　me　that　the
murderer　was　not　wounded　at　all。　　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　the　murderer
bled　at　the　nose！〃

The　great　Fred　spoke　quite　seriously。　　However；　I　could　not　refrain
from　uttering　an　exclamation。

The　reporter　looked　gravely　at　Fred；　who　looked　gravely　at　him。
And　Fred　immediately　concluded：

〃The　man　allowed　the　blood　to　flow　into　his　hand　and　handkerchief；
and　dried　his　hand　on　the　wall。　　The　fact　is　highly　important；〃　he
added；　〃because　there　is　no　need　of　his　being　wounded　in　the　hand
for　him　to　be　the　murderer。〃

Rouletabille　seemed　to　be　thinking　deeply。　　After　a　moment　he
said：

〃There　is　something　…　a　something；　Monsieur　Frederic　Larsan；　much
graver　than　the　misuse　of　logic　the　disposition　of　mind　in　some
detectives　which　makes　them；　in　perfect　good　faith；　twist　logic　to
the　necessities　of　their　preconceived　ideas。　　You；　already；　have
your　idea　about　the　murderer；　Monsieur　Fred。　　Don't　deny　it；　and
your　theory　demands　that　the　murderer　should　not　have　been　wounded
in　the　hand；　otherwise　it　comes　to　nothing。　　And　you　have　searched；
and　have　found　something　else。　　It's　dangerous；　very　dangerous；
Monsieur　Fred；　to　go　from　a　preconceived　idea　to　find　the　proofs　to
fit　it。　　That　method　may　lead　you　far　astray　Beware　of　judicial
error；　Monsieur　Fred；　it　will　trip　you　up！〃

And　laughing　a　little；　in　a　slightly　bantering　tone；　his　hands　in
his　pockets；　Rouletabille　fixed　his　cunning　eyes　on　the　great　Fred。

Frederic　Larsan　silently　contemplated　the　young　reporter　who
pretended　to　be　as　wise　as　himself。　　Shrugging　his　shoulders；　he
bowed　to　us　and　moved　quickly　away；　hitting　the　stones　on　his　path
with　his　stout　cane。

Rouletabille　watched　his　retreat；　and　then　turned　toward　us；　his
face　joyous　and　triumphant。

〃I　shall　beat　him！〃　he　cried。　　〃I　shall　beat　the　great　Fred；　clever
as　he　is；　I　shall　beat　them　all！〃

And　he　danced　a　double　shuffle。　　Suddenly　he　stopped。　　My　eyes
followed　his　gaze；　they　were　fixed　on　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　who
was　looking　anxiously　at　the　impression　left　by　his　feet　side　by
side　with　the　elegant　footmarks。　　There　was　not　a　particle　of
difference　between　the