the mystery of the yellow room-第21章

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kneel　beside　him。　　This　lavatory　is　lit　by　the　glass　door；　and；　when
the　door　was　open；　the　light　which　penetrated　was　sufficient　to　light
it　perfectly。　　Monsieur　de　Marquet　and　Monsieur　Joseph　Rouletabille
knelt　down　on　the　threshold；　and　the　young　man　pointed　to　a　spot　on
the　pavement。

〃The　stones　of　the　lavatory　have　not　been　washed　by　Daddy　Jacques
for　some　time；〃　he　said；　〃that　can　be　seen　by　the　layer　of　dust　that
covers　them。　　Now；　notice　here；　the　marks　of　two　large　footprints
and　the　black　ash　they　left　where　they　have　been。　　That　ash　is
nothing　else　than　the　charcoal　dust　that　covers　the　path　along　which
you　must　pass　through　the　forest；　in　order　to　get　directly　from
Epinay　to　the　Glandier。　　You　know　there　is　a　little　village　of
charcoal…burners　at　that　place；　who　make　large　quantities　of
charcoal。　　What　the　murderer　did　was　to　come　here　at　midday；　when
there　was　nobody　at　the　pavilion；　and　attempt　his　robbery。〃

〃But　what　robbery？　　…　Where　do　you　see　any　signs　of　robbery？　　What
proves　to　you　that　a　robbery　has　been　committed？〃　we　all　cried　at
once。　　〃What　put　me　on　the　trace　of　it；〃　continued　the　journalist。。。

〃Was　this？〃　interrupted　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　still　on　his　knees。

〃Evidently；〃　said　Rouletabille。

And　Monsieur　de　Marquet　explained　that　there　were　on　the　dust　of
the　pavement　marks　of　two　footsteps；　as　well　as　the　impression；
freshly…made；　of　a　heavy　rectangular　parcel；　the　marks　of　the　cord
with　which　it　had　been　fastened　being　easily　distinguished。

〃You　have　been　here；　then；　Monsieur　Rouletabille？　　I　thought　I　had
given　orders　to　Daddy　Jacques；　who　Was　left　in　charge　of　the
pavilion；　not　to　allow　anybody　to　enter。〃

〃Don't　scold　Daddy　Jacques；　I　came　here　with　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。〃

〃Ah；　…　Indeed！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　disagreeably；　casting
a　side…glance　at　Monsieur　Darzac；　who　remained　perfectly　silent。

〃When　I　saw　the　mark　of　the　parcel　by　the　side　of　the　footprints；　I
had　no　doubt　as　to　the　robbery；〃　replied　Monsieur　Rouletabile。　　〃The
thief　had　not　brought　a　parcel　with　him；　he　had　made　one　here　…　a
parcel　with　the　stolen　objects；　no　doubt；　and　he　put　it　in　this
corner　intending　to　take　it　away　when　the　moment　came　for　him　to
make　his　escape。　　He　had　also　placed　his　heavy　boots　beside　the
parcel；　…　for；　see　…　there　are　no　marks　of　steps　leading　to　the
marks　left　by　the　boots；　which　were　placed　side　by　side。　　That
accounts　for　the　fact　that　the　murderer　left　no　trace　of　his　steps
when　he　fled　from　The　Yellow　Room；　nor　any　in　the　laboratory；　nor　in
the　vestibule。　　After　entering　The　Yellow　Room　in　his　boots；　he　took
them　off；　finding　them　troublesome；　or　because　he　wished　to　make　as
little　noise　as　possible。　　The　marks　made　by　him　in　going　through
the　vestibule　and　the　laboratory　were　subsequently　washed　out　by
Daddy　Jacques。　　Having；　for　some　reason　or　other；　taken　off　his
boots；　the　murderer　carried　them　in　his　hand　and　placed　them　by　the
side　of　the　parcel　he　had　made；　…　by　that　time　the　robbery　had　been
accomplished。　　The　man　then　returned　to　The　Yellow　Room　and　slipped
under　the　bed；　where　the　mark　of　his　body　is　perfectly　visible　on
the　floor　and　even　on　the　mat；　which　has　been　slightly　moved　from
its　place　and　creased。　　Fragments　of　straw　also；　recently　torn；　bear
witness　to　the　murderer's　movements　under　the　bed。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　…　we　know　all　about　that；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Marquet。

〃The　robber　had　another　motive　for　returning　to　hide　under　the　bed；〃
continued　the　astonishing　boy…journalist。　　〃You　might　think　that　he
was　trying　to　hide　himself　quickly　on　seeing；　through　the　vestibule
window；　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　about　to　enter　the
pavilion。　　It　would　have　been　much　easier　for　him　to　have　climbed
up　to　the　attic　and　hidden　there；　waiting　for　an　opportunity　to　get
away；　if　his　purpose　had　been　only　flight。　…　No！　　No！　…　he　had　to
be　in　The　Yellow　Room。〃

Here　the　Chief　intervened。

〃That's　not　at　all　bad；　young　man。　　I　compliment　you。　　If　we　do　not
know　yet　how　the　murderer　succeeded　in　getting　away；　we　can　at　any
rate　see　how　he　came　in　and　committed　the　robbery。　　But　what　did　he
steal？〃

〃Something　very　valuable；〃　replied　the　young　reporter。

At　that　moment　we　heard　a　cry　from　the　laboratory。　　We　rushed　in
and　found　Monsieur　Stangerson；　his　eyes　haggard；　his　limbs
trembling；　pointing　to　a　sort　of　bookcase　which　he　had　opened；　and
which；　we　saw；　was　empty。　　At　the　same　instant　he　sank　into　the
large　armchair　that　was　placed　before　the　desk　and　groaned；　the
tears　rolling　down　his　cheeks；　〃I　have　been　robbed　again！　　For　God's
sake；　do　not　say　a　word　of　this　to　my　daughter。　　She　would　be　more
pained　than　I　am。〃　　He　heaved　a　deep　sigh　and　added；　in　a　tone　I
shall　never　forget：　〃After　all；　what　does　it　matter；　…　so　long　as
she　lives！〃

〃She　will　live！〃　said　Monsieur　Darzac；　in　a　voice　strangely　touching。

〃And　we　will　find　the　stolen　articles；〃　said　Monsieur　Dax。　　〃But
what　was　in　the　cabinet？〃

〃Twenty　years　of　my　life；〃　replied　the　illustrious　professor　sadly；
〃or　rather　of　our　lives　…　the　lives　of　myself　and　my　daughter！　　Yes；
our　most　precious　documents；　the　records　of　our　secret　experiments
and　our　labours　of　twenty　years　were　in　that　cabinet。　　It　is　an
rreparable　loss　to　us　and；　I　venture　to　say；　to　science。　　All　the
processes　by　which　I　had　been　able　to　arrive　at　the　precious　proof
of　the　destructibility　of　matter　were　there　…　all。　　The　man　who　came
wished　to　take　all　from　me；　…　my　daughter　and　my　work　…　my　heart
and　my　soul。〃

And　the　great　scientist　wept　like　a　child。

We　stood　around　him　in　silence；　deeply　affected　by　his　great
distress。　　Monsieur　Darzac　pressed　closely　to　his　side；　and　tried
in　vain　to　restrain　his　tears　…　a　sight　which；　for　the　moment；
almost　made　me　like　him；　in　spite　of　an　instinctive　repulsion　which
his　strange　demeanour　and　his　inexplicable　anxiety　had　inspired　me。

Monsieur　Rouletabille　alone；　…　as　if　his　precious　time　and　mission
on　earth　did　not　permit　him　to　dwell　in　the　contemplation　on　human
suffering　…　had；　very　calmly；　stepped　up　to　the　empty　cabinet　and；
pointing　at　it；　broke　the　almost　solemn　silence。　　He　entered　into
explanations；　for　which　there　was　no　need；　as　to　why　he　had　been　led
to　believe　that　a　robbery　had　been　committed；　which　included　the
simultaneous　discovery　he　had　made　in　the　lavatory；　and　the　empty
precious　cabinet　in　the　laboratory。　　The　first　thing　that　had　struck
him；　he　said；　was　the　unusual　form　of　that　piece　of　furniture。　　It
was　very　strongly　built　of　fire…proof　iron；　clearly　showing　that　it
was　intended　for　the　keeping　of　most　valuable　objects。　　Then　he
noticed　that　the　key　had　been　left　in　the　lock。　　〃One　does　not
ordinarily　have　a　safe　and　leave　it　open！〃　he　had　said　to　himself。
This　little　key；　with　its　brass　head　and　complicated　wards；　had
strongly　attracted　him；　…　its　presence　had　suggested　robbery。

Monsieur　de　Marquet　appeared　to　be　greatly　perplexed；　as　if　he　did
not　know　whether　he　ought　to　be　glad　of　the　new　direction　given　to
the　inquiry　by　the　young　reporter；　or　sorry　that　it　had　not　been
done　by　himself。　　In　our　profession　and　for　the　general　welfare；　we
have　to　put　up　with　such　mortifications　and　bury　selfish　feelings。
That　was　why　Monsieur　de　Marquet　controlled　himself　and　joined　his
compliments　with　those　of　Monsieur　Dax。　　As　for　Monsieur　Rouletabille；
he　simply　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　said：　〃There's　nothing　at　all
in　that！〃　　I　should　have　liked　to　box　his　ears；　especially　when　he
added：　〃You　will　do　well；　Monsieur；　to　ask　Monsieur　Stangerson　who
usually　kept　that　key？〃

〃My　daughter；〃　replied　Monsieur　Stangerson；　〃she　was　never　without　it。

〃Ah！　　then　that　changes　the　aspect　of　things　which　no　longer
corresponds　with　Monsieur　Rouletabille's　ideas！〃　cried　Monsieur　de
Marquet。　　〃If　that　key　never　left　Mademoiselle　Stangerson；　the
murderer　must　have　waited　for　her　in　her　room　for　the　purpose　of
stealing　it；　and　the　robbery　could　not　have　been　committed　until
after　the　attack　had　been　made　on　her。　　But　after　the　attack　four
persons　were　in　the　laboratory！　　I　can't　make　it　out！〃

〃The　robbery；〃　said　the　reporter；　〃could　only　have　been　committed
befor