the mystery of the yellow room-第3章

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as　Daddy　Jacques　says！'〃

And　the　anonymous　writer　in　the　〃Matin〃　added　in　this　article
…　which　I　have　selected　as　the　most　interesting　of　all　those　that
were　published　on　the　subject　of　this　affair　…　that　the　examining
magistrate　appeared　to　place　a　peculiar　significance　to　the　last
sentence：　〃One　must　really　believe　in　the　Devil；　as　Jacques　says。

The　article　concluded　with　these　lines：　〃We　wanted　to　know　what
Daddy　Jacques　meant　by　the　cry　of　the　Bete　Du　Bon　Dieu。〃　　The
landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn　explained　to　us　that　it　is　the
particularly　sinister　cry　which　is　uttered　sometimes　at　night　by
the　cat　of　an　old　woman；　…　Mother　Angenoux；　as　she　is　called　in
the　country。　　Mother　Angenoux　is　a　sort　of　saint；　who　lives　in　a
hut　in　the　heart　of　the　forest；　not　far　from　the　grotto　of
Sainte…Genevieve。

〃The　Yellow　Room；　the　Bete　Du　Bon　Dieu；　Mother　Angenoux；　the　Devil；
Sainte…Genevieve；　Daddy　Jacques；　…　here　is　a　well　entangled　crime
which　the　stroke　of　a　pickaxe　in　the　wall　may　disentangle　for　us
to…morrow。　　Let　us　at　least　hope　that；　for　the　sake　of　our　human
reason；　as　the　examining　magistrate　says。　　Meanwhile；　it　is　expected
that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　…　who　has　not　ceased　to　be　delirious
and　only　pronounces　one　word　distinctly；　'Murderer！　　Murderer！'
…　will　not　live　through　the　night。〃

In　conclusion；　and　at　a　late　hour；　the　same　journal　announced　that
the　Chief　of　the　Surete　had　telegraphed　to　the　famous　detective；
Frederic　Larsan；　who　had　been　sent　to　London　for　an　affair　of
stolen　securities；　to　return　immediately　to　Paris。





CHAPTER　II

In　Which　Joseph　Rouktabille　Appears　for　the　First　Time


I　remember　as　well　as　if　it　had　occurred　yesterday；　the　entry　of
young　Rouletabille　into　my　bedroom　that　morning。　　It　was　about
eight　o'clock　and　I　was　still　in　bed　reading　the　article　in　the
〃Matin〃　relative　to　the　Glandier　crime。

But；　before　going　further；　it　is　time　that　I　present　my　friend
to　the　reader。

I　first　knew　Joseph　Rouletabille　when　he　was　a　young　reporter。　　At
that　time　I　was　a　beginner　at　the　Bar　and　often　met　him　in　the
corridors　of　examining　magistrates；　when　I　had　gone　to　get　a　〃permit
to　communicate〃　for　the　prison　of　Mazas；　or　for　Saint…Lazare。　　He
had；　as　they　say；　〃a　good　nut。〃　He　seemed　to　have　taken　his　head
…　round　as　a　bullet　…　out　of　a　box　of　marbles；　and　it　is　from　that；
I　think；　that　his　comrades　of　the　press　…　all　determined
billiard…players　…　had　given　him　that　nickname；　which　was　to　stick
to　him　and　be　made　illustrious　by　him。　　He　was　always　as　red　as　a
tomato；　now　gay　as　a　lark；　now　grave　as　a　judge。　　How；　while　still
so　young　…　he　was　only　sixteen　and　a　half　years　old　when　I　saw　him
for　the　first　time　…　had　he　already　won　his　way　on　the　press？　　That
was　what　everybody　who　came　into　contact　with　him　might　have　asked；
if　they　had　not　known　his　history。　　At　the　time　of　the　affair　of
the　woman　cut　in　pieces　in　the　Rue　Oberskampf　…　another　forgotten
story　…　he　had　taken　to　one　of　the　editors　of　the　〃Epoque；〃　…　a
paper　then　rivalling　the　〃Matin〃　for　information；　…　the　left　foot；
which　was　missing　from　the　basket　in　which　the　gruesome　remains　were
discovered。　　For　this　left　foot　the　police　had　been　vainly　searching
for　a　week；　and　young　Rouletabille　had　found　it　in　a　drain　where
nobody　had　thought　of　looking　for　it。　　To　do　that　he　had　dressed
himself　as　an　extra　sewer…man；　one　of　a　number　engaged　by　the
administration　of　the　city　of　Paris；　owing　to　an　overflow　of　the
Seine。

When　the　editor…in…chief　was　in　possession　of　the　precious　foot　and
informed　as　to　the　train　of　intelligent　deductions　the　boy　had　been
led　to　make；　he　was　divided　between　the　admiration　he　felt　for　such
detective　cunning　in　a　brain　of　a　lad　of　sixteen　years；　and　delight
at　being　able　to　exhibit；　in　the　〃morgue　window〃　of　his　paper；　the
left　foot　of　the　Rue　Oberskampf。

〃This　foot；〃　he　cried；　〃will　make　a　great　headline。〃

Then；　when　he　had　confided　the　gruesome　packet　to　the　medical　lawyer
attached　to　the　journal；　he　asked　the　lad；　who　was　shortly　to　become
famous　as　Rouletabille；　what　he　would　expect　to　earn　as　a　general
reporter　onthe　〃Epoque〃？

〃Two　hundred　francs　a　month；〃　the　youngster　replied　modestly；　hardly
able　to　breathe　from　surprise　at　the　proposal。

〃You　shall　have　two　hundred　and　fifty；〃　said　the　editor…in…chief；
only　you　must　tell　everybody　that　you　have　been　engaged　on　the　paper
for　a　month。　　Let　it　be　quite　understood　that　it　was　not　you　but　the
'Epoque'　that　discovered　the　left　foot　of　the　Rue　Oberskampf。　　Here；
my　young　friend；　the　man　is　nothing；　the　paper　everything。〃

Having　said　this；　he　begged　the　new　reporter　to　retire；　but　before
the　youth　had　reached　the　door　he　called　him　back　to　ask　his　name。
The　other　replied：

〃Joseph　Josephine。〃

〃That's　not　a　name；〃　said　the　editor…in…chief；　〃but　since　you　will
not　be　required　to　sign　what　you　write　it　is　of　no　consequence。〃

The　boy…faced　reporter　speedily　made　himself　many　friends；　for　he
was　serviceable　and　gifted　with　a　good　humour　that　enchanted　the
most　severe…tempered　and　disarmed　the　most　zealous　of　his　companions。
At　the　Bar　cafe；　where　the　reporters　assembled　before　going　to　any
of　the　courts；　or　to　the　Prefecture；　in　search　of　their　news　of
crime；　he　began　to　win　a　reputation　as　an　unraveller　of　intricate
and　obscure　affairs　which　found　its　way　to　the　office　of　the　Chief
of　the　Surete。　　When　a　case　was　worth　the　trouble　and　Rouletabille
…　he　had　already　been　given　his　nickname　…　had　been　started　on　the
scent　by　his　editor…in…chief；　he　often　got　the　better　of　the　most
famous　detective。

It　was　at　the　Bar　cafe　that　I　became　intimately　acquainted　with　him。
Criminal　lawyers　and　journalists　are　not　enemies；　the　former　need
advertisement；　the　latter　information。　　We　chatted　together；　and　I
soon　warmed　towards　him。　　His　intelligence　was　so　keen；　and　so
original！　　…and　he　had　a　quality　of　thought　such　as　I　have　never
found　in　any　other　person。

Some　time　after　this　I　was　put　in　charge　of　the　law　news　of　the　〃Cri
du　Boulevard。〃　　My　entry　into　journalism　could　not　but　strengthen
the　ties　which　united　me　to　Rouletabille。　　After　a　while；　my　new
friend　being　allowed　to　carry　out　an　idea　of　a　judicial
correspondence　column；　which　he　was　allowed　to　sign　〃Business；〃　in
the　〃Epoque；〃　I　was　often　able　to　furnish　him　with　the　legal
information　of　which　he　stood　in　need。

Nearly　two　years　passed　in　this　way；　and　the　better　I　knew　him；　the
more　I　learned　to　love　him；　for；　in　spite　of　his　careless
extravagance；　I　had　discovered　in　him　what　was；　considering　his　age；
an　extraordinary　seriousness　of　mind。　　Accustomed　as　I　was　to　seeing
him　gay　and；　indeed；　often　too　gay；　I　would　many　times　find　him
plunged　in　the　deepest　melancholy。　　I　tried　then　to　question　him　as
to　the　cause　of　this　change　of　humour；　but　each　time　he　laughed　and
made　me　no　answer。　　One　day；　having　questioned　him　about　his　parents；
of　whom　he　never　spoke；　he　left　me；　pretending　not　to　have　heard
what　I　said。

While　things　were　in　this　state　between　us；　the　famous　case　of　The
Yellow　Room　took　place。　　It　was　this　case　which　was　to　rank　him　as
the　leading　newspaper　reporter；　and　to　obtain　for　him　the　reputation
of　being　the　greatest　detective　in　the　world。　　It　should　not　surprise
us　to　find　in　the　one　man　the　perfection　of　two　such　lines　of
activity　if　we　remember　that　the　daily　press　was　already　beginning
to　transform　itself　and　to　become　what　it　is　to…day　…　the　gazette
of　crime。

Morose…minded　people　may　complain　of　this；　for　myself　I　regard　it
a　matter　for　congratulation。　　We　can　never　have　too　many　arms；
public　or　private；　against　the　criminal。　　To　this　some　people　may
answer　that；　by　continually　publishing　the　details　of　crimes；　the
press　ends　by　encouraging　their　commission。　　But　then；　with　some
people　we　can　never　do　right。　　Rouletabille；　as　I　have　said；　entered
my　room　that　morning　of　the　26th　of　October；　1892。　　He　was　looking
redder　than　usual；　and　his　eyes　were　bulging　out　of　his　head；　as
the　phrase　is；　and　altogether　he　appeared　to　be　in　a　state　of
extreme　excitement。　　He　waved　the　〃Matin〃　with　a　trembling　hand；
and　cried：

〃Well；　my　dear　Sainclair；