the mystery of the yellow room-第32章

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bounded　to　his　feet；　had　sprung　…　as　I　foresaw　he　would　…　to　the
door　of　the　ante…chamber；　had　time　to　open　it；　and　fled。　　But　I　was
already　behind　him；　revolver　in　hand；　shouting　'Help！'

〃Like　an　arrow　I　crossed　the　room；　but　noticed　a　letter　on　the　table
as　I　rushed。　　I　almost　came　up　with　the　man　in　the　ante…room；　for　he
had　lost　time　in　opening　the　door　to　the　gallery。　　I　flew　on　wings；
and　in　the　gallery　was　but　a　few　feet　behind　him。　　He　had　taken；　as
I　supposed　he　would；　the　gallery　on　his　right；　…　that　is　to　say；　the
road　he　had　prepared　for　his　flight。　　'Help；　Jacques！　…　help；　Larsan！'
I　cried。　　He　could　not　escape　us！　　I　raised　a　shout　of　joy；　of
savage　victory。　　The　man　reached　the　intersection　of　the　two
galleries　hardly　two　seconds　before　me　for　the　meeting　which　I　had
prepared　…　the　fatal　shock　which　must　inevitably　take　place　at　that
spot！　　We　all　rushed　to　the　crossing…place　…　Monsieur　Stangerson
and　I　coming　from　one　end　of　the　right　gallery；　Daddy　Jacques　coming
from　the　other　end　of　the　same　gallery；　and　Frederic　Larsan　coming
from　the　'off…turning'　gallery。

〃The　man　was　not　there！

〃We　looked　at　each　other　stupidly　and　with　eyes　terrified。　　The　man
had　vanished　like　a　ghost。　　'Where　is　he　…　where　is　he？'　we　all
asked。

'It　is　impossible　he　can　have　escaped！'　I　cried；　my　terror　mastered
by　my　anger。

〃'I　touched　him！'　exclaimed　Frederic　Larsan。

〃'I　felt　his　breath　on　my　face！'　cried　Daddy　Jacques。

〃'Where　is　he？'　…　where　is　he？'　we　all　cried。

〃We　raced　like　madmen　along　the　two　galleries；　we　visited　doors　and
windows　…　they　were　closed；　hermetically　closed。　　They　had　not　been
opened。　　Besides；　the　opening　of　a　door　or　window　by　this　man　whom
we　were　hunting；　without　our　having　perceived　it；　would　have　been
more　inexplicable　than　his　disappearance。

〃Where　is　he？　　…　where　is　he？　　…　He　could　not　have　got　away　by　a
door　or　a　window；　nor　by　any　other　way。　　He　could　not　have　passed
through　our　bodies！

〃I　confess　that；　for　the　moment；　I　felt　'done　for。'　For　the　gallery
was　perfectly　lighted；　and　there　was　neither　trap；　nor　secret　door
in　the　walls；　nor　any　sort　of　hiding…place。　　We　moved　the　chairs　and
lifted　the　pictures。　　Nothing！　…　nothing！　　We　would　have　looked　into
a　flower…pot；　if　there　had　been　one　to　look　into！〃

When　this　mystery；　thanks　to　Rouletabille；　was　naturally　explained；
by　the　help　alone　of　his　masterful　mind；　we　were　able　to　realise
that　the　murderer　had　got　away　neither　by　a　door；　a　window；　nor　the
stairs　？a　fact　which　the　judges　would　not　admit。





CHAPTER　XVII

The　Inexplicable　Gallery


〃Mademoiselle　Stangerson　appeared　at　the　door　of　her　ante…room；〃
continues　Rouletabille's　note…book。　　〃We　were　near　her　door　in　the
gallery　where　this　incredible　phenomenon　had　taken　place。　　There
are　moments　when　one　feels　as　if　one's　brain　were　about　to　burst。
A　bullet　in　the　head；　a　fracture　of　the　skull；　the　seat　of　reason
shattered　？with　only　these　can　I　compare　the　sensation　which
exhausted　and　left　me　void　of　sense。

〃Happily；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　appeared　on　the　threshold　of　her
ante…room。　　I　saw　her；　and　that　helped　to　relieve　my　chaotic　state
of　mind。　I　breathed　her　？I　inhaled　the　perfume　of　the　lady　in　black；
whom　I　should　never　see　again。　　I　would　have　given　ten　years　of　my
life　？half　my　life　？to　see　once　more　the　lady　in　black！　　Alas！
I　no　more　meet　her　but　from　time　to　time；　？and　yet！　　？and　yet！
how　the　memory　of　that　perfume　？felt　by　me　alone　？carries　me　back
to　the　days　of　my　childhood。*　　It　was　this　sharp　reminder　from　my
beloved　perfume；　of　the　lady　in　black；　which　made　me　go　to　her
？dressed　wholly　in　white　and　so　pale　？so　pale　and　so　beautiful！
？on　the　threshold　of　the　inexplicable　gallery。　　Her　beautiful
golden　hair；　gathered　into　a　knot　on　the　back　of　her　neck；　left
visible　the　red　star　on　her　temple　which　had　so　nearly　been　the
cause　of　her　death。　　When　I　first　got　on　the　right　track　of　the
mystery　of　this　case　I　had　imagined　that；　on　the　night　of　the
tragedy　in　The　Yellow　Room；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　worn　her
hair　in　bands。　　But　then；　how　could　　I　have　imagined　otherwise　when
I　had　not　been　in　The　Yellow　Room！
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*When　I　wrote　these　lines；　Joseph　Rouletabille　was　eighteen　years　of
age；梐nd　he　spoke　of　his　〃youth。〃　　I　have　kept　the　text　of　my　friend；
but　I　inform　the　reader　here　that　the　episode　of　the　mystery　of　The
Yellow　Room　has　no　connection　with　that　of　the　perfume　of　the　lady
in　black。　　It　is　not　my　fault　if；　in　the　document　which　I　have　cited；
Rouletabille　thought　fit　to　refer　to　his　childhood。
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〃But　now；　since　the　occurrence　of　the　inexplicable　gallery；　I　did
not　reason　at　all。　　I　stood　there；　stupid；　before　the　apparition
…　so　pale　and　so　beautiful　…　of　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　She　was
clad　in　a　dressing…gown　of　dreamy　white。　　One　might　have　taken　her
to　be　a　ghost　…　a　lovely　phantom。　　Her　father　took　her　in　his　arms
and　kissed　her　passionately；　as　if　he　had　recovered　her　after　being
long　lost　to　him。　　I　dared　not　question　her。　He　drew　her　into　the
room　and　we　followed　them；　…　for　we　had　to　know！　…　The　door　of　the
boudoir　was　open。　　The　terrified　faces　of　the　two　nurses　craned
towards　us。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　inquired　the　meaning　of　all
the　disturbance。　　That　she　was　not　in　her　own　room　was　quite　easily
explained　…　quite　easily。　　She　had　a　fancy　not　to　sleep　that　night
in　her　chamber；　but　in　the　boudoir　with　her　nurses；　locking　the　door
on　them。　　Since　the　night　of　the　crime　she　had　experienced　feelings
of　terror；　and　fears　came　over　her　that　are　easily　to　be
comprehended。

〃But　who　could　imagine　that　on　that　particular　night　when　he　was
to　come；　she　would；　by　a　mere　chance；　determine　to　shut　herself　in
with　her　women？　　Who　would　think　that　she　would　act　contrary　to　her
father's　wish　to　sleep　in　the　drawing…room？　　Who　could　believe　that
the　letter　which　had　so　recently　been　on　the　table　in　her　room　would
no　longer　be　there？　　He　who　could　understand　all　this；　would　have　to
assume　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　knew　that　the　murderer　was　coming
…　she　could　not　prevent　his　coming　again　…　unknown　to　her　father；
unknown　to　all　but　to　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　For　he　must　know　it
now　…　perhaps　he　had　known　it　before！　　Did　he　remember　that　phrase
in　the　Elysee　garden：　'Must　I　commit　a　crime；　then；　to　win　you？'
Against　whom　the　crime；　if　not　against　the　obstacle；　against　the
murderer？　　'Ah；　I　would　kill　him　with　my　own　hand！'　　And　I　replied；
'You　have　not　answered　my　question。'　That　was　the　very　truth。　　In
truth；　in　truth；　Monsieur　Darzac　knew　the　murderer　so　well　that
…　while　wishing　to　kill　him　himself　…　he　was　afraid　I　should　find
him。　　There　could　be　but　two　reasons　why　he　had　assisted　me　in　my
investigation。　　First；　because　I　forced　him　to　do　it；　and；　second；
because　she　would　be　the　better　protected。

〃I　am　in　the　chamber　…　her　room。　　I　look　at　her；　also　at　the　place
where　the　letter　had　just　now　been。　　She　has　possessed　herself　of
it；　it　was　evidently　intended　for　her　…　evidently。　　How　she　trembles！
…　Trembles　at　the　strange　story　her　father　is　telling　her；　of　the
presence　of　the　murderer　in　her　chamber；　and　of　the　pursuit。　　But
it　is　plainly　to　be　seen　that　she　is　not　wholly　satisfied　by　the
assurance　given　her　until　she　had　been　told　that　the　murderer；　by
some　incomprehensible　means；　had　been　able　to　elude　us。

〃Then　follows　a　silence。　　What　a　silence！　　We　are　all　there　…　looking
at　her　…　her　father；　Larsan；　Daddy　Jacques　and　I。　　What　were　we　all
thinking　of　in　the　silence？　　After　the　events　of　that　night；　of　the
mystery　of　the　inexplicable　gallery；　of　the　prodigious　fact　of　the
presence　of　the　murderer　in　her　room；　it　seemed　to　me　that　all　our
thoughts　might　have　been　translated　into　the　words　which　were
addressed　to　her。　　'You　who　know　of　this　mystery；　explain　it　to　us；
and　we　shall　perhaps　be　able　to　save　you。　　How　I　longed　to　save　her
…　for　herself；　and；　from　the　other！　…　It　brought　the　tears　to　my　eyes。

〃She　is　there；　shedding　about　her　the　perfume　of　the　lady　in　black。
A