the mystery of the yellow room-第35章

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harbour　no　ill…feeling　because　of　their　detention。　　My　young
friend　asked　them　at　what　hour　Mr。　Arthur　Rance　had　arrived。　　They
answered　that　they　did　not　know　he　was　at　the　chateau。　　He　must　have
come　during　the　evening　of　the　previous　night；　but　they　had　not　had
to　open　the　gate　for　him；　because；　being　a　great　walker；　and　not
wishing　that　a　carriage　should　be　sent　to　meet　him；　he　was　accustomed
to　get　off　at　the　little　hamlet　of　Saint…Michel；　from　which　he　came
to　the　chateau　by　way　of　the　forest。　　He　reached　the　park　by　the
grotto　of　Sainte…Genevieve；　over　the　little　gate　of　which；　giving
on　to　the　park；　he　climbed。

As　the　concierges　spoke；　I　saw　Rouletabille's　face　cloud　over　and
exhibit　disappointment　…　a　disappointment；　no　doubt；　with　himself。
Evidently　he　was　a　little　vexed；　after　having　worked　so　much　on　the
spot；　with　so　minute　a　study　of　the　people　and　events　at　the　Glandier；
that　he　had　to　learn　now　that　Arthur　Rance　was　accustomed　to　visit
the　chateau。

〃You　say　that　Monsieur　Arthur　Rance　is　accustomed　to　come　to　the
chateau。　　When　did　he　come　here　last？〃

〃We　can't　tell　you　exactly；〃　replied　Madame　Bemier　…　that　was　the
name　of　the　concierge　…　〃we　couldn't　know　while　they　were　keeping
us　in　prison。　　Besides；　as　the　gentleman　comes　to　the　chateau
without　passing　through　our　gate　he　goes　away　by　the　way　he　comes。〃

〃Do　you　know　when　he　came　the　first　time？〃

〃Oh　yes；　Monsieur！　…　nine　years　ago。〃

〃He　was　in　France　nine　years　ago；　then；〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃and；
since　that　time；　as　far　as　you　know；　how　many　times　has　he　been　at
the　Glandier？〃

〃Three　times。〃

〃When　did　he　come　the　last　time；　as　far　as　you　know？〃

〃A　week　before　the　attempt　in　The　Yellow　Room。〃

Rouletabille　put　another　question　…　this　time　addressing　himself
particularly　to　the　woman：

〃In　the　grove　of　the　parquet？〃

〃In　the　grove　of　the　parquet；〃　she　replied。

〃Thanks！〃　said　Rouletabille。　　〃Be　ready　for　me　this　evening。〃

He　spoke　the　last　words　with　a　finger　on　his　lips　as　if　to　command
silence　and　discretion。

We　left　the　park　and　took　the　way　to　the　Donjon　Inn。

〃Do　you　often　eat　here？〃

〃Sometimes。〃

〃But　you　also　take　your　meals　at　the　chateau？〃

〃Yes；　Larsan　and　I　are　sometimes　served　in　one　of　our　rooms。〃

〃Hasn't　Monsieur　Stangerson　ever　invited　you　to　his　own　table？〃

〃Never。〃

〃Does　your　presence　at　the　chateau　displease　him？〃

〃I　don't　know；　but；　in　any　case；　he　does　not　make　us　feel　that　we
are　in　his　way。〃

〃Doesn't　he　question　you？〃

〃Never。　　He　is　in　the　same　state　of　mind　as　he　was　in　at　the　door
of　The　Yellow　Room　when　his　daughter　was　being　murdered；　and　when
he　broke　open　the　door　and　did　not　find　the　murderer。　　He　is
persuaded；　since　he　could　discover　nothing；　that　there's　no　reason
why　we　should　be　able　to　discover　more　than　he　did。　　But　he　has　made
it　his　duty；　since　Larsan　expressed　his　theory；　not　to　oppose　us。

Rouletabille　buried　himself　in　thought　again　for　some　time。　　He
aroused　himself　later　to　tell　me　of　how　he　came　to　set　the　two
concierges　free。

〃I　went　recently　to　see　Monsieur　Stangerson；　and　took　with　me　a
piece　of　paper　on　which　was　written：　'I　promise；　whatever　others
may　say；　to　keep　in　my　service　my　two　faithful　servants；　Bernier
and　his　wife。'　　I　explained　to　him　that；　by　signing　that　document；
he　would　enable　me　to　compel　those　two　people　to　speak　out；　and　I
declared　my　own　assurance　of　their　innocence　of　any　part　in　the
crime。　　That　was　also　his　opinion。　　The　examining　magistrate；　after
it　was　signed；　presented　the　document　to　the　Berniers；　who　then　did
speak。　　They　said；　what　I　was　certain　they　would　say；　as　soon　as
they　were　sure　they　would　not　lose　their　place。

〃They　confessed　to　poaching　on　Monsieur　Stangerson's　estates；　and
it　was　while　they　were　poaching；　on　the　night　of　the　crime；　that
they　were　found　not　far　from　the　pavilion　at　the　moment　when　the
outrage　was　being　committed。　　Some　rabbits　they　caught　in　that　way
were　sold　by　them　to　the　landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn；　who　served　them
to　his　customers；　or　sent　them　to　Paris。　　That　was　the　truth；　as　I
had　guessed　from　the　first。　　Do　you　remember　what　I　said；　on
entering　the　Donjon　Inn？　…　'We　shall　have　to　eat　red　meat　…　now！'
I　had　heard　the　words　on　the　same　morning　when　we　arrived　at　the
park　gate。　　You　heard　them　also；　but　you　did　not　attach　any
importance　to　them。　　You　recollect；　when　we　reached　the　park　gate；
that　we　stopped　to　look　at　a　man　who　was　running　by　the　side　of　the
wall；　looking　every　minute　at　his　watch。　　That　was　Larsan。　　Well；
behind　us　the　landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn；　standing　on　his　doorstep；
said　to　someone　inside：　'We　shall　have　to　eat　red　meat　…　now。'

〃Why　that　'now'？　　When　you　are；　as　I　am；　in　search　of　some　hidden
secret；　you　can't　afford　to　have　anything　escape　you。　　You've　got
to　know　the　meaning　of　everything。　　We　had　come　into　a　rather
out…of…the…way　part　of　the　country　which　had　been　turned　topsy…turvey
by　a　crime；　and　my　reason　led　me　to　suspect　every　phrase　that　could
bear　upon　the　event　of　the　day。　　'Now；'　I　took　to　mean；　'since　the
outrage。'　　In　the　course　of　my　inquiry；　therefore；　I　sought　to　find
a　relation　between　that　phrase　and　the　tragedy。　　We　went　to　the
Donjon　Inn　for　breakfast；　I　repeated　the　phrase　and　saw；　by　the
surprise　and　trouble　on　Daddy　Mathieu's　face；　that　I　had　not
exaggerated　its　importance；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned。

〃I　had　just　learned　that　the　concierges　had　been　arrested。　　Daddy
Mathieu　spoke　of　them　as　of　dear　friends　…　people　for　whom　one　is
sorry。　　That　was　a　reckless　conjunction　of　ideas；　I　said　tomyself。
'Now；'　that　the　concierges　are　arrested；　'we　shall　have　to　eat　red
meat。'　　No　more　concierges；　no　more　game！　　The　hatred　expressed　by
Daddy　Mathieu　for　Monsieur　Stangerson's　forest…keeper　…　a　hatred　he
pretended　was　shared　by　the　concierges　led　me　easily　to　think　of
poaching。　　Now　as　all　the　evidence　showed　the　concierges　had　not
been　in　bed　at　the　time　of　the　tragedy；　why　were　they　abroad　that
night？　　As　participants　in　the　crime？　　I　was　not　disposed　to　think
so。　　I　had　already　arrived　at　the　conclusion；　by　steps　of　which　I
will　tell　you　later　…　that　the　assassin　had　had　no　accomplice；　and
that　the　tragedy　held　a　mystery　between　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　and
the　murderer；　a　mystery　with　which　the　concierges　had　nothing　to　do。

〃With　that　theory　in　my　mind；　I　searched　for　proof　in　their　lodge；
which；　as　you　know；　I　entered。　　I　found　there　under　their　bed；　some
springs　and　brass　wire。　　'Ah！'　I　thought；　'these　things　explain　why
they　were　out　in　the　park　at　night！'　　I　was　not　surprised　at　the
dogged　silence　they　maintained　before　the　examining　magistrate；　even
under　the　accusation　so　grave　as　that　of　being　accomplices　in　the
crime。　　Poaching　would　save　them　from　the　Assize　Court；　but　it　would
lose　them　their　places；　and；　as　they　were　perfectly　sure　of　their
innocence　of　the　crime　they　hoped　it　would　soon　be　established；　and
then　their　poaching　might　go　on　as　usual。　　They　could　always　confess
later。　　I；　however；　hastened　their　confession　by　means　of　the
document　Monsieur　Stangerson　signed。　　They　gave　all　the　necessary
'proofs；'　were　set　at　liberty；　and　have　now　a　lively　gratitude　for　me。
Why　did　I　not　get　them　released　sooner？　　Because　I　was　not　sure　that
nothing　more　than　poaching　was　against　them。　　I　wanted　to　study　the
ground。　　As　the　days　went　by；　my　conviction　became　more　and　more
certain。　　The　day　after　the　events　of　the　inexplicable　gallery　I　had
need　of　help　I　could　rely　on；　so　I　resolved　to　have　them　released
at　once。〃

That　was　how　Joseph　Rouletabille　explained　himself。　　Once　more　I
could　not　but　be　astonished　at　the　simplicity　of　the　reasoning　which
had　brought　him　to　the　truth　of　the　matter。　　Certainly　this　was　no
big　thing；　but　I　think；　myself；　that　the　young　man　will；　one　of
these　days；　explain　with　the　same　simplicity；　the　fearful　tragedy
in　The　Yellow　Room　as　well　as　the　phenomenon　of　the　inexplicable
gallery。

We　reached　the　Donjon　Inn　and　entered　it。

This　time　we　did　not　see　the　landlord；　but　were　received　with　a
pleasant　smile　by　the　hostess。　　I　have　already　described　the　room
in　which　we　found　ourselves；　and　I　ha