the mystery of the yellow room-第41章
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and then I fell asleep。
When I awoke it was daylight。 It was eight o'clock by my watch。
Rouletabille was no longer in the room。 I rose to go out when the
door opened and my friend re…entered。 He had evidently lost no time。
〃How about Mademoiselle Stangerson？〃 I asked him。
〃Her condition； though very alarming； is not desperate。〃
〃When did you leave this room？〃
〃Towards dawn。〃
〃I guess you have been hard at work？〃
〃Rather！〃
〃Have you found out anything？〃
〃Two sets of footprints！〃
〃Do they explain anything？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Have they anything to do with the mystery of the keeper's body？〃
〃Yes； the mystery is no longer a mystery。 This morning； walking
round the chateau； I found two distinct sets of footprints； made at
the same time； last night。 They were made by two persons walking
side by side。 I followed them from the court towards the oak grove。
Larsan joined me。 They were the same kind of footprints as were
made at the time of the assault in The Yellow Room … one set was
from clumsy boots and the other was made by neat ones； except that
the big toe of one of the sets was of a different size from the one
measured in The Yellow Room incident。 I compared the marks with
the paper patterns I had previously made。
〃Still following the tracks of the prints； Larsan and I passed out
of the oak grove and reached the border of the lake。 There they
turned off to a little path leading to the high road to Epinay where
we lost the traces in the newly macadamised highway。
〃We went back to the chateau and parted at the courtyard。 We met
again； however； in Daddy Jacques's room to which our separate trains
of thinking had led us both。 We found the old servant in bed。 His
clothes on the chair were wet through and his boots very muddy。 He
certainly did not get into that state in helping us to carry the
body of the keeper。 It was not raining then。 Then his face showed
extreme fatigue and he looked at us out of terror…stricken eyes。
〃On our first questioning him he told us that he had gone to bed
immediately after the doctor had arrived。 On pressing him； however；
for it was evident to us he was not speaking the truth； he confessed
that he had been away from the chateau。 He explained his absence
by saying that he had a headache and went out into the fresh air；
but had gone no further than the oak grove。 When we then described
to him the whole route he had followed； he sat up in bed trembling。
〃'And you were not alone！' cried Larsan。
〃'Did you see it then？' gasped Daddy Jacques。
'What？' I asked。
〃'The phantom … the black phantom！'
〃Then he told us that for several nights he had seen what he kept
calling the black phantom。 It came into the park at the stroke of
midnight and glided stealthily through the trees； it appeared to
him to pass through the trunks of the trees。 Twice he had seen
it from his window； by the light of the moon and had risen and
followed the strange apparition。 The night before last he had
almost overtaken it； but it had vanished at the corner of the
donjon。 Last night； however； he had not left the chateau； his
mind being disturbed by a presentiment that some new crime would
be attempted。 Suddenly he saw the black phantom rush out from
somewhere in the middle of the court。 He followed it to the lake
and to the high road to Epinay； where the phantom suddenly
disappeared。
〃'Did you see his face？' demanded Larsan。
〃'No！ … I saw nothing but black veils。'
〃'Did you go out after what passed on the gallery？'
〃'I could not！ … I was terrified。'
〃'Daddy Jacques；' I said； in a threatening voice； 'you did not follow
it； you and the phantom walked to Epinay together … arm in arm！'
〃'No！' he cried； turning his eyes away； 'I did not。 It came on to
pour； and … I turned back。 I don't know what became of the black
phantom。〃
〃We left him； and when we were outside I turned to Larsan； looking
him full in the face； and put my question suddenly to take him off
his guard：
〃'An accomplice？'
〃'How can I tell？' he replied； shrugging his shoulders。 'You can't
be sure of anything in a case like this。 Twenty…four hours ago I
would have sworn that there was no accomplice！' He left me saying
he was off to Epinay。〃
〃Well； what do you make of it？〃 I asked Rouletabille； after he had
ended his recital。 〃Personally I am utterly in the dark。 I can't
make anything out of it。 What do you gather？〃
〃Everything！ Everything！〃 he exclaimed。 〃But；〃 he said abruptly；
〃let's find out more about Mademoiselle Stangerson。〃
CHAPTER XXIV
Rouletabille Knows the Two Halves of the Murderer
Mademoiselle Stangerson had been almost murdered for the second
time。 Unfortunately； she was in too weak a state to bear the
severer injuries of this second attack as well as she had those of
the first。 She had received three wounds in the breast from the
murderer's knife； and she lay long between life and death。 Her
strong physique； however； saved her； but though she recovered
physically it was found that her mind had been affected。 The
slightest allusion to the terrible incident sent her into delirium；
and the arrest of Robert Darzac which followed on the day following
the tragic death of the keeper seemed to sink her fine intelligence
into complete melancholia。
Robert Darzac arrived at the chateau towards half…past nine。 I saw
him hurrying through the park； his hair and clothes in disorder and
his face a deadly white。 Rouletabille and I were looking out of a
window in the gallery。 He saw us； and gave a despairing cry： 〃I'm
too late！〃
Rouletabille answered： 〃She lives！〃
A minute later Darzac had gone into Mademoiselle Stangerson's room
and； through the door； we could hear his heart…rending sobs。
〃There's a fate about this place！〃 groaned Rouletabille。 〃Some
infernal gods must be watching over the misfortunes of this family！
… If I had not been drugged； I should have saved Mademoiselle
Stangerson。 I should have silenced him forever。 And the keeper
would not have been killed！〃
Monsieur Darzac came in to speak with us。 His distress was terrible。
Rouletabille told him everything： his preparations for Mademoiselle
Stangerson's safety； his plans for either capturing or for disposing
of the assailant for ever； and how he would have succeeded had it
not been for the drugging。
〃If only you had trusted me！〃 said the young man； in a low tone。
〃If you had but begged Mademoiselle Stangerson to confide in me！
… But； then； everybody here distrusts everybody else； the daughter
distrusts her father； and even her lover。 While you ask me to
protect her she is doing all she can to frustrate me。 That was why
I came on the scene too late！〃
At Monsieur Robert Darzac's request Rouletabille described the
whole scene。 Leaning on the wall； to prevent himself from falling；
he had made his way to Mademoiselle Stangerson's room； while we were
running after the supposed murderer。 The ante…room door was open
and when he entered he found Mademoiselle Stangerson lying partly
thrown over the desk。 Her dressing…gown was dyed with the blood
flowing from her bosom。 Still under the influence of the drug； he
felt he was walking in a horrible nightmare。
He went back to the gallery automatically； opened a window； shouted
his order to fire； and then returned to the room。 He crossed the
deserted boudoir； entered the drawing…room； and tried to rouse
Monsieur Stangerson who was lying on a sofa。 Monsieur Stangerson
rose stupidly and let himself be drawn by Rouletabille into the room
where； on seeing his daughter's body； he uttered a heart…rending cry。
Both united their feeble strength and carried her to her bed。
On his way to join us Rouletabille passed by the desk。 On the floor；
near it； he saw a large packet。 He knelt down and； finding the
wrapper loose； he examined it； and made out an enormous quantity of
papers and photographs。 On one of the papers he read： 〃New
differential electroscopic condenser。 Fundamental properties of
substance intermediary between ponderable matter and imponderable
ether。〃 Strange irony of fate that the professor's precious papers
should be r
