the mystery of the yellow room-第47章

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〃He　could　give　no　other　answer　than　the　one　he　has　now　given　by　his
flight。〃

〃We　cannot　believe　that　Larsan　has　fled。　　There　was　no　reason　for
his　doing　so。　　Did　he　know　you'd　make　this　charge？〃

〃He　did。　　I　told　him　I　would。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　knowing　Larsan　was　the　murderer　you　gave
him　the　opportunity　to　escape？〃

〃Yes；　Monsieur　President；　I　did；〃　replied　Rouletabille；　proudly。
〃I　am　not　a　policeman；　I　am　a　journalist；　and　my　business　is　not
to　arrest　people。　　My　business　is　in　the　service　of　truth；　and　is
not　that　of　an　executioner。　　If　you　are　just；　Monsieur；　you　will
see　that　I　am　right。　　You　can　now　understand　why　I　refrained　until
this　hour　to　divulge　the　name。　　I　gave　Larsan　time　to　catch　the
4：17　train　for　Paris；　where　he　would　know　where　to　hide　himself；
and　leave　no　traces。　　You　will　not　find　Frederic　Larsan；〃　declared
Rouletabille；　fixing　his　eyes　on　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　〃He　is
too　cunning。　　He　is　a　man　who　has　always　escaped　you　and　whom　you
have　long　searched　for　in　vain。　　If　he　did　not　succeed　in
outwitting　me；　he　can　yet　easily　outwit　any　police。　　This　man　who；
four　years　ago；　introduced　himself　to　the　Surete；　and　became
celebrated　as　Frederic　Larsan；　is　notorious　under　another　name　…　a
name　well　known　to　crime。　　Frederic　Larsan；　Monsieur　President；
is　Ballmeyer！〃

〃Ballmeyer！〃　cried　the　President。

〃Ballmeyer！〃　exclaimed　Robert　Darzac；　springing　to　his　feet。
〃Ballmeyer！　…　It　was　true；　then！〃

〃Ah！　　Monsieur　Darzac；　you　don't　think　I　am　mad；　now！〃　cried
Rouletabille。

Ballmeyer！　　Ballmeyer！　　No　other　word　could　be　heard　in　the
courtroom。　　The　President　adjourned　the　hearing。

Those　of　my　readers　who　may　not　have　heard　of　Ballmeyer　will　wonder
at　the　excitement　the　name　caused。　　And　yet　the　doings　of　this
remarkable　criminal　form　the　subject…matter　of　the　most　dramatic
narratives　of　the　newspapers　and　criminal　records　of　the　past　twenty
years。　　It　had　been　reported　that　he　was　dead；　and　thus　had　eluded
the　police　as　he　had　eluded　them　throughout　the　whole　of　his　career。

Ballmeyer　was　the　best　specimen　of　the　high…class　〃gentleman
swindler。〃　　He　was　adept　at　sleight　of　hand　tricks；　and　no　bolder
or　more　ruthless　crook　ever　lived。　　He　was　received　in　the　best
society；　and　was　a　member　of　some　of　the　most　exclusive　clubs。　　On
many　of　his　depredatory　expeditions　he　had　not　hesitated　to　use
the　knife　and　the　mutton…bone。　　No　difficulty　stopped　him　and　no
〃operation〃　was　too　dangerous。　　He　had　been　caught；　but　escaped
on　the　very　morning　of　his　trial；　by　throwing　pepper　into　the
eyes　of　the　guards　who　were　conducting　him　to　Court。　　It　was　known
later　that；　in　spite　of　the　keen　hunt　after　him　by　the　most　expert
of　detectives；　he　had　sat　that　same　evening　at　a　first　performance
in　the　Theatre　Francais；　without　the　slightest　disguise。

He　left　France；　later；　to　〃work〃　America；　The　police　there
succeeded　in　capturing　him　once；　but　the　extraordinary　man　escaped
the　next　day。　　It　would　need　a　volume　to　recount　the　adventures　of
this　master…criminal。　　And　yet　this　was　the　man　Rouletabille　had
allowed　to　get　away！　　Knowing　all　about　him　and　who　he　was；　he
afforded　the　criminal　an　opportunity　for　another　laugh　at　the
society　he　had　defied！　　I　could　not　help　admiring　the　bold　stroke
of　the　young　journalist；　because　I　felt　certain　his　motive　had　been
to　protect　both　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　and　rid　Darzac　of　an　enemy
at　the　same　time。

The　crowd　had　barely　recovered　from　the　effect　of　the　astonishing
revelation　when　the　hearing　was　resumed。　　The　question　in　everybody's
mind　was：　Admitting　that　Larsan　was　the　murderer；　how　did　he　get　out
of　The　Yellow　Room？

Rouletabille　was　immediately　called　to　the　bar　and　his　examination
continued。

〃You　have　told　us；〃　said　the　President；　〃that　it　was　impossible　to
escape　from　the　end　of　the　court。　　Since　Larsan　was　leaning　out　of
his　window；　he　had　left　the　court。　　How　did　he　do　that？〃

〃He　escaped　by　a　most　unusual　way。　　He　climbed　the　wall；　sprang
onto　the　terrace；　and；　while　we　were　engaged　with　the　keeper's　body；
reached　the　gallery　by　the　window。　　He　then　had　little　else　to　do
than　to　open　the　window；　get　in　and　call　out　to　us；　as　if　he　had
just　come　from　his　own　room。　　To　a　man　of　Ballmeyer's　strength　all
that　was　mere　child's　play。　　And　here；　Monsieur；　is　the　proof　of
what　I　say。〃

Rouletabille　drew　from　his　pocket　a　small　packet；　from　which　he
produced　a　strong　iron　peg。

〃This；　Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　spike　which　perfectly　fits　a　hole
still　to　be　seen　in　the　cornice　supporting　the　terrace。　　Larsan；
who　thought　and　prepared　for　everything　in　case　of　any　emergency；
had　fixed　this　spike　into　the　cornice。　　All　he　had　to　do　to　make
his　escape　good　was　to　plant　one　foot　on　a　stone　which　is　placed
at　the　corner　of　the　chateau；　another　on　this　support；　one　hand
on　the　cornice　of　the　keeper's　door　and　the　other　on　the　terrace；
and　Larsan　was　clear　of　the　ground。　　The　rest　was　easy。　　His　acting
after　dinner　as　if　he　had　been　drugged　was　make　believe。　　He　was
not　drugged；　but　he　did　drug　me。　　Of　course　he　had　to　make　it
appear　as　if　he　also　had　been　drugged　so　that　no　suspicion　should
fall　on　him　for　my　condition。　　Had　I　not　been　thus　overpowered；
Larsan　would　never　have　entered　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　chamber
that　night；　and　the　attack　on　her　would　not　have　taken　place。〃

A　groan　came　from　Darzac；　who　appeared　to　be　unable　to　control
his　suffering。

〃You　can　understand；〃　added　Rouletabile；　〃that　Larsan　would　feel
himself　hampered　from　the　fact　that　my　room　was　so　close　to　his；　and
from　a　suspicion　that　I　would　be　on　the　watch　that　night。　　Naturally；
he　could　not　for　a　moment　believe　that　I　suspected　him！　　But　I　might
see　him　leaving　his　room　when　he　was　about　to　go　to　Mademoiselle
Stangerson。　　He　waited　till　I　was　asleep；　and　my　friend　Sainclair
was　busy　trying　to　rouse　me。　　Ten　minutes　after　that　Mademoiselle
was　calling　out；　〃Murder！〃

〃How　did　you　come　to　suspect　Larsan？〃　asked　the　President。

〃My　pure　reason　pointed　to　him。　　That　was　why　I　watched　him。　　But
I　did　not　foresee　the　drugging。　　He　is　very　cunning。　　Yes；　my　pure
reason　pointed　to　him；　but　I　required　tangible　proof　so　that　my
eyes　could　see　him　as　my　pure　reason　saw　him。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　your　pure　reason？〃

〃That　power　of　one's　mind　which　admits　of　no　disturbing　elements
to　a　conclusion。　　The　day　following　the　incident　of　'the
inexplicable　gallery；'　I　felt　myself　losing　control　of　it。　　I　had
allowed　myself　to　be　diverted　by　fallacious　evidence；　but　I
recovered　and　again　took　hold　of　the　right　end。　　I　satisfied　myself
that　the　murderer　could　not　have　left　the　gallery；　either　naturally
or　supernaturally。　　I　narrowed　the　field　of　consideration　to　that
small　circle；　so　to　speak。　　The　murderer　could　not　be　outside　that
circle。　　Now　who　was　in　it？　　There　was；　first；　the　murderer。　　Then
there　were　Daddy　Jacques；　Monsieur　Stangerson；　Frederic　Larsan；　and
myself。　　Five　persons　in　all；　counting　in　the　murderer。　　And　yet；
in　the　gallery；　there　were　but　four。　　Now　since　it　had　been
demonstrated　to　me　that　the　fifth　could　not　have　escaped；　it　was
evident　that　one　of　the　four　present　in　the　gallery　must　be　a　double
…　he　must　be　himself　and　the　murderer　also。　　Why　had　I　not　seen
this　before？　　Simply　because　the　phenomenon　of　the　double　personality
had　not　occurred　before　in　this　inquiry。

〃Now　who　of　the　four　persons　in　the　gallery　was　both　that　person
and　the　assassin？　　I　went　over　in　my　mind　what　I　had　seen。　　I　had
seen　at　one　and　the　same　time；　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　the　murderer；
Daddy　Jacques　and　the　murderer；　myself　and　the　murderer；　so　that
the　murderer；　then；　could　not　be　either　Monsieur　Stangerson；　Daddy
Jacques；　or　myself。　　Had　I　seen　Frederic　Larsan　and　the　murderer
at　the　same　time？　…　No！　…　Two　seconds　had　passed；　during　which　I
lost　sight　of　the　murderer；　for；　as　I　have　noted　in　my　papers；　he
arrived　two　seconds　before　Monsieur　Stangerson；　Daddy　Jacques；　and
myself　at　the　meeting…point　of　the　two　galleries。　　That　would　have
given　Larsan　time　to　go　through　the　'off…turning'　gallery；　snatch
off　his　false　beard；　return；　and　hurry　with　us　as　if；　like　us；　in
pur