the mystery of the yellow room-第49章

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keeper；　Larsan　had　had　time　to　find　out　what　those　papers　contained。
He　could　do　nothing　with　them；　and　they　were　rather　compromising。
That　night　he　took　them　back　to　the　chateau。　　Perhaps　he　hoped　that；
by　returning　the　papers　he　might　obtain　some　gratitude　from
Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　But　whatever　may　have　been　his　reasons；
he　took　the　papers　back　and　so　rid　himself　of　an　encumbrance。

Rouletabille　coughed。　　It　was　evident　to　me　that　he　was　embarrassed。
He　had　arrived　at　a　point　where　he　had　to　keep　back　his　knowledge　of
Larsan's　true　motive。　　The　explanation　he　had　given　had　evidently
been　unsatisfactory。　　Rouletabille　was　quick　enough　to　note　the　bad
impression　he　had　made；　for；　turning　to　the　President；　he　said：
〃And　now　we　come　to　the　explanation　of　the　Mystery　of　The　Yellow
Room！〃

A　movement　of　chairs　in　the　court　with　a　rustling　of　dresses　and　an
energetic　whispering　of　〃Hush！〃　showed　the　curiosity　that　had　been
aroused。

〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　the　President；　〃that　the　Mystery　of　The
Yellow　Room；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　is　wholly　explained　by　your
hypothesis。　　Frederic　Larsan　is　the　explanation。　　We　have　merely
to　substitute　him　for　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　Evidently　the　door
of　The　Yellow　Room　was　open　at　the　time　Monsieur　Stangerson　was
alone；　and　that　he　allowed　the　man　who　was　coming　out　of　his
daughter's　chamber　to　pass　without　arresting　him　…　perhaps　at　her
entreaty　to　avoid　all　scandal。〃

〃No；　Monsieur　President；〃　protested　the　young　man。　　〃You　forget
that；　stunned　by　the　attack　made　on　her；　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
was　not　in　a　condition　to　have　made　such　an　appeal。　　Nor　could　she
have　locked　and　bolted　herself　in　her　room。　　You　must　also　remember
that　Monsieur　Stangerson　has　sworn　that　the　door　was　not　open。〃

〃That；　however；　is　the　only　way　in　which　it　can　be　explained。　　The
Yellow　Room　was　as　closely　shut　as　an　iron　safe。　　To　use　your　own
expression；　it　was　impossible　for　the　murderer　to　make　his　escape
either　naturally　or　supernaturally。　　When　the　room　was　broken　into
he　was　not　there！　　He　must；　therefore；　have　escaped。〃

〃That　does　not　follow。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃There　was　no　need　for　him　to　escape　…　if　he　was　not　there！〃

〃Not　there！〃

〃Evidently；　not。　　He　could　not　have　been　there；　if　he　were　not　found
there。〃

〃But；　what　about　the　evidences　of　his　presence？〃　asked　the　President。

〃That；　Monsieur　President；　is　where　we　have　taken　hold　of　the　wrong
end。　　From　the　time　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　shut　herself　in　the　room
to　the　time　her　door　was　burst　open；　it　was　impossible　for　the
murderer　to　escape。　　He　was　not　found　because　he　was　not　there　during
that　time。〃

〃But　the　evidences？〃

〃They　have　led　us　astray。　　In　reasoning　on　this　mystery　we　must　not
take　them　to　mean　what　they　apparently　mean。　　Why　do　we　conclude　the
murderer　was　there？　　…　Because　he　left　his　tracks　in　the　room？　　Good！
But　may　he　not　have　been　there　before　the　room　was　locked。　　Nay；　he
must　have　been　there　before！　　Let　us　look　into　the　matter　of　these
traces　and　see　if　they　do　not　point　to　my　conclusion。

〃After　the　publication　of　the　article　in　the　'Matin'　and　my
conversation　with　the　examining　magistrate　on　the　journey　from　Paris
to　Epinaysur…Orge；　I　was　certain　that　The　Yellow　Room　had　been
hermetically　sealed；　so　to　speak；　and　that　consequently　the　murderer
had　escaped　before　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　gone　into　her　chamber
at　midnight。

〃At　the　time　I　was　much　puzzled。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　could
not　have　been　her　own　murderer；　since　the　evidences　pointed　to　some
other　person。　　The　assassin；　then；　had　come　before。　　If　that　were　so；
how　was　it　that　Mademoiselle　had　been　attacked　after？　　or　rather；
that　she　appeared　to　have　been　attacked　after？　　It　was　necessary　for
me　to　reconstruct　the　occurrence　and　make　of　it　two　phases　…　each
separated　from　the　other；　in　time；　by　the　space　of　several　hours。
One　phase　in　which　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　really　been　attacked
…　the　other　phase　in　which　those　who　heard　her　cries　thought　she
was　being　attacked。　　I　had　not　then　examined　The　Yellow　Room。　　What
were　the　marks　on　Mademoiselle　Stangerson？　　There　were　marks　of
strangulation　and　the　wound　from　a　hard　blow　on　the　temple。　　The
marks　of　strangulation　did　not　interest　me　much；　they　might　have
been　made　before；　and　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　could　have　concealed
them　by　a　collarette；　or　any　similar　article　of　apparel。　　I　had　to
suppose　this　the　moment　I　was　compelled　to　reconstruct　the　occurrence
by　two　phases。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had；　no　doubt；　her　own
reasons　for　so　doing；　since　she　had　told　her　father　nothing　of　it；
and　had　made　it　understood　to　the　examining　magistrate　that　the
attack　had　taken　place　in　the　night；　during　the　second　phase。　　She
was　forced　to　say　that；　otherwise　her　father　would　have　questioned
her　as　to　her　reason　for　having　said　nothing　about　it。

〃But　I　could　not　explain　the　blow　on　the　temple。　　I　understood　it
even　less　when　I　learned　that　the　mutton…bone　had　been　found　in　her
room。　　She　could　not　hide　the　fact　that　she　had　been　struck　on　the
head；　and　yet　that　wound　appeared　evidently　to　have　been　inflicted
during　the　first　phase；　since　it　required　the　presence　of　the
murderer！　　I　thought　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　hidden　the　wound
by　arranging　her　hair　in　bands　on　her　forehead。

〃As　to　the　mark　of　the　hand　on　the　wall；　that　had　evidently　been
made　during　the　first　phase　…　when　the　murderer　was　really　there。
All　the　traces　of　his　presence　had　naturally　been　left　during　the
first　phase；　the　mutton…bone；　the　black　footprints；　the　Basque　cap；
the　handkerchief；　the　blood　on　the　wall；　on　the　door；　and　on　the
floor。　　If　those　traces　were　still　all　there；　they　showed　that
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　…　who　desired　that　nothing　should　be　known
…　had　not　yet　had　time　to　clear　them　away。　　This　led　me　to　the
conclusion　that　the　two　phases　had　taken　place　one　shortly　after
the　other。　　She　had　not　had　the　opportunity；　after　leaving　her　room
and　going　back　to　the　laboratory　to　her　father；　to　get　back　again
to　her　room　and　put　it　in　order。　　Her　father　was　all　the　time　with
her；　working。　　So　that　after　the　first　phase　she　did　not　re…enter
her　chamber　till　midnight。　　Daddy　Jacques　was　there　at　ten　o'clock；
as　he　was　every　night；　but　he　went　in　merely　to　close　the　blinds
and　light　the　night…light。　　Owing　to　her　disturbed　state　of　mind
she　had　forgotten　that　Daddy　Jacques　would　go　into　her　room　and
had　begged　him　not　to　trouble　himself。　　All　this　was　set　forth　in
the　article　in　the　'Matin。'　Daddy　Jacques　did　go；　however；　and；　in
the　dim　light　of　the　room；　saw　nothing。

〃Mademoiselle　Stangerson　must　have　lived　some　anxious　moments　while
Daddy　Jacques　was　absent；　but　I　think　she　was　not　aware　that　so
many　evidences　had　been　left。　　After　she　had　been　attacked　she　had
only　time　to　hide　the　traces　of　the　man's　fingers　on　her　neck　and
to　hurry　to　the　laboratory。　　Had　she　known　of　the　bone；　the　cap；
and　the　handkerchief；　she　would　have　made　away　with　them　after　she
had　gone　back　to　her　chamber　at　midnight。　　She　did　not　see　them；　and
undressed　by　the　uncertain　glimmer　of　the　night　light。　　She　went　to
bed；　worn…out　by　anxiety　and　fear　…　a　fear　that　had　made　her　remain
in　the　laboratory　as　late　as　possible。

〃My　reasoning　had　thus　brought　me　to　the　second　phase　of　the　tragedy；
when　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was　alone　in　the　room。　　I　had　now　to
explain　the　revolver　shots　fired　during　the　second　phase。　　Cries　of
'Help！　…　Murder！'　had　been　heard。　　How　to　explain　these？　　As　to　the
cries；　I　was　in　no　difficulty；　since　she　was　alone　in　her　room　these
could　result　from　nightmare　only。　　My　explanation　of　the　struggle　and
noise　that　were　heard　is　simply　that　in　her　nightmare　she　was　haunted
by　the　terrible　experience　she　had　passed　through　in　the　afternoon。
In　her　dream　she　sees　the　murderer　about　to　spring　upon　her　and　she
cries；　'Help！　　Murder！'　　Her　hand　wildly　seeks　the　revolver　she　had
placed　within　her　reach　on　the　night…table　by　the　side　of　her　bed；
but　her　hand；　striking　the　table；　overturns　it；　and　the　revolver；
falling　to　the　floor；　discharges　itself；　the　bullet　lodging　in　the
ceiling。　　I　knew　from　the　firs