the mystery of the yellow room-第6章

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of　the　whole　of　the　incredible　mystery　of　the　affair　he　was
investigating。　　〃There　are　five；　of　which　the　door　of　the　vestibule
is　the　only　entrance　to　the　pavilion；　…　a　door　always　automatically
closed；　which　cannot　be　opened；　either　from　the　outer　or　inside；
except　with　the　two　special　keys　which　are　never　out　of　the
possession　of　either　Daddy　Jacques　or　Monsieur　Stangerson。
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　no　need　for　one；　since　Daddy　Jacques
lodged　in　the　pavilion　and　because；　during　the　daytime；　she　never
left　her　father。　　When　they；　all　four；　rushed　into　The　Yellow　Room；
after　breaking　open　the　door　of　the　laboratory；　the　door　in　the
vestibule　remained　closed　as　usual　and；　of　the　two　keys　for　opening
it；　Daddy　Jacques　had　one　in　his　pocket；　and　Monsieur　Stangerson
the　other。　　As　to　the　windows　of　the　pavilion；　there　are　four；　the
one　window　of　The　Yellow　Room　and　those　of　the　laboratory　looking
out　on　to　the　country；　the　window　in　the　vestibule　looking　into
the　park。〃

〃It　is　by　that　window　that　he　escaped　from　the　pavilion！〃　cried
Rouletabille。

〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　demanded　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　fixing　a
strange　look　on　my　young　friend。

〃We'll　see　later　how　he　got　away　from　The　Yellow　Room；〃　replied
Rouletabille；　〃but　he　must　have　left　the　pavilion　by　the　vestibule
window。〃

〃Once　more；　…　how　do　you　know　that？〃

〃How？　　Oh；　the　thing　is　simple　enough！　　As　soon　as　he　found　he　could
not　escape　by　the　door　of　the　pavilion　his　only　way　out　was　by　the
window　in　the　vestibule；　unless　he　could　pass　through　a　grated　window。
The　window　of　The　Yellow　Room　is　secured　by　iron　bars；　because　it
looks　out　upon　the　open　country；　the　two　windows　of　the　laboratory
have　to　be　protected　in　like　manner　for　the　same　reason。　　As　the
murderer　got　away；　I　conceive　that　he　found　a　window　that　was　not
barred；　…　that　of　the　vestibule；　which　opens　on　to　the　park；　…　that
is　to　say；　into　the　interior　of　the　estate。　　There's　not　much　magic
in　all　that。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　〃but　what　you　have　not　guessed　is
that　this　single　window　in　the　vestibule；　though　it　has　no　iron　bars；
has　solid　iron　blinds。　　Now　these　iron　blinds　have　remained　fastened
by　their　iron　latch；　and　yet　we　have　proof　that　the　murderer　made
his　escape　from　the；　pavilion　by　that　window！　　Traces　of　blood　on
the　inside　wall　and　on　the　blinds　as　well　as　on　the　floor；　and
footmarks；　of　which　I　have　taken　the　measurements；　attest　the　fact
that　the　murderer　made　his　escape　that　way。　　But　then；　how　did　he
do　it；　seeing　that　the　blinds　remained　fastened　on　the　inside？　　He
passed　through　them　like　a　shadow。　　But　what　is　more　bewildering
than　all　is　that　it　is　impossible　to　form　any　idea　as　to　how　the
murderer　got　out　of　The　Yellow　Room；　or　how　he　got　across　the
laboratory　to　reach　the　vestibule！　　Ah；　yes；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；
it　is　altogether　as　you　said；　a　fine　case；　the　key　to　which　will
not　be　discovered　for　a　long　time；　I　hope。〃

〃You　hope；　Monsieur？〃

Monsieur　de　Marquet　corrected　himself。

〃I　do　not　hope　so；　…　I　think　so。〃

〃Could　that　window　have　been　closed　and　refastened　after　the　flight
of　the　assassin？〃　asked　Rouletabille。

〃That　is　what　occurred　to　me　for　a　moment；　but　it　would　imply　an
accomplice　or　accomplices；　…　and　I　don't　see　…〃

After　a　short　silence　he　added：

〃Ah　…　if　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　were　only　well　enough　to…day　to
be　questioned！〃

Rouletabille　following　up　his　thought；　asked：

〃And　the　attic？　　…　There　must　be　some　opening　to　that？〃

〃Yes；　there　is　a　window；　or　rather　skylight；　in　it；　which；　as　it
looks　out　towards　the　country；　Monsieur　Stangerson　has　had　barred；
like　the　rest　of　the　windows。　　These　bars；　as　in　the　other　windows；
have　remained　intact；　and　the　blinds；　which　naturally　open　inwards；
have　not　been　unfastened。　　For　the　rest；　we　have　not　discovered
anything　to　lead　us　to　suspect　that　the　murderer　had　passed　through
the　attic。〃

〃It　seems　clear　to　you；　then；　Monsieur；　that　the　murderer　escaped
…　nobody　knows　how　…　by　the　window　in　the　vestibule？〃

〃Everything　goes　to　prove　it。〃

〃I　think　so；　too；〃　confessed　Rouletabille　gravely。

After　a　brief　silence；　he　continued：

〃If　you　have　not　found　any　traces　of　the　murderer　in　the　attic；　such
as　the　dirty　footmarks　similar　to　those　on　the　floor　of　The　Yellow
Room；　you　must　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　not　he　who　stole
Daddy　Jacques's　revolver。〃

〃There　are　no　footmarks　in　the　attic　other　than　those　of　Daddy
Jacques　himself；〃　said　the　magistrate　with　a　significant　tum　of　his
head。　　Then；　after　an　apparent　decision；　he　added：　〃Daddy　Jacques
was　with　Monsieur　Stangerson　in　the　laboratory　…　and　it　was　lucky
for　him　he　was。〃

〃Then　what　part　did　his　revolver　play　in　the　tragedy？　…　It　seems
very　clear　that　this　weapon　did　less　harm　to　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
than　it　did　to　the　murderer。〃

The　magistrate　made　no　reply　to　this　question；　which　doubtless
embarrassed　him。　　〃Monsieur　Stangerson；〃　he　said；　〃tells　us　that　the
two　bullets　have　been　found　in　The　Yellow　Room；　one　embedded　in　the
wall　stained　with　the　impression　of　a　red　hand　…　a　man's　large　hand
…　and　the　other　in　the　ceiling。〃

〃Oh！　　oh！　　in　the　ceiling！〃　muttered　Rouletabille。　　〃In　the　ceiling！
That's　very　curious！　　…　In　the　ceiling！〃

He　puffed　awhile　in　silence　at　his　pipe；　enveloping　himself　in　the
smoke。　　When　we　reached　Savigny…sur…Orge；　I　had　to　tap　him　on　the
shoulder　to　arouse　him　from　his　dream　and　come　out　on　to　the
platform　of　the　station。

There；　the　magistrate　and　his　Registrar　bowed　to　us；　and　by　rapidly
getting　into　a　cab　that　was　awaiting　them；　made　us　understand　that
they　had　seen　enough　of　us。

〃How　long　will　it　take　to　walk　to　the　Chateau　du　Glandier？〃
Rouletabille　asked　one　of　the　railway　porters。

〃An　hour　and　a　half　or　an　hour　and　three　quarters　…　easy　walking；〃
the　man　replied。

Rouletabille　looked　up　at　the　sky　and；　no　doubt；　finding　its
appearance　satisfactory；　took　my　arm　and　said：

〃Come　on！　　…　I　need　a　walk。〃

〃Are　things　getting　less　entangled？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　a　bit　of　it！〃　he　said；　〃more　entangled　than　ever！　　It's　true；
I　have　an　idea　…〃

〃What's　that？〃　I　asked。

〃I　can't　tell　you　what　it　is　just　at　present　…　it's　an　idea
involving　the　life　or　death　of　two　persons　at　least。〃

〃Do　you　think　there　were　accomplices？〃

〃I　don't　think　it　…〃

We　fell　into　silence。　　Presently　he　went　on：

〃It　was　a　bit　of　luck；　our　falling　in　with　that　examining　magistrate
and　his　Registrar；　eh？　　What　did　I　tell　you　about　that　revolver？〃
His　head　was　bent　down；　he　had　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　he　was
whistling。　　After　a　while　I　heard　him　murmur：

〃Poor　woman！〃

〃Is　it　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　you　are　pitying？〃

〃Yes；　she's　a　noble　woman　and　worthy　of　being　pitied！　…　a　woman　of
a　great；　a　very　great　character　…　I　imagine　…　I　imagine。〃

〃You　know　her　then？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　I　have　never　seen　her。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　say　that　she　is　a　woman　of　great　character？〃

〃Because　she　bravely　faced　the　murderer；　because　she　courageously
defended　herself　…　and；　above　all；　because　of　the　bullet　in　the
ceiling。〃

I　looked　at　Rouletabille　and　inwardly　wondered　whether　he　was　not
mocking　me；　or　whether　he　had　not　suddenly　gone　out　of　his　senses。
But　I　saw　that　he　had　never　been　less　inclined　to　laugh；　and　the
brightness　of　his　keenly　intelligent　eyes　assured　me　that　he
retained　all　his　reason。　　Then；　too；　I　was　used　to　his　broken　way
of　talking；　which　only　left　me　puzzled　as　to　his　meaning；　till；
with　a　very　few　clear；　rapidly　uttered　words；　he　would　make　the
drift　of　his　ideas　clear　to　me；　and　I　saw　that　what　he　had
previously　said；　and　which　had　appeared　to　me　void　of　meaning；　was
so　thoroughly　logical　that　I　could　not　understand　how　it　was　I　had
not　understood　him　sooner。





CHAPTER　IV

〃In　the　Bosom　of　Wild　Nature'


The　Chateau　du　Glandier　is　one　of　the　oldest　chateaux　in　the　Ile　de
France；　where　so　many　building　remains　of　the　feudal　period　are
still　standing。　　Built　originally　in　the　heart　of　the　forest；　in　the
reign　of　Philip　le　Bel；　it　now　could　be　seen　a　few　hundred　yards
from　the　road　leading　from　the　village　of　Sainte…Genevieve　to
Monthery。　　A　mass