the mystery of the yellow room-第11节

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without；　throwing　a　sinister　light　on　the　saffron…coloured　walls。
The　floor　…　　　for　though　the　laboratory　and　the　vestibule　were　tiled；
The　Yellow　Room　had　a　flooring　of　wood　…　was　covered　with　a　single
yellow　mat　which　was　large　enough　to　cover　nearly　the　whole　room；
under　the　bed　and　under　the　dressing…table　…　the　only　piece　of
furniture　that　remained　upright。　　The　centre　round　table；　the
night…table　and　two　chairs　had　been　overturned。　　These　did　not
prevent　a　large　stain　of　blood　being　visible　on　the　mat；　made；　as
Daddy　Jacques　informed　us；　by　the　blood　which　had　flowed　from　the
wound　on　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　forehead。　　Besides　these　stains；
drops　of　blood　had　fallen　in　all　directions；　in　line　with　the　visible
traces　of　the　footsteps　…　large　and　black　…　of　the　murderer。
Everything　led　to　the　presumption　that　these　drops　of　blood　had
fallen　from　the　wound　of　the　man　who　had；　for　a　moment；　placed　his
red　hand　on　the　wall。　　There　were　other　traces　of　the　same　hand　on
the　wall；　but　much　less　distinct。

〃See！　…　see　this　blood　on　the　wall！〃　I　could　not　help　exclaiming。
〃The　man　who　pressed　his　hand　so　heavily　upon　it　in　the　darkness
must　certainly　have　thought　that　he　was　pushing　at　a　door！　　That's
why　he　pressed　on　it　so　hard；　leaving　on　the　yellow　paper　the
terrible　evidence。　　I　don't　think　there　are　many　hands　in　the　world
of　that　sort。　　It　is　big　and　strong　and　the　fingers　are　nearly　all
one　as　long　as　the　other！　　The　thumb　is　wanting　and　we　have　only
the　mark　of　the　palm；　but　if　we　follow　the　trace　of　the　hand；〃　I
continued；　〃we　see　that；　after　leaving　its　imprint　on　the　wall；　the
touch　sought　the　door；　found　it；　and　then　felt　for　the　lock　…〃

〃No　doubt；〃　interrupted　Rouletabille；　chuckling；　…　〃only　there　is
no　blood；　either　on　the　lock　or　on　the　bolt！〃

〃What　does　that　prove？〃　I　rejoined　with　a　good　sense　of　which　I　was
proud；　〃he　might　have　opened　the　lock　with　his　left　hand；　which
would　have　been　quite　natural；　his　right　hand　being　wounded。〃

〃He　didn't　open　it　at　all！〃　Daddy　Jacques　again　exclaimed。　　〃We　are
not　fools；　and　there　were　four　of　us　when　we　burst　open　the　door！〃

〃What　a　queer　hand！　　…　Look　what　a　queer　hand　it　is！〃　I　said。

〃It　is　a　very'　natural　hand；〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃of　which　the　shape
has　been　deformed　by　its　having　slipped　on　the　wall。　　The　man　dried
his　hand　on　the　wall。　　He　must　be　a　man　about　five　feet　eight　in
height。〃

〃How　do　you　come　at　that？〃

〃By　the　height　of　the　marks　on　the　wall。〃

My　friend　next　occupied　himself　with　the　mark　of　the　bullet　in　the
wall。　　It　was　a　round　hole。

〃This　ball　was　fired　straight；　not　from　above；　and　consequently；　not
from　below。〃

Rouletabille　went　back　to　the　door　and　carefully　examined　the　lock
and　the　bolt；　satisfying　himself　that　the　door　had　certainly　been
burst　open　from　the　outside；　and；　further；　that　the　key　had　been
found　in　the　lock　on　the　inside　of　the　chamber。　　He　finally
satisfied　himself　that　with　the　key　in　the　lock；　the　door　could　not
possibly　be　opened　from　without　with　another　key。　　Having　made　sure
of　all　these　details；　he　let　fall　these　words：　〃That's　better！〃
…　Then　sitting　down　on　the　ground；　he　hastily　took　off　his　boots
and；　in　his　socks；　went　into　the　room。

The　first　thing　he　did　was　to　examine　minutely　the　overturned
furniture。　　We　watched　him　in　silence。

〃Young　fellow；　you　are　giving　yourself　a　great　deal　of　trouble；〃
said　Daddy　Jacques　ironically。

Rouletabille　raised　his　head　and　said：

〃You　have　spoken　the　simple　truth；　Daddy　Jacques；　your　mistress　did
not　have　her　hair　in　bands　that　evening。　　I　was　a　donkey　to　have
believed　she　did。〃

Then；　with　the　suppleness　of　a　serpent；　he　slipped　under　the　bed。
Presently　we　heard　him　ask：

〃At　what　time；　Monsieur　Jacques；　did　Monsieur　and　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　arrive　at　the　laboratory？〃

〃At　six　o'clock。〃

The　voice　of　Rouletabille　continued：

〃Yes；　…　he's　been　under　here；　…　that's　certain；　in　fact；　there　was
no　where　else　where　he　could　have　hidden　himself。　　Here；　too；　are
the　marks　of　his　hobnails。　　When　you　entered　…　all　four　of　you　…　did
you　look　under　the　bed？〃

〃At　once；　…　we　drew　it　right　out　of　its　place　…〃

〃And　between　the　mattresses？〃

〃There　was　only　one　on　the　bed；　and　on　that　Mademoiselle　was　placed；
and　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　the　concierge　immediately　carried　it
into　the　laboratory。　　Under　the　mattress　there　was　nothing　but　the
metal　netting；　which　could　not　conceal　anything　or　anybody。
Remember；　monsieur；　that　there　were　four　of　us　and　we　couldn't　fail
to　see　everything　…　the　chamber　is　so　small　and　scantily　furnished；
and　all　was　locked　behind　in　the　pavilion。〃

I　ventured　on　a　hypothesis：

〃Perhaps　he　got　away　with　the　mattress　…　in　the　mattress！　…　Anything
is　possible；　in　the　face　of　such　a　mystery！　　In　their　distress　of
mind　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　the　concierge　may　not　have　noticed　they
were　bearing　a　double　weight；　especially　if　the　concierge　were　an
accomplice！　　I　throw　out　this　hypothesis　for　what　it　is　worth；　but
it　explains　many　things；　…　and　particularly　the　fact　that　neither
the　laboratory　nor　the　vestibule　bear　any　traces　of　the　footmarks
found　in　the　room。　　If；　in　carrying　Mademoiselle　on　the　mattress
from　the　laboratory　of　the　chateau；　they　rested　for　a　moment；　there
might　have　been　an　opportunity　for　the　man　in　it　to　escape。

〃And　then？〃　asked　Rouletabille；　deliberately　laughing　under　the　bed。

I　felt　rather　vexed　and　replied：

〃I　don't　know；　…　but　anything　appears　possible〃　…

〃The　examining　magistrate　had　the　same　idea；　monsieur；〃　said　Daddy
Jacques；　〃and　he　carefully　examined　the　mattress。　　He　was　obliged
to　laugh　at　the　idea；　monsieur；　as　your　friend　is　doing　now；　…　for
whoever　heard　of　a　mattress　having　a　double　bottom？〃

I　was　myself　obliged　to　laugh；　on　seeing　that　what　I　had　said　was
absurd；　but　in　an　affair　like　this　one　hardly　knows　where　an
absurdity　begins　or　ends。

My　friend　alone　seemed　able　to　talk　intelligently。　　He　called　out
from　under　the　bed。

〃The　mat　here　has　been　moved　out　of　place；　…　who　did　it？〃

〃We　did；　monsieur；〃　explained　Daddy　Jacques。　　〃When　we　could　not
find　the　assassin；　we　asked　ourselves　whether　there　was　not　some
hole　in　the　floor　…〃

〃There　is　not；〃　replied　Rouletabille。　　〃Is　there　a　cellar？〃

〃No；　there's　no　cellar。　　But　that　has　not　stopped　our　searching；　and
has　not　prevented　the　examining　magistrate　and　his　Registrar　from
studying　the　floor　plank　by　plank；　as　if　there　had　been　a　cellar
under　it。〃

The　reporter　then　reappeared。　　His　eyes　were　sparkling　and　his
nostrils　quivered。　　He　remained　on　his　hands　and　knees。　　He　could
not　be　better　likened　than　to　an　admirable　sporting　dog　on　the
scent　of　some　unusual　game。　　And；　indeed；　he　was　scenting　the　steps
of　a　man；　…　the　man　whom　he　has　sworn　to　report　to　his　master；　the
manager　of　the　〃Epoque。〃　　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　Rouletabille
was　first　and　last　a　journalist。

Thus；　on　his　hands　and　knees；　he　made　his　way　to　the　four　corners
of　the　room；　so　to　speak；　sniffing　and　going　round　everything
…　everything　that　we　could　see；　which　was　not　much；　and　everything
that　we　could　not　see；　which　must　have　been　infinite。

The　toilette　table　was　a　simple　table　standing　on　four　legs；　there
was　nothing　about　it　by　which　it　could　possibly　be　changed　into　a
temporary　hiding…place。　　There　was　not　a　closet　or　cupboard。
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　kept　her　wardrobe　at　the　chateau。

Rouletabille　literally　passed　his　nose　and　hands　along　the　walls；
constructed　of　solid　brickwork。　　When　he　had　finished　with　the
walls；　and　passed　his　agile　fingers　over　every　portion　of　the
yellow　paper　covering　them；　he　reached　to　the　ceiling；　which　he　was
able　to　touch　by　mounting　on　a　chair　placed　on　the　toilette　table；
and　by　moving　this　ingeniously　constructed　stage　from　place　to　place
he　examined　every　foot　of　it。　　When　he　had　finished　his　scrutiny　of
the　ceiling；　where　he　carefully　examined　the　hole　made　by　the　second
bullet；　he　approached　the　window；　and；　once　more；　examined　the　iron
bars　and　blinds；　all　of　which　were　solid　and　intact。　　At　last；　he
gave　a　grunt　of　satisfaction　and　declared　〃Now　I　am　at　ease！〃

〃Well；　…　do　you　believe　that　the　poor　dear　young　lady　was　shut　up
when　she　was　being　murdered　…　when　she　cried　out　for　help？〃　wailed
Daddy　Jacques。

〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　reporter；　drying　his　forehead；　〃The　Yellow
Room　was　as　tightly　shut　as　an　iron　safe。〃

〃That；〃　I　said；　〃is　why　this　mystery　is　the　most　surprising　I　know。
Edgar　Allan　Poe；　in　'The　Murders　in　the　Rue　Morgue；'　invented
nothing　like　it。　　The　place　of　that　crime　was　sufficiently　closed
to　prevent　the　escape　of　a　man；　but　there　was　that　window　through
which　the　monkey；　the　perpetrator　of　the　murder；　could　slip　away！
But　here；　there　can　be　no　question　of　an　opening　of　any　sort。　　The
door　was　fastened；　and　through　the　window　blinds；　secure　as　they
were；　not　even　a　fly　could　enter　or　get　out。〃

〃True；　true；〃　assented　Rouletabille　as　he　kept　on　drying　his
forehead；　which　seemed　to　be　perspiring　less　from　his　recent　bodily
exertion　than　from　his　mental　agitation。　　〃Indeed；　it's　a　great；　a
beautiful；　and　a　very　curious　mystery。〃

〃The　Bete　du　bon　Die