the mystery of the yellow room-第14节

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also　know　the　moment　at　which　he　entered；　…　during　the　five　o'clock
walk　of　the　professor　and　his　daughter。　　The　fact　of　the　presence
of　the　chambermaid　…　who　had　come　to　clean　up　The　Yellow　Room　…　in
the　laboratory；　when　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　his　daughter　returned
from　their　walk；　at　half…past　one；　permits　us　to　affirm　that　at
half…past　one　the　murderer　was　not　in　the　chamber　under　the　bed；
unless　he　was　in　collusion　with　the　chambermaid。　　What　do　you　say；
Monsieur　Darzac？

Monsieur　Darzac　shook　his　head　and　said　he　was　sure　of　the
chambermaid's　fidelity；　and　that　she　was　a　thoroughly　honest　and
devoted　servant。

〃Besides；〃　he　added；　〃at　five　o'clock　Monsieur　Stangerson　went　into
the　room　to　fetch　his　daughter's　hat〃

〃There　is　that　also；〃　said　Rouletabille。

〃That　the　man　entered　by　the　window　at　the　time　you　say；　I　admit；〃
I　said；　〃but　why　did　he　shut　the　window？　　It　was　an　act　which　would
necessarily　draw　the　attention　of　those　who　had　left　it　open〃

〃It　may　be　the　window　was　not　shut　at　once；〃　replied　the　young
reporter。　　〃But　if　he　did　shut　the　window；　it　was　because　of　the
bend　in　the　gravel　path；　a　dozen　yards　from　the　pavilion；　and　on
account　of　the　three　oaks　that　are　growing　at　that　spot。〃

〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　Monsieur　Darzac；　who　had　followed
us　and　listened　with　almost　breathless　attention　to　all　that
Rouletabille　had　said。

〃I'll　explain　all　to　you　later　on；　Monsieur；　when　I　think　the　moment
to　be　ripe　for　doing　so；　but　I　don't　think　I　have　anything　of　more
importance　to　say　on　this　affair；　if　my　hypothesis　is　justified　〃

〃And　what　is　your　hypothesis？〃

〃You　will　never　know　if　it　does　not　turn　out　to　be　the　truth。　　It
is　of　much　too　grave　a　nature　to　speak　of　it；　so　long　as　it
continues　to　be　only　a　hypothesis。〃

〃Have　you；　at　least；　some　idea　as　to　who　the　murderer　is？〃

〃No；　monsieur；　I　don't　know　who　the　murderer　is；　but　don't　be　afraid；
Monsieur　Robert　Darzac　…　I　shall　know。〃

I　could　not　but　observe　that　Monsieur　Darzac　was　deeply　moved；　and
I　suspected　that　Rouletabille's　confident　assertion　was　not　pleasing
to　him。　　Why；　I　asked　myself；　if　he　was　really　afraid　that　the
murderer　should　be　discovered；　was　he　helping　the　reporter　to　find
him？　　My　young　friend　seemed　to　have　received　the　same　impression；
for　he　said；　bluntly：

〃Monsieur　Darzac；　don't　you　want　me　to　find　out　who　the　murderer
was？〃

〃Oh！　　…　I　should　like　to　kill　him　with　my　own　hand！〃　cried
Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　fiance；　with　a　vehemence　that　amazed　me。

〃I　believe　you；〃　said　Rouletabille　gravely；　〃but　you　have　not
answered　my　question。〃

We　were　passing　by　the　thicket；　of　which　the　young　reporter　had
spoken　to　us　a　minute　before。　　I　entered　it　and　pointed　out　evident
traces　of　a　man　who　had　been　hidden　there。　　Rouletabille；　once　more；
was　right。

〃Yes；　yes！〃　he　said。　　〃We　have　to　do　with　a　thing　of　flesh　and　blood；
who　uses　the　same　means　that　we　do。　　It'll　all　come　out　on　those
lines。〃

Having　said　this；　he　asked　me　for　the　paper　pattern　of　the　footprint
which　he　had　given　me　to　take　care　of；　and　applied　it　to　a　very
clear　footmark　behind　the　thicket。　　〃Aha！〃　he　said；　rising。

I　thought　he　was　now　going　to　trace　back　the　track　of　the　murderer's
footmarks　to　the　vestibule　window；　but　he　led　us　instead；　far　to　the
left；　saying　that　it　was　useless　ferreting　in　the　mud；　and　that　he
was　sure；　now；　of　the　road　taken　by　the　murderer。

〃He　went　along　the　wall　to　the　hedge　and　dry　ditch；　over　which　he
jumped。　　See；　just　in　front　of　the　little　path　leading　to　the　lake；
that　was　his　nearest　way　to　get　out。〃

〃How　do　you　know　he　went　to　the　lake？〃　…

〃Because　Frederic　Larsan　has　not　quitted　the　borders　of　it　since
this　morning。　　There　must　be　some　important　marks　there。〃

A　few　minutes　later　we　reached　the　lake。

It　was　a　little　sheet　of　marshy　water；　surrounded　by　reeds；　on　which
floated　some　dead　water…lily　leaves。　　The　great　Fred　may　have　seen
us　approaching；　but　we　probably　interested　him　very　little；　for　he
took　hardly　any　notice　of　us　and　continued　to　be　stirring　with　his
cane　something　which　we　could　not　see。

〃Look！〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃here　again　are　the　footmarks　of　the
escaping　man；　they　skirt　the　lake　here　and　finally　disappear　just
before　this　path；　which　leads　to　the　high　road　to　Epinay。　　The　man
continued　his　flight　to　Paris。〃

〃What　makes　you　think　that？〃　I　asked；　〃since　these　footmarks　are
not　continued　on　the　path？〃

〃What　makes　me　think　that？　　…　Why　these　footprints；　which　I　expected
to　find！〃　he　cried；　pointing　to　the　sharply　outlined　imprint　of　a
neat　boot。　　〃See！〃　…　and　he　called　to　Frederic　Larsan。

〃Monsieur　Fred；　these　neat　footprints　seem　to　have　been　made　since
the　discovery　of　the　crime。〃

〃Yes；　young　man；　yes；　they　have　been　carefully　made；〃　replied　Fred
without　raising　his　head。　　〃You　see；　there　are　steps　that　come；　and
steps　that　go　back。〃

〃And　the　man　had　a　bicycle！〃　cried　the　reporter。

Here；　after　looking　at　the　marks　of　the　bicycle；　which　followed；
going　and　coming；　the　neat　footprints；　I　thought　I　might　intervene。

〃The　bicycle　explains　the　disappearance　of　the　murderer's　big
foot…prints；〃　I　said。　　〃The　murderer；　with　his　rough　boots；　mounted
a　bicycle。　　His　accomplice；　the　wearer　of　the　neat　boots；　had　come
to　wait　for　him　on　the　edge　of　the　lake　with　the　bicycle。　　It　might
be　supposed　that　the　murderer　was　working　for　the　other。〃

〃No；　no！〃　replied　Rouletabille　with　a　strange　smile。　　〃I　have
expected　to　find　these　footmarks　from　the　very　beginning。　　These
are　not　the　footmarks　of　the　murderer！〃

〃Then　there　were　two？〃

〃No　…　there　was　but　one；　and　he　had　no　accomplice。〃

〃Very　good！　…　Very　good！〃　cried　Frederic　Larsan。

〃Look！〃　continued　the　young　reporter；　showing　us　the　ground　where
it　had　been　disturbed　by　big　and　heavy　heels；　〃the　man　seated
himself　there；　and　took　off　his　hobnailed　boots；　which　he　had　worn
only　for　the　purpose　of　misleading　detection；　and　then　no　doubt；
taking　them　away　with　him；　he　stood　up　in　his　own　boots；　and　quietly
and　slowly　regained　the　high　road；　holding　his　bicycle　in　his　hand；
for　he　could　not　venture　to　ride　it　on　this　rough　path。　　That
accounts　for　the　lightness　of　the　impression　made　by　the　wheels
along　it；　in　spite　of　the　softness　of　the　ground。　　If　there　had　been
a　man　on　the　bicycle；　the　wheels　would　have　sunk　deeply　into　the
soil。　　No；　no；　there　was　but　one　man　there；　the　murderer　on　foot。〃

〃Bravo！　　…　bravo！〃　cried　Fred　again；　and　coming　suddenly　towards
us　and；　planting　himself　in　front　of　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；　he
said　to　him：

〃If　we　had　a　bicycle　here；　we　might　demonstrate　the　correctness　of
the　young　man's　reasoning；　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　Do　you　know
whether　there　is　one　at　the　chateau？〃

〃No！〃　replied　Monsieur　Darzac。　　〃There　is　not。　　I　took　mine；　four
days　ago；　to　Paris；　the　last　time　I　came　to　the　chateau　before　the
crime。〃

〃That's　a　pity！〃　replied　Fred；　very　coldly。　　Then；　turning　to
Rouletabille；　he　said：　〃If　we　go　on　at　this　rate；　we'll　both　come
to　the　same　conclusion。　　Have　you　any　idea；　as　to　how　the　murderer
got　away　from　The　Yellow　Room？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　my　young　friend；　〃I　have　an　idea。〃

〃So　have　I；〃　said　Fred；　〃and　it　must　be　the　same　as　yours。　　There
are　no　two　ways　of　reasoning　in　this　affair。　　I　am　waiting　for　the
arrival　of　my　chief　before　offering　any　explanation　to　the　examining
magistrate。〃

〃Ah！　　Is　the　Chief　of　the　Surete　coming？〃

〃Yes；　this　afternoon。　　He　is　going　to　summon；　before　the　magistrate；
in　the　laboratory；　all　those　who　have　played　any　part　in　this
tragedy。　　It　will　be　very　interesting。　　It　is　a　pity　you　won't　be
able　to　be　present。〃

〃I　shall　be　present；〃　said　Rouletabille　confidently。

〃Really　…　you　are　an　extraordinary　fellow　…　for　your　age！〃　replied
the　detective　in　a　tone　not　wholly　free　from　irony。　　〃You'd　make　a
wonderful　detective　…　if　you　had　a　little　more　method　…　if　you
didn't　follow　your　instincts　and　that　bump　on　your　forehead。　　As　I
have　already　several　times　observed；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　you
reason　too　much；　you　do　not　allow　yourself　to　be　guided　by　what　you
have　seen。　　What　do　you　say　to　the　handkerchief　full　of　blood；　and
the　red　mark　of　the　hand　on　the　wall？　　You　have　seen　the　stain　on
the　wall；　but　I　have　only　seen　the　handkerchief。〃

〃Bah！〃　cried　Rouletabille；　〃the　murderer　was　wounded　in　the　hand
by　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　revolver！〃

〃Ah！　　…　a　simply　instinctive　observation！　　Take　care！　　…　You　are
becoming　too　strictly　logical；　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　logic　will
upset　you　if　you　use　it　indiscriminately。　　You　are　right；　when　you
say　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　fired　her　revolver；　but　you　are
wrong　when　you　say　that　she　wounded　the　murderer　in　the　hand。〃

〃I　am　sure　of　it；〃　cried　Rouletabille。

Fred；　imperturbable；　interrupted　him：

〃Defective　observation　…　defective　observation！　　…　the　examination
of　the　handkerchief；　the　numberless　little　round　scarlet　stains；　the
impression　of　drops　which　I　found　in　the　tracks　of　the　footprints；
at　the　moment　when　they　were　made　on　the　floor；　prove　to　me　that　the
murderer　was　not　wounded　at　all。　　Monsieur　Rouletabille；　the　murderer
bled　at　the　nose！〃

The　gre