the mystery of the yellow room-第16节

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please　me；　and；　for　a　month　past；　he　hasn't　been　here。　　The　Donjon
Inn　has　never　existed　for　him！　…　he　hasn't　had　time！　　…　been　too
much　engaged　in　paying　court　to　the　landlady　of　the　Three　Lilies
at　Saint…Michel。　　A　bad　fellow！　…　There　isn't　an　honest　man　who　can
bear　him。　　Why；　the　concierges　of　the　chateau　would　turn　their　eyes
away　from　a　picture　of　him！〃

〃The　concierges　of　the　chateau　are　honest　people；　then？〃

〃Yes；　they　are；　as　true　as　my　name's　Mathieu；　monsieur。　　I　believe
them　to　be　honest。〃

〃Yet　they've　been　arrested？〃

〃What　does　that　prove？　　…　But　I　don't　want　to　mix　myself　up　in
other　people's　affairs。〃

〃And　what　do　you　think　of　the　murder？〃

〃Of　the　murder　of　poor　Mademoiselle　Stangerson？　　…　A　good　girl　much
loved　everywhere　in　the　country。　　That's　what　I　think　of　it　…　and
many　things　besides；　but　that's　nobody's　business。〃

〃Not　even　mine？〃　insisted　Rouletabille。

The　innkeeper　looked　at　him　sideways　and　said　gruffly：

〃Not　even　yours。〃

The　omelette　ready；　we　sat　down　at　table　and　were　silently　eating；
when　the　door　was　pushed　open　and　an　old　woman；　dressed　in　rags；
leaning　on　a　stick；　her　head　doddering；　her　white　hair　hanging
loosely　over　her　wrinkled　forehead；　appeared　on　the　threshold。

〃Ah！　…　there　you　are；　Mother　Angenoux！　…　It's　long　since　we　saw
you　last；〃　said　our　host。

〃I　have　been　very　ill；　very　nearly　dying；〃　said　the　old　woman。　　〃If
ever　you　should　have　any　scraps　for　the　Bete　du　Bon　Dieu　…？〃

And　she　entered；　followed　by　a　cat；　larger　than　any　I　had　ever
believed　could　exist。　　The　beast　looked　at　us　and　gave　so　hopeless
a　miau　that　I　shuddered。　　I　had　never　heard　so　lugubrious　a　cry。

As　if　drawn　by　the　cat's　cry　a　man　followed　the　old　woman　in。　　It
was　the　Green　Man。　　He　saluted　by　raising　his　hand　to　his　cap　and
seated　himself　at　a　table　near　to　ours。

〃A　glass　of　cider；　Daddy　Mathieu；〃　he　said。

As　the　Green　Man　entered；　Daddy　Mathieu　had　started　violently；　but
visibly　mastering　himself　he　said：

〃I've　no　more　cider；　I　served　the　last　bottles　to　these　gentlemen。〃

〃Then　give　me　a　glass　of　white　wine；〃　said　the　Green　Man；　without
showing　the　least　surprise。

〃I've　no　more　white　wine　…　no　more　anything；〃　said　Daddy　Mathieu；
surlily。

〃How　is　Madame　Mathieu？〃

〃Quite　well；　thank　you。〃

So　the　young　Woman　with　the　large；　tender　eyes；　whom　we　had　just
seen；　was　the　wife　of　this　repugnant　and　brutal　rustic；　whose
jealousy　seemed　to　emphasise　his　physical　ugliness。

Slamming　the　door　behind　him；　the　innkeeper　left　the　room。　　Mother
Angenoux　was　still　standing；　leaning　on　her　stick；　the　cat　at　her
feet。

〃You've　been　ill；　Mother　Angenoux？　　…　Is　that　why　we　have　not　seen
you　for　the　last　week？〃　asked　the　Green　Man。

〃Yes；　Monsieur　keeper。　　I　have　been　able　to　get　up　but　three　times；
to　go　to　pray　to　Sainte…Genevieve；　our　good　patroness；　and　the　rest
of　the　time　I　have　been　lying　on　my　bed。　　There　was　no　one　to　care
for　me　but　the　Bete　du　bon　Dieu！〃

〃Did　she　not　leave　you？〃

〃Neither　by　day　nor　by　night。〃

〃Are　you　sure　of　that？〃

〃As　I　am　of　Paradise。〃

〃Then　how　was　it；　Madame　Angenoux；　that　all　through　the　night　of
the　murder　nothing　but　the　cry　of　the　Bete　du　bon　Dieu　was　heard？〃

Mother　Angenoux　planted　herself　in　front　of　the　forest…keeper　and
struck　the　floor　with　her　stick。

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　it；〃　she　said。　　〃But　shall　I　tell　you
something？　　There　are　no　two　cats　in　the　world　that　cry　like　that。
Well；　on　the　night　of　the　murder　I　also　heard　the　cry　of　the　Bete
du　bon　Dieu　outside；　and　yet　she　was　on　my　knees；　and　did　not　mew
once；　I　swear。　　I　crossed　myself　when　I　heard　that；　as　if　I　had
heard　the　devil。〃

I　looked　at　the　keeper　when　he　put　the　last　question；　and　I　am　much
mistaken　if　I　did　not　detect　an　evil　smile　on　his　lips。　　At　that
moment；　the　noise　of　loud　quarrelling　reached　us。　　We　even　thought
we　heard　a　dull　sound　of　blows；　as　if　some　one　was　being　beaten。
The　Green　Man　quickly　rose　and　hurried　to　the　door　by　the　side　of
the　fireplace；　but　it　was　opened　by　the　landlord　who　appeared；　and
said　to　the　keeper：

〃Don't　alarm　yourself；　Monsieur　…　it　is　my　wife；　she　has　the
toothache。〃　　And　he　laughed。　　〃Here；　Mother　Angenoux；　here　are　some
scraps　for　your　cat。〃

He　held　out　a　packet　to　the　old　woman；　who　took　it　eagerly　and
went　out　by　the　door；　closely　followed　by　her　cat。

〃Then　you　won't　serve　me？〃　asked　the　Green　Man。

Daddy　Mathieu's　face　was　placid　and　no　longer　retained　its
expression　of　hatred。

〃I've　nothing　for　you　…　nothing　for　you。　　Take　yourself　off。〃

The　Green　Man　quietly　refilled　his　pipe；　lit　it；　bowed　to　us；　and
went　out。　　No　sooner　was　he　over　the　threshold　than　Daddy　Mathieu
slammed　the　door　after　him　and；　turning　towards　us；　with　eyes
bloodshot；　and　frothing　at　the　mouth；　he　hissed　to　us；　shaking　his
clenched　fist　at　the　door　he　had　just　shut　on　the　man　he　evidently
hated：

〃I　don't　know　who　you　are　who　tell　me　'We　shall　have　to　eat　red
meat　…　now'；　but　if　it　will　interest　you　to　know　it　…　that　man　is
the　murderer！〃

With　which　words　Daddy　Mathieu　immediately　left　us。　　Rouletabille
returned　towards　the　fireplace　and　said：

〃Now　we'll　grill　our　steak。　　How　do　you　like　the　cider？　…　It's　a
little　tart；　but　I　like　it。〃

We　saw　no　more　of　Daddy　Mathieu　that　day；　and　absolute　silence
reigned　in　the　inn　when　we　left　it；　after　placing　five　francs　on
the　table　in　payment　for　our　feast。

Rouletabille　at　once　set　off　on　a　three　mile　walk　round　Professor
Stangerson's　estate。　　He　halted　for　some　ten　minutes　at　the　corner
of　a　narrow　road　black　with　soot；　near　to　some　charcoal…burners'
huts　in　the　forest　of　Sainte…Genevieve；　which　touches　on　the　road
from　Epinay　to　Corbeil；　to　tell　me　that　the　murderer　had　certainly
passed　that　way；　before　entering　the　grounds　and　concealing　himself
in　the　little　clump　of　trees。

〃You　don't　think；　then；　that　the　keeper　knows　anything　of　it？〃　I
asked。

〃We　shall　see　that；　later；〃　he　replied。　　〃For　the　present　I'm　not
interested　in　what　the　landlord　said　about　the　man。　　The　landlord
hates　him。　　I　didn't　take　you　to　breakfast　at　the　Donjon　Inn　for
the　sake　of　the　Green　Man。〃

Then　Rouletabille；　with　great　precaution　glided；　followed　by　me；
towards　the　little　building　which；　standing　near　the　park　gate；
served　for　the　home　of　the　concierges；　who　had　been　arrested　that
morning。　　With　the　skill　of　an　acrobat；　he　got　into　the　lodge　by
an　upper　window　which　had　been　left　open；　and　returned　ten　minutes
later。　　He　said　only；　〃Ah！〃　…　a　word　which；　in　his　mouth；　signified
many　things。

We　were　about　to　take　the　road　leading　to　the　chateau；　when　a
considerable　stir　at　the　park　gate　attracted　our　attention。　　A
carriage　had　arrived　and　some　people　had　come　from　the　chateau　to
meet　it。　　Rouletabille　pointed　out　to　me　a　gentleman　who　descended
from　it。

〃That's　the　Chief　of　the　Surete〃　he　said。　　〃Now　we　shall　see　what
Frederic　Larsan　has　up　his　sleeve；　and　whether　he　is　so　much
cleverer　than　anybody　else。〃

The　carriage　of　the　Chief　of　the　Surete　was　followed　by　three　other
vehicles　containing　reporters；　who　were　also　desirous　of　entering
the　park。　　But　two　gendarmes　stationed　at　the　gate　had　evidently
received　orders　to　refuse　admission　to　anybody。　　The　Chief　of　the
Surete　calmed　their　impatience　by　undertaking　to　furnish　to　the
press；　that　evening；　all　the　information　he　could　give　that　would
not　interfere　with　the　judicial　inquiry。





CHAPTER　XI

In　Which　Frederic　Larsan　Explains　How　the　Murderer　Was　Able　to　Get
Out　of　The　Yellow　Room


Among　the　mass　of　papers；　legal　documents；　memoirs；　and　extracts
from　newspapers；　which　I　have　collected；　relating　to　the　mystery
of　The　Yellow　Room；　there　is　one　very　interesting　piece；　it　is　a
detail　of　the　famous　examination　which　took　place　that　afternoon；
in　the　laboratory　of　Professor　Stangerson；　before　the　Chief　of　the
Surete。　　This　narrative　is　from　the　pen　of　Monsieur　Maleine；　the
Registrar；　who；　like　the　examining　magistrate；　had　spent　some　of
his　leisure　time　in　the　pursuit　of　literature。　　The　piece　was　to
have　made　part　of　a　book　which；　however；　has　never　been　published；
and　which　was　to　have　been　entitled：　〃My　Examinations。〃　　It　was
given　to　me　by　the　Registrar　himself；　some　time　after　the
astonishing　denouement　to　this　case；　and　is　unique　in　judicial
chronicles。

Here　it　is。　　It　is　not　a　mere　dry　transcription　of　questions　and
answers；　because　the　Registrar　often　intersperses　his　story　with
his　own　personal　comments。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　REGISTRAR'S　NARRATIVE

The　examining　magistrate　and　I　（the　writer　relates）　found　ourselves
in　The　Yellow　Room　in　the　company　of　the　builder　who　had　constructed
the　pavilion　after　Professor　Stangerson's　designs。　　He　had　a　workman
with　him。　　Monsieur　de　Marquet　had　had　the　walls　laid　entirely　bare；
that　is　to　say；　he　had　had　them　stripped　of　the　paper　which　had
decorated　them。　　Blows　with　a　pick；　here　and　there；　satisfied　us　of
the　absence　of　any　sort　of　opening。　　The　floor　and　the　ceiling　were
thoroughly　sounded。　　We　found　nothing。　　There　was　nothing　to　be
found。　　Monsieur　de　Marquet　appeared　to　be　delighted　and　never
ceased　repeating：

〃What　a　case！