the mystery of the yellow room-第24节

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Stangerson　did　not　see　one　another；　but　they　may　have　written　to
each　other。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　went　to　the　Post　Office　to
get　a　letter；　which　Larsan　says　was　written　by　Robert　Darzac；　for
knowing　nothing　of　what　had　passed　at　the　Elysee；　Larsan　believes
that　it　was　Monsieur　Darzac　himself　who　stole　the　reticule　with
the　key；　with　the　design　of　forcing　her　consent；　by　getting
possession　of　the　precious　papers　of　her　father　…　papers　which
he　would　have　restored　to　him　on　condition　that　the　marriage
engagement　was　to　be　fulfilled。

〃All　that　would　have　been　a　very　doubtful　and　almost　absurd
hypothesis；　as　Larsan　admitted　to　me；　but　for　another　and　much
graver　circumstance。　　In　the　first　place　here　is　something　which　I
have　not　been　able　to　explain　…　Monsieur　Darzac　had　himself；　on　the
24th；　gone　to　the　Post　Office　to　ask　for　the　letter　which
Mademoiselle　had　called　for　and　received　on　the　previous　evening。
The　description　of　the　man　who　made　application　tallies　in　every
respect　with　the　appearance　of　Monsieur　Darzac；　who；　in　answer　to
the　questions　put　to　him　by　the　examining　magistrate；　denies　that
he　went　to　the　Post　Office。　　Now　even　admitting　that　the　letter　was
written　by　him　…　which　I　do　not　believe　…　he　knew　that　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　had　received　it；　since　he　had　seen　it　in　her　hands　in
the　garden　at　the　Elysee。　　It　could　not　have　been　he；　then；　who
had　gone　to　the　Post　Office；　the　day　after　the　24th；　to　ask　for　a
letter　which　he　knew　was　no　longer　there。

〃To　me　it　appears　clear　that　somebody；　strongly　resembling　him；
stole　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　reticule　and　in　that　letter；　had
demanded　of　her　something　which　she　had　not　sent　him。　　He　must　have
been　surprised　at　the　failure　of　his　demand；　hence　his　application
at　the　Post　Office；　to　learn　whether　his　letter　had　been　delivered
to　the　person　to　whom　it　had　been　addressed。　　Finding　that　it　had
been　claimed；　he　had　become　furious。　　What　had　he　demanded？　　Nobody
but　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　knows。　　Then；　on　the　day　following；　it
is　reported　that　she　had　been　attacked　during　the　night；　and；　the
next　day；　I　discovered　that　the　Professor　had；　at　the　same　time；
been　robbed　by　means　of　the　key　referred　to　in　the　poste　restante
letter。　　It　would　seem；　then；　that　the　man　who　went　to　the　Post
Office　to　inquire　for　the　letter　must　have　been　the　murderer。　　All
these　arguments　Larsan　applies　as　against　Monsieur　Darzac。　　You
may　be　sure　that　the　examining　magistrate；　Larsan；　and　myself；　have
done　our　best　to　get　from　the　Post　Office　precise　details　relative
to　the　singular　personage　who　applied　there　on　the　24th　of　October。
But　nothing　has　been　learned。　　We　don't　know　where　he　came　from　…　or
where　he　went。　　Beyond　the　description　which　makes　him　resemble
Monsieur　Darzac；　we　know　nothing。

〃I　have　announced　in　the　leading　journals　that　a　handsome　reward
will　be　given　to　a　driver　of　any　public　conveyance　who　drove　a　fare
to　No。　40；　Post　Office；　about　ten　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　24th
of　October。　　Information　to　be　addressed　to　'M。　R。；'　at　the　office
of　the　'Epoque'；　but　no　answer　has　resulted。　　The　man　may　have
walked；　but；　as　he　was　most　likely　in　a　hurry；　there　was　a　chance
that　he　might　have　gone　in　a　cab。　　Who；　I　keep　asking　myself　night
and　day；　is　the　man　who　so　strongly　resembles　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac；
and　who　is　also　known　to　have　bought　the　cane　which　has　fallen　into
Larsan's　hands？

〃The　most　serious　fact　is　that　Monsieur　Darzac　was；　at　the　very　same
time　that　his　double　presented　himself　at　the　Post　Office；　scheduled
for　a　lecture　at　the　Sorbonne。　　He　had　not　delivered　that　lecture；
and　one　of　his　friends　took　his　place。　　When　I　questioned　him　as　to
how　he　had　employed　the　time；　he　told　me　that　he　had　gone　for　a
stroll　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne。　　What　do　you　think　of　a　professor
who；　instead　of　giving　his　lecture；　obtains　a　substitute　to　go　for
a　stroll　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne？　　When　Frederic　Larsan　asked　him
for　information　on　this　point；　he　quietly　replied　that　it　was　no
business　of　his　how　he　spent　his　time　in　Paris。　　On　which　Fred　swore
aloud　that　he　would　find　out；　without　anybody's　help。

〃All　this　seems　to　fit　in　with　Fred's　hypothesis；　namely；　that
Monsieur　Stangerson　allowed　the　murderer　to　escape　in　order　to　avoid
a　scandal。　　The　hypothesis　is　further　substantiated　by　the　fact　that
Darzac　was　in　The　Yellow　Room　and　was　permitted　to　get　away。　　That
hypothesis　I　believe　to　be　a　false　one。　　…　Larsan　is　being　misled　by
it；　though　that　would　not　displease　me；　did　it　not　affect　an　innocent
person。　　Now　does　that　hypothesis　really　mislead　Frederic　Larsan？
That　is　the　question　…　that　is　the　question。〃

〃Perhaps　he　is　right；〃　I　cried；　interrupting　Rouletabille。　　〃Are
you　sure　that　Monsieur　Darzac　is　innocent？　…　It　seems　to　me　that
these　are　extraordinary　coincidences　…〃

〃Coincidences；〃　replied　my　friend；　〃are　the　worst　enemies　to　truth。〃

〃What　does　the　examining　magistrate　think　now　of　the　matter？〃

〃Monsieur　de　Marquet　hesitates　to　accuse　Monsieur　Darzac；　in　the
absence　of　absolute　proofs。　　Not　only　would　he　have　public　opinion
wholly　against　him；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Sorbonne；　but　Monsieur
and　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　She　adores　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。
Indistinctly　as　she　saw　the　murderer；　it　would　be　hard　to　make　the
public　believe　that　she　could　not　have　recognised　him；　if　Darzac
had　been　the　criminal。　　No　doubt　The　Yellow　Room　was　very　dimly
lit；　but　a　night…light；　however　small；　gives　some　light。　　Here；　my
boy；　is　how　things　stood　when；　three　days；　or　rather　three　nights
ago；　an　extraordinarily　strange　incident　occurred。〃





CHAPTER　XIV

〃I　Expect　the　Assassin　This　Evening〃


〃I　must　take　you；〃　said　Rouletabille；　〃so　as　to　enable　you　to
understand；　to　the　various　scenes。　　I　myself　believe　that　I　have
discovered　what　everybody　else　is　searching　for；　namely；　how　the
murderer　escaped　from　The　Yellow　Room；　without　any　accomplice；　and
without　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　having　had　anything　to　do　with　it。
But　so　long　as　I　am　not　sure　of　the　real　murderer；　I　cannot　state
the　theory　on　which　I　am　working。　　I　can　only　say　that　I　believe
it　to　be　correct　and；　in　any　case；　a　quite　natural　and　simple　one。
As　to　what　happened　in　this　place　three　nights　ago；　I　must　say　it
kept　me　wondering　for　a　whole　day　and　a　night。　　It　passes　all　belief。
The　theory　I　have　formed　from　the　incident　is　so　absurd　that　I　would
rather　matters　remained　as　yet　unexplained。〃

Saying　which　the　young　reporter　invited　me　to　go　and　make　the　tour
of　the　chateau　with　him。　　The　only　sound　to　be　heard　was　the
crunching　of　the　dead　leaves　beneath　our　feet。　　The　silence　was　so
intense　that　one　might　have　thought　the　chateau　had　been　abandoned。
The　old　stones；　the　stagnant　water　of　the　ditch　surrounding　the
donjon；　the　bleak　ground　strewn　with　the　dead　leaves；　the　dark；
skeleton…like　outlines　of　the　trees；　all　contributed　to　give　to　the
desolate　place；　now　filled　with　its　awful　mystery；　a　most　funereal
aspect。　　As　we　passed　round　the　donjon；　we　met　the　Green　Man；　the
forest…keeper；　who　did　not　greet　us；　but　walked　by　as　if　we　had　not
existed。　　He　was　looking　just　as　I　had　formerly　seen　him　through
the　window　of　the　Donjon　Inn。　　He　had　still　his　fowling…piece　slung
at　his　back；　his　pipe　was　in　his　mouth；　and　his　eye…glasses　on　his
nose。

〃An　odd　kind　of　fish！〃　Rouletabille　said　to　me；　in　a　low　tone。

〃Have　you　spoken　to　him？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；　but　I　could　get　nothing　out　of　him。　　His　only　answers　are
grunts　and　shrugs　of　the　shoulders。　　He　generally　lives　on　the
first　floor　of　the　donjon；　a　big　room　that　once　served　for　an
oratory。　　He　lives　like　a　bear；　never　goes　out　without　his　gun；
and　is　only　pleasant　with　the　girls。　　The　women；　for　twelve　miles
round；　are　all　setting　their　caps　for　him。　　For　the　present；　he　is
paying　attention　to　Madame　Mathieu；　whose　husband　is　keeping　a
lynx　eye　upon　her　in　consequence。〃

After　passing　the　donjon；　which　is　situated　at　the　extreme　end　of
the　left　wing；　we　went　to　the　back　of　the　chateau。　　Rouletabille；
pointing　to　a　window　which　I　recognised　as　the　only　one　belonging
to　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　apartment；　said　to　me：

〃If　you　had　been　here；　two　nights　ago；　you　would　have　seen　your
humble　servant　at　the　top　of　a　ladder；　about　to　enter　the　chateau
by　that　window。〃

As　I　expressed　some　surprise　at　this　piece　of　nocturnal　gymnastics；
he　begged　me　to　notice　carefully　the　exterior　disposition　of　the
chateau。　　We　then　went　back　into　the　building。

〃I　must　now　show　you　the　first　floor　of　the　chateau；　where　I　am
living；〃　said　my　friend。

To　enable　the　reader　the　better　to　understand　the　disposition　of
these　parts　of　the　dwelling；　I　annex　a　plan　of　the　first　floor　of
the　right　wing；　drawn　by　Rouletabille　the　day　after　the
extraordinary　phenomenon　occurred；　the　details　of　which　I　am　about
to　relate。

***

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