the mystery of the yellow room-第3节

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that　time　I　was　a　beginner　at　the　Bar　and　often　met　him　in　the
corridors　of　examining　magistrates；　when　I　had　gone　to　get　a　〃permit
to　communicate〃　for　the　prison　of　Mazas；　or　for　Saint…Lazare。　　He
had；　as　they　say；　〃a　good　nut。〃　He　seemed　to　have　taken　his　head
…　round　as　a　bullet　…　out　of　a　box　of　marbles；　and　it　is　from　that；
I　think；　that　his　comrades　of　the　press　…　all　determined
billiard…players　…　had　given　him　that　nickname；　which　was　to　stick
to　him　and　be　made　illustrious　by　him。　　He　was　always　as　red　as　a
tomato；　now　gay　as　a　lark；　now　grave　as　a　judge。　　How；　while　still
so　young　…　he　was　only　sixteen　and　a　half　years　old　when　I　saw　him
for　the　first　time　…　had　he　already　won　his　way　on　the　press？　　That
was　what　everybody　who　came　into　contact　with　him　might　have　asked；
if　they　had　not　known　his　history。　　At　the　time　of　the　affair　of
the　woman　cut　in　pieces　in　the　Rue　Oberskampf　…　another　forgotten
story　…　he　had　taken　to　one　of　the　editors　of　the　〃Epoque；〃　…　a
paper　then　rivalling　the　〃Matin〃　for　information；　…　the　left　foot；
which　was　missing　from　the　basket　in　which　the　gruesome　remains　were
discovered。　　For　this　left　foot　the　police　had　been　vainly　searching
for　a　week；　and　young　Rouletabille　had　found　it　in　a　drain　where
nobody　had　thought　of　looking　for　it。　　To　do　that　he　had　dressed
himself　as　an　extra　sewer…man；　one　of　a　number　engaged　by　the
administration　of　the　city　of　Paris；　owing　to　an　overflow　of　the
Seine。

When　the　editor…in…chief　was　in　possession　of　the　precious　foot　and
informed　as　to　the　train　of　intelligent　deductions　the　boy　had　been
led　to　make；　he　was　divided　between　the　admiration　he　felt　for　such
detective　cunning　in　a　brain　of　a　lad　of　sixteen　years；　and　delight
at　being　able　to　exhibit；　in　the　〃morgue　window〃　of　his　paper；　the
left　foot　of　the　Rue　Oberskampf。

〃This　foot；〃　he　cried；　〃will　make　a　great　headline。〃

Then；　when　he　had　confided　the　gruesome　packet　to　the　medical　lawyer
attached　to　the　journal；　he　asked　the　lad；　who　was　shortly　to　become
famous　as　Rouletabille；　what　he　would　expect　to　earn　as　a　general
reporter　onthe　〃Epoque〃？

〃Two　hundred　francs　a　month；〃　the　youngster　replied　modestly；　hardly
able　to　breathe　from　surprise　at　the　proposal。

〃You　shall　have　two　hundred　and　fifty；〃　said　the　editor…in…chief；
only　you　must　tell　everybody　that　you　have　been　engaged　on　the　paper
for　a　month。　　Let　it　be　quite　understood　that　it　was　not　you　but　the
'Epoque'　that　discovered　the　left　foot　of　the　Rue　Oberskampf。　　Here；
my　young　friend；　the　man　is　nothing；　the　paper　everything。〃

Having　said　this；　he　begged　the　new　reporter　to　retire；　but　before
the　youth　had　reached　the　door　he　called　him　back　to　ask　his　name。
The　other　replied：

〃Joseph　Josephine。〃

〃That's　not　a　name；〃　said　the　editor…in…chief；　〃but　since　you　will
not　be　required　to　sign　what　you　write　it　is　of　no　consequence。〃

The　boy…faced　reporter　speedily　made　himself　many　friends；　for　he
was　serviceable　and　gifted　with　a　good　humour　that　enchanted　the
most　severe…tempered　and　disarmed　the　most　zealous　of　his　companions。
At　the　Bar　cafe；　where　the　reporters　assembled　before　going　to　any
of　the　courts；　or　to　the　Prefecture；　in　search　of　their　news　of
crime；　he　began　to　win　a　reputation　as　an　unraveller　of　intricate
and　obscure　affairs　which　found　its　way　to　the　office　of　the　Chief
of　the　Surete。　　When　a　case　was　worth　the　trouble　and　Rouletabille
…　he　had　already　been　given　his　nickname　…　had　been　started　on　the
scent　by　his　editor…in…chief；　he　often　got　the　better　of　the　most
famous　detective。

It　was　at　the　Bar　cafe　that　I　became　intimately　acquainted　with　him。
Criminal　lawyers　and　journalists　are　not　enemies；　the　former　need
advertisement；　the　latter　information。　　We　chatted　together；　and　I
soon　warmed　towards　him。　　His　intelligence　was　so　keen；　and　so
original！　　…and　he　had　a　quality　of　thought　such　as　I　have　never
found　in　any　other　person。

Some　time　after　this　I　was　put　in　charge　of　the　law　news　of　the　〃Cri
du　Boulevard。〃　　My　entry　into　journalism　could　not　but　strengthen
the　ties　which　united　me　to　Rouletabille。　　After　a　while；　my　new
friend　being　allowed　to　carry　out　an　idea　of　a　judicial
correspondence　column；　which　he　was　allowed　to　sign　〃Business；〃　in
the　〃Epoque；〃　I　was　often　able　to　furnish　him　with　the　legal
information　of　which　he　stood　in　need。

Nearly　two　years　passed　in　this　way；　and　the　better　I　knew　him；　the
more　I　learned　to　love　him；　for；　in　spite　of　his　careless
extravagance；　I　had　discovered　in　him　what　was；　considering　his　age；
an　extraordinary　seriousness　of　mind。　　Accustomed　as　I　was　to　seeing
him　gay　and；　indeed；　often　too　gay；　I　would　many　times　find　him
plunged　in　the　deepest　melancholy。　　I　tried　then　to　question　him　as
to　the　cause　of　this　change　of　humour；　but　each　time　he　laughed　and
made　me　no　answer。　　One　day；　having　questioned　him　about　his　parents；
of　whom　he　never　spoke；　he　left　me；　pretending　not　to　have　heard
what　I　said。

While　things　were　in　this　state　between　us；　the　famous　case　of　The
Yellow　Room　took　place。　　It　was　this　case　which　was　to　rank　him　as
the　leading　newspaper　reporter；　and　to　obtain　for　him　the　reputation
of　being　the　greatest　detective　in　the　world。　　It　should　not　surprise
us　to　find　in　the　one　man　the　perfection　of　two　such　lines　of
activity　if　we　remember　that　the　daily　press　was　already　beginning
to　transform　itself　and　to　become　what　it　is　to…day　…　the　gazette
of　crime。

Morose…minded　people　may　complain　of　this；　for　myself　I　regard　it
a　matter　for　congratulation。　　We　can　never　have　too　many　arms；
public　or　private；　against　the　criminal。　　To　this　some　people　may
answer　that；　by　continually　publishing　the　details　of　crimes；　the
press　ends　by　encouraging　their　commission。　　But　then；　with　some
people　we　can　never　do　right。　　Rouletabille；　as　I　have　said；　entered
my　room　that　morning　of　the　26th　of　October；　1892。　　He　was　looking
redder　than　usual；　and　his　eyes　were　bulging　out　of　his　head；　as
the　phrase　is；　and　altogether　he　appeared　to　be　in　a　state　of
extreme　excitement。　　He　waved　the　〃Matin〃　with　a　trembling　hand；
and　cried：

〃Well；　my　dear　Sainclair；　…　have　you　read　it？〃

〃The　Glandier　crime？〃

〃Yes；　The　Yellow　Room！　　…　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

〃I　think　that　it　must　have　been　the　Devil　or　the　Bete　du　Bon　Dieu
that　committed　the　crime。〃

〃Be　serious！〃

〃Well；　I　don't　much　believe　in　murderers*　who　make　their　escape
through　walls　of　solid　brick。　　I　think　Daddy　Jacques　did　wrong　to
leave　behind　him　the　weapon　with　which　the　crime　was　committed　and；
as　he　occupied　the　attic　immediately　above　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's
room；　the　builder's　job　ordered　by　the　examining　magistrate　will
give　us　the　key　of　the　enigma　and　it　will　not　be　long　before　we
learn　by　what　natural　trap；　or　by　what　secret　door；　the　old　fellow
was　able　to　slip　in　and　out；　and　return　immediately　to　the　laboratory
to　Monsieur　Stangerson；　without　his　absence　being　noticed。　　That；　of
course；　is　only　an　hypothesis。〃

____________________________________________________________________

　　　*Although　the　original　English　translation　often　uses　the　words
　　　〃murder〃　and　〃murderer；〃　the　reader　may　substitute　〃attack〃　and
　　　〃attacker〃　since　no　murder　is　actually　committed。
____________________________________________________________________

Rouletabille　sat　down　in　an　armchair；　lit　his　pipe；　which　he　was
never　without；　smoked　for　a　few　minutes　in　silence　…　no　doubt　to
calm　the　excitement　which；　visibly；　dominated　him　…　and　then
replied：

〃Young　man；〃　he　said；　in　a　tone　the　sad　irony　of　which　I　will　not
attempt　to　render；　〃young　man；　you　are　a　lawyer　and　I　doubt　not　your
ability　to　save　the　guilty　from　conviction；　but　if　you　were　a
magistrate　on　the　bench；　how　easy　it　would　be　for　you　to　condemn
innocent　persons！　…　You　are　really　gifted；　young　man！〃

He　continued　to　smoke　energetically；　and　then　went　on：

〃No　trap　will　be　found；　and　the　mystery　of　The　Yellow　Room　will
become　more　and　more　mysterious。　　That's　why　it　interests　me。
The　examining　magistrate　is　right；　nothing　stranger　than　this　crime
has　ever　been　known。〃

〃Have　you　any　idea　of　the　way　by　which　the　murderer　escaped？〃　I
asked。

〃None；〃　replied　Rouletabille　…　〃none；　for　the　present。　　But　I　have
an　idea　as　to　the　revolver；　the　murderer　did　not　use　it。〃

〃Good　Heavens！　　By　whom；　then；　was　it　used？〃

〃Why　…　by　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。〃

〃I　don't　understand；　…　or　rather；　I　have　never　understood；〃　I　said。

Rouletabille　shrugged　his　shoulders。

〃Is　there　nothing　in　this　article　in　the　'Matin'　by　which　you　were
particularly　struck？〃

〃Nothing；　…　I　have　found　the　whole　of　the　story　it　tells　equally
strange。〃

〃Well；　but　…　the　locked　door　…　with　the　key　on　the　inside？〃

〃That's　the　only　perfectly　natural　thing　in　the　whole　article。〃

〃Really！　　…　And　the　bolt？〃

〃The　bolt？〃

〃Yes；　the　bolt　…　also　inside　the　room　…　a　still　further　protection
against　entry？　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　took　quite　extraordinary
precautions！　　It　is　clear　to　me　that　she　feared　someone。　　That　was
why　she　took　such　precautions　…　even　Daddy　Jacques's　revolver
…　without　telling　him　of　it。　　No　doubt　she　didn't　wish　to