the mystery of the yellow room-第36节

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you！〃　　As　I　rushed　after　him　down　the　stairs；　I　came　face　to　face
with　Arthur　Rance　coming　from　the　left　wing　of　the　chateau；　yelling：
〃What　is　it？　　What　is　it？〃　　We　arrived　almost　at　the　same　time　at
the　foot　of　the　staircase。　　The　window　of　the　vestibule　was　open。
We　distinctly　saw　the　form　of　a　man　running　away。　　Instinctively　we
fired　our　revolvers　in　his　direction。　　He　was　not　more　than　ten
paces　in　front　of　us；　he　staggered　and　we　thought　he　was　going　to
fall。　　We　had　sprung　out　of　the　window；　but　the　man　dashed　off　with
renewed　vigour。　　I　was　in　my　socks；　and　the　American　was　barefooted。
There　being　no　hope　of　overtaking　him；　we　fired　our　last　cartridges
at　him。　　But　he　still　kept　on　running；　going　along　the　right　side
of　the　court　towards　the　end　of　the　right　wing　of　the　chateau；　which
had　no　other　outlet　than　the　door　of　the　little　chamber　occupied　by
the　forest…keeper。　　The　man；　though　he　was　evidently　wounded　by　our
bullets；　was　now　twenty　yards　ahead　of　us。　　Suddenly；　behind　us；
and　above　our　heads；　a　window　in　the　gallery　opened　and　we　heard
the　voice　of　Rouletabille　crying　out　desperately：

〃Fire；　Bernier！　…　Fire！〃

At　that　moment　the　clear　moonlight　night　was　further　lit　by　a　broad
flash。　　By　its　light　we　saw　Daddy　Bernier　with　his　gun　on　the
threshold　of　the　donjon　door。

He　had　taken　good　aim。　　The　shadow　fell。　　But　as　it　had　reached　the
end　of　the　right　wing　of　the　chateau；　it　fell　on　the　other　side　of
the　angle　of　the　building；　that　is　to　say；　we　saw　it　about　to　fall；
but　not　the　actual　sinking　to　the　ground。　　Bernier；　Arthur　Rance
and　myself　reached　the　other　side　twenty　seconds　later。　　The　shadow
was　lying　dead　at　our　feet。

Aroused　from　his　lethargy　by　the　cries　and　reports；　Larsan　opened
the　window　of　his　chamber　and　called　out　to　us。　　Rouletabille；　quite
awake　now；　joined　us　at　the　same　moment；　and　I　cried　out　to　him：

〃He　is　dead！　…　is　dead！〃

〃So　much　the　better；〃　he　said。　　〃Take　him　into　the　vestibule　of　the
chateau。〃　Then　as　if　on　second　thought；　he　said：　〃No！　…　no！　　Let　us
put　him　in　his　own　room。〃

Rouletabille　knocked　at　the　door。　　Nobody　answered。　　Naturally；　this
did　not　surprise　me。

〃He　is　evidently　not　there；　otherwise　he　would　have　come　out；〃　said
the　reporter。　　〃Let　us　carry　him　to　the　vestibule　then。〃

Since　reaching　the　dead　shadow；　a　thick　cloud　had　covered　the　moon
and　darkened　the　night；　so　that　we　were　unable　to　make　out　the
features。　　Daddy　Jacques；　who　had　now　joined　us；　helped　us　to　carry
the　body　into　the　vestibule；　where　we　laid　it　down　on　the　lower　step
of　the　stairs。　　On　the　way；　I　had　felt　my　hands　wet　from　the　warm
blood　flowing　from　the　wounds。

Daddy　Jacques　flew　to　the　kitchen　and　returned　with　a　lantern。　　He
held　it　close　to　the　face　of　the　dead　shadow；　and　we　recognised　the
keeper；　the　man　called　by　the　landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn　the　Green
Man；　whom；　an　hour　earlier；　I　had　seen　come　out　of　Arthur　Rance's
chamber　carrying　a　parcel。　　But　what　I　had　seen　I　could　only　tell
Rouletabille　later；　when　we　were　alone。

Rouletabille　and　Frederic　Larsan　experienced　a　cruel　disappointment
at　the　result　of　the　night's　adventure。　　They　could　only　look　in
consternation　and　stupefaction　at　the　body　of　the　Green　Man。

Daddy　Jacques　showed　a　stupidly　sorrowful　face　and　with　silly
lamentations　kept　repeating　that　we　were　mistaken　…　the　keeper　could
not　be　the　assailant。　　We　were　obliged　to　compel　him　to　be　quiet。
He　could　not　have　shown　greater　grief　had　the　body　been　that　of　his
own　son。　　I　noticed；　while　all　the　rest　of　us　were　more　or　less
undressed　and　barefooted；　that　he　was　fully　clothed。

Rouletabille　had　not　left　the　body。　　Kneeling　on　the　flagstones　by
the　light　of　Daddy　Jacques's　lantern　he　removed　the　clothes　from
the　body　and　laid　bare　its　breast。　　Then　snatching　the　lantern　from
Daddy　Jacques；　he　held　it　over　the　corpse　and　saw　a　gaping　wound。
Rising　suddenly　he　exclaimed　in　a　voice　filled　with　savage　irony：

〃The　man　you　believe　to　have　been　shot　was　killed　by　the　stab　of　a
knife　in　his　heart！〃

I　thought　Rouletabille　had　gone　mad；　but；　bending　over　the　body；　I
quickly　satisfied　myself　that　Rouletabille　was　right。　　Not　a　sign
of　a　bullet　anywhere　…　the　wound；　evidently　made　by　a　sharp　blade；
had　penetrated　the　heart。





CHAPTER　XXIII

The　Double　Scent


I　had　hardly　recovered　from　the　surprise　into　which　this　new
discovery　had　plunged　me；　when　Rouletabille　touched　me　on　the
shoulder　and　asked　me　to　follow　him　into　his　room。

〃What　are　we　going　to　do　there？〃

〃To　think　the　matter　over。〃

I　confess　I　was　in　no　condition　for　doing　much　thinking；　nor　could
I　understand　how　Rouletabille　could　so　control　himself　as　to　be
able　calmly　to　sit　down　for　reflection　when　he　must　have　known　that
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was　at　that　moment　almost　on　the　point　of
death。　　But　his　self…control　was　more　than　I　could　explain。　　Closing
the　door　of　his　room；　he　motioned　me　to　a　chair　and；　seating　himself
before　me；　took　out　his　pipe。　　We　sat　there　for　some　time　in　silence
and　then　I　fell　asleep。

When　I　awoke　it　was　daylight。　　It　was　eight　o'clock　by　my　watch。
Rouletabille　was　no　longer　in　the　room。　　I　rose　to　go　out　when　the
door　opened　and　my　friend　re…entered。　　He　had　evidently　lost　no　time。

〃How　about　Mademoiselle　Stangerson？〃　I　asked　him。

〃Her　condition；　though　very　alarming；　is　not　desperate。〃

〃When　did　you　leave　this　room？〃

〃Towards　dawn。〃

〃I　guess　you　have　been　hard　at　work？〃

〃Rather！〃

〃Have　you　found　out　anything？〃

〃Two　sets　of　footprints！〃

〃Do　they　explain　anything？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Have　they　anything　to　do　with　the　mystery　of　the　keeper's　body？〃

〃Yes；　the　mystery　is　no　longer　a　mystery。　　This　morning；　walking
round　the　chateau；　I　found　two　distinct　sets　of　footprints；　made　at
the　same　time；　last　night。　　They　were　made　by　two　persons　walking
side　by　side。　　I　followed　them　from　the　court　towards　the　oak　grove。
Larsan　joined　me。　　They　were　the　same　kind　of　footprints　as　were
made　at　the　time　of　the　assault　in　The　Yellow　Room　…　one　set　was
from　clumsy　boots　and　the　other　was　made　by　neat　ones；　except　that
the　big　toe　of　one　of　the　sets　was　of　a　different　size　from　the　one
measured　in　The　Yellow　Room　incident。　　I　compared　the　marks　with
the　paper　patterns　I　had　previously　made。

〃Still　following　the　tracks　of　the　prints；　Larsan　and　I　passed　out
of　the　oak　grove　and　reached　the　border　of　the　lake。　　There　they
turned　off　to　a　little　path　leading　to　the　high　road　to　Epinay　where
we　lost　the　traces　in　the　newly　macadamised　highway。

〃We　went　back　to　the　chateau　and　parted　at　the　courtyard。　　We　met
again；　however；　in　Daddy　Jacques's　room　to　which　our　separate　trains
of　thinking　had　led　us　both。　　We　found　the　old　servant　in　bed。　　His
clothes　on　the　chair　were　wet　through　and　his　boots　very　muddy。　　He
certainly　did　not　get　into　that　state　in　helping　us　to　carry　the
body　of　the　keeper。　　It　was　not　raining　then。　　Then　his　face　showed
extreme　fatigue　and　he　looked　at　us　out　of　terror…stricken　eyes。

〃On　our　first　questioning　him　he　told　us　that　he　had　gone　to　bed
immediately　after　the　doctor　had　arrived。　　On　pressing　him；　however；
for　it　was　evident　to　us　he　was　not　speaking　the　truth；　he　confessed
that　he　had　been　away　from　the　chateau。　　He　explained　his　absence
by　saying　that　he　had　a　headache　and　went　out　into　the　fresh　air；
but　had　gone　no　further　than　the　oak　grove。　　When　we　then　described
to　him　the　whole　route　he　had　followed；　he　sat　up　in　bed　trembling。

〃'And　you　were　not　alone！'　cried　Larsan。

〃'Did　you　see　it　then？'　gasped　Daddy　Jacques。

'What？'　I　asked。

〃'The　phantom　…　the　black　phantom！'

〃Then　he　told　us　that　for　several　nights　he　had　seen　what　he　kept
calling　the　black　phantom。　　It　came　into　the　park　at　the　stroke　of
midnight　and　glided　stealthily　through　the　trees；　it　appeared　to
him　to　pass　through　the　trunks　of　the　trees。　　Twice　he　had　seen
it　from　his　window；　by　the　light　of　the　moon　and　had　risen　and
followed　the　strange　apparition。　　The　night　before　last　he　had
almost　overtaken　it；　but　it　had　vanished　at　the　corner　of　the
donjon。　　Last　night；　however；　he　had　not　left　the　chateau；　his
mind　being　disturbed　by　a　presentiment　that　some　new　crime　would
be　attempted。　　Suddenly　he　saw　the　black　phantom　rush　out　from
somewhere　in　the　middle　of　the　court。　　He　followed　it　to　the　lake
and　to　the　high　road　to　Epinay；　where　the　phantom　suddenly
disappeared。

〃'Did　you　see　his　face？'　demanded　Larsan。

〃'No！　…　I　saw　nothing　but　black　veils。'

〃'Did　you　go　out　after　what　passed　on　the　gallery？'

〃'I　could　not！　　…　I　was　terrified。'

〃'Daddy　Jacques；'　I　said；　in　a　threatening　voice；　'you　did　not　follow
it；　you　and　the　phantom　walked　to　Epinay　together　…　arm　in　arm！'

〃'No！'　he　cried；　turning　his　eyes　away；　'I　did　not。　　It　came　on　to
pour；　and　…　I　turned　back。　　I　don't　know　what　became　of　the　black
phantom。〃

〃We　left　him；　and　when　we　were　outside　I　turned　to　Larsan；　looking
him　full　in　the　face；　and　put　my　question　suddenly　to　take　him　off
his　guard：

〃'An　accomplice？'

〃'How　can　I　tell？'　he　replied；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　　'You　can't
be　sure　of　anything　in　a　case　like　this。　　Twenty…four　hou