the mystery of the yellow room-第37节

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〃'How　can　I　tell？'　he　replied；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　　'You　can't
be　sure　of　anything　in　a　case　like　this。　　Twenty…four　hours　ago　I
would　have　sworn　that　there　was　no　accomplice！'　　He　left　me　saying
he　was　off　to　Epinay。〃

〃Well；　what　do　you　make　of　it？〃　I　asked　Rouletabille；　after　he　had
ended　his　recital。　　〃Personally　I　am　utterly　in　the　dark。　　I　can't
make　anything　out　of　it。　　What　do　you　gather？〃

〃Everything！　　Everything！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃But；〃　he　said　abruptly；
〃let's　find　out　more　about　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。〃





CHAPTER　XXIV

Rouletabille　Knows　the　Two　Halves　of　the　Murderer


Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　been　almost　murdered　for　the　second
time。　　Unfortunately；　she　was　in　too　weak　a　state　to　bear　the
severer　injuries　of　this　second　attack　as　well　as　she　had　those　of
the　first。　　She　had　received　three　wounds　in　the　breast　from　the
murderer's　knife；　and　she　lay　long　between　life　and　death。　　Her
strong　physique；　however；　saved　her；　but　though　she　recovered
physically　it　was　found　that　her　mind　had　been　affected。　　The
slightest　allusion　to　the　terrible　incident　sent　her　into　delirium；
and　the　arrest　of　Robert　Darzac　which　followed　on　the　day　following
the　tragic　death　of　the　keeper　seemed　to　sink　her　fine　intelligence
into　complete　melancholia。

Robert　Darzac　arrived　at　the　chateau　towards　half…past　nine。　　I　saw
him　hurrying　through　the　park；　his　hair　and　clothes　in　disorder　and
his　face　a　deadly　white。　　Rouletabille　and　I　were　looking　out　of　a
window　in　the　gallery。　　He　saw　us；　and　gave　a　despairing　cry：　〃I'm
too　late！〃

Rouletabille　answered：　〃She　lives！〃

A　minute　later　Darzac　had　gone　into　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　room
and；　through　the　door；　we　could　hear　his　heart…rending　sobs。

〃There's　a　fate　about　this　place！〃　groaned　Rouletabille。　　〃Some
infernal　gods　must　be　watching　over　the　misfortunes　of　this　family！
…　If　I　had　not　been　drugged；　I　should　have　saved　Mademoiselle
Stangerson。　　I　should　have　silenced　him　forever。　　And　the　keeper
would　not　have　been　killed！〃

Monsieur　Darzac　came　in　to　speak　with　us。　　His　distress　was　terrible。
Rouletabille　told　him　everything：　his　preparations　for　Mademoiselle
Stangerson's　safety；　his　plans　for　either　capturing　or　for　disposing
of　the　assailant　for　ever；　and　how　he　would　have　succeeded　had　it
not　been　for　the　drugging。

〃If　only　you　had　trusted　me！〃　said　the　young　man；　in　a　low　tone。
〃If　you　had　but　begged　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　to　confide　in　me！
…　But；　then；　everybody　here　distrusts　everybody　else；　the　daughter
distrusts　her　father；　and　even　her　lover。　　While　you　ask　me　to
protect　her　she　is　doing　all　she　can　to　frustrate　me。　　That　was　why
I　came　on　the　scene　too　late！〃

At　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac's　request　Rouletabille　described　the
whole　scene。　　Leaning　on　the　wall；　to　prevent　himself　from　falling；
he　had　made　his　way　to　Mademoiselle　Stangerson's　room；　while　we　were
running　after　the　supposed　murderer。　　The　ante…room　door　was　open
and　when　he　entered　he　found　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　lying　partly
thrown　over　the　desk。　　Her　dressing…gown　was　dyed　with　the　blood
flowing　from　her　bosom。　　Still　under　the　influence　of　the　drug；　he
felt　he　was　walking　in　a　horrible　nightmare。

He　went　back　to　the　gallery　automatically；　opened　a　window；　shouted
his　order　to　fire；　and　then　returned　to　the　room。　　He　crossed　the
deserted　boudoir；　entered　the　drawing…room；　and　tried　to　rouse
Monsieur　Stangerson　who　was　lying　on　a　sofa。　　Monsieur　Stangerson
rose　stupidly　and　let　himself　be　drawn　by　Rouletabille　into　the　room
where；　on　seeing　his　daughter's　body；　he　uttered　a　heart…rending　cry。
Both　united　their　feeble　strength　and　carried　her　to　her　bed。

On　his　way　to　join　us　Rouletabille　passed　by　the　desk。　　On　the　floor；
near　it；　he　saw　a　large　packet。　　He　knelt　down　and；　finding　the
wrapper　loose；　he　examined　it；　and　made　out　an　enormous　quantity　of
papers　and　photographs。　　On　one　of　the　papers　he　read：　〃New
differential　electroscopic　condenser。　　Fundamental　properties　of
substance　intermediary　between　ponderable　matter　and　imponderable
ether。〃　　Strange　irony　of　fate　that　the　professor's　precious　papers
should　be　restored　to　him　at　the　very　time　when　an　attempt　was　being
made　to　deprive　him　of　his　daughter's　life！　　What　are　papers　worth
to　him　now？

The　morning　following　that　awful　night　saw　Monsieur　de　Marquet　once
more　at　the　chateau；　with　his　Registrar　and　gendarmes。　　Of　course
we　were　all　questioned。　　Rouletabille　and　I　had　already　agreed　on
what　to　say。　　I　kept　back　any　information　as　to　my　being　in　the
dark　closet　and　said　nothing　about　the　drugging。　　We　did　not　wish
to　suggest　in　any　way　that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　had　been
expecting　her　nocturnal　visitor。　　The　poor　woman　might；　perhaps；
never　recover；　and　it　was　none　of　our　business　to　lift　the　veil　of
a　secret　the　preservation　of　which　she　had　paid　for　so　dearly。

Arthur　Rance　told　everybody；　in　a　manner　so　natural　that　it
astonished　me；　that　he　had　last　seen　the　keeper　towards　eleven
o'clock　of　that　fatal　night。　　He　had　come　for　his　valise；　he　said；
which　he　was　to　take　for　him　early　next　morning　to　the　Saint…Michel
station；　and　had　been　kept　out　late　running　after　poachers。　　Arthur
Rance　had；　indeed；　intended　to　leave　the　chateau　and；　according　to
his　habit；　to　walk　to　the　station。

Monsieur　Stangerson　confirmed　what　Rance　had　said；　adding　that　he
had　not　asked　Rance　to　dine　with　him　because　his　friend　had　taken
his　final　leave　of　them　both　earlier　in　the　evening。　　Monsieur
Rance　had　had　tea　served　him　in　his　room；　because　he　had　complained
of　a　slight　indisposition。

Bernier　testified；　instructed　by　Rouletabille；　that　the　keeper　had
ordered　him　to　meet　at　a　spot　near　the　oak　grove；　for　the　purpose
of　looking　out　for　poachers。　　Finding　that　the　keeper　did　not　keep
his　appointment；　he；　Bernier；　had　gone　in　search　of　him。　　He　had
almost　arrived　at　the　donjon；　when　he　saw　a　figure　running　swiftly
in　a　direction　opposite　to　him；　towards　the　right　wing　of　the
chateau。　　He　heard　revolver　shots　from　behind　the　figure　and　saw
Rouletabille　at　one　of　the　gallery　windows。　　He　heard　Rouletabille
call　out　to　him　to　fire；　and　he　had　fired。　　He　believed　he　had
killed　the　man　until　he　learned；　after　Rouletabille　had　uncovered
the　body；　that　the　man　had　died　from　a　knife　thrust。　　Who　had　given
it　he　could　not　imagine。　　〃Nobody　could　have　been　near　the　spot
without　my　seeing　him。〃　　When　the　examining　magistrate　reminded　him
that　the　spot　where　the　body　was　found　was　very　dark　and　that　he
himself　had　not　been　able　to　recognise　the　keeper　before　firing；
Daddy　Bernier　replied　that　neither　had　they　seen　the　other　body；
nor　had　they　found　it。　　In　the　narrow　court　where　five　people　were
standing　it　would　have　been　strange　if　the　other　body；　had　it　been
there；　could　have　escaped。　　The　only　door　that　opened　into　the　court
was　that　of　the　keeper's　room；　and　that　door　was　closed；　and　the
key　of　it　was　found　in　the　keeper's　pocket。

However　that　might　be；　the　examining　magistrate　did　not　pursue　his
inquiry　further　in　this　direction。　　He　was　evidently　convinced　that
we　had　missed　the　man　we　were　chasing　and　we　had　come　upon　the
keeper's　body　in　our　chase。　　This　matter　of　the　keeper　was　another
matter　entirely。　　He　wanted　to　satisfy　himself　about　that　without
any　further　delay。　　Probably　it　fitted　in　with　the　conclusions　he
had　already　arrived　at　as　to　the　keeper　and　his　intrigues　with　the
wife　of　Mathieu；　the　landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn。　　This　Mathieu；
later　in　the　afternoon；　was　arrested　and　taken　to　Corbeil　in　spite
of　his　rheumatism。　　He　had　been　heard　to　threaten　the　keeper；　and
though　no　evidence　against　him　had　been　found　at　his　inn；　the
evidence　of　carters　who　had　heard　the　threats　was　enough　to　justify
his　retention。

The　examination　had　proceeded　thus　far　when；　to　our　surprise；
Frederic　Larsan　returned　to　the　chateau。　　He　was　accompanied　by　one
of　the　employes　of　the　railway。　　At　that　moment　Rance　and　I　were　in
the　vestibule　discussing　Mathieu's　guilt　or　innocence；　while
Rouletabille　stood　apart　buried；　apparently；　in　thought。　　The
examining　magistrate　and　his　Registrar　were　in　the　little　green
drawing…room；　while　Darzac　was　with　the　doctor　and　Stangerson　in
the　lady's　chamber。　　As　Frederic　Larsan　entered　the　vestibule　with
the　railway　employed；　Rouletabille　and　I　at　once　recognised　him　by
the　small　blond　beard。　　We　exchanged　meaningful　glances。　　Larsan
had　himself　announced　to　the　examining　magistrate　by　the　gendarme
and　entered　with　the　railway　servant　as　Daddy　Jacques　came　out。
Some　ten　minutes　went　by　during　which　Rouletabille　appeared
extremely　impatient。　　The　door　of　the　drawing…room　was　then　opened
and　we　heard　the　magistrate　calling　to　the　gendarme　who　entered。
Presently　he　came　out；　mounted　the　stairs　and；　coming　back　shortly；
went　in　to　the　magistrate　and　said：

〃Monsieur；　…　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac　will　not　come！〃

〃What！　　Not　come！〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Marquet。

〃He　says　he　cannot　leave　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　in　her　present
state。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　〃then　we'll　go　to　him。〃

Monsieur　de　Marquet　and　the　gendarme　mounted　the　stairs。　　He　made
a　sign　to　Larsan　and