the mystery of the yellow room-第2章

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her；　uttering　a　cry　of　despair。　　He　ascertained　that　she　still
breathed。　　As　to　us；　we　searched　for　the　wretch　who　had　tried　to
kill　our　mistress；　and　I　swear　to　you；　monsieur；　that；　if　we　had
found　him；　it　would　have　gone　hard　with　him！

〃'But　how　to　explain　that　he　was　not　there；　that　he　had　already
escaped？　　It　passes　all　imagination！　　…　Nobody　under　the　bed；　nobody
behind　the　furniture！　　…　All　that　we　discovered　were　traces；
blood…stained　marks　of　a　man's　large　hand　on　the　walls　and　on　the
door；　a　big　handkerchief　red　with　blood；　without　any　initials；　an
old　cap；　and　many　fresh　footmarks　of　a　man　on　the　floor；　…　footmarks
of　a　man　with　large　feet　whose　boot…soles　had　left　a　sort　of　sooty
impression。　　How　had　this　man　got　away？　　How　had　he　vanished？　　Don't
forget；　monsieur；　that　there　is　no　chimney　in　The　Yellow　Room。　　He
could　not　have　escaped　by　the　door；　which　is　narrow；　and　on　the
threshold　of　which　the　concierge　stood　with　the　lamp；　while　her
husband　and　I　searched　for　him　in　every　corner　of　the　little　room；
where　it　is　impossible　for　anyone　to　hide　himself。　　The　door；　which
had　been　forced　open　against　the　wall；　could　not　conceal　anything
behind　it；　as　we　assured　ourselves。　　By　the　window；　still　in　every
way　secured；　no　flight　had　been　possible。　　What　then？　　…　I　began
to　believe　in　the　Devil。

〃'But　we　discovered　my　revolver　on　the　floor！　　…　Yes；　my　revolver！
Oh！　　that　brought　me　back　to　the　reality！　　The　Devil　would　not　have
needed　to　steal　my　revolver　to　kill　Mademoiselle。　　The　man　who　had
been　there　had　first　gone　up　to　my　attic　and　taken　my　revolver　from
the　drawer　where　I　kept　it。　　We　then　ascertained；　by　counting　the
cartridges；　that　the　assassin　had　fired　two　shots。　　Ah！　　it　was
fortunate　for　me　that　Monsieur　Stangerson　was　in　the　laboratory
when　the　affair　took　place　and　had　seen　with　his　own　eyes　that　I
was　there　with　him；　for　otherwise；　with　this　business　of　my　revolver；
I　don't　know　where　we　should　have　been；　…　I　should　now　be　under　lock
and　bar。　　Justice　wants　no　more　to　send　a　man　to　the　scaffold！'〃

The　editor　of　the　〃Matin〃　added　to　this　interview　the　following
lines：

〃We　have；　without　interrupting　him；　allowed　Daddy　Jacques　to　recount
to　us　roughly　all　he　knows　about　the　crime　of　The　Yellow　Room。　　We
have　reproduced　it　in　his　own　words；　only　sparing　the　reader　the
continual　lamentations　with　which　he　garnished　his　narrative。　　It　is
quite　understood；　Daddy　Jacques；　quite　understood；　that　you　are　very
fond　of　your　masters；　and　you　want　them　to　know　it；　and　never　cease
repeating　it　…　especially　since　the　discovery　of　your　revolver。　　It
is　your　right；　and　we　see　no　harm　in　it。　　We　should　have　liked　to
put　some　further　questions　to　Daddy　Jacques　…　Jacques　…　Louis
Moustier　…　but　the　inquiry　of　the　examining　magistrate；　which　is
being　carried　on　at　the　chateau；　makes　it　impossible　for　us　to　gain
admission　at　the　Glandier；　and；　as　to　the　oak　wood；　it　is　guarded
by　a　wide　circle　of　policemen；　who　are　jealously　watching　all　traces
that　can　lead　to　the　pavilion；　and　that　may　perhaps　lead　to　the
discovery　of　the　assassin。　　〃We　have　also　wished　to　question　the
concierges；　but　they　are　invisible。　　Finally；　we　have　waited　in　a
roadside　inn；　not　far　from　the　gate　of　the　chateau；　for　the　departure
of　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　the　magistrate　of　Corbeil。　　At　half…past
five　we　saw　him　and　his　clerk　and；　before　he　was　able　to　enter　his
carriage；　had　an　opportunity　to　ask　him　the　following　question：

〃'Can　you；　Monsieur　de　Marquet；　give　us　any　information　as　to　this
affair；　without　inconvenience　to　the　course　of　your　inquiry？'

〃'It　is　impossible　for　us　to　do　it；'　replied　Monsieur　de　Marquet。
'I　can　only　say　that　it　is　the　strangest　affair　I　have　ever　known。
The　more　we　think　we　know　something；　the　further　we　are　from　knowing
anything！'

〃We　asked　Monsieur　de　Marquet　to　be　good　enough　to　explain　his　last
words；　and　this　is　what　he　said；　…　the　importance　of　which　no　one
will　fail　to　recognise：

〃'If　nothing　is　added　to　the　material　facts　so　far　established；　I
fear　that　the　mystery　which　surrounds　the　abominable　crime　of　which
Mademoiselle　Stangerson　has　been　the　victim　will　never　be　brought　to
light；　but　it　is　to　be　hoped；　for　the　sake　of　our　human　reason；　that
the　examination　of　the　wails；　and　of　the　ceiling　of　The　Yellow　Room
…　an　examination　which　I　shall　to…morrow　intrust　to　the　builder　who
constructed　the　pavilion　four　years　ago　…　will　afford　us　the　proof
that　may　not　discourage　us。　　For　the　problem　is　this：　we　know　by
what　way　the　assassin　gained　admission；　…　he　entered　by　the　door　and
hid　himself　under　the　bed；　awaiting　Mademoiselle　Stangerson。　　But
how　did　he　leave？　　How　did　he　escape？　　If　no　trap；　no　secret　door；
no　hiding　place；　no　opening　of　any　sort　is　found；　if　the　examination
of　the　walls　…　even　to　the　demolition　of　the　pavilion　…　does　not
reveal　any　passage　practicable　…　not　only　for　a　human　being；　but　for
any　being　whatsoever　…　if　the　ceiling　shows　no　crack；　if　the　floor
hides　no　underground　passage；　one　must　really　believe　in　the　Devil；
as　Daddy　Jacques　says！'〃

And　the　anonymous　writer　in　the　〃Matin〃　added　in　this　article
…　which　I　have　selected　as　the　most　interesting　of　all　those　that
were　published　on　the　subject　of　this　affair　…　that　the　examining
magistrate　appeared　to　place　a　peculiar　significance　to　the　last
sentence：　〃One　must　really　believe　in　the　Devil；　as　Jacques　says。

The　article　concluded　with　these　lines：　〃We　wanted　to　know　what
Daddy　Jacques　meant　by　the　cry　of　the　Bete　Du　Bon　Dieu。〃　　The
landlord　of　the　Donjon　Inn　explained　to　us　that　it　is　the
particularly　sinister　cry　which　is　uttered　sometimes　at　night　by
the　cat　of　an　old　woman；　…　Mother　Angenoux；　as　she　is　called　in
the　country。　　Mother　Angenoux　is　a　sort　of　saint；　who　lives　in　a
hut　in　the　heart　of　the　forest；　not　far　from　the　grotto　of
Sainte…Genevieve。

〃The　Yellow　Room；　the　Bete　Du　Bon　Dieu；　Mother　Angenoux；　the　Devil；
Sainte…Genevieve；　Daddy　Jacques；　…　here　is　a　well　entangled　crime
which　the　stroke　of　a　pickaxe　in　the　wall　may　disentangle　for　us
to…morrow。　　Let　us　at　least　hope　that；　for　the　sake　of　our　human
reason；　as　the　examining　magistrate　says。　　Meanwhile；　it　is　expected
that　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　…　who　has　not　ceased　to　be　delirious
and　only　pronounces　one　word　distinctly；　'Murderer！　　Murderer！'
…　will　not　live　through　the　night。〃

In　conclusion；　and　at　a　late　hour；　the　same　journal　announced　that
the　Chief　of　the　Surete　had　telegraphed　to　the　famous　detective；
Frederic　Larsan；　who　had　been　sent　to　London　for　an　affair　of
stolen　securities；　to　return　immediately　to　Paris。





CHAPTER　II

In　Which　Joseph　Rouktabille　Appears　for　the　First　Time


I　remember　as　well　as　if　it　had　occurred　yesterday；　the　entry　of
young　Rouletabille　into　my　bedroom　that　morning。　　It　was　about
eight　o'clock　and　I　was　still　in　bed　reading　the　article　in　the
〃Matin〃　relative　to　the　Glandier　crime。

But；　before　going　further；　it　is　time　that　I　present　my　friend
to　the　reader。

I　first　knew　Joseph　Rouletabille　when　he　was　a　young　reporter。　　At
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