the mystery of the yellow room-第30章

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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　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　fi