the mystery of the yellow room-第5章

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〃Everything　goes　to　prove　it。〃

〃I　think　so；　too；〃　confessed　Rouletabille　gravely。

After　a　brief　silence；　he　continued：

〃If　you　have　not　found　any　traces　of　the　murderer　in　the　attic；　such
as　the　dirty　footmarks　similar　to　those　on　the　floor　of　The　Yellow
Room；　you　must　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　not　he　who　stole
Daddy　Jacques's　revolver。〃

〃There　are　no　footmarks　in　the　attic　other　than　those　of　Daddy
Jacques　himself；〃　said　the　magistrate　with　a　significant　tum　of　his
head。　　Then；　after　an　apparent　decision；　he　added：　〃Daddy　Jacques
was　with　Monsieur　Stangerson　in　the　laboratory　…　and　it　was　lucky
for　him　he　was。〃

〃Then　what　part　did　his　revolver　play　in　the　tragedy？　…　It　seems
very　clear　that　this　weapon　did　less　harm　to　Mademoiselle　Stangerson
than　it　did　to　the　murderer。〃

The　magistrate　made　no　reply　to　this　question；　which　doubtless
embarrassed　him。　　〃Monsieur　Stangerson；〃　he　said；　〃tells　us　that　the
two　bullets　have　been　found　in　The　Yellow　Room；　one　embedded　in　the
wall　stained　with　the　impression　of　a　red　hand　…　a　man's　large　hand
…　and　the　other　in　the　ceiling。〃

〃Oh！　　oh！　　in　the　ceiling！〃　muttered　Rouletabille。　　〃In　the　ceiling！
That's　very　curious！　　…　In　the　ceiling！〃

He　puffed　awhile　in　silence　at　his　pipe；　enveloping　himself　in　the
smoke。　　When　we　reached　Savigny…sur…Orge；　I　had　to　tap　him　on　the
shoulder　to　arouse　him　from　his　dream　and　come　out　on　to　the
platform　of　the　station。

There；　the　magistrate　and　his　Registrar　bowed　to　us；　and　by　rapidly
getting　into　a　cab　that　was　awaiting　them；　made　us　understand　that
they　had　seen　enough　of　us。

〃How　long　will　it　take　to　walk　to　the　Chateau　du　Glandier？〃
Rouletabille　asked　one　of　the　railway　porters。

〃An　hour　and　a　half　or　an　hour　and　three　quarters　…　easy　walking；〃
the　man　replied。

Rouletabille　looked　up　at　the　sky　and；　no　doubt；　finding　its
appearance　satisfactory；　took　my　arm　and　said：

〃Come　on！　　…　I　need　a　walk。〃

〃Are　things　getting　less　entangled？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　a　bit　of　it！〃　he　said；　〃more　entangled　than　ever！　　It's　true；
I　have　an　idea　…〃

〃What's　that？〃　I　asked。

〃I　can't　tell　you　what　it　is　just　at　present　…　it's　an　idea
involving　the　life　or　death　of　two　persons　at　least。〃

〃Do　you　think　there　were　accomplices？〃

〃I　don't　think　it　…〃

We　fell　into　silence。　　Presently　he　went　on：

〃It　was　a　bit　of　luck；　our　falling　in　with　that　examining　magistrate
and　his　Registrar；　eh？　　What　did　I　tell　you　about　that　revolver？〃
His　head　was　bent　down；　he　had　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　he　was
whistling。　　After　a　while　I　heard　him　murmur：

〃Poor　woman！〃

〃Is　it　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　you　are　pitying？〃

〃Yes；　she's　a　noble　woman　and　worthy　of　being　pitied！　…　a　woman　of
a　great；　a　very　great　character　…　I　imagine　…　I　imagine。〃

〃You　know　her　then？〃

〃Not　at　all。　　I　have　never　seen　her。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　say　that　she　is　a　woman　of　great　character？〃

〃Because　she　bravely　faced　the　murderer；　because　she　courageously
defended　herself　…　and；　above　all；　because　of　the　bullet　in　the
ceiling。〃

I　looked　at　Rouletabille　and　inwardly　wondered　whether　he　was　not
mocking　me；　or　whether　he　had　not　suddenly　gone　out　of　his　senses。
But　I　saw　that　he　had　never　been　less　inclined　to　laugh；　and　the
brightness　of　his　keenly　intelligent　eyes　assured　me　that　he
retained　all　his　reason。　　Then；　too；　I　was　used　to　his　broken　way
of　talking；　which　only　left　me　puzzled　as　to　his　meaning；　till；
with　a　very　few　clear；　rapidly　uttered　words；　he　would　make　the
drift　of　his　ideas　clear　to　me；　and　I　saw　that　what　he　had
previously　said；　and　which　had　appeared　to　me　void　of　meaning；　was
so　thoroughly　logical　that　I　could　not　understand　how　it　was　I　had
not　understood　him　sooner。





CHAPTER　IV

〃In　the　Bosom　of　Wild　Nature'


The　Chateau　du　Glandier　is　one　of　the　oldest　chateaux　in　the　Ile　de
France；　where　so　many　building　remains　of　the　feudal　period　are
still　standing。　　Built　originally　in　the　heart　of　the　forest；　in　the
reign　of　Philip　le　Bel；　it　now　could　be　seen　a　few　hundred　yards
from　the　road　leading　from　the　village　of　Sainte…Genevieve　to
Monthery。　　A　mass　of　inharmonious　structures；　it　is　dominated　by　a
donjon。　　When　the　visitor　has　mounted　the　crumbling　steps　of　this
ancient　donjon；　he　reaches　a　little　plateau　where；　in　the　seventeenth
century；　Georges　Philibert　de　Sequigny；　Lord　of　the　Glandier；
Maisons…Neuves　and　other　places；　built　the　existing　town　in　an
abominably　rococo　style　of　architecture。

It　was　in　this　place；　seemingly　belonging　entirely　to　the　past；　that
Professor　Stangerson　and　his　daughter　installed　themselves　to　lay
the　foundations　for　the　science　of　the　future。　　Its　solitude；　in
the　depths　of　woods；　was　what；　more　than　all；　had　pleased　them。
They　would　have　none　to　witness　their　labours　and　intrude　on　their
hopes；　but　the　aged　stones　and　grand　old　oaks。　　The　Glandier
…　ancient　Glandierum　…　was　so　called　from　the　quantity　of　glands
（acorns）　which；　in　all　times；　had　been　gathered　in　that
neighbourhood。　　This　land；　of　present　mournful　interest；　had　fallen
back；　owing　to　the　negligence　or　abandonment　of　its　owners；　into
the　wild　character　of　primitive　nature。　　The　buildings　alone；　which
were　hidden　there；　had　preserved　traces　of　their　strange
metamorphoses。　　Every　age　had　left　on　them　its　imprint；　a　bit　of
architecture　with　which　was　bound　up　the　remembrance　of　some　terrible
event；　some　bloody　adventure。　　Such　was　the　chateau　in　which　science
had　taken　refuge　…　a　place　seemingly　designed　to　be　the　theatre　of
mysteries；　terror；　and　death。

Having　explained　so　far；　I　cannot　refrain　from　making　one　further
reflection。　　If　I　have　lingered　a　little　over　this　description　of
the　Glandier；　it　is　not　because　I　have　reached　the　right　moment　for
creating　the　necessary　atmosphere　for　the　unfolding　of　the　tragedy
before　the　eyes　of　the　reader。　　Indeed；　in　all　this　matter；　my
first　care　will　be　to　be　as　simple　as　is　possible。　　I　have　no
ambition　to　be　an　author。　　An　author　is　always　something　of　a
romancer；　and　God　knows；　the　mystery　of　The　Yellow　Room　is　quite
full　enough　of　real　tragic　horror　to　require　no　aid　from　literary
effects。　　I　am；　and　only　desire　to　be；　a　faithful　〃reporter。〃　My
duty　is　to　report　the　event；　and　I　place　the　event　in　its　frame
…　that　is　all。　　It　is　only　natural　that　you　should　know　where　the
things　happened。

I　return　to　Monsieur　Stangerson。　　When　he　bought　the　estate；　fifteen
years　before　the　tragedy　with　which　we　are　engaged　occurred；　the
Chateau　du　Glandier　had　for　a　long　time　been　unoccupied。　　Another
old　chateau　in　the　neighbourhood；　built　in　the　fourteenth　century
by　Jean　de　Belmont；　was　also　abandoned；　so　that　that　part　of　the
country　was　very　little　inhabited。　　Some　small　houses　on　the　side
of　the　road　leading　to　Corbeil；　an　inn；　called　the　〃Auberge　du
Donjon；〃　which　offered　passing　hospitality　to　waggoners；　these
were　about　all　to　represent　civiisation　in　this　out…of…theway　part
of　the　country；　but　a　few　leagues　from　the　capital。

But　this　deserted　condition　of　the　place　had　been　the　determining
reason　for　the　choice　made　by　Monsieur　Stangerson　and　his　daughter。
Monsieur　Stangerson　was　already　celebrated。　　He　had　returned　from
America；　where　his　works　had　made　a　great　stir。　　The　book　which　he
had　published　at　Philadelphia；　on　the　〃Dissociation　of　Matter　by
Electric　Action；〃　had　aroused　opposition　throughout　the　whole
scientific　world。　　Monsieur　Stangerson　was　a　Frenchman；　but　of
American　origin。　　Important　matters　relating　to　a　legacy　had　kept
him　for　several　years　in　the　United　States；　where　he　had　continued
the　work　begun　by　him　in　France；　whither　he　had　returned　in
possession　of　a　large　fortune。　　This　fortune　was　a　great　boon　to
him；　for；　though　he　might　have　made　millions　of　dollars　by
exploiting　two　or　three　of　his　chemical　discoveries　relative　to
new　processes　of　dyeing；　it　was　always　repugnant　to　him　to　use
for　his　own　private　gain　the　wonderful　gift　of　invention　he　had
received　from　nature。　　He　considered　he　owed　it　to　mankind；　and
all　that　his　genius　brought　into　the　world　went；　by　this
philosophical　view　of　his　duty；　into　the　public　lap。

If　he　did　not　try　to　conceal　his　satisfaction　at　coming　into
possession　of　this　fortune；　which　enabled　him　to　give　himself　up　to
his　passion　for　pure　science；　he　had　equally　to　rejoice；　it　seemed
to　him；　for　another　cause。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was；　at　the　time
when　her　father　returned　from　America　and　bought　the　Glandier　estate；
twenty　years　of　age。　　She　was　exceedingly　pretty；　having　at　once　the
Parisian　grace　of　her　mother；　who　had　died　in　giving　her　birth；　and
all　the　splendour；　all　the　riches　of　the　young　American　blood　of　her
parental　grandfather；　William　Stangerson。　　A　citizen　of　Philadelphia；
William　Stangerson　had　been　obliged　to　become　naturalised　in
obedience　to　family　exigencies　at　the　time　of　his　marriage　with　a
French　lady；　she　who　was　to　be　the　mother　of　the　illustrious
Stangerson。　　In　that　way　the　professor's　French　nationality　is
accounted　for。

Twenty　years　of　age；　a　charming　blonde；　with　blue　eyes；　milk…white
complexion；　and　radiant　with　divine　health；　Mathilde　Stangerson　was
one　of　the　most　beautiful　marriageable　girls　in　either　the　old　or
the　new　world。　　It　was　her　father's　duty；　in　spite　of　the　inevitable
pain　which　a　separation　from　her　would　cause　him；　to　think　of　her
marriage；　and　he　was　fully　prepared　for　it。　　Nevertheless；　he
buried　himself　and　his　child　at　the　Glandier　at　the　moment　when　his
friends　were　expecting　him　to　bring　her　out　into　society。　　Some　of
them　expressed　their　astonishment；　and　to　their　questions　he
answered：　〃It　is　my　daughter's　wish。　　I　can　refuse　her　nothing。
She　has　chosen　the　Glandier。〃

Interrogated　in　her　turn；　the　young　girl　replied　calmly：　〃Where
could　we　work　better　than　in　this　solitude？〃　　For　Mademoiselle
Stangerson　had　already　begun　to　collaborate　with　her　father　in　his
work。　　It　could　not　at　the　time　be　imagined　that　her　passion　for
science　would　lead　her　so　far　as　to　refuse　all　the　suitors　who
presented　themselves　to　her　for　over　fifteen　years。　　So　secluded　was
the　life　led　by　the　two；　father　and　daughter；　that　they　showed
themselves　only　at　a　few　official　receptions　and；　at　certain　times
in　the　year；　in　two　or　three　friendly　drawing…rooms；　where　the　fame
of　the　professor　and　the　beauty　of　Mathilde　made　a　sensation。　　The
young　girl's　extreme　reserve　did　not　at　first　discourage　suitors；
but　at　the　end　of　a　few　years；　they　tired　of　their　quest。

One　alone　persisted　with　tender　tenacity　and　deserved　the　name　of
〃eternal　fiance；〃　a　name　he　accepted　with　melancholy　resignation；
that　was　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。　　Mademoiselle　Stangerson　was　now
no　longer　young；　and　it　seemed　that；　having　found　no　reason　for
marrying　at　five…and…thirty；　she　would　never　find　one。　　But　such　an
argument　evidently　found　no　acceptance　with　Monsieur　Robert　Darzac。
He　continued　to　pay　his　court　…　if　the　delicate　and　tender　attention
with　which　he　ceaselessly　surrounded　this　woman　of　five…and…thirty
could　be　called　courtship　…　in　face　of　her　declared　intention　never
to　marry。

Suddenly；　some　weeks　before　the　events　with　which　we　are　occupied；
a　report