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of October。 Information to be addressed to 'M。 R。；' at the office
of the 'Epoque'； but no answer has resulted。 The man may have
walked； but； as he was most likely in a hurry； there was a chance
that he might have gone in a cab。 Who； I keep asking myself night
and day； is the man who so strongly resembles Monsieur Robert Darzac；
and who is also known to have bought the cane which has fallen into
Larsan's hands？
〃The most serious fact is that Monsieur Darzac was； at the very same
time that his double presented himself at the Post Office； scheduled
for a lecture at the Sorbonne。 He had not delivered that lecture；
and one of his friends took his place。 When I questioned him as to
how he had employed the time； he told me that he had gone for a
stroll in the Bois de Boulogne。 What do you think of a professor
who； instead of giving his lecture； obtains a substitute to go for
a stroll in the Bois de Boulogne？ When Frederic Larsan asked him
for information on this point； he quietly replied that it was no
business of his how he spent his time in Paris。 On which Fred swore
aloud that he would find out； without anybody's help。
〃All this seems to fit in with Fred's hypothesis； namely； that
Monsieur Stangerson allowed the murderer to escape in order to avoid
a scandal。 The hypothesis is further substantiated by the fact that
Darzac was in The Yellow Room and was permitted to get away。 That
hypothesis I believe to be a false one。 … Larsan is being misled by
it； though that would not displease me； did it not affect an innocent
person。 Now does that hypothesis really mislead Frederic Larsan？
That is the question … that is the question。〃
〃Perhaps he is right；〃 I cried； interrupting Rouletabille。 〃Are
you sure that Monsieur Darzac is innocent？ … It seems to me that
these are extraordinary coincidences …〃
〃Coincidences；〃 replied my friend； 〃are the worst enemies to truth。〃
〃What does the examining magistrate think now of the matter？〃
〃Monsieur de Marquet hesitates to accuse Monsieur Darzac； in the
absence of absolute proofs。 Not only would he have public opinion
wholly against him； to say nothing of the Sorbonne； but Monsieur
and Mademoiselle Stangerson。 She adores Monsieur Robert Darzac。
Indistinctly as she saw the murderer； it would be hard to make the
public believe that she could not have recognised him； if Darzac
had been the criminal。 No doubt The Yellow Room was very dimly
lit； but a night…light； however small； gives some light。 Here； my
boy； is how things stood when； three days； or rather three nights
ago； an extraordinarily strange incident occurred。〃
CHAPTER XIV
〃I Expect the Assassin This Evening〃
〃I must take you；〃 said Rouletabille； 〃so as to enable you to
understand； to the various scenes。 I myself believe that I have
discovered what everybody else is searching for； namely； how the
murderer escaped from The Yellow Room； without any accomplice； and
without Mademoiselle Stangerson having had anything to do with it。
But so long as I am not sure of the real murderer； I cannot state
the theory on which I am working。 I can only say that I believe
it to be correct and； in any case； a quite natural and simple one。
As to what happened in this place three nights ago； I must say it
kept me wondering for a whole day and a night。 It passes all belief。
The theory I have formed from the incident is so absurd that I would
rather matters remained as yet unexplained。〃
Saying which the young reporter invited me to go and make the tour
of the chateau with him。 The only sound to be heard was the
crunching of the dead leaves beneath our feet。 The silence was so
intense that one might have thought the chateau had been abandoned。
The old stones； the stagnant water of the ditch surrounding the
donjon； the bleak ground strewn with the dead leaves； the dark；
skeleton…like outlines of the trees； all contributed to give to the
desolate place； now filled with its awful mystery； a most funereal
aspect。 As we passed round the donjon； we met the Green Man； the
forest…keeper； who did not greet us； but walked by as if we had not
existed。 He was looking just as I had formerly seen him through
the window of the Donjon Inn。 He had still his fowling…piece slung
at his back； his pipe was in his mouth； and his eye…glasses on his
nose。
〃An odd kind of fish！〃 Rouletabille said to me； in a low tone。
〃Have you spoken to him？〃 I asked。
〃Yes； but I could get nothing out of him。 His only answers are
grunts and shrugs of the shoulders。 He generally lives on the
first floor of the donjon； a big room that once served for an
oratory。 He lives like a bear； never goes out without his gun；
and is only pleasant with the girls。 The women； for twelve miles
round； are all setting their caps for him。 For the present； he is
paying attention to Madame Mathieu； whose husband is keeping a
lynx eye upon her in consequence。〃
After passing the donjon； which is situated at the extreme end of
the left wing； we went to the back of the chateau。 Rouletabille；
pointing to a window which I recognised as the only one belonging
to Mademoiselle Stangerson's apartment； said to me：
〃If you had been here； two nights ago； you would have seen your
humble servant at the top of a ladder； about to enter the chateau
by that window。〃
As I expressed some surprise at this piece of nocturnal gymnastics；
he begged me to notice carefully the exterior disposition of the
chateau。 We then went back into the building。
〃I must now show you the first floor of the chateau； where I am
living；〃 said my friend。
To enable the reader the better to understand the disposition of
these parts of the dwelling； I annex a plan of the first floor of
the right wing； drawn by Rouletabille the day after the
extraordinary phenomenon occurred； the details of which I am about
to relate。
***
boudoir
___ ____ ___________ __________ ________4________ _______ _________ __
｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜
｜ ｜ Mlle。 ｜ ｜ Mlle。 ｜___ ___ ___｜ Mr。
Lumber ｜Sangerson's Sangerson's ｜___ ___ ___｜ Sangerson's
｜ Room ｜ Sitting ｜ ｜ Bed Room ｜___ ___ ___｜ Room
｜ ｜ Room ｜ ｜__ __ _____｜stair…case ｜
｜ ｜ ｜bath｜anteroom｜ ｜
｜_____ ______｜____ ______｜___｜____｜___ ___｜ ｜______ _____
｜
2 Right Gallery Right Wing… 3 Right Gallery
Left Wing
｜_________ _____ _________ ______ _______ __ __ __ _________ _____
｜Roulet… ｜ W G ｜
｜tabille's ｜ I A ｜ Right Wing Left Wing
｜ Room N L of the
｜_________ ｜ D L ｜ Chateau
Frederic ｜ I E ｜
｜Larsan's N R
｜ Room ｜ G Y ｜
｜ ｜
｜____ ____ ｜ _1_ ｜
。 5 。
。 6 。
。 。
。 。 。
***
Rouletabille motioned me to follow him up a magnificent flight of
stairs ending in a landing on the first floor。 From this landing
one could pass to the right or left wing of the chateau by a galle