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the mystery of the yellow room-第6章

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everything。  As for my interest; monsieur; I only referred to it by
mere chance; … the mere chance of finding myself in the same train
with you; and in the same compartment ofthe same carriage。〃

〃Where are you going; then?〃 asked Monsieur de Marquet。

〃To the Chateau du Glandier;〃 replied Rouletabille; without turnimg。

〃You'll not get in; Monsieur Rouletabile!〃

〃Will you prevent me?〃 said my friend; already prepared to fight。

〃Not I! … I like the press and journalists too well to be in any
way disagreeable to them; but Monsieur Stangerson has given orders
for his door to be closed against everybody; and it is well guarded。
Not a journalist was able to pass through the gate of the Glandier
yesterday。〃

Monsieur de Marquet compressed his lips and seemed ready to relapse
into obstinate silence。  He only relaxed a little when Rouletabille
no longer left him in ignorance of the fact that we were going to
the Glandier for the purpose of shaking hands with an 〃old and
intimate friend;〃 Monsieur Robert Darzac … a man whom Rouletabille
had perhaps seen once in his life。

〃Poor Robert!〃 continued the young reporter; 〃this dreadful affair
may be his death; … he is so deeply in love with Mademoiselle
Stangerson。〃

〃His sufferings are truly painful to witness;〃 escaped like a regret
from the lips of Monsieur de Marquet。

〃But it is to be hoped that Mademoiselle Stangerson's life will be
saved。〃

〃Let us hope so。  Her father told me yesterday that; if she does not
recover; it will not be long before he joins her in the grave。  What
an incalculable loss to science his death would be!〃

〃The wound on her temple is serious; is it not?〃

〃Evidently; but; by a wonderful chance; it has not proved mortal。
The blow was given with great force。〃

〃Then it was not with the revolver she was wounded;〃 said
Rouletabille; glancing at me in triumph。

Monsieur de Marquet appeared greatly embarrassed。

〃I didn't say anything … I don't want to say anything … I will not
say anything;〃 he said。  And he turned towards his Registrar as if
he no longer knew us。

But Rouletabille was not to be so easily shaken off。  He moved
nearer to the examining magistrate and; drawing a copy of the
〃Matin〃 from his pocket; he showed it to him and said:

〃There is one thing; Monsieur; which I may enquire of you without
committing an indiscretion。  You have; of course; seen the account
given in the 'Matin'?  It is absurd; is it not?〃

〃Not in the slightest; Monsieur。〃

〃What!  The Yellow Room has but one barred window … the bars of
which have not been moved … and only one door; which had to be
broken open … and the assassin was not found!〃

〃That's so; monsieur; … that's so。  That's how the matter stands。〃

Rouletabille said no more but plunged into thought。  A quarter of
an hour thus passed。

Coming back to himself again he said; addressing the magistrate:

〃How did Mademoiselle Stangerson wear her hair on that evening?〃

〃I don't know;〃 replied Monsieur de Marquet。

〃That's a very important point;〃 said Rouletabile。  〃Her hair was
done up in bands; wasn't it?  I feel sure that on that evening; the
evening of the crime; she had her hair arranged in bands。〃

〃Then you are mistaken; Monsieur Rouletabile;〃 replied the
magistrate; 〃Mademoiselle Stangerson that evening had her hair drawn
up in a knot on the top of her head; … her usual way of arranging it
… her forehead completely uncovered。  I can assure you; for we have
carefully examined the wound。  There was no blood on the hair; and
the arrangement of it has not been disturbed since the crime was
committed。〃

〃You are sure!  You are sure that; on the night of the crime; she
had not her hair in bands?〃

〃Quite sure;〃 the magistrate continued; smiling; 〃because I
remember the Doctor saying to me; while he was examining the wound;
'It is a great pity Mademoiselle Stangerson was in the habit of
drawing her hair back from her forehead。  If she had worn it in
bands; the blow she received on the temple would have been weakened。'
It seems strange to me that you should attach so much importance
to this point。〃

〃Oh!  if she had not her hair in bands; I give it up;〃 said
Rouletabille; with a despairing gesture。

〃And was the wound on her temple a bad one?〃 he asked presently。

〃Terrible。〃

〃With what weapon was it made?〃

〃That is a secret of the investigation。〃

〃Have you found the weapon … whatever it was?〃

The magistrate did not answer。

 〃And the wound in the throat?〃

Here the examining magistrate readily confirmed the decision of the
doctor that; if the murderer had pressed her throat a few seconds
longer; Mademoiselle Stangerson would have died of strangulation。

〃The affair as reported in the 'Matin;' 〃 said Rouletabille eagerly;
〃seems to me more and more inexplicable。  Can you tell me; Monsieur;
how many openings there are in the pavilion?  I mean doors and
windows。〃

〃There are five;〃 replied Monsieur de Marquet; after having coughed
once or twice; but no longer resisting the desire he felt to talk
of the whole of the incredible mystery of the affair he was
investigating。  〃There are five; of which the door of the vestibule
is the only entrance to the pavilion; … a door always automatically
closed; which cannot be opened; either from the outer or inside;
except with the two special keys which are never out of the
possession of either Daddy Jacques or Monsieur Stangerson。
Mademoiselle Stangerson had no need for one; since Daddy Jacques
lodged in the pavilion and because; during the daytime; she never
left her father。  When they; all four; rushed into The Yellow Room;
after breaking open the door of the laboratory; the door in the
vestibule remained closed as usual and; of the two keys for opening
it; Daddy Jacques had one in his pocket; and Monsieur Stangerson
the other。  As to the windows of the pavilion; there are four; the
one window of The Yellow Room and those of the laboratory looking
out on to the country; the window in the vestibule looking into
the park。〃

〃It is by that window that he escaped from the pavilion!〃 cried
Rouletabille。

〃How do you know that?〃 demanded Monsieur de Marquet; fixing a
strange look on my young friend。

〃We'll see later how he got away from The Yellow Room;〃 replied
Rouletabille; 〃but he must have left the pavilion by the vestibule
window。〃

〃Once more; … how do you know that?〃

〃How?  Oh; the thing is simple enough!  As soon as he found he could
not escape by the door of the pavilion his only way out was by the
window in the vestibule; unless he could pass through a grated window。
The window of The Yellow Room is secured by iron bars; because it
looks out upon the open country; the two windows of the laboratory
have to be protected in like manner for the same reason。  As the
murderer got away; I conceive that he found a window that was not
barred; … that of the vestibule; which opens on to the park; … that
is to say; into the interior of the estate。  There's not much magic
in all that。〃

〃Yes;〃 said Monsieur de Marquet; 〃but what you have not guessed is
that this single window in the vestibule; though it has no iron bars;
ha
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