The Mystery of the Yellow Room, Page 21

supporters of Frederic Larsan. Curiously enough the excitement

  was due less to the fact that an innocent man was in danger of a

  wrongful conviction than to the interest taken in their own ideas

  as to the Mystery of The Yellow Room. Each had his explanation to

  which each held fast. Those who explained the crime on Frederic

  Larsan's theory would not admit that there could be any doubt as

  to the perspicacity of the popular detective. Others who had

  arrived at a different solution, naturally insisted that this was

  Rouletabille's explanation, though they did not as yet know what

  that was.

  With the day's "Epoque" in their hands, the "Larsans" and the

  "Rouletabilles" fought and shoved each other on the steps of the

  Palais de Justice, right into the court itself. Those who could

  not get in remained in the neighbourhood until evening and were,

  with great difficulty, kept back by the soldiery and the police.

  They became hungry for news, welcoming the most absurd rumours.

  At one time the rumour spread that Monsieur Stangerson himself had

  been arrested in the court and had confessed to being the murderer.

  This goes to show to what a pitch of madness nervous excitement

  may carry people. Rouletabille was still expected. Some pretended

  to know him; and when a young man with a "pass" crossed the open

  space which separated the crowd from the Court House, a scuffle

  took place. Cries were raised of "Rouletabille!--there's

  Rouletabille!" The arrival of the manager of the paper was the

  signal for a great demonstration. Some applauded, others hissed.

  The trial itself was presided over by Monsieur de Rocouz, a judge

  filled with the prejudice of his class, but a man honest at heart.

  The witnesses had been called. I was there, of course, as were all

  who had, in any way, been in touch with the mysteries of the

  Glandier. Monsieur Stangerson--looking many years older and almost

  unrecognisable--Larsan, Arthur Rance, with his face ruddy as ever,

  Daddy Jacques, Daddy Mathieu, who was brought into court handcuffed

  between two gendarmes, Madame Mathieu, in tears, the two Berniers,

  the two nurses, the steward, all the domestics of the chateau, the

  employe of the Paris Post Office, the railway employe from Epinay,

  some friends of Monsieur and Mademoiselle Stangerson, and all

  Monsieur Darzac's witnesses. I was lucky enough to be called early

  in the trial, so that I was then able to watch and be present at

  almost the whole of the proceedings.

  The court was so crowded that many lawyers were compelled to find

  seats on the steps. Behind the bench of justices were

  representatives from other benches. Monsieur Robert Darzac stood

  in the prisoner's dock between policemen, tall, handsome, and calm.

  A murmur of admiration rather than of compassion greeted his

  appearance. He leaned forward towards his counsel, Maitre Henri

  Robert, who, assisted by his chief secretary, Maitre Andre Hesse,

  was busily turning over the folios of his brief.

  Many expected that Monsieur Stangerson, after giving his evidence,

  would have gone over to the prisoner and shaken hands with him; but

  he left the court without another word. It was remarked that the

  jurors appeared to be deeply interested in a rapid conversation

  which the manager of the "Epoque" was having with Maitre Henri

  Robert. The manager, later, sat down in the front row of the public

  seats. Some were surprised that he was not asked to remain with

  the other witnesses in the room reserved for them.

  The reading of the indictment was got through, as it always is,

  without any incident. I shall not here report the long examination

  to which Monsieur Darzac was subjected. He answered all the

  questions quickly and easily. His silence as to the important

  matters of which we know was dead against him. It would seem as if

  this reticence would be fatal for him. He resented the President's

  reprimands. He was told that his silence might mean death.

  "Very well," he said; "I will submit to it; but I am innocent."

  With that splendid ability which has made his fame, Maitre Robert

  took advantage of the incident, and tried to show that it brought

  out in noble relief his client's character; for only heroic natures

  could remain silent for moral reasons in face of such a danger.

  The eminent advocate however, only succeeded in assuring those who

  were already assured of Darzac's innocence. At the adjournment

  Rouletabille had not yet arrived. Every time a door opened, all

  eyes there turned towards it and back to the manager of the "Epoque,"

  who sat impassive in his place. When he once was feeling in his

  pocket a loud murmur of expectation followed. The letter!

  It is not, however, my intention to report in detail the course of

  the trial. My readers are sufficiently acquainted with the

  mysteries surrounding the Glandier case to enable me to go on to

  the really dramatic denouement of this ever-memorable day.

  When the trial was resumed, Maitre Henri Robert questioned Daddy

  Mathieu as to his complicity in the death of the keeper. His wife

  was also brought in and was confronted by her husband. She burst

  into tears and confessed that she had been the keeper's mistress,

  and that her husband had suspected it. She again, however,

  affirmed that he had had nothing to do with the murder of her lover.

  Maitre Henri Robert thereupon asked the court to hear Frederic

  Larsan on this point.

  "In a short conversation which I have had with Frederic Larsan,

  during the adjournment," declared the advocate, "he has made me

  understand that the death of the keeper may have been brought about

  otherwise than by the hand of Mathieu. It will be interesting to

  hear Frederic Larsan's theory."

  Frederic Larsan was brought in. His explanation was quite clear.

  "I see no necessity," he said, "for bringing Mathieu in this. I

  have told Monsieur de Marquet that the man's threats had biassed

  the examining magistrate against him. To me the attempt to murder

  Mademoiselle and the death of the keeper are the work of one and

  the same person. Mademoiselle Stangerson's murderer, flying

  through the court, was fired on; it was thought he was struck,

  perhaps killed. As a matter of fact, he only stumbled at the

  moment of his disappearance behind the corner of the right wing

  of the chateau. There he encountered the keeper who, no doubt,

  tried to seize him. The murderer had in his hand the knife with

  which he had stabbed Mademoiselle Stangerson and with this he

  killed the keeper."

  This very simple explanation appeared at once plausible and

  satisfying. A murmur of approbation was heard.

  "And the murderer? What became of him?" asked the President.

  "He was evidently hidden in an obscure corner at the end of the

  court. After the people had left the court carrying with them the

  body of the keeper, the murderer quietly made his escape."

  The words had scarcely left Larsan's mouth when from the back of

  the court came a youthful voice
:

  "I agree with Frederic Larsan as to the death of the keeper; but I

  do not agree with him as to the way the murderer escaped!"

  Everybody turned round, astonished. The clerks of the court sprang

  towards the speaker, calling out silence, and the President angrily

  ordered the intruder to be immediately expelled. The same clear

  voice, however, was again heard:

  "It is I, Monsieur President--Joseph Rouletabille!"

  CHAPTER XXVII

  In Which Joseph Rouletabille Appears in All His Glory

  The excitement was extreme. Cries from fainting women were to be

  heard amid the extraordinary bustle and stir. The "majesty of the

  law" was utterly forgotten. The President tried in vain to make

  himself heard. Rouletabille made his way forward with difficulty,

  but by dint of much elbowing reached his manager and greeted him

  cordially. The letter was passed to him and pocketing it he turned

  to the witness-box. He was dressed exactly as on the day he left

  me even to the ulster over his arm. Turning to the President, he

  said:

  "I beg your pardon, Monsieur President, but I have only just arrived

  from America. The steamer was late. My name is Joseph Rouletabille!"

  The silence which followed his stepping into the witness-box was

  broken by laughter when his words were heard. Everybody seemed

  relieved and glad to find him there, as if in the expectation of

  hearing the truth at last.

  But the President was extremely incensed:

  "So, you are Joseph Rouletabille," he replied; "well, young man,

  I'll teach you what comes of making a farce of justice. By virtue

  of my discretionary power, I hold you at the court's disposition."

  "I ask nothing better, Monsieur President. I have come here for

  that purpose. I humbly beg the court's pardon for the disturbance

  of which I have been the innocent cause. I beg you to believe that

  nobody has a greater respect for the court than I have. I came in

  as I could." He smiled.

  "Take him away!" ordered the President.

  Maitre Henri Robert intervened. He began by apologising for the

  young man, who, he said, was moved only by the best intentions.

  He made the President understand that the evidence of a witness who

  had slept at the Glandier during the whole of that eventful week

  could not be omitted, and the present witness, moreover, had come

  to name the real murderer.

  "Are you going to tell us who the murderer was?" asked the President,

  somewhat convinced though still sceptical.

  "I have come for that purpose, Monsieur President!" replied

  Rouletabille.

  An attempt at applause was silenced by the usher.

  "Joseph Rouletabille," said Maitre Henri Robert, "has not been

  regularly subpoenaed as a witness, but I hope, Monsieur President,

  you will examine him in virtue of your discretionary powers."

  "Very well!" said the President, "we will question him. But we must

  proceed in order."

  The Advocate-General rose:

  "It would, perhaps, be better," he said, "if the young man were to

  tell us now whom he suspects."

  The President nodded ironically:

  "If the Advocate-General attaches importance to the deposition of

  Monsieur Joseph Rouletabille, I see no reason why this witness

  should not give us the name of the murderer."

  A pin drop could have been heard. Rouletabille stood silent looking

  sympathetically at Darzac, who, for the first time since the opening

  of the trial, showed himself agitated.

  "Well," cried the President, "we wait for the name of the murderer."

  Rouletabille, feeling in his waistcoat pocket, drew his watch and,

  looking at it, said:

  "Monsieur President, I cannot name the murderer before half-past

  six o'clock!"

  Loud murmurs of disappointment filled the room. Some of the lawyers

  were heard to say: "He's making fun of us!"

  The President in a stern voice, said:

  "This joke has gone far enough. You may retire, Monsieur, into the

  witnesses' room. I hold you at our disposition."

  Rouletabille protested.

  "I assure you, Monsieur President," he cried in his sharp, clear

  voice, "that when I do name the murderer you will understand why

  I could not speak before half-past six. I assert this on my honour.

  I can, however, give you now some explanation of the murder of the

  keeper. Monsieur Frederic Larsan, who has seen me at work at the

  Glandier, can tell you with what care I studied this case. I found

  myself compelled to differ with him in arresting Monsieur Robert

  Darzac, who is innocent. Monsieur Larsan knows of my good faith

  and knows that some importance may be attached to my discoveries,

  which have often corroborated his own."

  Frederic Larsan said:

  "Monsieur President, it will be interesting to hear Monsieur Joseph

  Rouletabille, especially as he differs from me."

  A murmur of approbation greeted the detective's speech. He was a

  good sportsman and accepted the challenge. The struggle between

  the two promised to be exciting.

  As the President remained silent, Frederic Larsan continued:

  "We agree that the murderer of the keeper was the assailant of

  Mademoiselle Stangerson; but as we are not agreed as to how the

  murderer escaped, I am curious to hear Monsieur Rouletabille's

  explanation."

  "I have no doubt you are," said my friend.

  General laughter followed this remark. The President angrily

  declared that if it was repeated, he would have the court cleared.

  "Now, young man," said the President, "you have heard Monsieur

  Frederic Larsan; how did the murderer get away from the court?"

  Rouletabille looked at Madame Mathieu, who smiled back at him sadly.

  "Since Madame Mathieu," he said, "has freely admitted her intimacy

  with the keeper--"

  "Why, it's the boy!" exclaimed Daddy Mathieu.

  "Remove that man!" ordered the President.

  Mathieu was removed from the court. Rouletabille went on:

  "Since she has made this confession, I am free to tell you that she

  often met the keeper at night on the first floor of the donjon, in

  the room which was once an oratory. These meetings became more

  frequent when her husband was laid up by his rheumatism. She gave

  him morphine to ease his pain and to give herself more time for the

  meetings. Madame Mathieu came to the chateau that night, enveloped

  in a large black shawl which served also as a disguise. This was

  the phantom that disturbed Daddy Jacques. She knew how to imitate

  the mewing of Mother Angenoux' cat and she would make the cries to

  advise the keeper of her presence. The recent repairs of the donjon

  did not interfere with their meetings in the keeper's old room, in

  the donjon, since the new room assigned to him at the end of the

  right wing was separated from the steward's room by a partition only.

  "Previous to the tragedy in the courtyard Madame Mathieu and the

  keeper left the donjon together. I learnt these facts from my

  examination of the footmarks in the court the next morning. Bernier,r />
  the concierge, whom I had stationed behind the donjon--as he will

  explain himself--could not see what passed in the court. He did

  not reach the court until he heard the revolver shots, and then he

  fired. When the woman parted from the man she went towards the open

  gate of the court, while he returned to his room.

  "He had almost reached the door when the revolvers rang out. He

  had just reached the corner when a shadow bounded by. Meanwhile,

  Madame Mathieu, surprised by the revolver shots and by the entrance

  of people into the court, crouched in the darkness. The court is

  a large one and, being near the gate, she might easily have passed

  out unseen. But she remained and saw the body being carried away.

  In great agony of mind she neared the vestibule and saw the dead

  body of her lover on the stairs lit up by Daddy Jacques' lantern.

  She then fled; and Daddy Jacques joined her.

  "That same night, before the murder, Daddy Jacques had been awakened

  by the cat's cry, and, looking through his window, had seen the

  black phantom. Hastily dressing himself he went out and recognised

  her. He is an old friend of Madame Mathieu, and when she saw him

  she had to tell him of her relations with the keeper and begged his

  assistance. Daddy Jacques took pity on her and accompanied her

  through the oak grove out of the park, past the border of the lake

  to the road to Epinay. From there it was but a very short distance

  to her home.

  "Daddy Jacques returned to the chateau, and, seeing how important

  it was for Madame Mathieu's presence at the chateau to remain

  unknown, he did all he could to hide it. I appeal to Monsieur

  Larsan, who saw me, next morning, examine the two sets of

  footprints."

  Here Rouletabille turning towards Madame Mathieu, with a bow, said:

  "The footprints of Madame bear a strange resemblance to the neat

  footprints of the murderer."

  Madame Mathieu trembled and looked at him with wide eyes as if in

  wonder at what he would say next.

  "Madame has a shapely foot, long and rather large for a woman. The

  imprint, with its pointed toe, is very like that of the murderer's."

  A movement in the court was repressed by Rouletabille. He held

  their attention at once.

  "I hasten to add," he went on, "that I attach no importance to this.

  Outward signs like these are often liable to lead us into error, if

  we do not reason rightly. Monsieur Robert Darzac's footprints are

  also like the murderer's, and yet he is not the murderer!"

  The President turning to Madame Mathieu asked:

  "Is that in accordance with what you know occurred?"

  "Yes, Monsieur President," she replied, "it is as if Monsieur

  Rouletabille had been behind us."

  "Did you see the murderer running towards the end of the right wing?"

  "Yes, as clearly as I saw them afterwards carrying the keeper's

  body."

  "What became of the murderer?--You were in the courtyard and could

  easily have seen.

  "I saw nothing of him, Monsieur President. It became quite dark

  just then."

  "Then Monsieur Rouletabille," said the President, "must explain

  how the murderer made his escape."

  Rouletabille continued:

  "It was impossible for the murderer to escape by the way he had

  entered the court without our seeing him; or if we couldn't see him

  we must certainly have felt him, since the court is a very narrow

  one enclosed in high iron railings."

  "Then if the man was hemmed in that narrow square, how is it you

  did not find him?--I have been asking you that for the last

  half hour."

  "Monsieur President," replied Rouletabille, "I cannot answer that

  question before half-past six!"

  By this time the people in the court-room were beginning to believe