The Mystery of the Yellow Room

tform of the Orleans station, awaiting the departure

of Corbeil. Monsieur Marquet had spent the night in Paris, attending the final rehearsal, at the Sc

of dramatic art. Throughout his magisterial career he was interested solely in cases capable of furnishing him with something in the nature of a drama. Though he might very

interested him enormously, and he threw himself into it, less as a magistrate eager to know the truth, than as an amateu

him, I heard Monsieur de Marquet

, this builder with his pickaxe w

on, perhaps, but it will leave our case intact. I have sounded the walls and e

s attention to us. The face of that gentleman clouded, and, as he saw Rouletabille approaching, hat in hand, he sp

nd!" and then tried to prevent Rouletabille from enter

emen,-this compar

d my young friend with a great show of gesture and politene

h engaged with the in

enger of odds and ends," he went on, with infinite contempt in his lower lip, "I am a theatri

please," said

nt in after him and seated myself by his side. Th

Marquet lo

that I desire to have the honour of speaking, but with Monsieur 'Castigat Ridendo.' Permit me to congratulate you-p

an author to desire that the veil of his pseudonym should be publicly raised, and that he hoped the enthusiasm of the journalist for the dramatist

a slight hesitation, "with that of the magistrate, especially

on my discretion!"

n was in

mining magistrate, surprised at

, smiling amiably,-"on its way to the Chateau du Gla

r-and there is only one thing I fear, Monsieur Rouletabi

this a rap on

nterest, monsieur, I only referred to it by mere chance,-the mere chance of finding

ng, then?" asked M

ndier," replied Roulet

t in, Monsieur

" said my friend, alr

Monsieur Stangerson has given orders for his door to be closed against everybody, and it is

Rouletabille no longer left him in ignorance of the fact that we were going to the Glandier for the purpose of shaking h

this dreadful affair may be his death,-he is s

o witness," escaped like a regret f

hat Mademoiselle Stanger

s not recover, it will not be long before he joins her in the

r temple is seri

ance, it has not proved mortal. Th

er she was wounded," said Roulet

uet appeared gre

g-I will not say anything," he said. And he turned

ed nearer to the examining magistrate and, drawing a copy o

ithout committing an indiscretion. You have, of course, see

slightest,

ars of which have not been moved-and only one door, whic

-that's so. That's ho

t plunged into thought. A qu

f again he said, addr

Stangerson wear her

" replied Mons

as done up in bands, wasn't it? I feel sure that on that evenin

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 careful

at, on the night of the crime,

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

ands, I give it up," said Rouleta

her temple a bad one

rri

weapon wa

cret of the i

d the weapon-w

rate did n

ound in th

e doctor that, if the murderer had pressed her throat a few second

seems to me more and more inexplicable. Can you tell me, Monsieur, ho

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

t he escaped from the pav

d Monsieur de Marquet, fixing a

ow Room"," replied Rouletabille, "but he must h

-how do you

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 murd

s of blood on the inside wall and on the blinds as well as on the floor, and footmarks, of which I have taken the measurements, attest the fact that the murderer made his escape that way. But then, how did he do it, seeing that the blinds remained fastened on the inside? He passed through them like a shadow. But what is

pe, Mon

Marquet corr

hope so,-I

and refastened after the flight of

oment; but it would imply an accompl

ort silenc

rson were only well enough

llowing up his

here must be some

the rest of the windows. These bars, as in the other windows, have remained intact, and the blinds, which naturally open inwards, have

, that the murderer escaped-nobody kno

g goes to

," confessed Rou

f silence, h

irty footmarks similar to those on the floor of "The Yellow Room", you must c

gistrate with a significant turn of his head. Then, after an apparent decision, he added: "D

-It seems very clear that this weapon did less harm t

n," he said, "tells us that the two bullets have been found in "The Yellow Room", one embedded in t

Rouletabille. "In the ceiling! Th

. When we reached Savigny-sur-Orge, I had to tap him on the shoulder to

nd by rapidly getting into a cab that was awaiting the

he Chateau du Glandier?" Rouletabil

our and three quarters-easy

nd, no doubt, finding its appearanc

!-I need

ting less entan

"more entangled than ever!

that?"

present-it's an idea involving the li

k there were

't thi

ilence. Presen

trar, eh? What did I tell you about that revolver?" His head was bent down, he had

r wo

lle Stangerson y

being pitied!-a woman of a great, a ve

now he

I have neve

y that she is a woman

use she courageously defended herself-and, ab

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 mak