第 29 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2021-02-19 17:35      字数:9321
  hair in bands。  But then; how could  I have imagined otherwise when
  I had not been in The Yellow Room!
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  *When I wrote these lines; Joseph Rouletabille was eighteen years of
  age;梐nd he spoke of his 〃youth。〃  I have kept the text of my friend;
  but I inform the reader here that the episode of the mystery of The
  Yellow Room has no connection with that of the perfume of the lady
  in black。  It is not my fault if; in the document which I have cited;
  Rouletabille thought fit to refer to his childhood。
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  〃But now; since the occurrence of the inexplicable gallery; I did
  not reason at all。  I stood there; stupid; before the apparition
  … so pale and so beautiful … of Mademoiselle Stangerson。  She was
  clad in a dressing…gown of dreamy white。  One might have taken her
  to be a ghost … a lovely phantom。  Her father took her in his arms
  and kissed her passionately; as if he had recovered her after being
  long lost to him。  I dared not question her。 He drew her into the
  room and we followed them; … for we had to know! … The door of the
  boudoir was open。  The terrified faces of the two nurses craned
  towards us。  Mademoiselle Stangerson inquired the meaning of all
  the disturbance。  That she was not in her own room was quite easily
  explained … quite easily。  She had a fancy not to sleep that night
  in her chamber; but in the boudoir with her nurses; locking the door
  on them。  Since the night of the crime she had experienced feelings
  of terror; and fears came over her that are easily to be
  comprehended。
  〃But who could imagine that on that particular night when he was
  to come; she would; by a mere chance; determine to shut herself in
  with her women?  Who would think that she would act contrary to her
  father's wish to sleep in the drawing…room?  Who could believe that
  the letter which had so recently been on the table in her room would
  no longer be there?  He who could understand all this; would have to
  assume that Mademoiselle Stangerson knew that the murderer was coming
  … she could not prevent his coming again … unknown to her father;
  unknown to all but to Monsieur Robert Darzac。  For he must know it
  now … perhaps he had known it before!  Did he remember that phrase
  in the Elysee garden: 'Must I commit a crime; then; to win you?'
  Against whom the crime; if not against the obstacle; against the
  murderer?  'Ah; I would kill him with my own hand!'  And I replied;
  'You have not answered my question。' That was the very truth。  In
  truth; in truth; Monsieur Darzac knew the murderer so well that
  … while wishing to kill him himself … he was afraid I should find
  him。  There could be but two reasons why he had assisted me in my
  investigation。  First; because I forced him to do it; and; second;
  because she would be the better protected。
  〃I am in the chamber … her room。  I look at her; also at the place
  where the letter had just now been。  She has possessed herself of
  it; it was evidently intended for her … evidently。  How she trembles!
  … Trembles at the strange story her father is telling her; of the
  presence of the murderer in her chamber; and of the pursuit。  But
  it is plainly to be seen that she is not wholly satisfied by the
  assurance given her until she had been told that the murderer; by
  some incomprehensible means; had been able to elude us。
  〃Then follows a silence。  What a silence!  We are all there … looking
  at her … her father; Larsan; Daddy Jacques and I。  What were we all
  thinking of in the silence?  After the events of that night; of the
  mystery of the inexplicable gallery; of the prodigious fact of the
  presence of the murderer in her room; it seemed to me that all our
  thoughts might have been translated into the words which were
  addressed to her。  'You who know of this mystery; explain it to us;
  and we shall perhaps be able to save you。  How I longed to save her
  … for herself; and; from the other! … It brought the tears to my eyes。
  〃She is there; shedding about her the perfume of the lady in black。
  At last; I see her; in the silence of her chamber。  Since the fatal
  hour of the mystery of The Yellow Room; we have hung about this
  invisible and silent woman to learn what she knows。  Our desires;
  our wish to know must be a torment to her。  Who can tell that; should
  we learn the secret of her mystery; it would not precipitate a
  ragedy more terrible than that which had already been enacted here?
  Who can tell if it might not mean her death?  Yet it had brought her
  close to death; … and we still knew nothing。  Or; rather; there are
  some of us who know nothing。  But I … if I knew who; I should know
  all。  Who? … Who? … Not knowing who; I must remain silent; out of
  pity for her。  For there is no doubt that she knows how he escaped
  from The Yellow Room; and yet she keeps the secret。  When I know
  who; I will speak to him … to him!〃
  〃She looked at us now … with a far…away look in her eyes … as if we
  were not in the chamber。  Monsieur Stangerson broke the silence。
  He declared that; henceforth; he would no more absent himself from
  his daughter's apartments。  She tried to oppose him in vain。  He
  adhered firmly to his purpose。  He would install himself there this
  very night; he said。  Solely concerned for the health of his
  daughter; he reproached her for having left her bed。  Then he
  suddenly began talking to her as if she were a little child。  He
  smiled at her and seemed not to know either what he said or what he
  did。  The illustrious professor had lost his head。  Mademoiselle
  Stangerson in a tone of tender distress said: 'Father! … father!'
  Daddy Jacques blows his nose; and Frederic Larsan himself is obliged
  to turn away to hide his emotion。  For myself; I am able neither to
  think or feel。  I felt an infinite contempt for myself。
  〃It was the first time that Frederic Larsan; like myself; found
  himself face to face with Mademoiselle Stangerson since the attack
  in The Yellow Room。  Like me; he had insisted on being allowed to
  question the unhappy lady; but he had not; any more than had I; been
  permitted。  To him; as to me; the same answer had always been given:
  Mademoiselle Stangerson was too weak to receive us。  The questionings
  of the examining magistrate had over…fatigued her。  It was evidently
  intended not to give us any assistance in our researches。  I was not
  surprised; but Frederic Larsan had always resented this conduct。  It
  is true that he and I had a totally different theory of the crime。
  〃I still catch myself repeating from the depths of my heart: 'Save
  her! … save her without his speaking!'  Who is he … the murderer?
  Take him and shut his mouth。  But Monsieur Darzac made it clear that
  in order to shut his mouth he must be killed。  Have I the right to
  kill Mademoiselle Stangerson's murderer?  No; I had not。  But let
  him only give me the chance!  Let me find out whether he is really
  a creature of flesh and blood! … Let me see his dead body; since
  it cannot be taken alive。
  〃If I could but make this woman; who does not even look at us;
  understand!  She is absorbed by her fears and by her father's
  distress of mind。  And I can do nothing to save her。  Yes; I will
  go to work once more and accomplish wonders。
  〃I move towards her。  I would speak to her。  I would entreat her
  to have confidence in me。  I would; in a word; make her understand
  … she alone … that I know how the murderer escaped from The Yellow
  Room … that I have guessed the motives for her secrecy … and that I
  pity her with all my heart。  But by her gestures she begged us to
  leave her alone; expressing weariness and the need for immediate
  rest。  Monsieur Stangerson asked us to go back to our rooms and
  thanked us。  Frederic Larsan and I bowed to him and; followed by
  Daddy Jacques; we regained the gallery。  I heard Larsan murmur:
  'Strange!  strange!' He made a sign to me to go with him into his
  room。  On the threshold he turned towards Daddy Jacques。
  〃'Did you see him distinctly?' he asked。
  〃'Who?'
  〃'The man?'
  〃'Saw him! … why; he had a big red beard and red hair。'
  〃'That's how he appeared to me;' I said。
  〃'And to me;' said Larsan。
  〃The great Fred and I were alone in his chamber; now; to talk over
  this thing。  We talked for an hour; turning the matter over and
  viewing it from every side。  From the questions put by him; from
  the explanation which he gives me; it is clear to me that … in spite
  of all our senses … he is persuaded the man disappeared by some
  secret passage in the chateau known to him alone。
  〃'He knows the chateau;' he said to me; 'he knows it well。'
  〃'He is a rather tall man … well…built;' I suggested。
  〃'He is as tall as he wants to be;' murmured Fred。
  〃'I understand;' I said; 'but how do you account for his red hair
  and beard?'
  〃'Too much beard … too much hair … false;' says Fred。
  〃'That's easily said。  You are always thinking of Robert Darzac。
  You can't get rid of that idea?  I am certain that he is innocent。'
  〃'So much the better。  I hope so; but everything condemns him。  Did
  you notice the marks on the carpet? … Come and look at them。'
  〃'I have seen them; they are the ma