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The Mystery of the Yellow Room Chapter 5 - In Which Joseph Rouletabille Makes a Remark... · The Gaston Leroux Library

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  Speaker 1: Chapter five of the Mystery of the Yellow Room. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more free audiobooks ought to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Stuart Bell. The Mystery
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  Speaker 1: of the Yellow Room by Gaston LaRue, Chapter five, in
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  Speaker 1: which Joseph Rouletabille makes a remark to Monsieur Robert Darzac,
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  Speaker 1: which produces its little effect. Rouletabille and I had been
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  Speaker 1: walking for several minutes by the side of a long
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  Speaker 1: wall bounding the vast property of Monsieur Stangerson, and had
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  Speaker 1: already come within sight of the entrance gate, when our
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  Speaker 1: attention was drawn to an individual who, half bent to
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  Speaker 1: the ground, seemed to be so completely absorbed in what
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  Speaker 1: he was doing as not to have seen us coming
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  Speaker 1: towards him. One time he stooped so low as almost
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  Speaker 1: to touch the ground. At another he drew himself up
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  Speaker 1: and attentively examined the wall. Then he looked into the
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  Speaker 1: palm of one of his hands, and walked away with
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  Speaker 1: rapid strides. Finally he set off running, still looking into
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  Speaker 1: the palm of his hand. Rouletabille had brought me to
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  Speaker 1: a standstill by a gesture, Hush, Frederic Larsan is at work.
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  Speaker 1: Don't let us disturb him. Rouletabille had a great admiration
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  Speaker 1: for the celebrated detective. I had never before seen him,
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  Speaker 1: but I knew him well by reputation. At that time,
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  Speaker 1: before Rouletabille had given proof of his unique talent, Larsan
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  Speaker 1: was reputed as the most skillful unraveler of the most
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  Speaker 1: mysterious and complicated crimes. His reputation was worldwide, and the
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  Speaker 1: police of London and even of An America often called
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  Speaker 1: him in to their aid when their own national inspectors
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  Speaker 1: and detectives found themselves at the end of their wits
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  Speaker 1: and resources. No one was astonished then that the head
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  Speaker 1: of the Sirote had, at the outset of the mystery
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  Speaker 1: of the Yellow Room, telegraphed his precious subordinate to London,
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  Speaker 1: where he had been sent in a big case of
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  Speaker 1: stolen securities, to return with all haste. Frederic, who at
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  Speaker 1: the Surretee was called the Great Frederic, had made all speed, doubtless,
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  Speaker 1: knowing by experience that if he was interrupted in what
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  Speaker 1: he was doing, it was because his services were urgently needed.
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  Speaker 1: In another direction. So as Rouletabille said he was that
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  Speaker 1: morning already at work, we soon found out in what
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  Speaker 1: it consisted. What he was continually looking at in the
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  Speaker 1: palm of his right hand was nothing but his watch,
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  Speaker 1: the minute hand of which he appeared to be noting intently.
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  Speaker 1: Then he turned back, still running, stopping only when he
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  Speaker 1: reached the park gate, where he again consulted his watch,
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  Speaker 1: and then put it away in his pocket. Shrugging his
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  Speaker 1: shoulders with a gesture of discouragement, he pushed open the
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  Speaker 1: park gate, reclosed and locked it, raised his head and
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  Speaker 1: through the bars perceived us. Rouletabille rushed after him, and
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  Speaker 1: I followed. Frederic Larsan waited for us. Monsieur Fred, said Rouletabille,
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  Speaker 1: raising his hat and showing the profound respect based on
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  Speaker 1: admiration which the young reporter felt for the celebrated detective.
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  Speaker 1: Can you tell me whether Monsieur Robert Darzac is at
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  Speaker 1: the chateau at this moment? Here is one of his
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  Speaker 1: friends of the Paris bar who desires to speak with him.
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  Speaker 1: I really don't know, Monsieur Rouletabille, replied Fred, shaking hands
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  Speaker 1: with my friend whom he had several times met in
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  Speaker 1: the course of his difficult investigations. I have not seen him.
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  Speaker 1: The concierges will be able to inform us, no doubt, out,
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  Speaker 1: said Rouletabille, pointing to the lodge, the door and windows
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  Speaker 1: of which were close shut. The concierges will not be
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  Speaker 1: able to give you any information, Monsieur Rouletabille. Why not
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  Speaker 1: because they were arrested half an hour ago. Arrested, cried Rouletabille.
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  Speaker 1: Then they are the murderers, Frederic Larsan shrugged his shoulders.
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  Speaker 1: When you can't arrest the real murderer, he said, with
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  Speaker 1: an air of supreme irony, you can always indulge in
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  Speaker 1: the luxury of discovering accomplices. Did you have them arrested,
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur fred not I. I haven't had them arrested in
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  Speaker 1: the first place. I am pretty sure that they have
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  Speaker 1: not had anything to do with the affair. And then
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  Speaker 1: because because of what, asked Rouletabille eagerly, because of nothing,
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  Speaker 1: said Larsan, shaking his head. Because there were no accomplices,
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  Speaker 1: said Rouletabille. Aha, you have an idea then about this matter,
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  Speaker 1: said Larsan, looking at Rouletabille intently. Yet you have seen nothing,
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  Speaker 1: young man. You have not yet gained admission here. I
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  Speaker 1: shall get admission, I doubt it. The orders are strict.
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  Speaker 1: I shall gain admission if you let me see. Monsieur
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  Speaker 1: Robert Darzac do that for me. You know we're old friends.
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  Speaker 1: I beg of you, Monsieur fred Do you remember the
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  Speaker 1: article I wrote about you on the gold bar case.
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  Speaker 1: The face of Rouletabille at the moment was really funny
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  Speaker 1: to look at. It showed such an irresistible desire to
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  Speaker 1: cross the threshold beyond which some prodigious mystery had occurred.
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  Speaker 1: It appealed with so much eloquence, not only of the
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  Speaker 1: mouth and eyes, but with all its features, that I
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  Speaker 1: could not refrain from bursting into laughter. Frederic l Arsain,
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  Speaker 1: no more than myself could retain his gravity. Meanwhile, standing
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  Speaker 1: on the other side of the gate, he calmly put
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  Speaker 1: the key in his pocket. I closely scrutinized him. He
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  Speaker 1: might be about fifty years of age. He had a
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  Speaker 1: fine head, his hair turning gray, a colorless complexion, and
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  Speaker 1: a firm profile. His forehead was prominent, his chin and
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  Speaker 1: cheeks clean shaven. His upper lip without mustache, was finally chiseled,
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  Speaker 1: His eyes were rather small and round, with a look
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  Speaker 1: in them that was at once searching and disquieting. He
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  Speaker 1: was of middle height and well built, with a general bearing,
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  Speaker 1: elegant and gentlemanly. There was nothing about him of the
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  Speaker 1: vulgar policeman. In his way, he was an artist, and
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  Speaker 1: one felt that he had a high opinion of himself.
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  Speaker 1: The skeptical tone of his conversation was that of a
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  Speaker 1: man who had been taught by experience. His strange profession
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  Speaker 1: had brought him into contact with so many crimes and
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  Speaker 1: villainies that it would have been remarkable if his nature
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  Speaker 1: had not been a little hardened. Larsan turned his head
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  Speaker 1: at the sound of a vehicle which had come from
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  Speaker 1: the chateau and reached the gate behind him. We recognized
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  Speaker 1: the cab which had conveyed the examining magistrate in his
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  Speaker 1: registrar from the station at epinay Ah, said Frederic Larsan,
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  Speaker 1: if you want to speak with Monsieur Robert Darzac, he
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  Speaker 1: is here. The cab was already at the park gate,
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  Speaker 1: and Robert Darzac was begging Frederic Larsan to open it
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  Speaker 1: for him, explaining that he was pressed for time to
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  Speaker 1: catch the next train leaving Epinay for Paris. Then he
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  Speaker 1: recognized me. While Larsan was unlocking the gate. Monsieur Darzac
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  Speaker 1: inquired what had brought me to the Glandier at such
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  Speaker 1: a tragic moment. I noticed that he was frightfully pale,
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  Speaker 1: and that his face was lined, as if from the
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  Speaker 1: effects of some terrible suffering. Is Mademoiselle getting better? I
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  Speaker 1: immediately asked, yes. He said, she will be saved. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: she must be saved. He did not add or it
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  Speaker 1: will be my death, but I felt that the phrase
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  Speaker 1: trembled on his pale lips. Rouletabille intervened, You are in
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  Speaker 1: a hurry, monsieur, but I must speak with you. I
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  Speaker 1: have something of the greatest importance to tell you. Frederic
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  Speaker 1: Larsan interrupted. May I leave you? He asked of Robert Darzac,
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  Speaker 1: have you a key or do you wish me to
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  Speaker 1: give you this one? Thank you, I have a key
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  Speaker 1: and will lock the gate. Larsan hurried off in the
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  Speaker 1: direction of the chateau, the imposing pile of which could
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  Speaker 1: be perceived a few hundred yards away. Robert Darzac, with
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  Speaker 1: knit brow, was beginning to show impatience. I presented Rouletabille
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  Speaker 1: as a good friend of mine. But as soon as
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  Speaker 1: he learned that the young man was a journalist, he
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  Speaker 1: looked at me very reproach, excused himself under the necessity
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  Speaker 1: of having to reach Apinay in twenty minutes, bowed and
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  Speaker 1: whipped up his horse. But Rouletabille had seized the bridle, and,
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  Speaker 1: to my utter astonishment, stopped the carriage with a vigorous hand.
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  Speaker 1: Then he gave utterance to a sentence which was utterly
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  Speaker 1: meaningless to me. The presbytery has lost nothing of its charm,
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  Speaker 1: nor the garden its brightness. The words had no sooner
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  Speaker 1: left the lips of Rouletabille than I saw Robert Darzac.
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  Speaker 1: Quail pale as he was, he became paler. His eyes
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  Speaker 1: were fixed on the young man in terror, and he
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  Speaker 1: immediately descended from the vehicle in an inexpressible state of agitation.
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  Speaker 1: Come come, Come, come in, he stammered. Then, suddenly, and
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  Speaker 1: with a sort of fury, he repeated, let us go, monsieur.
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  Speaker 1: He turned up by the road he had come from
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  Speaker 1: the Chateau Rouletabille, still retaining his hold on the horse's bridle,
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  Speaker 1: I addressed a few words to Monsieur Darzac, but he
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  Speaker 1: made no answer. My looks questioned Rouletabille, but his gaze
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  Speaker 1: was elsewhere. End of Chapter five. Recording by Stuart Belle, Cambridge,
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  Speaker 1: Duquet