The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Chapter 26

"The Mystery of the Yellow Room" by Gaston Leroux is a classic locked-room mystery set in France. When Mathilde Stangerson is found in a locked room with no apparent way in or out, journalist Joseph Rouletabille is determined to unravel the mystery. Leroux's tale is renowned for its suspenseful plot, clever twists, and exploration of themes like deception and truth. It's a gripping story that keeps readers guessing until the end, making it a seminal work in detective fiction.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Chapter twenty six of the Mystery ofthe Yellow Room. This is a LibriVox
recording. All LibriVox recordings are inthe public domain. For more free audiobooks
or to volunteer, please visit LibriVoxdot org. Recording by J. C.
Guan. The Mystery of the YellowRoom by Gaston le Roux, chapter
twenty six, in which Joseph Rouletabilleis awaited with impatience on the fifteenth of

(00:29):
January, that is to say,two months and a half after the tragic
events. I have narrated the epochprinted as the first column of the front
page the following sensational article. Thesenny Wise jury is summoned to day to
give its verdict on one of themost mysterious affairs in the annals of crime.

(00:51):
There never has been a case withso many obscure, incomprehensible and inexplicable
points, and yet the prosecution hasnot hesitated to put into the prisoner's dock.
A man who is respected, esteemedand loved by all who knew him,
a young savant, the hope ofFrench science, whose whole life has

(01:11):
been devoted to knowledge and truth.When Paris heard of Monsieur Robert Darzac's arrest.
A unanimous cry of protest arose fromall sides. The whole Sorbonne,
disgraced by this act of the examiningmagistrate, asserted its belief in the innocence
of Mademoiselle Stangerson's fiancee. Monsieur Stangersonwas loud in his denunciation of this miscarriage

(01:36):
of justice. There is no doubtin the mind of anybody that could the
victim speak, she would claim fromthe jurors of Senne was the man she
wishes to make her husband, andwhom the prosecution would send to the scaffold.
It is to be hoped that MademoiselleStangerson will shortly recover her reason,

(01:56):
which has been temporarily unhinged by thehorrible mischief at the Grandier. The question
before the jury is the one wepropose to deal with this very day.
We have decided not to permit twelveworthy men to commit a disgraceful miscarriage of
justice. We confess that the remarkablecoincidences, the many convicting evidences, and

(02:20):
the inexplicable silence on the part ofthe accused, as well as a total
absence of any evidence for an alibiwere enough to warrant the bench of judges
in assuming that in this man alonewas centered the truths of the affair.
The evidences are in appearance so overwhelmingagainst Monsieur Bert Darzac that a detective so

(02:44):
well informed, so intelligent, andgenerally so successful as Monsieur Frederic Larsan may
be excused for having been misled bythem. Up to now everything has gone
against Monsieur Robert Darzac in the magisterialinquiry. To day, however, we
are going to defend him before thejury, and we are going to bring

(03:06):
to the witness stand a light thatwill illuminate the whole mystery of the Glandier.
For we possess the truth. Ifwe have not spoken sooner, it
is because the interests of certain partiesin the case demand that we should take
that course. Our readers may rememberthe unsigned report we published relating to the

(03:28):
left foot of the reobercamp at thetime of the famous robbery of the Crete
Universelles and the famous case of thegold ingots of the mint. In both
those cases we were able to discoverthe truth before even the excellent ingenuity of
Frederic Larsan had been able to unravelit. These reports were written by our

(03:51):
youngest reporter, Joseph Rotabille, ayouth of eighteen, whose pain to morrow
will be world wide. When attentionwas res drawn to the Glandier Casse,
our youthful reporter was on the spotand installed in the chateau. When every
other representative of the press had beendenied admission. He worked side by side

(04:13):
with Frederic Larsan. He was amazedand terrified at the grave mistake the celebrated
detective was about to make, andtried to divert him from the false scent
he was following, But the greatfred refused to receive instructions from this young
journalist. We know now where itbrought Monsieur Bert Darzac, but now France

(04:38):
must know. The whole world mustknow that. On the very evening on
which Monsieur Darzac was arrested, youngRouletabe entered our editorial office and informed us
that he was about to go awayon a journey. How long I shall
be away, he said, Icannot say, perhaps a month, perhaps

(04:59):
two for three, perhaps I maynever return. Here is a letter if
I am not back on the dayon which mister Darzac is to appear before
the esceised court. Have this letteropened and read to the court, after
all the witnesses have been heard.Arrange it with mister Darzac's council. Mister
Darzac is innocent. In this letteris written the name of the murderer,

(05:23):
and that is all I have tosay. I am leaving to get my
proofs for the irrefutable evidence of themurderer's guilt. Our reporter departed for a
long time. We were without newsfrom him. But a week ago a
stranger called upon our manager and said, act in accordance with the instructions of

(05:45):
roosephreu Daby, if it becomes necessaryto do so. The letter left by
him holds the truth. The gentlemanwho brought us this message would not give
us his name. To day,the fifteenth January, is the day of
the trial. Joseph Roulebay has notreturned. It may be we shall never

(06:06):
see him again. The press alsocounts its heroes, its martyrs to duty.
It may be he is no longerliving. We shall know how to
avenge him. Our manager will thisafternoon be at the court of Assis at
Versailles, with the letter, theletter containing the name of the murderer.

(06:29):
Those Parisians who flocked to the AceaseCourt at Versailles to be present at the
trial of what was known as theMystery of the Yellow Room will certainly remember
the terrible crush at the sin Lazarstation. The ordinary trains were so full
that special trains had to be madeup. The article in the epook had
so excited the populace that discussion wasrife everywhere, even to the verge of

(06:53):
blows. Partisans of rouletabill fought withthe supporters of Frederic Larsan. Curiously enough,
the excitement was due less to thefact that an innocent man was in
danger of a wrongful conviction than tothe interest taken in their own ideas as
to the mystery of the Yellow Room. Each had his explanation to each each

(07:15):
held fast. Those who explained thecrime on Frederic Larsan's theory would not admit
that there could be any doubt asto the perspicacity of the popular detective.
Others who had arrived at a differentsolution naturally insisted that this was Rouletabet's explanation,
though they did not as yet knowwhat that was. With the days

(07:40):
apoke in their hands. The Larsansand the Rouletabilles fought and shoved each other
on the steps of the Paladi justiceright into the court itself. Those who
could not get in remained in theneighborhood until evening, and were with great
difficulty kept back by the soldier andthe police. They became hungry for news,

(08:03):
welcoming the most absurd rumors. Atone time, the rumors spread that
Missus Stangerson himself had been arrested inthe court and had confessed to being the
murderer. This goes to show witha pitch of madness, nervous excitement may
carry people. Rouletabille was still expected. Some pretended to know him, and

(08:26):
when a young man with a passcrossed the open space which separated the crowd
from the court house, a scuffletook place. Cries were raised of Rouletabille,
there's Rouletabille. The arrival of themanager of the paper was at the
signals for a great demonstration. Someapplauded, others hissed. The trial itself

(08:48):
was presided over by Monsieur de Racus, a judge filled with the prejudice of
his class, but a man honestat heart. The witnesses had been.
I was there, of course,as were all who had in any way
been in touch with the mysteries ofthe grandier. Missus Stangerson, looking many

(09:09):
years older and almost unrecognizable, LarsanArthur Rance, with his face ready as
ever, Daddy Jacques Daddimatieux, whowas brought into court handcuffed between two gendarmes,
Madame Mathieu in tears, the twoberneers, the two nurses, the
steward, all the domestics of thechateau, the employer of the Paris post

(09:33):
office, the railway employer from theepinay, some friends of Monsieur and Mademoiselle
Stangerson, and all Monsieur Dearzac's witnesses. I was lucky enough to be called
early in the trial, so thatI was then able to watch and be
present at almost the whole of theproceedings. The court was so crowded that

(09:54):
many lawyers were compelled to find seatson the steps. Behind the bench of
justices were representatives from other benches.Monsieur Berdarzac stood in the prisoner's dock between
policemen. Tall, handsome and calma murmur of admiration rather than of compassion,

(10:15):
greeted his appearance. He leaned forwardtowards his council Metren Robert, who
assisted by his chief secretary Metre Andrees, was busy turning over the folios of
his brief Many expected that Monsieurs Stangerson, after giving his evidence, would have
gone over to the prisoner and shakinghands with him, but he left the

(10:39):
court without another word. It wasremarked that the jurors appeared to be deeply
interested in a rapid conversation which themanager of the Epoch was having with Metronre
Robert. The manager later sat downin the front row of the public seats.
Some were that he was not askedto remain with the other witnesses in

(11:03):
the room reserved for them. Thereading of the indictment was got through,
as it always is, without anyincident. I shall not here report the
long examination to which Monsieur Robert Darzacwas subjected. He answered all the questions
quickly and easily. His silence asto the important matters of which we know,

(11:26):
was dead against him. It wouldseem as if this reticence would be
fatal to him. He resented thePresident's reprimanse. He was told that his
silence might mean death. Very well, he said, I will submit to
it, but I am innocent withthat splendid ability which has made his fame.

(11:50):
Metre Robert took advantage of the incidentand tried to show that it brought
out, in noble relief his client'scharacter, for only heroic natures could remain
silent for moral reasons in face ofsuch a danger. The eminent advocate,
however, only succeeded in assuring thosewho were already assured of Darzac's innocence.

(12:13):
At the adjourntment Rouletabail had not arrived. Yet every time the door opened,
all eyes were turned towards it andback to the manager of the Epoch,
who sat in passive in his place. When he once was feeling in his
pocket. A loud murmur of expectationfollowed the latter. It is not,

(12:35):
however, my intention to report indetail the course of the trial. My
readers are sufficiently acquainted with the mysteriessurrounding the Glandier case to enable me to
go on to the really dramatic denouementof this ever memorable day. When the
trial was resumed metro Aure Robert questionedthe Deimatieu as to his complicity in the

(12:56):
death of the keeper. His wifewas also brought in and was confronted by
her husband. She burst into tearsand confessed that she had been the keeper's
mistress and that her husband had suspectedit. She again, however, affirmed
that he had had nothing to dowith the murder of her lover Matri.

(13:18):
Robert thereupon asked the court to hearFredrich Clarson on this point. In a
short conversation which I have had withFredrich Clarson during the adjointment, declared the
advocate. He has made me understandthat the death of the keeper may have
been brought about otherwise than by thehand of Mathieu. It will be interesting

(13:41):
to hear Fredric Claarson's theory. FredricClarson was brought in. His explanation was
quite clear. I see no necessityhe said for bringing Mateu in this.
I have told Monsieur de Marques thatthe man's threats had by it the examining
magistrate against him. To me,the attempt to murder Mademoiselle and the death

(14:05):
of the keeper of the work ofone 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 offact, he only stumbled at the
moment of his disappearance, behind thecorner of the right wing of the chateau.

(14:28):
There he encountered the keeper, whono doubt tried to seize him.
The murderer had in his hand theknife with which he had stabbed the Mademoiselle
Stangerson, and with this he killedthe keeper. This very simple explanation appeared
at once plausible and satisfying. Amurmur of approbation was heard, and the

(14:52):
murderer what became of him? Askedthe President. He was evidently hidden in
an obscure corner at the end ofthe court. After the people had left
the courts, carrying with them thebody of the keeper, the murderer quietly
made his escape. The words hadscarcely left Larson's mouth when from the back

(15:15):
of the court came a joyful voice. I agree with Frederic Larsan as to
the death of the keeper, butI do not agree with him as to
the way the murderer escaped. Everybodyturned 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,

(15:41):
was again heard. It is IMonsieur President Joseph Ultabille, end of Chapter
twenty six. Recording by J.C. I. Guan, Montreal,
November two thousand eight.