The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Chapter 24

"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 four of the Mystery ofthe Jello Room. This is a LibriVox
recording. All LibriVox recordings are inthe public domain. For more free audiobooks
or to volunteer, please visit LibriVoxdot org. Reading by Large Rolander,

(00:24):
The Mystery of the Jello Room byGaston Leroux, Chapter twenty four, Roulettabille
knows the two halves of the murderer. Mademoiselle Stangerson had been almost murdered for
the second time. Unfortunately, shewas in too weak a state to bear

(00:45):
the severe injuriries of this second attackas well as she had those of the
first. She had received three woundsin the breast from the murderer's knife,
and she lay long between life anddeath. Her strong physique, how saved
her, but though she recovered physically, it was found that her mind had
been effected. The slightest allusion tothe terrible incident sent her into delirium,

(01:11):
and the rest of Robert Darzac,which followed on the day following the tragic
death of the keeper, seemed tosink her fine intelligence into complete melancholia.
Robert Tarzac arrived at the chateau towardshalf past nine. I saw him hurrying
through the park, his hair enclosein disorder, and his face a deadly

(01:34):
white. Roulettabille and I were lookingout of a window in the gallery.
He saw us and gave a despairingcry, Ah, I am too late,
Roulettabille answered, she lives. Aminute later, Darzac had gone into
Mademoiselle Stangerson's room, and through thedoor we could hear his heart rendering sobs.

(02:00):
There is a fate about this place, groaned Roulettabille. Some infernal gods
must be watching over the misfortunes ofthis family. If I had not been
drugged, I should have saved MademoiselleStangerson. I should have silenced him forever,
and the keeper would not have beenkilled. Monsieur Darzac came in to

(02:21):
speak with us. His distress wasterrible. Roulettabille told him everything, his
preparations for Mademoiselle Stangerson's safety, hisplans for either capturing or for disposing of
the assailant for ever, and howhe would have succeeded had it not been
for the drugging. If only youhad trusted me, said the young man,

(02:46):
in a low tone. If youhad but begged Mademoiselle Stangerson to confide
in me, But then everybody heredistrusts everybody else. The daughter distrusts her
father and even her lover. Whileyou ask me to protect her, she
is doing all she can to frustrateme. That was why I came on

(03:09):
the scene too late. At MonsieurRobert Tarzak's request, Roulettabille described the whole
scene leaning on the wall to preventhimself from falling. He had made his
way to Mademoiselle Stangerson's room while wewere running after the supposed murderer. The
anteroom door was open, and whenhe entered, he found Mademoiselle Stangerson lying

(03:34):
partly thrown over the desk. Herdressing gown was dyed with the blood flowing
from her bosom. Still under theinfluence of the drug, he felt he
was walking in a horrible nightmare.He went back to the gallery, automatically
opened a window, shouted hiss orderto fire, and then returned to the

(03:55):
room. He crossed the deserted boudoir, entered the drawing room and tried to
rouse Monsieur Stangerson, who was lyingon a sofa. Monsieur Stangerson rose stupidly
and let himself be drawn by Roulettabilleinto the room, where, on seeing
his daughter's body, he uttered aheart rendering cry. Both united their feeble

(04:18):
strength and carried her to her bed. On his way to join us,
wrote Lettabille, passed by the deskon the floor. Near it, he
saw a large packet. He kneltdown, and, finding the wrapper loose,
he examined it and made out anenormous quantity of papers and photographs.

(04:40):
On one of the papers he readnew differential electroscopic condenser, fundamental properties of
substance, intermediary between ponderable matter andimponderable ether. Strange irony of fate that
the Professor's precious papers should be restoredto him at the very time time when

(05:00):
an attempt was being made to deprivehim of his daughter's life. What our
paper's worth to him now? Themorning following that awful night saw Monsieur de
Marquette once more at the chateau withhis registrar and Changdarmes. Of course,
we were all questioned. Roulettabille andI had already agreed on what to say.

(05:23):
I kept back any information as tomy being in the dark closet,
and said nothing about the dragging.We did not wish to suggest in any
way that Mademoiselle Stangerson had been expectingher nocturnal visitor. The poor woman might
perhaps never recover, and it wasnone of our business to lift the veil

(05:44):
of a secret, the preservation ofwhich she had paid for so dearly.
Arthur Rance told everybody in a mannerso natural that it astonished me that he
had last seen the keeper towards eleveno'clock of that fe night. He had
come for his valise, he said, which he was to take for him

(06:04):
early next morning to the Saint Michelstation, and had been kept out late
running after poachers. Arthur Rance hadindeed intended to leave the chateau, and,
according to his habit, to walkto the station. Monsieur Stangerson confirmed
what Rance had said, adding thathe had not asked Rance to dine with

(06:27):
him because his friend had taken hisfinal leave of them both earlier in the
evening. Monsieur Rance had had teaserved him in his room because he had
complained of a slight indisposition. Burniertestified, instructed by Roulettabille, that the
keeper had ordered him to meet ata spot near the Oak Crow for the

(06:48):
purpose of looking out for poachers.Finding that the keeper did not keep his
appointment, he Bernier had gone insearch for him. He had almost to
ride at the Donjon when he sawa figure running swiftly in a direction opposite
to him, towards the right wingof the chateau. He heard revolver shots

(07:11):
from behind the figure and saw Roulettabilleat one of the gallery windows. He
heard Roulettabille call out to him tofire, and he had fired. He
believed he had killed the man untilhe learned after Roulettabille had uncovered the body
that the man had died from aknife thrust. Who had given it.

(07:32):
He could not imagine nobody could havebeen near the spot without my seeing him.
When the examining magistrate reminded him thatthe spot where the body was found
was very dark, and that hehimself had not been able to recognize the
keeper before firing, de dey Baarnierreplied that neither had they seen the other

(07:55):
body, nor had they found itin the narrow court were if five people
were standing, it would have beenstrange if the other body had it been
there could have escaped. The onlydoor that opened into the court was that
of the keeper's room, and thatdoor was closed, and the key of
it was found in the keeper's pocket. However that might be, the examining

(08:20):
magistrate did not pursue his inquiry furtherin this direction. He was evidently convinced
that we had missed the man wewere chasing, and we had come upon
the keeper's body in our chase.This matter of the keeper was another matter
entirely. He wanted to satisfy himselfabout that without any further delay. Probably

(08:45):
it fitted in with the conclusion hehad already arrived at as to the keeper
and his intrigues with the wife ofMathieu, the landlord of the Donjon inn.
This Modieu, later in the afternoonwas arrested and taken to Corbay in
spite of his rheumaties. He hadbeen heard to threaten the keeper, and

(09:07):
though no evidence against him had beenfound at his inn, the evidence of
carters who had heard the threats wasenough to justify his retention. The examination
had proceeded thus far, when toour surprise Freda Clarsan returned to the chateau.
He was accompanied by one of theemployees of the railway. At that

(09:31):
moment, Rance and I were inthe vestibule discussing Matthieu's guilt or innocence,
while Roulettabille stood apart, buried,apparently in thought. The examining magistrate and
his registrar were in the little greendrawing room, while Darzac was with the
doctor and Stangerson in the lady's chamber. As Freda Clarsan entered the vestibule with

(09:56):
the railway employed, Roulettabille and II at once recognized him by the small
blond beard. We exchanged meaningful glances. Larsan had himself announced to the examining
magistrate by the Changdarme, and enteredwith a railway servant as steady Jacques came
out. Some ten minutes went by, during which Roulettabille appeared extremely impatient.

(10:24):
The door of the drawing room wasthen opened, and we heard the magistrate
calling to the Changdarme, who entered. Presently. He came out, mounted
the stairs and coming back shortly wentinto the magistrate and said, Monsieur Monsieur
Robert Darzac will not come. Wnot come, cried Monsieur de Marquet.

(10:48):
He says he cannot leave Mademoiselle Stangersonin our present state. Very well,
said Monsieur de Marquet, then we'llgo to him. Monsieur de Marquet and
the changdarmes mounted the stairs. Hemade a sign to Larsan and the railroad
employee to follow. Rouletabille and Iwent along too. On reaching the door

(11:09):
of Mademoiselle Stangerson's chamber, Monsieur deMarquis knocked. A chambermaid appeared. It
was Sylvia, with her hair allin disorder and consternation showing on her face.
Is Monsieur Stangerson? Within, askedthe magistrate, Yes, Monsieur,
tell him that I wish to speakwith him. Stangerson came out. His

(11:33):
appearance was wretched in the extreme.What do you want? He demanded of
the magistrate. May I not beleft in peace? Monsieur Monsieur, said
the magistrate, It is absolutely necessarythat I shall see Monsieur Darzac at once.
If you cannot induce him to come, I shall be compelled to use

(11:54):
the help of the law. Theprofessor made no reply. He looked at
us all like a man being ledto execution, and then went back into
the room. Almost immediately after MonsieurRobert Darzac came out. He was very
pale. He looked at us,and his eyes falling on the railway servant.

(12:16):
His features stiffened, and he couldhardly repress a groan. We were
all much moved by the appearance ofthe man. We felt that what was
about to happen would decide the fateof Monsieur Robert Darzac. Frederic Larsan's face
alone was ragiant, showing a joyas of a dog that had last got

(12:37):
its prey. Pointing to the railwayservant, Monsieur de Marquet said to Monsieur
Darzac, do you recognize this man? Monsieur ay do, said Monsieur Darzac,
in a tone which he vainly triedto make firm. He is an
employ at the station at Epinis sieurOrche. This young man went on.

(13:00):
Monsieur de Marquis affirms that he sawyou get off the train at the Pinoisieur
Orche that night, said Monsieur Darzac, interrupting at half past ten. It
is quite true. An interval ofsilence followed Monsieur Darzac. The magistrate went
on in a tone of deep emotion, Monsieur Darzac, what were you doing

(13:24):
that night at e pinoisieur orch atthat time? Monsieur Darzac remained silent,
simply closing his eyes. Monsieur Darzacinsisted the Monsieur de Marquis, can you
tell me how you employed your timethat night? Monsieur Darzac opened his eyes.

(13:45):
He seemed to have recovered his selfcontrol. No monsieur, think monsieur,
for if you persist in your strangeprofusal, I shall be under the
painful necessity of key keeping you atmy disposition. I refuse, Monsieur Darzac,
in the name of the law,I arrest you. The magistrate had

(14:11):
no sooner pronounced the words than Isaw Roulettabille move quickly towards Monsieur Darzac.
He would certainly have spoken to him, but Arsac, by a gesture,
held him off. As the Changdarmeapproached his prisoner, a despairing cry ran
through the room. Robert, Robert, we recognized the voice of Mademoiselle Stangerson.

(14:37):
We all shuddered. Larsan himself turnedpale. Monsieur Darzac, in response
to the cry, had flown backinto the room. The magistrate, the
Endarme and Larsan followed closely after.Roulettabille and I remained on the threshold.
It was a heart breaking sight thatmet our eyes. Mademoiselle Stangerson, with

(15:03):
a face of deathly pallor, hadrisen on her bed in spite of the
restraining efforts of two doctors and herfather. She was holding out her trembling
arms towards Robert Darzac, on whomLarsan and the Changdarmes had laid hands.
Her distended eyes saw she understood.Her lips seemed to form a word,

(15:26):
but nobody made it out, andshe fell back insensible. Monsieur Darzac was
hurried out of the room and placedin the vestibule to wait for the vehicle
Larsan had gone to fetch. Wewere all overcome by emotion, and even
Monsieur de Marquet had tears in hiseyes. Roulettabille took advantage of the opportunity

(15:52):
to say to Monsieur Darzac, areyou going to put in any defense?
No, replied the prisoner. Verywell, then I will, Monsieur.
You cannot do it, said theunhappy man, with a faint smile.
I can, and I will Roulettabille'svoice had in it a strange strength and

(16:15):
confidence. I can do it,Monsieur Robert Darzac, because I know more
than you do. Come, Come, murmured Darzac, almost angrily. Have
no fear. I shall know onlywhat will benefit you. You must know
nothing, young man, if youwant me to be grateful. Rouletabille shook

(16:37):
his head, going close up toDarzac. Listen to what I am about
to say, he said, ina low tone, and let it give
you confidence. You do not knowthe name of the murderer. Mademoiselle Stangerson
knows it, but only half ofit. But I know his two halves.

(17:02):
I know the whole man. RobertTarzac opened his eyes with a look
that showed he had not understood aword of what Roulettabille had said to him.
At that moment, the conveyance arrived, driven by Frederic Larsan, Darzac
and the Changdarme entered it, Larsanremaining on the driver's seat. The prisoner

(17:26):
was taken to Courbey. End ofchapter twenty four read by lash Rulander