Part 6 (2/2)

”A mutton-bone in the hand of a skilled a.s.sa.s.sin is a frightful weapon,” said Rouletabille, ”a more certain weapon than a heavy hammer.”

”The scoundrel has proved it to be so,” said Monsieur Robert Darzac, sadly. ”The joint of the bone found exactly fits the wound inflicted.

”My belief is that the wound would have been mortal, if the murderer's blow had not been arrested in the act by Mademoiselle Stangerson's revolver. Wounded in the hand, he dropped the mutton-bone and fled. Unfortunately, the blow had been already given, and Mademoiselle was stunned after having been nearly strangled. If she had succeeded in wounding the man with the first shot of the revolver, she would, doubtless, have escaped the blow with the bone. But she had certainly employed her revolver too late; the first shot deviated and lodged in the ceiling; it was the second only that took effect.”

Having said this, Monsieur Darzac knocked at the door of the pavilion. I must confess to feeling a strong impatience to reach the spot where the crime had been committed. It was some time before the door was opened by a man whom I at once recognised as Daddy Jacques.

He appeared to be well over sixty years of age. He had a long white beard and white hair, on which he wore a flat Basque cap. He was dressed in a complete suit of chestnut-coloured velveteen, worn at the sides; sabots were on his feet. He had rather a waspish-looking face, the expression of which lightened, however, as soon as he saw Monsieur Darzac.

”Friends,” said our guide. ”n.o.body in the pavilion, Daddy Jacques?”

”I ought not to allow anybody to enter, Monsieur Robert, but of course the order does not apply to you. These gentlemen of justice have seen everything there is to be seen, and made enough drawings, and drawn up enough reports-”

”Excuse me, Monsieur Jacques, one question before anything else,” said Rouletabille.

”What is it, young man? If I can answer it-”

”Did your mistress wear her hair in bands, that evening? You know what I mean-over her forehead?”

”No, young man. My mistress never wore her hair in the way you suggest, neither on that day nor on any other. She had her hair drawn up, as usual, so that her beautiful forehead could be seen, pure as that of an unborn child!”

Rouletabille grunted and set to work examining the door, finding that it fastened itself automatically. He satisfied himself that it could never remain open and needed a key to open it. Then we entered the vestibule, a small, well-lit room paved with square red tiles.

”Ah! This is the window by which the murderer escaped!” said Rouletabille.

”So they keep on saying, monsieur, so they keep on saying! But if he had gone off that way, we should have been sure to have seen him. We are not blind, neither Monsieur Stangerson nor me, nor the concierges who are in prison. Why have they not put me in prison, too, on account of my revolver?”

Rouletabille had already opened the window and was examining the shutters.

”Were these closed at the time of the crime?”

”And fastened with the iron catch inside,” said Daddy Jacques, ”and I am quite sure that the murderer did not get out that way.”

”Are there any blood stains?”

”Yes, on the stones outside; but blood of what?”

”Ah!” said Rouletabille, ”there are footmarks visible on the path-the ground was very moist. I will look into that presently.”

”Nonsense!” interrupted Daddy Jacques; ”the murderer did not go that way.”

”Which way did he go, then?”

”How do I know?”

Rouletabille looked at everything, smelled everything. He went down on his knees and rapidly examined every one of the paving tiles. Daddy Jacques went on:

”Ah!-you can't find anything, monsieur. Nothing has been found. And now it is all dirty; too many persons have tramped over it. They wouldn't let me wash it, but on the day of the crime I had washed the floor thoroughly, and if the murderer had crossed it with his hobnailed boots, I should not have failed to see where he had been; he has left marks enough in Mademoiselle's chamber.”

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