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Updated: June 10, 2025
I was seated at Monsieur Stangerson's desk ready for work, when Monsieur de Marquet made us the following little speech as original as it was unexpected: "With your permission, gentlemen as examinations lead to nothing we will, for once, abandon the old system of interrogation.
Then I returned to Mademoiselle Stangerson's chamber where I had seen the unknown. "The first evidence did not disturb me much. It is likely that, when I descended from my ladder, after having seen the unknown in Mademoiselle Stangerson's chamber, Larsan had already finished what he was doing there.
"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.
Had you already suspected Larsan when you sent for me to bring the revolvers?" "Yes! I had come to that conclusion through the incident of the 'inexplicable gallery. Larsan's return to Mademoiselle Stangerson's room, however, had not then been cleared up by the eye-glasses.
Of course he had to make it appear as if he also had been drugged so that no suspicion should fall on him for my condition. Had I not been thus overpowered, Larsan would never have entered Mademoiselle Stangerson's chamber that night, and the attack on her would not have taken place." A groan came from Darzac, who appeared to be unable to control his suffering.
"Very well," said Monsieur de Marquet; "then we'll go to him." Monsieur de Marquet and the gendarme mounted the stairs. He made a sign to Larsan and the railroad employe to follow. Rouletabille and I went along too. On reaching the door of Mademoiselle Stangerson's chamber, Monsieur de Marquet knocked. A chambermaid appeared.
I swear I do not know the murderer!" Must I say it, in spite of the solemnity of Monsieur Stangerson's words, we did not believe in his denial. Frederic Larsan had shown us the truth and it was not so easily given up.
"If I spring into the room at this moment, he will escape by the right-hand door opening into the boudoir, or crossing the drawing-room, he will reach the gallery and I shall lose him. I have him now and in five minutes more he'll be safer than if I had him in a cage. What is he doing there, alone in Mademoiselle Stangerson's room? What is he writing? I descend and place the ladder on the ground.
"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!
Rouletabille asked Darzac to repeat once more Mademoiselle Stangerson's account of how she and her father had spent their time on the day of the tragedy, as she had stated it to the magistrate. The circumstance of the dinner in the laboratory seemed to interest him in the highest degree; and he had it repeated to him three times.
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