quietly replied that it was no business of his how he spent his time
in Paris. On which Fred swore aloud that he would find out, without
anybody's help.

"All this seems to fit in with Fred's hypothesis, namely, that Monsieur
Stangerson allowed the murderer to escape in order to avoid a scandal.
The hypothesis is further substantiated by the fact that Darzac was in
The Yellow Room and was permitted to get away. That hypothesis I believe
to be a false one.--Larsan is being misled by it, though that would
not displease me, did it not affect an innocent person. Now does that
hypothesis really mislead Frederic Larsan? That is the question--that is
the question."

"Perhaps he is right," I cried, interrupting Rouletabille. "Are you
sure that Monsieur Darzac is innocent?--It seems to me that these are
extraordinary coincidences--"

"Coincidences," replied my friend, "are the worst enemies to truth."

"What does the examining magistrate think now of the matter?"

"Monsieur de Marquet hesitates to accuse Monsieur Darzac, in the absence
of absolute proofs. Not only would he have public opinion wholly against
him, to say nothing of the Sorbonne, but Monsieur and Mademoiselle
Stangerson. She adores Monsieur Robert Darzac. Indistinctly as she saw
the murderer, it would be hard to make the public believe that she could
not have recognised him, if Darzac had been the criminal. No doubt The
Yellow Room was very dimly lit; but a night-light, however small, gives
some light. Here, my boy, is how things stood when, three days, or
rather three nights ago, an extraordinarily strange incident occurred."

CHAPTER XIV. "I Expect the Assassin This Evening"

"I must take you," said Rouletabille, "so as to enable you to
understand, to the various scenes. I myself believe that I have
discovered what everybody else is searching for, namely, how the
murderer escaped from The Yellow Room, without any accomplice, and
without Mademoiselle Stangerson having had anything to do with it. But
so long as I am not sure of the real murderer, I cannot state the theory
on which I am working. I can only say that I believe it to be correct
and, in any case, a quite natural and simple one. As to what happened in
this place three nights ago, I must say it kept me wondering for a whole
day and a night. It passes all belief. The theory I have formed from
the incident is so absurd that I would rather matters remained as yet
unexplained."

Saying which