g the bold stroke of the young journalist, because I felt certain
his motive had been to protect both Mademoiselle Stangerson and rid
Darzac of an enemy at the same time.

The crowd had barely recovered from the effect of the astonishing
revelation when the hearing was resumed. The question in everybody's
mind was: Admitting that Larsan was the murderer, how did he get out of
The Yellow Room?

Rouletabille was immediately called to the bar and his examination
continued.

"You have told us," said the President, "that it was impossible to
escape from the end of the court. Since Larsan was leaning out of his
window, he had left the court. How did he do that?"

"He escaped by a most unusual way. He climbed the wall, sprang onto the
terrace, and, while we were engaged with the keeper's body, reached the
gallery by the window. He then had little else to do than to open the
window, get in and call out to us, as if he had just come from his own
room. To a man of Ballmeyer's strength all that was mere child's play.
And here, Monsieur, is the proof of what I say."

Rouletabille drew from his pocket a small packet, from which he produced
a strong iron peg.

"This, Monsieur," he said, "is a spike which perfectly fits a hole still
to be seen in the cornice supporting the terrace. Larsan, who thought
and prepared for everything in case of any emergency, had fixed this
spike into the cornice. All he had to do to make his escape good was to
plant one foot on a stone which is placed at the corner of the chateau,
another on this support, one hand on the cornice of the keeper's door
and the other on the terrace, and Larsan was clear of the ground. The
rest was easy. His acting after dinner as if he had been drugged was
make believe. He was not drugged; but he did drug me. 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.

"You can understand," added Rouletabille, "that Larsan would feel
himself hampered from the fact that my room was so close to his, and
from a suspicion that I would be on the watch that night. Naturally, he
could not for a moment believe that I suspected him! But I might see him
leaving his room when h