the pavilion, then--Monsieur Stangerson and me. We
made no noise. He was seated at his desk. As for me, I was sitting on
a chair, having finished my work and, looking at him, I said to myself:
"What a man!--what intelligence!--what knowledge!" I attach importance
to the fact that we made no noise; for, because of that, the assassin
certainly thought that we had left the place. And, suddenly, while the
cuckoo was sounding the half after midnight, a desperate clamour
broke out in The Yellow Room. It was the voice of Mademoiselle, crying
"Murder!--murder!--help!" Immediately afterwards revolver shots rang out
and there was a great noise of tables and furniture being thrown to
the ground, as if in the course of a struggle, and again the voice of
Mademoiselle calling, "Murder!--help!--Papa!--Papa!--"

"'You may be sure that we quickly sprang up and that Monsieur Stangerson
and I threw ourselves upon the door. But alas! it was locked, fast
locked, on the inside, by the care of Mademoiselle, as I have told you,
with key and bolt. We tried to force it open, but it remained firm.
Monsieur Stangerson was like a madman, and truly, it was enough to make
him one, for we heard Mademoiselle still calling "Help!--help!" Monsieur
Stangerson showered terrible blows on the door, and wept with rage and
sobbed with despair and helplessness.

"'It was then that I had an inspiration. "The assassin must have entered
by the window!" I cried;--"I will go to the window!" and I rushed from
the pavilion and ran like one out of his mind.

"'The inspiration was that the window of The Yellow Room looks out in
such a way that the park wall, which abuts on the pavilion, prevented my
at once reaching the window. To get up to it one has first to go out
of the park. I ran towards the gate and, on my way, met Bernier and his
wife, the gate-keepers, who had been attracted by the pistol reports and
by our cries. In a few words I told them what had happened, and directed
the concierge to join Monsieur Stangerson with all speed, while his wife
came with me to open the park gate. Five minutes later she and I were
before the window of The Yellow Room.

"'The moon was shining brightly and I saw clearly that no one had
touched the window. Not only were the bars that protect it intact, but
the blinds inside of them were drawn, as I had myself drawn them early
in the evening, as I did every day, though Mademoiselle, knowing that
I was tired from the heavy work I