the crucibles. Suddenly he drew himself up, and held up a piece of
half-consumed paper in his hand. He stepped up to where we were talking
by one of the windows.

"Keep that for us, Monsieur Darzac," he said.

I bent over the piece of scorched paper which Monsieur Darzac took
from the hand of Rouletabille, and read distinctly the only words that
remained legible:

"Presbytery--lost nothing--charm, nor the gar--its brightness."

Twice since the morning these same meaningless words had struck me, and,
for the second time, I saw that they produced on the Sorbonne professor
the same paralysing effect. Monsieur Darzac's first anxiety showed
itself when he turned his eyes in the direction of Daddy Jacques.
But, occupied as he was at another window, he had seen nothing. Then
tremblingly opening his pocket-book he put the piece of paper into it,
sighing: "My God!"

During this time, Rouletabille had mounted into the opening of the
fire-grate--that is to say, he had got upon the bricks of a furnace--and
was attentively examining the chimney, which grew narrower towards the
top, the outlet from it being closed with sheets of iron, fastened into
the brickwork, through which passed three small chimneys.

"Impossible to get out that way," he said, jumping back into the
laboratory. "Besides, even if he had tried to do it, he would have
brought all that ironwork down to the ground. No, no; it is not on that
side we have to search."

Rouletabille next examined the furniture and opened the doors of the
cabinet. Then he came to the windows, through which he declared no one
could possibly have passed. At the second window he found Daddy Jacques
in contemplation.

"Well, Daddy Jacques," he said, "what are you looking at?"

"That policeman who is always going round and round the lake. Another of
those fellows who think they can see better than anybody else!"

"You don't know Frederic Larsan, Daddy Jacques, or you wouldn't speak of
him in that way," said Rouletabille in a melancholy tone. "If there
is anyone who will find the murderer, it will be he." And Rouletabille
heaved a deep sigh.

"Before they find him, they will have to learn how they lost him," said
Daddy Jacques, stolidly.

At length we reached the door of The Yellow Room itself.

"There is the door behind which some terrible scene took place," said
Rouletabille, with a solemnity which, under any other circumstances,
would have been comical.

CHAPTER VII.