for the four years it had been built, she had never failed to take
up her lodging there in the spring. With the return of winter,
Mademoiselle returns to the chateau, for there is no fireplace in
The Yellow Room.

"'We were staying in 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