The Secret Of The Night(Fiscle Part 3) by Gaston Leroux (best business books of all time txt) 📖
- Author: Gaston Leroux
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"But You Say At Once ... The Bouquet! Come To The General's Room!"
"Not A Move. And Continue Listening To Me Without Interrupting,"
Said He, Still Inclining His Ear, And Still Without Looking At Her.
"It Is Because These Things Were As The Light Of Day To Me That I
Say To Myself, 'It Is Impossible That It Should Be Impossible For
A Third Person Not To Have Placed The Bomb In The Bouquet. Someone
Is Able To Enter The General's Chamber Even When The General Is
Watching And All The Doors Are Locked."
"Oh, No. No One Could Possibly Enter. I Swear It To You."
As She Swore It A Little Too Loudly, Rouletabille Seized Her Arm
So That She Almost Cried Out, But She Understood Instantly That It
Was To Keep Her Quiet.
"I Tell You Not To Interrupt Me, Once For All."
"But, Then, Tell Me What You Are Looking At Like That."
"I Am Watching The Corner Where Someone Is Going To Enter The
General's Chamber When Everything Is Locked, Madame. Do Not Move!"
Matrena, Her Teeth Chattering, Recalled That When She Entered
Rouletabille's Chamber She Had Found All The Doors Open That
Communicated With The Chain Of Rooms: The Young Man's Chamber With
Hers, The Dressing-Room And The General's Chamber. She Tried, Under
Rouletabille's Look, To Keep Calm, But In Spite Of All The Reporter's
Exhortations She Could Not Hold Her Tongue.
"But Which Way? Where Will They Enter?"
"By The Door."
Part 1 Chapter 6 (The Mysterious Hand) Pg 68
Which Door?"
"That Of The Chamber Giving On The Servants' Stair-Way."
"Why, How? The Key! The Bolt!"
"They Have Made A Key."
"But The Bolt Is Drawn This Side."
"They Will Draw It Back From The Other Side."
"What! That Is Impossible."
Rouletabille Laid His Two Hands On Matrena's Strong Shoulders And
Repeated, Detaching Each Syllable, "They Will Draw It Back From The
Other Side."
"It Is Impossible. I Repeat It."
"Madame, Your Nihilists Haven't Invented Anything. It Is A Trick
Much In Vogue With Sneak Thieves In Hotels. All It Needs Is A
Little Hole The Size Of A Pin Bored In The Panel Of The Door Above
The Bolt."
"God!" Quavered Matrena. "I Don't Understand What You Mean By Your
Little Hole. Explain To Me, Little Domovoi."
"Follow Me Carefully, Then," Continued Rouletabille, His Eyes All
The Time Fixed Elsewhere. "The Person Who Wishes To Enter Sticks
Through The Hole A Brass Wire That He Has Already Given The Necessary
Curve To And Which Is Fitted On Its End With A Light Point Of Steel
Curved Inward. With Such An Instrument It Is Child's Play, If The
Hole Has Been Made Where It Ought To Be, To Touch The Bolt On The
Inside From The Outside, Pick The Knob On It, Withdraw It, And Open
The Door If The Bolt Is Like This One, A Small Door-Bolt."
"Oh, Oh, Oh," Moaned Matrena, Who Paled Visibly. "And That Hole?"
"It Exists."
"You Have Discovered It?"
"Yes, The First Hour I Was Here."
"Oh, Domovoi! But How Did You Do That When You Never Entered The
General's Chamber Until To-Night?"
"Doubtless, But I Went Up That Servants' Staircase Much Earlier
Than That. And I Will Tell You Why. When I Was Brought Into The
Villa The First Time, And You Watched Me, Bidden Behind The Door,
Do You Know What I Was Watching Myself, While I Appeared To Be
Solely Occupied Digging Out The Caviare? The Fresh Print Of
Boot-Nails Which Left The Carpet Near The Table, Where Someone Had
Part 1 Chapter 6 (The Mysterious Hand) Pg 69Spilled Beer (The Beer Was Still Running Down The Cloth). Someone
Had Stepped In The Beer. The Boot-Print Was Not Clearly Visible
Excepting There. But From There It Went To The Door Of The Servants'
Stairway And Mounted The Stairs. That Boot Was Too Fine To Be
Mounting A Stairway Reserved To Servants And That Koupriane Told
Me Had Been Condemned, And It Was That Made Me Notice It In A
Moment; But Just Then You Entered."
"You Never Told Me Anything About It. Of Course If I Had Known
There Was A Boot-Print..."
"I Didn't Tell You Anything About It Because I Had My Reasons For
That, And, Anyway, The Trace Dried While I Was Telling You About
My Journey."
"Ah, Why Not Have Told Me Later?"
"Because I Didn't Know You Yet."
"Subtle Devil! You Will Kill Me. I Can No Longer... Let Us Go
Into The General's Chamber. We Will Wake Him."
"Remain Here. Remain Here. I Have Not Told You Anything. That
Boot-Print Preoccupied Me, And Later, When I Could Get Away From The
Dining-Room, I Was Not Easy Until I Had Climbed That Stairway Myself
And Gone To See That Door, Where I Discovered What I Have Just Told
You And What I Am Going To Tell You Now."
"What? What? In All You Have Said There Has Been Nothing About
The Hat-Pins."
"We Have Come To Them Now."
"And The Bouquet Attack, Which Is Going To Happen Again? Why? Why?"
"This Is It. When This Evening You Let Me Go To The General's
Chamber, I Examined The Bolt Of The Door Without Your Suspecting It.
My Opinion Was Confirmed. It Was That Way That The Bomb Was Brought,
And It Is By That Way That Someone Has Prepared To Return."
"But How? You Are Sure The Little Hole Is The Way Someone Came?
But What Makes You Think That Is How They Mean To Return? You Know
Well Enough That, Not Having Succeeded In The General's Chamber,
They Are At Work In The Dining-Room."
"Madame, It Is Probable, It Is Certain That They Have Given Up The
Work In The Dining-Room Since They Have Commenced This Very Day
Working Again In The General's Chamber. Yes, Someone Returned,
Returned That Way, And I Was So Sure Of That, Of The Forthcoming
Return, That I Removed The Police In Order To Be Able To Study
Everything More At My Ease. Do You Understand Now My Confidence
And Why I Have Been Able To Assume So Heavy A Responsibility? It
Is Because I Knew I Had Only One Thing To Watch: One Little Hat-Pin.
It Is Not Difficult, Madame, To Watch A Single Little Hat-Pin."
Part 1 Chapter 6 (The Mysterious Hand) Pg 70
"A Mistake," Said Matrena, In A Low Voice. "Miserable Little
Domovoi Who Told Me Nothing, Me Whom You Let Go To Sleep On My
Mattress, In Front Of That Door That Might Open Any Moment."
"No, Madame. For I Was Behind It!"
"Ah, Dear Little Holy Angel! But What Were You Thinking Of! That
Door Has Not Been Watched This Afternoon. In Our Absence It Could
Have Been Opened. If Someone Has Placed A Bomb During Our Absence!"
"That Is Why I Sent You At Once In To The Dining-Room On That Search
That I Thought Would Be Fruitless, Dear Madame. And That Is Why I
Hurried Upstairs To The Bedroom. I Went To The Stairway Door
Instantly. I Had Prepared For Proof Positive If Anyone Had Pushed
It Open Even Half A Millimeter. No, No One Had Touched The Door In
Our Absence.
"Ah, Dear Heroic Little Friend Of Jesus! But Listen To Me. Listen
To Me, My Angel. Ah, I Don't Know Where I Am Or What I Say. My
Brain Is No More Than A Flabby Balloon Punctured With Pins, With
Little Holes Of Hat-Pins. Tell Me About The Hat-Pins. Right Off!
No, At First, What Is It That Makes You Believe - Good God! - That
Someone Will Return By That Door? How Can You See That, All That,
In A Poor Little Hat-Pin?"
"Madame, It Is Not A Single Hat-Pin Hole; There Are Two Of Them.
"Two Hat-Pin Holes?"
"Yes, Two. An Old One And A New One. One Quite New. Why This
Second Hole? Because The Old One Was Judged A Little Too Narrow
And They Wished To Enlarge It, And In Enlarging It They Broke Off
The Point Of A Hat-Pin In It. Madame, The Point Is There Yet,
Filling Up The Little Old Hole And The Piece Of Metal Is Very Sharp
And Very Bright."
"Now I Understand The Examination Of The Hat-Pins. Then It Is So
Easy As That To Get Through A Door With A Hat-Pin?"
"Nothing Easier, Especially If The Panel Is Of Pine. Sometimes One
Happens To Break The Point Of A Pin In The First Hole. Then Of
Necessity One Makes A Second. In Order To Commence The Second Hole,
The Point Of The Pin Being Broken, They Have Used The Point Of A
Pen-Knife, Then Have Finished The Hole With The Hat-Pin. The Second
Hole Is Still Nearer The Bolt Than The First One. Don't Move Like
That, Madame."
"But They Are Going To Come! They Are Going To Come!"
"I Believe So."
"But I Can't Understand How You Can Remain So Quiet With Such A
Certainty. Great Heavens! What Proof Have You That They Have Not
Part 1 Chapter 6 (The Mysterious Hand) Pg 71Been There Already?"
"Just An Ordinary Pin, Madame, Not A Hat-Pin This Time. Don't
Confuse The Pins. I Will Show You In A Little While."
"He Will Drive Me Distracted With His Pins, Dear Light Of My Eyes!
Bounty Of Heaven! God's Envoy! Dear Little Happiness-Bearer!"
In Her Transport She Tried To Take Him In Her Trembling Arms, But
He Waved Her Back. She Caught Her Breath And Resumed:
"Did The Examination Of All The Hat-Pins Tell You Anything?"
"Yes. The Fifth Hat-Pin Of Mademoiselle Natacha's, The One In The
Toque Out In The Veranda, Has The Tip Newly Broken Off."
"O Misery!" Cried Matrena, Crumpling In Her Chair.
Rouletabille Raised Her.
"What Would You Have? I Have Examined Your Own Hat-Pins. Do You
Think I Would Have Suspected You If I Had Found One Of Them Broken?
I
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